Sonos Beam Gen 2 White
Score: 67/100
Marshall Acton III Midnight Blue
Score: 77/100Rankings
The midnight-blue Acton III offers the same 60 W RMS performance as its black counterpart, wrapped in a stylish, eco-friendly cabinet with tactile analog controls. It excels in Bluetooth convenience and sound quality for modest spaces, but lacks advanced codecs, Wi-Fi, and any form of portability.
The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is a compact soundbar offering Dolby Atmos and integrated voice assistants, delivering immersive audio for small to medium rooms while fitting seamlessly into the Sonos ecosystem. Its lack of DTS support, thin bass, and reliance on HDMI eARC for Atmos are its main drawbacks.
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
— | 60 wattsbest | |
— | 45 Hzbest | |
— | 20,000 Hzbest | |
5best | 2 | |
| ↓ lower better | 2.88 kg | 2.85 kgbest |
1 countbest | — | |
1 yearsbest | 1 yearsbest |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
Physical Specs(1) | ||
Weight (kg) | 2.88 kg | 2.85 kg |
Audio Performance(2) | ||
Channels | 5 | 2 |
Supported Audio Formats | Stereo PCM, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos (via Dolby Digital Plus or TrueHD), Multichannel PCM | SBC |
Design & Build(1) | ||
Finish | Matte white | Midnight Blue |
Products in the top-left offer the best value (high score, low price).
Professional reviewers consistently rate the Beam (Gen 2) as the top choice for small rooms, praising its Dolby Atmos performance, compact form factor and deep integration with Alexa, Google Assistant and AirPlay 2, while noting its lack of DTS support, modest bass and the need for an eARC-compatible TV to unlock Atmos.
Everyday users love the Beam for its clear dialogue, easy setup and immersive Atmos feel in modest spaces, but many express frustration over the absence of Android Trueplay, thin bass and occasional voice-assistant lag.
“Crystal clear dialogue”
“Surprisingly immersive”
“Easy to set up and use”
Professional reviewers praise the Acton III for its premium build, iconic brass knobs, and warm, detailed sound signature that stays true to Marshall's rock heritage. They also commend the Placement Compensation and Dynamic Loudness features delivered through the Marshall app, but criticize the lack of advanced Bluetooth codecs and consider the price high for the feature set.
Everyday users love the speaker's ability to fill modest spaces with rich audio, its eye-catching vintage look, and the tactile satisfaction of the analog knobs. Common complaints revolve around the missing AAC codec on iOS, occasional app instability, overpowering bass at high volumes, and the absence of a battery for portable use.
