Table of Contents
It had to explain why it cost almost twice as much as the great Beam and show that it was a worthy successor to the hugely popular Playbar. Even for Sonos, that’s a lot of stress. But even though the Arc came to the Dolby Atmos soundbar party late, it quickly proved to be the party’s heart and soul, and it hasn’t left in over two years.
There was a lot of pressure on the Sonos Arc soundbar when it came out. The first Dolby Atmos soundbar from the company came out a long time after most other companies had already made products that worked with the format. It also came out not long after Sonos released its next-generation S2 platform, which was criticized for leaving some older products behind.
Specifications
| Dimension | 8.7 x 114.2 x 11.6cm |
| Weight | 13.78 pounds |
| Size | 45 x 4.5 x 3.4 inches |
| Wireless | 2.4/5 GHz, Bluetooth |
Sonos Arc review: Design and Features
Once upon a time, you wouldn’t think of anything but a multi-speaker array for the best surround sound. But now, Dolby Atmos is leading the way to deliver 3D audio effects from a simpler system, and the Sonos Arc is a great example of this. The single unit is self-contained and only needs two inputs: a power cable and an HDMI in.
An Ethernet socket and a Digital Optical to HDMI cable adapter are included in the box, but you should only use them if you have to. Sonos doesn’t even come with a remote. Instead, it suggests you connect the soundbar to your TV via the Audio Return Channel (ARC) and use the remote for your TV (or control it through the new Sonos S2 smartphone app).
Even the colors are simple, with just black and white to choose from. And while you can pair the Sonos Arc soundbar with the Sonos Sub or a pair of One SL speakers for deeper bass and true surround sound, it was made to be a great audio solution on its own, which reduces overall clutter.
Since the Arc is meant to bounce sound off the ceiling and walls of your room to create a 3D soundscape, it has metal, hole-punched speaker grilles on the top, front, and both ends. These grilles cover the different ways the Atmos driver array can be set up. You can buy this soundbar from its official website.
Sonos Arc review: Audio performance
Phasing rays and time alignment TruePlay are two software-based tuning tools that help the Sonos Arc sound better. The phasing rays focus sound in the same way that noise-cancelling headphones do, but at the scale of a room. TruePlay works with Sonos speakers, as we explain in our “What is Sonos?” guide, but it now takes into account how the ceiling reflects the sound.
The Arc tunes to a room by making sure that sound waves hit all of the walls at the same time, even if the ceiling is high or the entertainment system isn’t in the middle. We think audiophiles will appreciate this level of calibration more than the average user.
Sonos Arc review: Connections
Even though all of this sounds complicated, setting up the Sonos Arc couldn’t be easier. It only takes a few steps on the smartphone app. The simple cable connections and all-in-one design of this system add to its simple look and feel. This is one of the best soundbars you can get if you have a media room with four walls and a roof.
There are some things to keep in mind if you have a big TV room, or if your room is small enough that you might be able to use the smaller and cheaper Sonos Beam (Gen 2) instead. It’s also important to know that it only has one HDMI port.
Sonos Arc review: Price
Since the company’s first speakers, it has been known as a great choice for people who want good sound at a good price. This is clear in its latest product, the $279 Sonos Ray soundbar. But what if you want to spend more money and have a better time? With the Sonos Arc, Sonos also has something for you.
Its best soundbar is the Sonos Arc, which is better than both the Sonos Ray and the Sonos Beam. The soundbar alone costs $899, and if you want the deeper bass that the company’s subwoofer provides, you’ll have to pay more.
Sonos Arc review: Final Words
The Sonos Arc, which came out in 2020, is the company’s best soundbar. Like most Sonos products, it has a sleek, high-quality design and a built-in voice assistant that lets you control it without having to use your hands.
Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support gives you access to a lot of different streaming and Blu-ray content, and you can upgrade the standalone bar to the Sonos Arc with Sub + One SL Speakers if you want. With the Sonos S2 app, you can also connect the bar to other Sonos products to send sound all over your home.
Pros
- Sleek and very well-built design.
- Supports Atmos.
- Great stereo soundstage.
Cons
- No HDMI passthrough
- Trueplay Tuning is iOS only
FAQs
Is the Sonos Arc really worth it?
The Arc is the best sub-less soundbar that we’ve heard, so if you just want your TV and a soundbar connected with the bare minimum of cords and clutter, it’s an excellent choice. If you just want to connect your TV and a soundbar, then the Arc is an excellent choice.
Those who already have Sonos speakers in their homes or who are considering making the purchase will find that the speakers work very well to create multi-room audio that is simple to operate.
Is anything better than Sonos Arc?
The Sonos Arc is a good soundbar, but the Samsung HW-Q90R is an even better option. The Samsung features a 7.1. 4 setup that has a sound profile that is more neutral and offers an overall better performance when the volume is turned up to its maximum.
It also has a better performance with surrounds, and it comes with a graphic equaliser as well as presets so that you can customise the sound.
Is Bose better than Sonos?
The Sonos Beam comes out on top thanks to its superior ecosystem and the fact that it allows users to select from a number of different voice assistants. Choose the Bose, however, if you are looking for a TV speaker that can improve the sound quality of your existing television set.
Is Sonos Arc really Dolby Atmos?
Playback of Dolby Atmos audio can be accomplished through Dolby Digital Plus or Dolby TrueHD on the Sonos Arc, Arc SL, and Beam (Gen 2) speakers. For them to be able to play any Dolby Atmos content, they need to be connected to either HDMI ARC or HDMI eARC. Our article about Dolby Atmos contains additional details that can be used to learn about playing Atmos audio on Sonos.
Sonos Arc Ratings