Sonance's 2026 commercial audio platform pairs high-output loudspeakers with PowerZone Connect PRO amplifiers and system-planning tools. The releases link speaker coverage, mounting, amplification, and zone control. Sonance began in 1983, when founders Scott Struthers and Geoff Spencer introduced what the company calls the first in-wall loudspeaker (Sonance company overview).
Based in San Clemente, California, Sonance develops products for residential, professional, and marine settings. The company says its technology is designed to blend into architecture and interior design, a principle it has followed for more than 40 years (company background).
Sonance expanded its professional range in 2026
At ISE 2026 in Barcelona, Sonance introduced products across residential, professional, and marine categories. In August, the company announced global availability of the complete Professional Series High Output family and reported its Installation Best of Show win at ISE 2026 (ISE product announcements; global availability; ISE award recap).
The High Output line is intended for commercial rooms that need higher sound levels, controlled coverage, and speech intelligibility. Sonance lists pendant, surface-mount, blind-mount in-ceiling, and two-piece in-ceiling formats. Each model uses an 8-inch woofer with a coaxial 1.4-inch compression driver, and the family shares a common acoustic voicing across form factors (Sonance's High Output specifications).
Coverage and mounting format shape the loudspeaker choice
The family offers selectable 120-degree or 80-degree dispersion. Sonance says the horn and collar can be changed in the field without special tools, with a two-position crossover switch for the selected pattern. Published low-frequency extension is 41 Hz (manufacturer specifications).
In a ballroom, lobby, fitness space, or restaurant, ceiling height and listening area help determine pendant, surface, or in-ceiling placement. Sonance says its form factors share acoustic voicing. Speaker locations, tap settings, and amplifier capacity still need to be coordinated across zones.
| System element | Sonance 2026 detail | Planning question |
|---|---|---|
| High Output loudspeakers | Four mounting formats; 120- or 80-degree dispersion | Where does each area need even coverage? |
| PowerZone Connect PRO | 12 models across standard and Dante variants | Which output mode and signal path match the load? |
| System Calculator | Speaker, placement, tap, coverage, and rack recommendations | What does the plan require before equipment is ordered? |
PowerZone Connect PRO links amplification and control
PowerZone Connect PRO is Sonance's distributed-audio amplifier family. It includes 12 models in standard and Dante versions, with software-selectable 70V, 100V, and 8-ohm output modes. Sonance's paired PowerZone Control firmware update adds a dashboard for input activity, output levels, zone mute, and network details (InfoComm 2026 platform announcement).
Control tools let an operator check a muted zone or signal activity without opening the rack. Sonance also lists Room EQ Wizard file import and Low Tilt or High Tilt filters. The chosen control workflow should match the owner's support and access requirements.
The System Calculator makes the first layout measurable
Sonance's browser-based System Calculator asks for room dimensions, application, and ambient noise level. It recommends speakers, placement, coverage, transformer taps, and amplifier sizing. A multi-zone report can include floorplans, an SPL heat map, a cross-section, and a rack diagram (Sonance System Calculator).
The calculator is a starting point, not a substitute for a site plan. Final ceiling construction, finishes, furniture, and preferred listening levels still need to be reflected in the inputs and reviewed before wiring and mounting locations are fixed.
If a project is still in design, a planning conversation can resolve the loudspeaker layout, zones, wiring, and equipment space before the reflected ceiling plan is issued. Call 201.405.2022 to discuss a commercial audio project.
Where Restrepo Innovations fits the project
Restrepo Innovations designs and supports commercial and hospitality AV systems in NJ, CT, and NY. On a Sonance project, our work is to coordinate the speaker plan with the room, the amplifier and network path, control, and the service access the owner will need later. Restrepo is an Elite Pro Crestron Dealer and HTA Luxury Certified. Those credentials describe our control and residential work, not a Sonance certification. See our commercial AV, hospitality, and network infrastructure work.
Michael Restrepo has described the design principle this way: "If the design team is fighting grills, we start by asking a different question: what do you want the room to look like, and what do you want it to feel like. Then we engineer the audio to match." The same question applies to a hospitality lobby or commercial meeting space, where speaker locations have to suit the architecture and daily use.
Sonance commercial audio questions
What is included in Sonance's 2026 commercial audio platform?
The 2026 announcements cover the Professional Series High Output loudspeakers, PowerZone Connect PRO amplifiers, PowerZone Control software updates, and the Sonance System Calculator. The combination addresses speaker coverage, amplification, configuration, and system planning. Exact model and feature availability should be checked against current Sonance product pages. Source: Sonance's 2026 platform announcement.
What formats are available in Sonance's High Output speaker family?
Sonance lists pendant, surface-mount, blind-mount in-ceiling, and two-piece in-ceiling formats. The company says the family shares acoustic voicing, which allows different form factors to be mixed within a project. Select each loudspeaker for the room's mounting conditions and coverage needs. Source: Sonance's High Output release.
What output types does PowerZone Connect PRO support?
Sonance says PowerZone Connect PRO supports software-selectable 70V, 100V, and 8-ohm output modes, with standard and Dante variants across 12 models. The right choice depends on the loudspeaker load, zone layout, signal path, and control requirements in the project design. Source: PowerZone Connect PRO details.
What does the Sonance System Calculator provide?
The browser-based calculator asks for room dimensions, application, and ambient noise level. Sonance says it recommends speakers, placement and coverage, transformer taps, and amplifier sizing. For multi-zone designs, it can produce a combined report with floorplans, an SPL heat map, a cross-section, and an amplifier-rack diagram. Source: the System Calculator.
Did Sonance win an award for its High Output loudspeakers in 2026?
Sonance reports that the Professional Series High Output loudspeakers won Installation's Best of Show at ISE 2026. The company describes the family as designed for commercial spaces that need higher sound levels, controlled coverage, and speech intelligibility. The award citation is on Sonance's ISE 2026 recap page. Source: Sonance's ISE recap.
Plan the speaker and zone schedule early
Sonance's 2026 tools make the platform easier to specify. The room plan still decides where the equipment belongs and how it should be supported.
Call 201.405.2022 to schedule a planning conversation