Updated November 2, 2022: This review has been updated with new info, including a supply-chain price rise to $899 (which doesn't seem to be going away), the addition of 5.1 support for DTS, and the now-available Sonos Sub Mini. On a strict budget? The Vizio SB362An-F6 is well worth a look, as is the Sony HT-MT300.A powerful, well-tuned soundbar that blends engulfing sound with Sonos convenience. If you want Dolby Atmos compatibility, check out models such as the Samsung HW-Q950A and the Sony HT-X8500. Not sold on either Sonos device? There are plenty of other brilliant soundbars out there. While we don't do anything for certain we reckon you have another year or so before a new version hits shelves. The original Beam is just over three years old while the Sonos Arc has just hit one. If the price tag doesn’t put you off though, the Sonos Arc will almost certainly serve your home cinema much better.Īnd if you’re concerned a new Sonos Beam means a new Arc is coming soon too, you might not have to worry. If you’re wanting a great experience that won’t break the bank, go with the new Sonos Beam that looks set to deliver a powerful performance at half the cost. Really your decision will come down to what your budget is. While we don’t yet know for certain how well the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) will perform, it's likely that the Sonos Arc will provide a far better audio experience overall - even without HDMI eARC compatibility. For ‘true’ Dolby Atmos, you need upfiring speakers that can bounce sound off of the ceiling and back down to your ears (or, even better, ceiling-mounted speakers).Īccording to Sonos, the new Beam uses “psychoacoustic techniques” to mimic the effect of upfiring speakers – something you might hear referred to as virtual Dolby Atmos – though we’d have to try it out for ourselves to get a feel for how well it works with the Sonos Beam (Gen 2). For one it loses out on some of the hardware in the Sonos Arc (having only one tweeter and four midwoofers), but importantly it isn’t an upfiring speaker. While the new Beam will also have Dolby Atmos sound, it might not be put to as good use. Right now we can’t speak for the Sonos Beam (Gen2)’s performance as we haven’t tested it, but by taking a look at its specs we can make some predictions. The hardware allows the speaker to make the most of its Dolby Atmos codec - which separates sounds into object-based audio tracks - so that once it has been tuned to the room you’ll get a surround sound experience from just a single source. The Sonos Arc offers superb audio performance thanks to its eight elliptical woofers and three tweeters that deliver solid bass and crisp highs. (Image credit: Sonos) Audio performance (incl. As for colors, both are only available in either white or black. This makes both speakers easy to clean and keep free from dust. Otherwise, you’ll find that both soundbars are made of plastic, with the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) dropping the cloth grille from the original Sonos Beam. If you’re rocking a larger display you shouldn’t have too many problems squeezing the Sonos Arc in front of it - but it will be worth double-checking with a tape measure. While it is well over a foot longer than the Sonos Beam you should find that it's just shorter than most 55-inch TVs. This means you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding space for it no matter what your home cinema setup is like.įor the Sonos Arc, you’re going to want a bit more space as it sits at 3.4 x 45 x 4.5 inches (H x W x D). The Sonos Beam upholds the compact nature of its predecessor being just 2.72 x 25.63 x 3.94 inches (H x W x D). The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) and the Sonos Arc are fairly different when it comes to design, with the Beam being a much better option if you’re short on space.
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