Sonos Ace Ultra to Rival AirPods Max with AI Features

Sonos is reportedly developing a successor to its Ace headphones, the Sonos Ace Ultra, which will integrate artificial intelligence features. According to Bloomberg, the new model appeared in an FCC filing this week and is expected to launch in September. This move positions Sonos to compete directly with Apple's AirPods Max, which has not seen a major update in years.

Sonos Ace Ultra: AI-Powered Features

The upcoming headphones are said to kick off Sonos's push into AI. The FCC filing suggests support for voice commands, potentially enabling interaction with third-party AI chatbots. Sonos CEO Tom Conrad recently stated that AI would be a focus area, mentioning 'conversational computing and predictive intelligence moving into the home.' The filing also lists color options: Greige, Shadow Black, Agave, Blush, and Sand, though most technical details remain redacted.

Challenges for the Original Sonos Ace

The original Sonos Ace launched in 2024 at $449, earning praise for sound quality and active noise cancellation. However, it faced stiff competition and was released shortly after a problematic app redesign. Critics noted that the headphones lacked full integration with the Sonos ecosystem, making them less appealing to existing Sonos users. Sales reportedly reached only about 200,000 units, far below the internal target of one million.

Competitive Landscape

With Apple not expected to release a new AirPods Max soon, the second-generation Sonos Ace will still compete against the original AirPods Max design. The original Ace featured an over-ear design and a feature set similar to AirPods Max, but Sonos aims to differentiate with AI capabilities. The success of the Ace Ultra may hinge on how well it integrates with Sonos's ecosystem and whether it can justify its premium price point.