AirPods are hitting all-time-low prices (AirPods Pro 3 at $179 and AirPods Max 2 at $499) while Woot runs a rare Switch 2 sale using code NEW15 for $434, and Sonos slashes prices in its Summer Sale with up to 25% off.
WiiM has unveiled its first Dolby Atmos soundbar, the WiiM Bar, a 3.0.2-channel eight-driver setup with top-firing height speakers, RoomFit auto-calibration, HDMI eARC, and streaming via the WiiM Home app (Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz, Roon). It launches in gloss black in July for £449 / $479, aiming to disrupt the market and challenge Sonos Beam Gen 2.
The Sonos app for iPhone, iPad and Mac briefly disappeared from Apple's App Store due to a routine administrative update with Apple. Sonos said existing installations would continue to work and expected the issue to be resolved soon; the app has since returned to the App Store and service is back to normal, with Google Play unaffected.
The Sonos app briefly vanished from the iPhone and Mac App Stores due to an outage impacting app availability and Sonos accounts, as noted on the company’s status page. After several hours the app reappeared and both App Store services and accounts were reported operational.
What Hi‑Fi? rounds up the week’s AV headlines: Bose unveils the Lifestyle Ultra line—a Dolby Atmos soundbar with a nine‑driver array and PhaseGuide, plus a Lifestyle Ultra Sub and Wireless Speakers to form a wireless surround system as a challenger to Sonos Arc Ultra; a David Bowie: You’re Not Alone 360‑degree immersive experience opens in London with spatial audio; Garmin launches the JL Audio Primacy premium speakers (S3 standmounts and T6 floorstanders) with a central CS streamer/preamp at steep prices; Jamo reveals Concert Legacy and Concert Element lines featuring DualCore design and down‑firing bass; Wilson Audio previews updated WATT/Puppy models, continuing its premium legacy. Read the full What Hi‑Fi? Rewind for more.
Bose unveils the Lifestyle Ultra lineup—the $299 Ultra Speaker, $1,099 Ultra Soundbar, and $899 Ultra Sub—focusing on big, vocal-forward sound, flexible setups (single, stereo pair, or Atmos rear channels), and an open streaming approach that works with Apple Music, Spotify Connect, AirPlay, and Google Cast without relying on a Bose app. It can group with non‑Bose speakers, room-correction is coming later, and Auracast won’t be enabled at launch.
Tom's Guide highlights the Era 100 SL as a cost-effective way to upgrade a home theater, delivering rich stereo with dual tweeters and a larger woofer, easy five-minute setup via the Sonos app, no microphone or voice control (Trueplay limited to iOS), and solid bass at low volumes—great for a passive surround system without extra features.
Gizmodo reviews the $299 Sonos Play, a portable speaker that also serves as a Wi‑Fi hub for a Sonos ecosystem and can pair with other Plays for stereo or multi‑room playback. It delivers surprisingly big sound for its size, competes with Bose’s SoundLink Plus, supports on‑the‑fly Bluetooth linking, Trueplay tuning, and voice assistants, and boasts IP67 durability with a replaceable battery that lasts about a day. Still, it’s pricey, lacks Dolby Atmos, and rearranging from a stereo pair back to a single speaker isn’t entirely seamless. Overall, it’s a strong comeback for Sonos, blending home and on‑the‑go listening.
A versatile $299 portable speaker that works on Wi‑Fi like other Sonos speakers (Auto Trueplay, AirPlay 2, stereo pairing) and also serves as a rugged Bluetooth option with up to 24 hours of battery, USB‑C charging, and a base dock; it can pair two Plays for a wider soundstage on Wi‑Fi and group with other Sonos speakers while away from Wi‑Fi via Bluetooth, making it a strong gateway into Sonos for on‑the‑go use—though its sound leans bright and it isn’t as compact or polished as some rivals or a stationary Era 100 setup.
Denon refreshes its HEOS-powered Denon Home lineup with three wireless speakers — the Home 200, 400 and 600 — offering hi‑res audio and Dolby Atmos, and designed to blend into living spaces. The 200 is a compact 3‑driver model, the 400 adds more drivers and upfiring units for Atmos, and the 600 uses dual 6.5-inch woofers with a larger driver array for deeper bass. All support Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth, USB‑C and aux, and can be mixed with other HEOS devices (up to 64 devices across 32 zones) for multi‑room listening, including compatibility with older Denon Home speakers. Available now in Stone and Charcoal: 200 (£299/$399/AU$699), 400 (£449/$599/AU$999), 600 (£599/$799/AU$1,499). Denon positions them as a furniture‑friendly alternative to Sonos, with a full review to come.
Sonos unveils Play, a $299 portable speaker designed to live at home yet travel-ready, with Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, physical controls, Trueplay tuning, IP67 dust/water resistance, up to 24 hours of playback, and USB‑C power bank support; it can be grouped with up to three additional Play or Move 2 speakers over Bluetooth (a first for Sonos) and has a battery replacement kit for $69. The company also introduces Era 100 SL at $189 as part of a refreshed lineup, with preorder now and general availability on March 31.
An unannounced Sonos Play portable speaker has surfaced on Best Buy Canada, listed at CAD 399.99 with an apparent March 31, 2026 release. The device, likely a smaller Move 2, would support Wi‑Fi for multi‑room setups, AirPlay 2, Bluetooth 5.3, and an aux input, plus an IP67 waterproof/dustproof rating, a 24‑hour battery, a wireless charging base, and USB‑C power‑bank charging. Sonos hasn’t officially announced it yet, but a formal reveal seems imminent.
Ahead of Super Bowl 2026, Sonos is discounting its home‑theater lineup by up to 20%. The Beam (Gen 2) drops to $369 (from $499), Arc Ultra is $899 (down from $1,099), Sub Mini $399 (from $499), Sub 4 $759 (from $899), and Era 100 and Era 300 are $179 and $379 respectively, with bundles around Move 2 and more deals on the sale page.
Sonos kicked off a Super Bowl sale offering up to 20% off select speakers, soundbars, subwoofers, and bundles, including Arc Ultra at $899 (down from $1,099) and Beam Gen 2 at $369, plus discounted bundles like 2 Room Set with Era 100 and Premium Entertainment Set with Arc Ultra.
Sonos unveils Amp Multi, a wall-friendly eight-channel amplifier meant to be the wired hub of a whole-home system. It has no built-in controls and is controlled entirely through the Sonos app, with setup handled by an installer. The unit supports wired ethernet or Wi‑Fi, Apple AirPlay and other streaming options, and features like ProTune EQ. The major caveat is that its success hinges on a stable app experience, given ongoing prior app issues, and pricing is determined during installation.