Sonos (Nasdaq: SONO) today began rolling out Sonos 27, the next generation of its audio operating system. The update gives listeners AI control through outside assistants and agents, portable speakers that automatically become home theater surrounds, and a more intuitive app. It also introduces headphone linking, an Early Access feature that lets headphones connect directly into the Sonos system for the first time, starting with Sonos Ace Ultra.
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Sonos 27app’s redesigned navigation, shown with lock screen controls, saved Presets, and a new virtual volume dial.
“Most of the tech industry ships new capability by shipping new hardware, but we built Sonos differently,” said Tom Conrad, CEO of Sonos. “Our system grows more capable and smarter over time, so whichever Sonos product you already have at home can do more today than it did last year. That’s exactly what’s rolling out with Sonos 27.”
Control your Sonos system with AI
Sonos is expanding its open platform to give listeners the choice to control their system with whichever AI they already use. Available starting today in Early Access, Sonos 27mcp lets you connect Sonos to any outside AI, including ChatGPT and Claude. Seamlessly adjust your music while using their platforms to stay in the moment, instead of interrupting it. Sonos 27mcp is built on the Model Context Protocol, the open standard for connecting AI to outside applications, and hosted at mcp.ws.sonos.com/mcp.
“We’re excited to see Sonos join the MCP ecosystem and build an integration for Claude,” said Den Delimarsky, Lead Maintainer of MCP and Member of Technical Staff at Anthropic. “This integration will enable Sonos customers to do more with their devices directly from Claude, such as controlling sound without breaking their flow.”
Coming later this Fall, Sonos 27voice is the system’s new AI-powered assistant, made to understand music, mood and control. Built and fine-tuned in-house, Sonos 27voice is trained for the way people actually ask for music: referential and feeling-first. Talk to it like a friend who knows what song you mean, even when you can’t remember the title or artist. You can also use it to curate whatever vibe the moment calls for: morning routine, dinner party, or winding down before bed. Just describe the mood you want and Sonos 27voice can build the right soundtrack for you.
Sonos also previewed where its open platform goes next in 2027 with Sonos Custom Agents, which will let people create their own agents through the system, each with its own model, persona and voice.
“We don’t believe one assistant should own the home. One assistant can’t be great at everything,” said Nick Millington, Chief Innovation Officer. “Sonos 27voice is great at music and control, and our open platform lets you bring in whatever’s great at the rest.”
Sound that bends to your needs
Sonos 27 brings two new features to Sonos FabricTM, the existing system intelligence that lets Sonos products sense and adapt to each other.
Portable surrounds mean your Move 2s or Sonos Plays never have to choose between being your backyard speaker or part of your home theater. Sonos Positioning Technology lets them sense their distance from each other and a nearby soundbar using brief high-frequency audio signals, then switch roles automatically. Set two of the same portable speakers near a compatible soundbar (Arc Ultra, Arc, Beam Ultra, or Beam Gen 2) and they’ll do the rest. Once the movie’s done, pick them back up and they’re portable speakers again.
Headphone linking connects your Sonos Ace Ultra directly into your Sonos system, so you don’t need to keep your phone nearby to listen. With one tap, you can push and pull sound between out loud and personal listening, sending it to the closest speaker or straight back into your ears. Headphone linking runs on Sonos Headphone Engine 2, the platform built into Sonos Ace Ultra with redesigned WiFi antennas and secure credential storage, letting the headphones move through the home instead of relying solely on Bluetooth.
A more intuitive Sonos 27app
Sonos 27app brings a new way of navigating, organized into Home, System and Search across the bottom, with native swipe gestures and the ability to pin favorite rooms to the top. It was shaped and tested with the Sonos community. iPhone owners can already control playback from the lock screen and Dynamic Island, with today’s update adding Siri and Shortcuts support, as well as a refreshed iPad layout. Sonos 27app also debuts a new virtual volume knob, which lets you twist two fingers on the screen to adjust volume like turning a dial. Presets, which let you save a set of speakers, content, and volume and return to it with one tap, arrives later this fall alongside new system health views.
A system for the way a home feels
Sonos is an audio operating system that helps you create the sound experience for your home. Built on an open platform, it brings together every way people want to listen, so you can play anything, any way you want. Every speaker is built to work better together. Add one and the rest get smarter, filling more of the home with sound that’s tuned to the room it’s actually playing in. Continuous platform enhancements and products designed to work across generations mean the system gets more capable over time.
Availability
Sonos 27 becomes available today as a free software update to all Sonos S2 products, though feature availability varies by product. The update includes new Sonos 27app navigation and portable surrounds, both available today, along with Sonos 27mcp in Early Access. Headphone linking arrives alongside Sonos Ace Ultra on September 29 as an Early Access feature, Sonos 27voice arrives as an Early Access feature later this Fall, and Sonos Custom Agents is targeted for 2027. Sonos also recently announced two flagship products, Sonos Beam Ultra and Sonos Ace Ultra, available now for pre-order at sonos.com and select retail partners, with general availability starting September 29, 2026. For more information, visit www.sonos.com.
About Sonos
Sonos (Nasdaq: SONO) is a leading audio company dedicated to elevating life through sound. Sonos has built a connected system that brings together all the sounds people love, from music and movies to stories and conversations. Its portfolio of home theater speakers, components, plug-in and portable speakers, and headphones grows more powerful with every room and device added. Trusted by more than 17 million households in over 60 countries, Sonos is headquartered in Santa Barbara, California. Learn more at www.sonos.com.
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