Sonos Arc vs Sonos Beam (Gen 2): Which Should You Buy?
VloĆŸit
- Äas pĆidĂĄn 5. 07. 2024
- Visit us for all things Sonos - smarthomesounds.link/CXTIRq
In this video, we put the Sonos Arc and Sonos Beam (Gen 2) head to head! We compare these two sounders from Sonos to help you decide which is right for you with a close look at the design, a sound test and more! It's closer than you might think....
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:00 Beam G2 vs Arc Short Comparison
02:32 Key Similarites
03:55 Differences: Design
04:33 Differences: Sound
05:45 Arc Sound Demo (Atmos)
06:27 Beam Sound Demo (Atmos)
07:09 Non-Atmos Comparison
08:30 Atmos Comparison
10:47 Music Comparison
11:46 Room Size info
12:38 Beam G2 & 2 x One SL vs Arc
13:33 Final Thoughts
đ SHOP NOW đŹđ§ (UK):
Shop Sonos Arc - smarthomesounds.link/Bam611
Shop Sonos Beam (Gen 2) - smarthomesounds.link/wLEU0v
đ SHOP NOW đșđž (US):
Sonos Shop - For US/Canada - smarthomesounds.link/xAN9P7 (Sonos.com)
MORE CONTENT
Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Review: What Have They Done?! - âą Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Rev...
Sonos Arc (Hands On) Review & Test: Is It The Soundbar For You? - âą Sonos Arc (Hands On) R...
Sonos Arc Surround Sound System In Depth: What Before You Buy - âą Sonos Arc Surround Sou...
Book an appointment at our Showroom - smarthomesounds.link/ZwXFz2
GET IN TOUCH
Got any questions or looking for more personal advice? Get in touch - weâd love to help!
âïž Email - info@smarthomesounds.co.uk
đ Call - 0800 677 1100
đŹ Live chat - smarthomesounds.link/8b4nrw
FOLLOW US:
đž Instagram - smarthomesounds.link/tOqdNo
đŠ Twitter - smarthomesounds.link/HbK60Y
đ Facebook - smarthomesounds.link/iRYsdP
VISIT OUR BLOG
đ - smarthomesounds.link/xK3hNl
WHO ARE WE?
Smart Home Sounds is one of the leading UK online audio retailers. We sell a range of wireless speakers, turntables, headphones, HIFI equipment and much more.
â Free Next Day Delivery
â 6 Year Extended Sonos Warranty
â 30 Day Listen Better Promise
â VIP Loyalty Scheme
â Expert help & advice - VÄda a technologie
Clear concise reviews. Love this channel. Keep it up!
You have a knack of asking questions that your viewers wants answers to.
Thanks.
Great review clear and precise and you always hit the nail on the head!
Honestly, I wish there were awards for reviewed like this. You were scrips and broke things down. The helicopter example blew my mind. So simple yet not everyone could think of that to explain. Iâm glad this was the first review I watched. Iâm going to subscribe and get the arc!
Excellent review, thank you.
Just ordered my beam 2 from you guys! Can't wait!
Fantastic reviews as always - this guy really knows his stuff. I hang on his every word before I purchase any sound related gear.
Thanks very much for your kind comment.
Hoping to get some purchasing advice: should I go with a Beam Gen 2 + pair of Oneâs (already own one, so adding second would be a total investment of ~$650) or stand-alone Arc (not adding the second One due to budget limitations)?
Iâm new to the sonos game and will be making a purchase likely of a sound bar/ speaker combo but Iâm really unsure what to get.
If I got the beam2 and 2 of the ONE speakers to accompany it (maybe a sub later), would I have the benefit of moving the ONE speakers around like into the kitchen or garden at house parties?
Also, could I add more ONES to the mix and link them such as upstairs in bedrooms?
Thanks
Great information many thanks
I absolutely love my Arc & Sub Gen 3! Thanks for all your videos
What one do you think is better? And is it bassy (I'm only looking at the bar) no extra bass box
Excellent and one of the most practically sensible videos !
Thank you for the review - I already own two sonos ones, so you confirming that will be pretty good with a beam 2 rather than stumping up for the sonos arc will be pretty good - and obviously much cheaper
Thanks, was confused.
Question:
Money not being an issue. On a 65 inch tv. 10 foot tall ceilings in a basement in an room the size of average family room. Which shall I pick?
A. Beam 2 with sub gen 3 and a pair of surround 1âs
B. Arc with sub gen 3 and pair of surround 1âs
From your various videos, the impression I got was to do an Arc as a stand alone or beam with all the accompanying sonos devices. Am I right?
Wanting to get orders in, especially with delivery delays. Thanks!
As a non-audiophile, your summation in the first 2.5 minutes was exactly what I needed to make a decision on these two bars. Well done and thank you.
Glad we could help!
Just bought a beam 2 and a pair of one SL off you guys , very impressed so far and couldn't recommend you guys enough
Thanks so much!
Could the beam be recessed into the wall below the tv as it has no upward or sideways firing speakers?
Hey, i got abit older Sonos system today with 77A80J. Got Sonos Soundbar Playbar with sub and 2x Sonos one, would the Arc be a massive uppgrade? :)
If you're in a condo/apartment with upstairs neighbours, do you think the Arc could be a problem for sound, bouncing audio off the ceiling?
Heey great video! Do i need E-arc for dolby atmos?
Almost got the arc. Decided to go almost got the Arc. Decided to go with the Beam gen 2 & the 2 SL Ones. Thanx for the video
And how it sound? It was a good choice? i have 2 SL ones and i want to buy a bar.
My home theater TV is a Samsung PN60F8500AF, the last of their high end plasma units which still looks amazing. It has HDMI arc, will I get Dolby Atmos and the other sound codecs through that with the Beam Gen 2 or the Sonos Arc? Right now it will broadcast Dolby Digital Plus, DTS, etc. Thanks and great review!
I have Sonos Beam (Gen 2) connection problems with the Sony BRAVIA XR-55A80J. Connection is done as requested but a notification comes in the sonos app that couldnât recognize the tv due to hdmi interfering. Iâm connecting the sonos at hdmi/arc as instructed. Any suggestion? Thanks
I have been eyeing the arc as an upgrade to my beam. Would you recommend me to buy a beam 2 instead? I'm running a beam and 2 play:1
Great video very helpful
I've got a room that is 4 meters x 9 meters.
The sofa is in the center of the 9 meters side. The TV is on the opposite wall, 4 meters away from the sofa.
I've got two sonos ONE.
Which soundbar is the best for this configuration?
The beam (gen2) one or the arc one?
With the Beam (gen2) is better to have a subwoofer?
Thanks a lot for the reply.
I have a beam gen 2, sub mini and 2 era 300âs in a room from 6x3,5 meters and itâs a massive overwhelming sound! I am really impressed what Sonos can. I play games from my Xbox series X and PS5 in Dolby atmos and watch movies in Dolby atmos and itâs like you are right into the action itself. Music sound awesome too, especially when itâs in atmos/spatial. Overall i am very happy with my Sonos setup.
Do you think, now there's new tech in beam gen 2 they'll be upgrading the arc maybe arc gen 2 soon? Also does the beam 2 work with a normal hdmi or do I need to get a new TV?
Is it any point to add just 2 rears? And a bit later to buy sonos sub?
Thanks for the clear exposition on this topic. I may be adding a soundbar to improve the dialogue clarity when streaming movies on my Sony XR A80L in a narrow room which measures 13.6 square meters. Looks like the Sonos Beam Gen 2 would do the trick.
I have two sonos five , and prepare to buy sonos beam gen2, and they will in my living room (around 40 square meters), 3 meters from TV to sofa.is it a good choice? Or Sonos arc is better choice?
Thank you!
I bought the beam 2 from yourselves ÂŁ50 cheaper than other retailers and I was so impressed with the service I received. Will buy 2 Sonos one SL next year.
Great review as always. Thinking of a Beam now for my bedroom TV. My main system is a Playbar with stereo 1âs and a sub and 5 for when my sonâs in bed above the TV!
Looking forward to Bose v Sonos review!
I have playbar surround setup too in my main room, and the playbar was bought in 2014. I think the 2nd Gen. beam would be a big upgrade for a number of reasons. Why put it in your bedroom? Move the old playbar there. Thatâs what I am going to do
Do you know where you got your tv stand?
I think the beam with sub and surrounds is plenty for the average living room,after seeing the arc I knew it would be overkill unless you have a really big area,put me off buying it just seeing the pure size of it .
As said the beam punches above its weight more than what you would think.
I have really high ceilings (like up to the 2nd floor), would the upward firing drivers almost be useless?
hello, i need help. I just bought an 85'' Sony and I want to put in a nice sound system with a budget of about 1000usd. it is better to start with the Sonos arc alone and upgrade with the sub in the long term or immediately a beam 2 with a sub? I have a living room of 23m2 open to the entrance hall of about 18m2! Thank you for your help
I have been considering purchasing an arc/beam gen 2 (Ive never owned a Sonos product, or indeed a sound bar of any kind). Ive just listened to the new Sky Glass TV, with built in "sound bar" and was very impressed. the salesman emphasised the advantage of having the height drivers on the top of the TV?
Also looking at getting sky glass, but I will be using the gen2 beam and surrounds as there is NO WAY the glass will match this. Good for a stand-alone tv I have no doubt, but never going to match the sonos setup
Great Job. Thanks for the review! Quick question to the community: When connected to the TV, can you use the eArc signal as general input for your Sonos system like you use the Aux-Input on the play5? In other words: Is it possible to play the sound from the TV on the soundbar and, let's say, on the play5 in the kitchen at the same time?
Hi Daniel, yes this is possible and a great feature of the sonos system. Thanks for watching!
yes we did ask for it thanks
Have an arc with sub & 2 rears. Recently put a beam 2 in my office. It's good, don't get me wrong, but i'm missing the bass from downstairs tv. Adding a 800⏠sub to a 500⏠sound bar seems an exageration... so..
If i already have a beam 2 (as well as the sub and 2 rears), is it worth the upgrade? My room is a living room and i have a 77inch tv so i was wondering if it is really worth the uprgrade or if the difference is too minor to justify the jump in cost to replace.
What to choice between ARC or Beam 2 + x2 SL?
This compatible with Samsung qn94a? I heard the beam gen 2 didnât have pass through so it may be an issue for this tvâŠ
You guy's are the best no faffing about truthful and straight to the point
Soundwise, where would the ORIGINAL PlayBar fit? Below the Beam (Gen2) or between the Arc & Beam (Gen2)? Or, for that matter, compared to the Ray? I have the Sonos Sub and 2 Play 1 (non Alexa ones) for surround.
TIA
I have orig Beam + 2 SLs + Sub in my open concept living/dining room. Thought of replacing Beam with Arc AND keeping the 2 SLs since SLs are right by me in the rear when I'm working and listening to music. But would keeping the 2 SLs and having the Arc be overkill for that room
You may want to do a bit of experimenting with the Arc, Sub and SLs vs Arc and SLs vs Arc and Sub because all 3 set ups will give different results and one will be better than the other for your room. Make sure you do TruePlay in each case for the best results. Hope that helps!
Hi . Can I buy certified refurbished products from Sonos directly ? Itâs worth it ?
Help needed please! I've viewed this video several times and can't make a choice... We have a room with 20ft ceiling. I'm torn between going with the Arc or the Beam 2. Would the upward firing speakers of the Arc truly make a difference in this situation or would they get lost in the space?
I was thinking of getting a Beam 2 and Five (we have a turn table that we would like to connect), an Amp (we have two in ceiling speakers in the kitchen), and eventually adding a sub to the mix. Would this configuration make up for the lack of tone/bass?
Hey Will, thanks for your comment. Some great questions here - for a high ceiling, the Arc can still sound great as you are able to adjust the height channels in the Sonos app to make them louder if you need to. TruePlay tuning will also help with that and make the Arc sound great for your room. Having said that, if you want to keep costs down, the Beam is still a great option for cost saving while benefitting from Dolby Atmos (though it's simulated and not uncompressed like on the Arc). The Five is a great option for the turntable as well as the Amp for the ceiling speakers. Do bear in mind the Sub can only be paired to one zone at a time so consider which room you'd like to benefit from the highest level of bass. I hope that helps but let me know if you have any further questions. Cheers, Jonathan
Iâm thinking of getting the Premium Immersive Set with Arc for my bedroom itâs 12x10 do you think thatâs a overkill or do I get the Premium Immersive Set with Beam
Has anyone ever had a loud popping noise come from their arc? This just occurred last night when using my Xbox series x to lg cx
They are not WiFi only. Both have an Ethernet connection to directly connect to a home network and then to the internet
Hi there, great video as always!
I got an 85 inch tv with the Sonos Beam 2 with two Sonos Ikea bookshelf speakers connected. Tv room is about 29 square meters. Sounds great but looking into upgrading the Beam 2 to a Sonos Arc or add a sub to the Beam 2. Any suggestions what to add?
Thanks for the comment, it's much appreciated. I think because you have an 85" TV we would suggest looking at the Sonos Arc. It will give a wider soundstage due to its physical size, which will match up with your 85" TV better than the Beam.
Hi what is intro music name pleaseđ
Curious about room height. We have an open floor plan. Ceiling is angled on one side and height is about 20-25ft. I think for Atmos the max height is 14ft. Would the Beam work better given it virtualizes Atmos? I imagine the Arc would not do as well because of the ceiling height.
That ceiling height is way too high for the Atmos bounce to be effective.
Thumbs up for doing a tldr right at the start . The complete opposite of the rubbish click bait CZcams video style nowadays
I wish I bought the arc. The beam 2 is quiet I can barely hear it outside the room in my tiny room.
We have a high ceiling (13 feet). Will the Arc's upfiring speakers, utilizing TruePlay, deliver Atmos properly to our ears or is the Gen 2's virtual technique perhaps better suited?
We have 13ish foot ceilings and although dolby recommends slightly lower, we haven't had an issue. This being said we also have ones and the sub so maybe this allows the arc to use more of its firepower in atmos while not worrying about surround and the bass.
I live in a terraced property, so have to consider the neighbours. I presently have a Sony Bravia A9 paired with an old Sony HT X1 sound base. The sound base provides much better sound than the TV speakers, but I don't find it that immersive. The room is pretty small 10ft X 12ft, so the Beam does seem to be the best option if I'm looking to purchase a sound bar. Do you think the Beam would be a significant step up from the present sound base?
Great video Jonathan. My question is if you put the Beam 2 with surrounds and a subwoofer would that elevate that setup above the standalone ARC? Thanks.
Hi Carl, yes 100% - the addition of surrounds and Sub against the Arc will create a much more cinematic effect. For small to medium sized spaces, this would be ideal if you didn't want to go with something as large as the Arc but still benefit from an amazing surround sound set up. Hope that helps!
@@smarthomesounds Thanks appreciate your reply. I have the Playbar, rears & sub right now. I am considering the Beam 2. Apart from Atmos though is there any other reason to upgrade?
@@carlsmith9610 Hi Carl, great question. I'd say if you're watching non-Atmos content, the sound quality comes very close between the Beam Gen 2 and the Playbar. My advice would be to hold on to the Playbar for now. The upgrade to the Arc though would definitely be more significant.
@@smarthomesounds Many thanks.
How about the beam and 2 ones? Still good? Iâm not rich like all these other people!
Does anyone think itâs worth upgrading the original Beam for the Gen2? I have a 3rd Gen Sub and two Ikea Picture frame speakers as rears. TV doesnât have EARC but is capable of Dolby Plus pass through.
not worth it
I have original beam, surround, and sub. I also have the move and the travel piece. Is a used beam worth anything to someone? Original box. Iâll buy the Arc
I have an Arc with a sub and two Play 3's. The sound is amazing but now I am being forced to move this setup to a room with a vaulted ceiling (except for the ceiling both rooms are about equal size). I'm obviously concerned with the upward firing Arc getting lost in the vaulted ceiling and am wondering if switching to a Beam 2 (and keeping all the other components) would give me better Atmos since the new Beam doesn't have up firing speakers. Any thoughts would be welcome.
Did you ever see how the Arc worked with the vaulted ceiling?
I have the gen 1 beam with two play 3 as my surround speakers should I up date the beam or go ark or just leave it alone what to do ??? Any thoughts
Hi John, I would tend to say that the bigger upgrade will be by replacing the Beam with the Arc. I wouldn't necessarily replace the Gen 1 Beam with the Gen 2, particularly if your TV does not support Atmos. Of course, if you do replace with the Arc, you'll need to factor in whether your room and TV screen size would warrant the larger size. Thanks for watching!
Thank you! Great info! I still cannot decide, so here's my info: Room is rectangular 20' x 16" and open to rest of the 1st floor (1500 sq ft) but the viewing area is within a space of 16 x 16". Does it matter that there is one open wall? I hope not. Also - we are 70 yrs young and hearing conversations from the tv is getting more difficult so that's the MAIN issue. We just bought an LG 77" OLED C something or other and find the sound a bit lacking (it replaced a Pioneer KURO 60" Plasma). My hubby thinks the LG sound is horrible and a bit "tinny". Now, knowing all that, do u think we'd be all set with just the Sonos Beam, with no add'l speakers/amp? Or are those truly needed considering size of room, tv & wanting to be able to hear the spoken word on the tv at our ages? TKS!
Hi. I wanted a soundbar for the same reasons.. similar size room also but no open wall and I am amazed with the beam gen 2. Very clear dialogue and nice base. I added 2 Sonos ones for surround but not needed just to hear good audio. Seriously I am amazed at the sound that comes out of this little soundbar. Hope this helps đđ»
@@Davey_01 really not worth adding the rears?
@@AY-ry4hr yes it is. But with just rears a lot of people might find that a sub is missing. I have since added a sub mini to my setup and its amazing.. donât get me wrong, I am not a mad bass head its just that for me adding rears gives a more immersive sound, just lacks that extra bit of low end to balance everthing out. Totally worth it for me. Hope this helps đđ»
Late to this - just got the Beam for $220 here in the US, a pair of One SLâs and the Sub. Amazing experience
Beam or beam 2
Could you compare the new Beam against the Sonos One? I know they are quite different from a pricing perspective but Iâm trying to decide which one to get for my living room. My main use case is playing music but Iâd not mind getting the Beam to have nice audio for the TV if it delivers on the music department compared to the One. Price is not a concern in this case, to me it's more about sound quality and overall experience for the living room
Iâm sorry to say but there is no connecting the One to the TV so you either have to get a Beam or an Arc to accomplish that. There is no way to answer that question.
@@petermaz701 I have an apple TV and it allows you to connect the one to the TV as an output. Regardless Iâm just purely talking about how the beam 2 compares against the One from an audio perspective when listening to music. Basically I just wanna know which one sounds better
Found a $400 arc, should I buy? I already have Beam 1st gen
I am looking to get the Gen 3 sub with era300 side speakers.
I donât know if I should just get the beam? As the arc could be overkill???
Depends on the size of your room, TV size, and does your TV have eArc. My Beam Gen 2, Gen 3 Sub, and One SLs are perfect for my LG OLED 55C1 in my med size office. I went with the Arc, dual subs, and Fives for my much larger living room with my LG OLED 77C1. Both systems fit the rooms perfectly from regular cable TV to streaming on-line Atmos content.
Thanks Jonathan, great vid. Replaced our beam with a gen 2 in snug (have surrounds but no sub) and blown away! So much so that I am probably going to sell the playbar in lounge (have sub and surrounds here) with a gen2, as opposed to arc which is what I was thinking of doing before the gen2 was launched.
Can I play both at the same time in the same room
The Sonos Beam Gen 2 (+ 2x One SL) is the better choice. I tested the Arc for 1 week and traded in for the new Beam Gen 2. In my opinion, the Arc focuses too much on producing low tones as a standalone soundbar. As a result, voices are somewhat suppressed during busy film scenes. The voice reproduction in the Beam is much more intelligible and sounds clearer and more natural. The Atmos virtualization works well on the Beam. Atmos on an Arc only works well if the space it is in is optimal (ceiling not too high and walls not too far apart) Add a pair of Sonos One SL's as surround, and the Beam Gen 2 crushes the Arc!
Have this set up myself + the sub. The sub is stupid expensive but just makes the Beam Gen 2 and Ones so much better.
Adding the sub to the ARC allows it to not have to produce as much bass and helps heaps to make it clearer.
Majority of peoples problems with not hearing vocals well is room issues. Lots of echoes and reverberation off harsh surfaces.
Adding more speakers like rears and subs etc to this type of room makes it worse.
How is the bass for the combination Beam gen 2 with a pair of One's?
are there presets for movie, music and game in sonos beam?
This here is more useful for me than the video lol thank you
i wanted the arc but realized my room is small (at 12.4sqm), you say itâs not a rule but a guide to use a big soundbar for bigger rooms. would it still be ok if i go for the arc in such a small room? i dont really get how itâs a bad thing.
Yes that would be fine in a room that size.
@@smarthomesounds I saw that you recommended that the arc be placed in rooms bigger than 24sqm or 16sqm, whatâs the reasoning behind that?
also to add to my original comment, I would only be at most 2m away from my tv/soundbar but on average, about 1.5m or less due to how small my room is.
Would you recommend the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) over the Sonos Playbar for a small bedroom?
Yes, would go for the Beam Gen2
Great video⊠đ the Sonos Arc sounds a lot louder with a stronger base⊠Rhe Beam gen 2 wasnât as loud or as bassy⊠however still a nice base.. clear detail and voice dialogue.. Highly impressed..
The Beam gen 2.. I would say is FiancĂ© approval.. The Arc pushing your luck on the extra base.. đ€Ł.. but actually I think I prefer the Bean gen2. not too loud or too much base.
Put a sub and two ones to the beam 2
@@berniecolin7 got Sonos ones for surrounds.. waiting on a sub mini đ
Bass*
can I add 2 Sonos one as surround or I need to get Sonos one sl? Is there any different between this two?
Will the arc (Dolby atoms) work if my living room is a Teo story open format?
*two story
It will work but you will probably not get a good Atmos experience. Dolby recommends 7.5-12 ft. I have 13 foot ceilings and haven't noticed a difference but two story might just be too much for that sound to travel
@@17Ezz bummer thanks for the info!
Why is the arc 899 now in your older video it was 799. Is it the same model. Is there any changes?
Hi Anthony, at the time of filming older videos, the price for the Arc was ÂŁ799 but had a price rise to ÂŁ899 in recent months. There are no changes to the product itself, it was a price rise on the product due to increased costs from Sonos' end. I hope this helps!
Ok finally I slide my card for the beam 2 and I have the Bass in +2 and make me forget I need the sub. I have medium living room and 2 HomePod minis as soundround and I donât need it more sound in this space. Im very happy with my purchase and I feel like I donât lose my money in this one. When I can I will get the ARC too and I will move the beam 2 to the Room. I was crazy to get the Sub 3 but I really donât need it.
I just picked up a Beam Gen 2. What Sonos *really* needs to do is release a cheaper Sub; like, half the price of the current one. I have a Sub with a pair of Fiveâs for music, and switching out the Sub to group with the Beam is a bit of a pain. Having a cheaper (maybe more traditional?) subwoofer to pair with the Beam would be exceptional.
Agreed. A cheaper sub would make so much sense, and with that, Sonos will definitely dominate the sound bar market even more than they already kinda are.
Totally agree, I really hope this is on the list of Sonos' upcoming products because I think there's plenty of demand for it. Thanks for watching.
They just need to allow one sub for multiple devices which is easy fro, a software point to do but will cost them money.
@@Nived92 No, from a software point of view it would be a pretty heavy lift, likely involving a complete overhaul of how the speakers communicate with one another. The way in which the speakers network with one another is pretty smart, and efficient to boot. Unless theyâre willing to make some objectively terrible software decisions, itâs not going to be as easy as programming the speakers to route to the sub, regardless of group.
Done
What would be better. An Arc on its own or a beam with 2 rear oneâs?
Beam.. then just add a sub later
What the name of that movie whit capitan America?
I had my beam gen 2 and subâŠ.. BOOM đ„ Just pure fun!!!!!!
Sonos beam gen 2 or Sony HT-G700?
Anyone tried or owned a Philip Fidelio B97 soundbar?
Great reviews! Iâm glad I found your channel. Iâm currently moving from a house to a condo and had to sell all of my dedicated gear. Iâm looking at the Sonos Arc with possibly the 2âs for the rear and their sub. However, I am also looking at the Sony HT-9A system as well. The living area in the condo is open to the left with vaulted ceilings. I would appreciate any input. Keep up the great work.
Hi Dennis - a vaulted ceiling is never ideal for a surround system but TruePlay will help make it acoustically optimised for the room. You may want to start with the Arc and add the Sub and rears at a later date as you feel you need them. We are looking to compare the Arc with the Sony HT-A9 as soon as we can get our hands on the Sony! Thanks for watching.
Is the arc overkill in a small room? Iâm looking for the best experience possible.
It won't be overkill and will offer the best experience but the Beam is usually enough for most people in smaller rooms. If you want the best experience and have the budget go for the Arc :-)
Beam for master bedroom and Arc for living/family room.
Perfect set-up đ
The Beam 2 and a couple of surrounds is superb value for money. I am blown away by its performance. I did away with an amp and 5+1 system due to changing in flooring and need to get rid of wiring. The beam is better than the amp set up I had, gives me Atmos which I didn't have and the whole set up takes up way less space and wiring. I might be tempted by a Sonos Sub but then having said that there are times when the Beam will produce some decent low down bass which takes you by surprise. I honestly dont think there is a better system for the money and even better value if you use the Ikea/Sonos bookshelf speakers as the surrounds.
Did you try pointing the Symphonisks point up at the ceiling?
@@armandolabrada726 No I havent. Do you think it makes a significant difference? I think the beam at least in my room is very good at bouncing sound around in Atmos
@@matthewmallett4718 Definitely better with the Symphonisks. I have mine on the floor pointing up to keep wife happy with visibility. Try it and let me know which is better. Up on stands point in on you or pointing up at ceiling. Bass improved. Don't spend big bucks on the Atmos Sub.
@@armandolabrada726 Do you mean point the boxes upwards so that the sound goes upwards?
There's talk of a "Sub Mini' coming out soon. Spotted by someone on a twitter post. Could be the go, especially since it will be cheaper than the current sub.
Great video!
I HATE when I'm watching something and the music and explosions/gunshots are loud so I lower the volume, but then since I lowered the volume I can't hear dialogue. Which should I get to avoid this?
I got Beam, 2x Fives next to the TV, 2 One gen 2 as surround behind my couch + sub. Haven't experienced the Arc but with this setup I don't think its needed by any means. The beam really makes a nice middle speaker paired with the Fives.
I thought that Sonos didn't allow additional front speakers, only side & rear surrounds. Am I missing something?
@@RickHuizingawho would they allow to add soundbars then? đ Also with Sonos connect you can add what evere you want to. Idk if the bar works properly as a middle or does it still produce stereo with the fives but hasn't bothered me. The sound is smooth and filling overall.
đ
i'm using 2 Symphomisk aa up firing rear surrounds with Beam 2. Provides the missing "height". Let me know hat yu think.
Hi Armando, the Symfonisks can only be set up as rear surrounds to the Beam Gen 2. They have no upward firing drivers so they wouldn't provide height channels as such. Currently, only the Sonos Arc has dedicated upward firing drivers but hopefully Sonos come up with something in the future to add dedicated rears in the future! Hope that helps.
@@smarthomesounds I have the Symphonisks on the floor pointing up at the ceiling. Try it and let me know what you think.
So then the Ikea SYMFONISK can be used as rear surround speakers for the Beam 2? That can be an interesting budget option. Would they work in Atmos setup (bar the upward firing sound, obviously), or only in traditional Dolby Digital surround?
@@alcovara Symphonisks Surrounds and Beam 2 is way to go and save $$$. They work great in Atmos. Just point them up to the ceiling. Also I have not tried them as front left and right while point up at the ceiling.
.
@@armandolabrada726 they wonât receive the height channel you are just pointing surrounds at the ceiling for nothing
Hooou Boy! Sonos Beam Gen 2 sounds like a normal TV
is it still impossible to use a bluetooth headphone connected to the tv while sonos is connected?
Never had a problem doing this so guessing it depends on your tv, should just be a case of switching the tv sound output from hdmi to Bluetooth
@@jaspersbloke it always switches back zu hdmi after 2 seconds on different Samsung and LG TVs, there is a Samsung forum full of this
@@ams5616 then it is a Samsung issue, not a Sonos related one. My tv is a Phillips and it is paired with two different sets of bt headphones, never had an issue switching between them and the Sonos
Nice review but Beam was setup too far away from the front edge of the tv stand where the arc was setup so that the drivers are much closer to the edge. Having your front firing beam soundbar 10cm further back makes the first reflection from tv stand very obvious and much worse than with arc.
Just picked up the arc last week. After viewing this I probably shouldâve went beam and additional speakers for similar money.
Have been pretty underwhelmed by the arc so far, and have yet to experience any atmos content.
I bought the arc with the sub but when I turn the sub off , the arc isnât that impressive to me. Strange that a lot of reviewers are that impressed with it.
With the sub though: it gets really really loud and itâs really clear at the same time. The arc can focus on the highs and mids and the sub is really impressive with the lows.
If you have the budget I canât recommend the sub enough.
Listening to dolby atmos content does sound good even though I can't hear the height speaker no matter what I change or adjust. I totally agree though, having the sub is expensive, but really is a must to have. Paired with my one's completes my set up, great for movies and listening to music
Totally agree. Have both and the beam gen 2 really impressed me, the Arc a total disappointment. The Arc with the sub is superb but you shouldn't have to buy the sub to offsett the huge lack of bass. I think this reviewer really knows this but will not out right say the Arc is quite poor
This is why I didn't go for the arc. In the end I went for a Harmon kardon soundbar with separate sub as for me the high quality sounbars are nothing without a proper sub to go with.
Yes I also agree, I purchased the arc first and wasn't to impressed but after adding the sub and 1s I couldn't be happier. I find watching 4k blu-rays with dolby atmos is so much better than streaming with atmos, You get the best sound out of the system.
I bought b&o soundstage and no regrets at all
Great choice!
I used a 2 channel hi fi system with my tv , the wife made me change to a sound bar because she could use the tv remote for the sound and not need a separate remote.I purchased a beam gen 2 and quite honestly itâs awful , I miss the width of soundstage and the power of a proper hi fi system.The beam just sounds small and narrow , I really donât get this av stuff.