With Sonos 27, the multi-room pioneer has finally declared its connected speaker system to be an audio operating system. The new generation opens up to external AI assistants like ChatGPT, introduces a redesigned app, and automatically turns mobile Sonos speakers into surround sound speakers. However, several features will initially be available only through Early Access.
Sonos no longer wants to be seen merely as a manufacturer of connected speakers. The company refers to an audio operating system for the entire home and has now given this strategy its own name: Sonos 27.
This isn’t a single, large software package that will be fully released on a specific date. Rather, Sonos 27 encompasses the app, web control, voice control, AI interfaces, and communication between individual devices. The new features will be rolled out gradually starting in September.
Sonos 27 Opens Up to ChatGPT and Other AI Assistants
With Sonos 27voice, the company is developing its own voice assistant for music and ambiance. It is designed not only to process specific commands but also to respond to vaguely worded requests. For example, users should be able to ask for an album they only half-remember or start playing music in multiple rooms at the same time.
In addition, Sonos is introducing Sonos 27mcp, an open interface for external AI assistants and agents. This explicitly includes ChatGPT. In the future, users will be able to ask the AI assistant during an ongoing conversation to play specific music in a room or throughout the entire house without having to switch to the Sonos app.
Sonos does not want to limit itself to a single universal assistant. In principle, any compatible AI should be able to connect to the system via Sonos 27mcp. The company also announced Sonos Custom Agents for the future. This feature will allow users to create their own agents using a specific AI model, a unique personality, and a voice of their choosing. For now, however, this feature is more of a preview than a finished product.
Sonos 27mcp will launch in Early Access on September 8, 2026. Sonos has not yet disclosed which voice assistants, aside from ChatGPT, will be supported at launch, nor when all features will be generally available.
Sonos Fabric: The Fabric of Multiroom
The manufacturer uses the term “Sonos Fabric” to describe the technology that allows devices on the network to locate one another, connect into groups, and identify their respective roles within the system. At its core, this technology embodies capabilities that have long been a hallmark of Sonos. With the Sonos 27, however, two interesting new features have been added.
Headphone Linking instantly connects the new Sonos Ace Ultra to the Sonos system. With the press of a button, music or other audio content currently playing is transferred from the speaker to the headphones. Press the button again to return playback to the room. The feature will launch on September 29 exclusively for the Ace Ultra in Early Access.
Even more unusual is Sonos Positioning Technology. It uses high-frequency sound—which is inaudible to humans—to determine the location of compatible speakers and automatically assign them new roles.
This allows two Sonos Play or Move 2 speakers to serve as temporary rear speakers for a home theater system. When placed behind the sofa, the system detects their position and assigns them to the left and right surround channels, respectively. After the credits roll, you can take the battery-powered speakers back out to the garden or into another room.
This is how Sonos solves a long-standing problem with portable rear speakers: They don’t have to be permanently tucked away behind the sofa, yet they still remain integrated into your home theater system. The feature will be available for the Sonos Play and Move 2 starting September 8, but requires a compatible Sonos soundbar.
The Sonos app is getting a new navigation system
The Sonos app is also being redesigned as part of Sonos 27. The new navigation is intended to be simpler and more intuitive. According to the manufacturer, feedback from the Sonos community was incorporated into the design, and the changes were also tested with users.
It’s hardly a coincidence that Sonos is explicitly emphasizing this point and rolling out the update in phases. After all, the app is the control center of the entire system. Accordingly, the success of Sonos 27 depends not only on spectacular AI features, but above all on reliability and ease of use in everyday life.
The new navigation will be rolled out gradually starting September 8. Sonos 27 is generally available as a software update for all devices compatible with the previous S2 platform. However, this does not mean that every older product supports all the new features. Features such as Headphone Linking or the automatic detection of portable surround speakers require compatible hardware.
Sonos 27 Is Both an Update and a Roadmap for the Future
The Sonos 27 offers several immediately noticeable improvements. Portable speakers that are automatically recognized as rear speakers and the ability to switch directly between room speakers and headphones are clearly practical features.
With its open AI control system, Sonos is taking things a step further. Although integration with ChatGPT is set to launch as early as September, many of the more advanced ideas involving freely selectable or user-configurable agents are still a long way off. Sonos 27 is therefore as much a new generation of software as it is an announcement of the direction in which the entire system is headed.
For more information on features, compatibility, and release dates, visit the official Sonos 27 website
