Sonos Beam Gen 2 Black
Score: 62/100
Sonos Arc Ultra
Score: 89/100Rankings
The Sonos Arc Ultra paired with the Sub 4 delivers a premium 9.1.4 Dolby Atmos home-theater experience, featuring extensive codec support, Trueplay calibration, and sleek matte design. It excels in immersive audio and connectivity but is limited by a single HDMI port and the heft of the subwoofer.
The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is a compact 3-channel smart soundbar that adds Dolby Atmos, eARC, and robust voice-assistant integration, making it ideal for small-to-medium rooms and existing Sonos setups. While it delivers clear dialogue and immersive sound, it lacks Bluetooth, Android Trueplay, and deep bass without an additional subwoofer.
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
3best | — | |
| ↓ lower better | 2.8 kgbest | 5.9 kg |
1 countbest | 1 countbest | |
1 yearsbest | — |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
Physical Specs(1) | ||
Weight (kg) | 2.8 kg | 5.9 kg |
Audio Performance(1) | ||
Supported Audio Formats | Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, Multichannel PCM, DTS Digital Surround | Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, Multichannel PCM, Stereo PCM, DTS Digital Surround |
Design & Build(1) | ||
Finish | Black | matte |
Products in the top-left offer the best value (high score, low price).
Professional reviewers praise the Beam's premium sound quality, clear dialogue, and effective Dolby Atmos implementation, while noting drawbacks such as the absence of Bluetooth, limited Android support for Trueplay, and lack of DTS:X support.
Everyday users overwhelmingly appreciate the Beam's clear dialogue, easy HDMI ARC setup, reliable Wi-Fi and AirPlay 2 streaming, and sleek design, though they complain about missing Bluetooth, Android Trueplay limitations, occasional eARC issues, and modest bass without a subwoofer.
Reviewers praise the Arc Ultra for its clean, precise, three-dimensional soundstage and deep bass, while noting the lack of HDMI inputs and limited DTS support.
Users love the crystal-clear dialogue, powerful bass and seamless Sonos integration, but many mention the missing HDMI inputs and the Sub 4's weight.
“Love the Sonos Beam... Great quality sound in a small package... I have them on both my big screen TVs.”
“Expensive but worth it”
“Rich, detailed, spatially expansive sound with deep, tuneful bass.”
