Sonos has established itself as a leader in the home audio market, offering an impressive lineup of wireless speakers known for their ease of use, stylish design, and great sound quality. Two of the company‘s most popular products are the Sonos Beam and Arc soundbars. Both deliver an immersive audio experience that can greatly enhance your TV and movie watching, but there are some key differences to consider when deciding between them.
As an audio enthusiast who has tested numerous soundbars over the years, I‘ve put together this comprehensive comparison of the Sonos Arc vs Beam. Whether you‘re looking for a compact soundbar to complement your apartment TV setup or a larger model with the latest surround sound technologies for your home theater, this guide will help you determine which Sonos soundbar is the ideal choice for your needs and budget. Let‘s dive in and take a closer look at how the Arc and Beam stack up in terms of specs, performance, features, and more.
Sonos Arc vs Beam: Spec Comparison
Starting with the hard specs, here‘s a side-by-side look at how the Sonos Arc and Beam compare:
Sonos Arc:
- 11 Class-D digital amplifiers
- 8 woofers, 3 tweeters
- 4 far-field microphones for voice control
- Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, and Dolby TrueHD support
- HDMI eARC, optical audio input
- 87 x 1141.7 x 115.7mm, 6.25 kg
- Black or white finish
- $799 MSRP
Sonos Beam (Gen 2):
- 5 Class-D digital amplifiers
- 4 woofers, 1 tweeter
- 4 far-field microphones for voice control
- Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital support
- HDMI eARC, optical audio input
- 68.5 x 651 x 100mm, 2.8 kg
- Black or white finish
- $449 MSRP
The first thing that jumps out is the larger size of the Arc. At 114cm wide compared to the Beam‘s 65cm width, it provides more physical space for additional drivers. This allows the Arc to create a wider, more immersive soundstage.
The Arc packs in 11 Class-D amplifiers and 11 drivers (8 woofers, 3 tweeters), while the Beam has 5 Class-D amps and 5 drivers (4 woofers, 1 tweeter). More drivers allow the Arc to produce bigger, fuller sound with better stereo separation and surround effects. However, the Beam is no slouch and delivers impressive sound for its size.
Both soundbars support Dolby Atmos 3D surround sound on the latest models (the original Beam did not have Atmos). Atmos adds height effects for a dome of sound around you. The Arc‘s extra speakers allow it to take more advantage of Atmos‘ capabilities compared to the Beam.
In terms of inputs, both have HDMI eARC and optical audio ports to connect to your TV. The eARC HDMI is ideal to get the full resolution of Dolby Atmos from your TV apps or connected devices.
Voice assistants are also supported on both via Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Far-field mics pick up your voice from across the room for hands-free control.
So in summary, the Arc is physically larger with more drivers and power for bigger cinematic sound. But the Beam is a capable performer with a lot of the same core features (like HDMI, Atmos, voice control) in a smaller, more affordable package that‘s great for apartments or bedrooms. The Beam also has the edge in terms of dialogue clarity thanks to its center channel tweeter.
Audio Performance
Of course, specs only tell part of the story. How do the Sonos Arc and Beam actually sound? I spent time extensively testing both with a variety of content from movies to music to TV shows.
Starting with the Arc, it delivers a grand, theater-like performance that really drew me into the on-screen action. When watching Dolby Atmos films like Mad Max: Fury Road and Ford v Ferrari, the Arc created a convincing 3D soundstage that made it feel like cars were whizzing past my head. Bullets, rain, and other sound effects were precisely placed in the room, showcasing the Arc‘s excellent surround capabilities.
The Arc‘s bass is deep and impactful without overwhelming the overall balance. Explosions had serious weight and kick behind them. But it‘s also detailed and nuanced enough to handle more delicate content. Atmospheric sounds like waves crashing on a beach or leaves rustling in a forest were lifelike and immersive.
Vocals are clear and easy to understand on the Arc, though I found the Beam did have a slight edge in terms of dialogue clarity, likely due to its dedicated center channel. The Beam is an excellent performer for its size. It creates a wide, engaging soundstage and can get loud enough to fill medium-sized rooms.
However, the Beam can‘t quite match the Arc‘s almost IMAX-like scale, dynamics, and surround precision. The Arc just has more power, finesse, and spaciousness to its sound. The Arc can also presently be expanded to a full 5.1.2 surround system by adding a Sonos Sub and two One speakers as surrounds, for an even more immersive experience. Sonos has said the Beam will support this setup in a future software update.
For streaming music, both sound great and handle all genres well. The Arc is the choice for big, party-ready sound or more critical listening. But for casual everyday listening, the Beam is more than satisfying and takes up less space on a shelf or countertop.
Both support AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect and can be integrated into a multi-room Sonos speaker setup for whole-home audio. This is one of Sonos‘ greatest strengths – the ability to start with one speaker and easily expand into multiple rooms over time.
Design and Setup
The Sonos Arc and Beam share a similar understated, minimalist aesthetic. Both feature rounded edges, plastic grilles, and a seamless unibody construction. Touch capacitive buttons on the top provide quick access to volume, play/pause, microphone mute, and voice assistant.
At 45 inches wide and weighing 13.8 pounds, the Arc is clearly meant for medium to large sized TVs and rooms. It can sit on a media stand in front of your TV or be wall-mounted with the optional $79 mount from Sonos. The 25.6-inch wide, 6 pound Beam is easier to fit under or in front of smaller TVs.
Setup is a breeze using the Sonos app on your phone. It walks you through connecting to WiFi, setting up your TV remote to control volume, tuning the soundbar to your room with Trueplay, and adding in your favorite music services.
If you have an iPhone, Trueplay is an innovative feature that uses the mic on your phone to listen to test tones played by the soundbar and tune the sound to your specific space. Android users will have to rely on the soundbar‘s Auto EQ for now. It optimizes based on the acoustics it picks up from the room but isn‘t as advanced as Trueplay.
Trueplay made a bigger difference with the Arc, likely because it has more drivers to work with. But it‘s worth doing with either soundbar if you can, as it noticeably improves the sound by eliminating boomy bass or harsh treble.
Overall, setup is simple on both and the build quality and design is what you would expect from a premium brand like Sonos. They have a clean, modern look that goes with any decor.
The Verdict
After putting the Sonos Arc and Beam through their paces, it‘s clear they are both excellent soundbars that provide substantial sonic upgrades over the built-in speakers on any TV. But there are differences that make each one better suited for certain setups and budgets.
The Arc is the choice for the ultimate home theater audio experience. Boasting Dolby Atmos, a greater number of speakers, and more power, it delivers a big, bold, and precise sound that rivals many full-size surround systems. If you have a large room, care about having the latest audio tech, and plan to build out a multi-speaker system, the Arc is worth the premium.
However, the Arc‘s size and price will be overkill for those with smaller spaces or more limited budgets. That‘s where the Beam shines as an outstanding performer for apartments, bedrooms, or secondary TVs throughout the home. The Beam still supports core features like AirPlay 2, Alexa/Google Assistant, Atmos (on the Gen 2), and HDMI while offering clear, engaging, room-filling sound in a compact package. It‘s arguably the better value of the two.
A great benefit of going with Sonos is the ability to expand your setup over time. You can start with a Beam in your living room and eventually add a Sonos Sub and One/One SL speakers for a complete surround system. Or spread Sonos throughout your entire house for multi-room music streaming. It‘s a flexible and convenient whole-home audio solution.
You also get a company committed to supporting and improving products via software updates for years to come. While the Arc is currently a more advanced soundbar, Sonos tends to bring new features to older hardware as well, ensuring your investment is protected.
For example, the second-gen Beam added Dolby Atmos support over the original and Sonos has said the current Beam will get the ability to expand with surrounds and a subwoofer later. It‘s nice not having to worry about your soundbar becoming obsolete after a year or two.
Some competing soundbars to consider at similar price points include the Bose Smart Soundbar 700, Bose Smart Soundbar 300, Sony HT-G700, Samsung HW-Q70T, and LG SN8YG. All offer good performance and some have unique features like Bose‘s ADAPTiQ room tuning or LG‘s AI Sound Pro.
However, I don‘t think any of them beat the Sonos Arc or Beam in overall sound quality, ease of use, and expandability. Sonos has really nailed making great sounding speakers that fit seamlessly into your life.
To sum up:
- The Sonos Arc is the ultimate premium soundbar for large rooms, Atmos fanatics, and those building out a full surround system. It offers the most immersive, dynamic, theater-like sound.
- The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is the top pick for smaller spaces, tighter budgets, and those who still want excellent sound, voice control, music streaming, and the ability to expand down the line. It‘s one of the most feature-packed compact soundbars you can buy.
The great news is you can‘t go wrong with either Sonos soundbar. It just depends on your specific needs and setup. Choosing between them is a matter of taking stock of your space, budget, and how important having the "latest and greatest" features are.
Regardless of which one you go with, you‘ll enjoy a significant boost in sound quality for all your TV, movie, music, and gaming content. Both the Arc and Beam prove that great things can come in different sizes when engineered by a trusted brand like Sonos.
