After a long, quiet stretch that felt more like damage control than momentum, Sonos is back on the product grid to open 2026—and not with another lifestyle speaker. The Sonos Amp Multi arrives roughly a year after the Era 100 Pro, and it immediately raises a bigger question than its spec sheet: is Sonos changing who it’s building products for? Over the past 12 months, Sonos hasn’t exactly had competitors checking their rear-view mirrors. Incremental updates, a platform misstep, and a noticeable absence of headline-grabbing hardware left the brand looking cautious.
The Amp Multi is Sonos taking its wireless-platform convenience and aiming it at bigger, more demanding residential installs—systems where “simple” usually isn’t part of the vocabulary. Built on the original Sonos Amp concept (Sonos streaming plus a 2-channel amplifier meant to drive traditional wired speakers), Amp Multi scales that idea up for distribution: eight amplifier channels rated at 125 watts each, configurable for up to four zones.
In other words, this isn’t about replacing a soundbar in an apartment. It’s about making multi-room speaker installs cleaner, more flexible, and easier to expand—exactly the kind of product you launch if you’re trying to reassert relevance and carve out a stronger foothold in the custom-install and whole-home audio world.
Designed to Fill a Real Installation Gap
As homeowners continue to favor open floor plans and mixed-use living spaces, system requirements have shifted—and integrators noticed. According to feedback Sonos received from the field, installers needed something that could scale with changing room layouts and evolving use cases, without adding complexity to the install process or creating friction for homeowners. The Amp Multi is the direct response to that problem: a distribution-focused evolution of Sonos’ streaming platform that prioritizes flexibility, efficiency, and long-term usability over novelty.
Tom Conrad, CEO of Sonos, explains the thinking behind the move: “Sonos Amp is the most widely used two-channel streaming amplifier in residential installation because it’s powerful, dependable, and intuitive. Amp Multi takes that same philosophy and applies it to larger systems. It makes ambitious designs more efficient to build and install, and easier to live with.”
Made for Custom Installs
Amp Multi brings Sonos’ streaming platform and familiar control ecosystem into an architecture clearly designed for professional installers. Flexibility is the headline feature here: any output can be assigned to any zone, systems can scale simply by adding more units, and higher speaker counts can be driven without compromising stability or sound quality.
Each output supports up to three Sonos Architectural speakers, allowing integrators to build dense, efficient multi-room systems that don’t turn into wiring or management nightmares. The emphasis isn’t on novelty—it’s on making larger installations predictable, repeatable, and easy to expand as homeowners rethink how their spaces are used.
Under the hood, Amp Multi uses a high-efficiency GaN power architecture paired with Class D post-filter feedback (PFFB). The result is cleaner, more controlled sound and significantly improved thermal efficiency across all zones. Just as important for custom installs, this design enables silent, fan-less operation and long-term stability—exactly what installers want in racks that are expected to run for years without drama.
Key Features
Amp Multi is designed to give integrators what they care about most on real projects: flexibility, control, and predictability. It’s a scalable distribution amplifier that plays nicely with third-party control systems and fits cleanly into the workflows of custom installation, whether the job is modest or sprawling.
Flexible Multi-Zone Capability: Amp Multi provides eight amplified outputs rated at 125 watts each into 8 ohms, capable of driving up to 24 Sonos Architectural speakers (three per channel). Outputs can be assigned in virtually any configuration across up to four independent zones, and larger systems are easily expanded by adding additional Amp Multi units. The result is a platform that adapts to the scope of the project rather than forcing installers to work around fixed limitations.
Fast, Non-Nonsense Setup: Each unit emits a unique audible chirp that’s triggered directly from the Sonos app, removing the need for manual PIN entry and the guesswork that comes with identifying hardware in a rack. From the same interface, integrators can quickly manage zones, sources, and output assignments, streamlining configuration and cutting time on-site.
Advanced Tuning and DSP Tools: Amp Multi also introduces ProTune, a new manual sound-optimization suite built specifically for installers. ProTune provides granular control over each output, including a 10-band parametric EQ, gain, width control, and delay offset. This allows precise tuning for difficult speaker placement and complex room geometry. In parallel, Optimize Sonos Speakers applies detailed DSP profiles tailored for Sonos Architectural speakers, ensuring consistent performance without guesswork.
Rack-Ready Design
Amp Multi is built with modern equipment racks in mind, where airflow, spacing, and cable discipline actually matter. The 1.5U chassis, when paired with the dedicated 2U rack mount (sold separately), creates intentional ventilation space above and below each unit without wasting rack real estate.
Rack-Optimized Layout: This approach eliminates the need for extra vent panels while maintaining proper thermal management and clean cable routing. For integrators building dense racks, it’s a small but meaningful design choice—one that keeps installs tidy, reliable, and serviceable over the long haul.
Efficient Installation: Amp Multi’s flat-back design and recessed connectors allow the unit to stand upright while the Rack Mount slides into place. The install process requires only eight screws, making projects fast and predictable.
Chris Heintzelman, VP of Product at Sonos, frames Amp Multi as a tool shaped by installer reality rather than theory: “We created Amp Multi with integrators at the heart of every decision, drawing on their deep understanding of real-world installation challenges to design a product around how they actually work. The goal was to reduce friction at every stage of a project, from installation and setup to system tuning. This is about giving professionals more control while keeping the system approachable for the people who live with it every day.”
Amp Multi Advantages for Integrators
Amp Multi is positioned as a purpose-built platform for integrators looking to scale without adding complexity. Built on the Sonos ecosystem, it combines tightly integrated hardware and software with broad streaming service support and flexible control—elements that installers already know clients will actually use.
The emphasis here isn’t just on getting systems installed faster, but on delivering setups that remain stable, intuitive, and supportable long after the job is done. For integrators, that means fewer callbacks and more confidence that the system will hold up to real-world, day-to-day use.
Greater Freedom to Design Systems: Amp Multi gives integrators the flexibility to create adaptive system layouts where any output can be assigned to any zone. This allows fast changes as projects evolve, without rewiring speakers or rethinking the entire system design.
Precision Control for Professional-Grade Results: With tools like Optimize Sonos Speakers and the new ProTunefeature, integrators gain deeper control over audio shaping, timing, and room-specific challenges. The result is more consistent, higher-quality sound across complex spaces where placement and acoustics aren’t always ideal.
Scalability: Amp Multi’s advanced architecture is designed to deliver stronger, cleaner output as systems grow. High speaker counts can be driven confidently while maintaining clarity, stability, and balanced performance across every zone.
Designed for How Pros Work: The rack-forward design and dedicated 2U rack mount streamline equipment stacks. Better ventilation and smarter space usage translate into cleaner racks, easier serviceability, and silent operation.
Reliable Performance with Lower Maintenance: Thanks to GaN power technology and a convection-cooled, fan-less design, Amp Multi reduces common failure points like dust buildup, fan noise, and thermal stress. For integrators, that means fewer callbacks, long-term reliability, and happier clients.
SONOS Amp Multi Specifications
| SONOS MODEL | Amp Multi |
| Product Type | Multichannel Streaming Amplifier |
| Price | TBD |
| CPU | Quad Core 4xA55 1.9GHz |
| Speaker Outputs | 8 amplified outputs, each independently configurable for stereo or mono |
| Amplifier Technology | Class D with GaN and PFFB |
| FTC Power Output Rating | 125 W per channel @ 8Ω (all channels driven) |
| Minimum Impedance | 2.67Ω with Sonos Architectural speakers |
| Analog Audio Input | 2 x RCA inputs -10dB (into any zone) |
| USB-C Analog Audio Input | 44.1 kHz / 16 bit (stereo into any zone) Requires Sonos Line-In Adapter |
| Subwoofer Connections | 1 x RCA output -10dB (configurable to output from one zone), and 1x Sonos Sub per zone |
| Frequency Response | 15 Hz – 20 kHz, ±0.5 dB |
| Damping Factor | >400 (ref. 8 ohms, 20 Hz to 1 kHz) |
| Total Harmonic Distortion | 0.005% at 2.83Vrms-15Vrms |
| Channel Separation (Crosstalk) | -100dB at 1 kHz 2.83Vrms -80dB at 10 kHz 2.83Vrm |
| Signal-to-Noise Ratio | 114dB ref 125W into 8-Ohm |
| ProTune Signal Processing | 10-band parametric EQ with ±15dB gain, Q, and frequency control. Option for high-shelf, low-shelf, and bell filter types. Gain trim: -15 to +5 dB Delay: 0 – 50ms Highpass: 15-100Hz All available on per channel basis |
| Optimize Sonos Speakers | Yes |
| LEDs | Front: Device status Rear: Device status, output status (x8), RJ45 status light |
| Wireless Networking Interface | Compatible with WiFi 6. Connect to Wi-Fi with any 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax 2.4 GHz/5 GHz broadcast-capable router |
| Direct Streaming Formats | Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Direct Control, and more. |
| Integrated Content Streaming | Amazon Music, Apple Music, Cloud Cover Music, Mood Media, Sonos Radio, Soundtrack Your Brand, Spotify, and many more. |
| Operating Temperature | 32° to 95° F (0 to 35° C) |
| Humidity Range | Non condensing 10%-85% |
| Power Supply | Auto-switching 100-240V 50/60 Hz 10A AC universal input |
| Power Consumption | 5.4 W (idle, with WiFi disabled) 180 W (all channels driven at 1/8 output power, 8 Ohms) |
| Product Dimensions (W x H X D) | 17.2 x 2.52 x 10.44 in 436.8 x 64.5 x 265.2 mm |
| Net Weight | 11.17 lb / 5.06 kg |
| Box Contents | Amp Multi Set of 8 banana plugs Power cord Legal/warranty documentation |
| Optional Accessories | 2U Rack Mount (sold separately) |
The Bottom Line
With Amp Multi, Sonos has crossed an important line—from consumer-friendly streaming gear into the much more demanding world of distribution amplifiers, where reliability, scalability, and installer trust matter more than brand recognition. What makes Amp Multi genuinely different isn’t raw power or channel count; it’s the tight integration of Sonos’ streaming platform inside a multi-zone distribution amplifier. That combination simplifies system design, reduces external boxes, and lowers friction for both installers and end users—something traditional loudspeaker controllers have never prioritized.
Competition will be real. Brands like Theory Audio Design and Naim already have credibility in high-performance installed audio, while Marantz has entered the space with its own streaming-enabled distribution solution. But Sonos is betting that ease of deployment, software maturity, and long-term usability matter just as much as audiophile pedigree.
Amp Multi won’t scare established CI brands out of the room—but it does change the conversation. It’s a clear signal that Sonos sees its future extending beyond soundbars and wireless speakers, toward larger systems where streaming and distribution finally live under the same roof. Whether that becomes a defining new focus or a parallel track depends on what comes next—but this is the most purposeful move Sonos has made in that direction so far.
Price & Availability
At the time of writing, Sonos hasn’t revealed exact pricing or availability. The company website lists it as “coming soon” on the Sonos Amp Multi product page, although we do expect global availability through Sonos installation partners in the coming months.
For those attending ISE (Integrated Systems Europe) on February 3-6, 2026, the Sonos Amp Multi will be shown and demonstrated in Hall 1 at booth 1E500.
Related Reading:
- Sonos Says “Hejdå” to IKEA: SYMFONISK Collab Flatpacks Its Way Out of the Smart Home
- Sonos’ Era 100 Pro is Their First Power Over Ethernet Wireless Speaker Solution
- Sonos Port Review: Make Any Amp or Receiver Work with Sonos
- Sonos Unveils Era 100 & Era 300 Wireless Speakers With Support For Dolby Atmos
