Compare Sonos Beam (Gen 1) vs Sonos Arc Soundbar

Trueplay room calibration was usually praised for improving room fit and sound, though reviewers noted the effect can be modest and iOS-only.

Trueplay room calibration was praised for improving or tailoring sound, but its Apple-only limitation frustrated Android users.

AirPlay 2 was treated as a useful flexibility feature for Apple users, although one reviewer still found it less convenient than Bluetooth.

AirPlay was viewed positively as a handy wireless music option, especially for Apple users.

App reliability and usability were mixed: several reviewers called the app intuitive or fluid, while others hit setup retries, configuration friction, or frustrating system changes.

App reliability and usability were mixed: some found Sonos polished and easy to navigate, while others disliked the layout or had reconnection trouble.

Audio format support was a recurring limitation because reviews criticized missing DTS or Atmos support, despite one included review praising Atmos content.

Audio format support was mixed: Dolby Atmos support impressed reviewers, but DTS:X, hi-res, and TV passthrough limitations were repeated caveats.

Backwards compatibility was a drawback because some older Sonos devices are not compatible with the S2-based Arc setup.

Bluetooth-related feedback was negative because reviewers complained about the original Arc’s lack of conventional Bluetooth support.

Bluetooth connectivity was a repeated weakness, with reviewers missing Bluetooth as a quick fallback despite Sonos' Wi-Fi and AirPlay alternatives.

Cohesive presentation was one of the Beam's strongest areas, with reviewers describing rich, balanced, impressive sound that dramatically improves TV audio.

Cohesive presentation was mixed: standalone home-cinema cohesion impressed some reviewers, while one found music less authentically cohesive than stereo speakers.

Touch controls were considered useful and straightforward, with reviewers noting practical top-panel volume and playback actions.

Design and aesthetics were highly praised: reviewers repeatedly called the Beam stylish, understated, minimal, sleek, or easy to blend into a room.

Design and aesthetics were praised for a classy, unobtrusive, blend-in look, though the Arc’s size still requires space.

Build quality was generally strong, with reviewers calling the Beam well made, robust, and high quality, while fabric durability concerns appeared in one review.

Build quality impressions were mixed: one reviewer praised the form-function blend, while another complained that the plastic body attracts dust.

Detail retrieval was mostly strong, with repeated praise for clarity, effects, and precision; the main caveat was some complex sounds being glossed over.

Detail retrieval was widely praised, with reviewers highlighting separation, crispness, clarity, and fine detail in music and movies.

Dialogue clarity was a major consensus strength, with reviewers praising crisp, clear speech and the usefulness of speech enhancement for TV and movie viewing.

Dialogue clarity was usually strong and helped by Speech Enhancement, though one direct comparison placed it behind some rivals for immediate clarity.

Most high-volume comments were positive, with reviewers hearing little or no distortion, but one review reported crackle/distortion when pushed to maximum volume.

High-volume composure was generally praised, with distortion described as limited to pushed bass and volume settings or absent in stress-free loud playback.

Dolby Atmos evidence was mostly a limitation for Gen 1, with several reviews pointing to missing height/3D support; one included review praised Atmos handling more positively.

Dolby Atmos height effects were among the Arc’s strongest attributes, with reviewers praising overhead realism, height presence, and immersive Atmos delivery.

Dynamic headroom had limited but very positive evidence, with one review praising the Beam's scale, dynamics, detail, and punch.

Dynamic headroom was strong overall, with reviewers praising power, subtlety, and big dynamic shifts, though one found the Arc less quick than some rivals.

EQ and sound modes were useful for bass, treble, speech, and night listening, but one reviewer wanted more granular control.

EQ controls were viewed as useful for bass, treble, and loudness adjustments, though not a replacement for every hardware limitation.

The tonal balance was usually described as clear and well balanced, with caveats around slightly murky bass, brightness, or low-bass limits in some testing.

The Arc was widely described as balanced, smooth, and controlled, though a few reviews wanted more low-end weight from the standalone bar.

Gaming HDMI passthrough was a weakness because the single HDMI connection and lack of passthrough can complicate consoles and streaming boxes.

Google Assistant support was praised where tested, mainly because it broadened assistant choice and worked well for basic commands or music control.

Google Assistant support received a positive hands-on assessment when used as the Arc’s selected assistant.

HDMI ARC was a major usability win because it simplified setup, TV remote control, and voice TV control, though it depends on compatible TVs.

HDMI ARC/eARC was valued for getting the best surround experience, but reviewers warned that TV passthrough support can complicate Atmos setup.

Home theater integration was good for compact rooms and expandable Sonos setups, but reviewers warned it is not a full cinematic system without additions.

Home theater integration was a major strength, especially the ability to expand with Sonos surrounds, Sub, and multi-room setups.

Inter-speaker connectivity was praised as easy within the Sonos ecosystem, though surround results could depend on source format and setup.

Inter-speaker connectivity was praised as easy and impactful when adding or connecting Sonos components.

Lip-sync risk was raised as a potential downside when a TV lacks proper passthrough support.

Reviewers generally found the Beam loud enough for living rooms and action scenes, though several noted it does not have the punch or room-filling power of larger soundbars.

Reviewers consistently described the Arc as loud, powerful, and room-filling, with enough scale for larger spaces and home theater use.

Low-volume tools such as Night Sound and speech enhancement were useful, but one reviewer did not find very quiet listening a meaningful TV-speaker upgrade.

Low-volume features were praised for improving late-night listening by reducing bass, stabilizing output, and keeping dialogue clearer.

The microphone array was generally praised for hearing commands across the room and over playback, with one reviewer offering only a light, unextended test.

The Arc’s microphone hardware was positively described through its far-field mic array for voice pickup.

Multi-speaker expansion was viewed as a key Sonos advantage, but one reviewer found moving/removing surround speakers in the app slow and frustrating.

Sonos multi-speaker pairing was praised as reliable and easy, especially for users building or expanding a whole-home Sonos system.

Omnidirectional-style immersion was praised in one review that described sound arriving from every direction.

On-device controls received limited but strong praise, with one review calling the top touch controls a joy to use.

Optical support was treated as a useful fallback, but one reviewer clearly disliked optical setup and called the connector fragile.

Optical support was treated as a fallback with a major tradeoff because it limits Dolby Atmos usefulness.

Privacy evidence was limited to one reviewer who raised Alexa privacy concerns while noting microphone muting in the surrounding discussion.

Remote usability was positive overall because TV remotes could pair or work automatically, despite the absence of a dedicated Sonos remote.

Remote usability was mixed-positive: existing TV remotes usually work well, but some reviewers disliked the lack of a dedicated physical remote.

Setup was usually easy and fast, especially over HDMI ARC, but non-ARC TVs and app connection attempts caused notable friction for some reviewers.

Setup simplicity was a clear strength, with reviewers repeatedly calling installation quick, guided, and easy.

Voice-assistant integration was broadly useful and flexible, especially for music, TV volume, and smart-home control, but reviewers also described limits and occasional awkwardness.

Alexa and smart assistant integration was praised for convenient hands-free control of volume, playback, and smart-home devices.

Smart features were a consistent strength, with reviewers praising the large service ecosystem, assistant flexibility, and smart-home hub role.

Smart features were a strength, with reviewers praising Sonos smarts, streaming breadth, and the app as a central media hub.

Soundstage height had limited but positive evidence, with one reviewer noting a surprisingly tall delivery for the Beam's size.

Soundstage height was praised for convincing vertical presence and sounds that moved above the listener.

Spotify-related control was supported by one positive review that described the handoff into the Sonos app as mostly seamless.

Spotify voice playback was described as working beautifully with the Arc’s voice assistant setup.

Status indicator design received one positive note for keeping lights hidden and unobtrusive during viewing.

Status indicators were praised for being subtle and not overly bright.

Stereo width was one of the most consistent strengths: reviewers repeatedly described a surprisingly wide, spacious stage for such a compact bar.

Stereo imaging was mixed: reviewers praised width and speaker-like imaging with surrounds, but some found music less direct or less precise than stereo speakers.

Bass impressed some reviewers for the Beam's size, but the most repeated caveat was limited low-end rumble unless a separate Sonos Sub is added.

Opinions on the Sub were context-dependent: several reviewers said the Arc works well alone, but bass-focused listeners and movie fans benefit noticeably from adding a Sub.

Surround impressions were mixed: the Beam can sound spacious and becomes stronger with rear speakers, but reviewers stressed it is not a true surround replacement on its own.

Surround simulation was a major strength, with reviewers praising the Arc’s virtual 3D field, room-filling movie sound, and immersive presentation while noting it is not true in-ceiling Atmos.

TV connection stability was mixed: one reviewer was pleased by automatic Roku remote behavior, while another reported a Roku mute/unmute problem.

Value sentiment was strong: reviewers often called the Beam affordable or excellent for the price, while noting that adding a Sub or surrounds raises total cost.

Value opinions were mixed: many reviewers called the Arc worth it or excellent value, while others stressed the premium price and extra cost of a full system.

Video passthrough support was weak, with one comparison noting disappointment that HDMI passthrough was still absent.

Video passthrough support was a consistent weakness because reviewers criticized the absence of HDMI input/passthrough.

Voice responsiveness was useful for music and TV control, but reviewers noted limits such as lag, reduced feature parity, or incomplete hands-free control.

Voice assistant responsiveness was rated highly, with reviewers saying assistants worked well and commands were picked up even during loud playback.

Music vocals and voice-forward content were generally praised as warm, clear, or natural, though voice presence was not the main strength in every mix.

Vocal clarity in music and general playback drew strong praise, with reviewers calling vocals and higher frequencies very impressive.

Voice recognition was generally strong, with far-field microphones often hearing commands across rooms or over playback, though not every command was caught perfectly.

Voice recognition was praised for continuing to work while content was playing.

The Beam's compact, lightweight body was widely praised for easy placement, although one reviewer felt it looked odd under a very large TV.

Despite its size, the Arc was described as easy to move and reposition.

Wi-Fi streaming was mostly praised as seamless and dropout-free, though one review disliked the extra app setup required compared with a quick Bluetooth handoff.

Wi-Fi reliability was mixed, with one reviewer reporting app reconnection struggles and another finding the Wi-Fi-based system more reliable than competing soundbars.

Wired inputs were repeatedly described as minimal, with reviewers noting the lack of extra analog inputs and the reliance on HDMI/optical paths.

Wired input flexibility was criticized because the Arc’s physical connection options are limited.