Compare Sonos Beam (Gen 1) vs Samsung HW-B650 Soundbar

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

Room calibration evidence was mixed: one review called out the lack of room correction, while another praised AI Sonic-Adaptation.

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

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.

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

Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS Virtual:X support helped create cinematic sound, but the lack of Atmos and surround downmixing limited the format story.

One review found Bluetooth streaming fast, stable, and free of dropouts for common apps.

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

The subwoofer cabinet construction received positive evidence because the wooden cabinet was linked to warmer, deeper bass tone.

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

The system was described as balanced and cohesive, with components complementing each other well.

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 feedback was favorable, emphasizing a compact, sleek, premium-looking bar that fits neatly under TVs.

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 was praised for sturdy construction, metal grilles, and a finish that felt premium for the price.

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

One detailed movie test praised the soundbar for keeping tiny effects audible and clear.

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 the strongest point across reviews, with the dedicated center channel repeatedly making speech crisp, clear, and easy to follow.

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 performance was mixed: one review heard tinny or crackly treble, while others said it stayed clean without distortion.

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.

Reviews agreed that true Dolby Atmos is missing; DTS Virtual:X can help, but it does not fully replace real height-channel performance.

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

Dynamic handling was positive, with reviews noting less need to adjust volume between quiet and loud moments.

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

EQ and sound-mode customization helped improve playback, but several reviews said manual control was limited.

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.

Most reviews described balanced mids, neutral sound, or good music playback, though some modes could sound tinny and low bass was not always deep.

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

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 praised for letting the TV remote control volume and for clean, synced daily use.

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

Reviewers framed it as a strong home-theater upgrade over TV speakers, with useful connectivity and rear-speaker expansion potential.

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

Optional rear speaker compatibility was viewed as useful upgrade potential, including a path toward a fuller surround setup.

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 generally found the soundbar loud and powerful for small or medium spaces, but one review warned it may lack power and depth in larger rooms.

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 and night listening received positive evidence through audible quiet effects and a night mode that keeps movies usable.

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

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

Bluetooth multi-connection was valued for easier switching between devices and phones.

One review specifically praised DTS Virtual:X for a 360-degree-like sound effect.

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

On-device controls were considered basic but useful and cleanly implemented.

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

One owner recommended the wired optical connection as the best connectivity option for their setup.

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 feedback was mostly positive for comfort, responsiveness, and ease of use, with some caveats about limitations or the slim remote being easy to lose.

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 was consistently described as quick, easy, and straightforward across HDMI, optical, and Bluetooth use.

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.

Smart assistant integration was a weakness because reviewers noted the lack of voice assistant support.

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

Smart features were limited overall, but adaptive sound and phone/app control were useful where available.

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

Virtual height effects were present and sometimes convincing, but they remained simulated rather than true Atmos height.

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

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

The front display/status indicator was considered simple but handy for seeing the selected input or mode.

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

One review praised the separation of vocals and instruments during music playback.

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.

The subwoofer was widely praised for punch, rumble, and movie impact, while a few reviews noted limited deep low-bass or large-room power.

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.

DTS Virtual:X and surround modes often created an immersive effect, but reviewers also noted that it is simulated and less reliable than true surround systems.

Sustainability evidence was limited to one unboxing impression that the packaging looked eco-friendly.

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

One month-long user review reported intermittent TV disconnection, even though the soundbar otherwise worked well.

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 was a major strength, with reviewers repeatedly calling it impressive, affordable, or worth the money for the performance.

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

Video passthrough was a weakness because one review noted the HDMI input does not support 4K 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.

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 was repeatedly praised, especially with the center channel making voices more focused and easy to hear.

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

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

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.

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

Wired connectivity was a strength, with reviews praising the broad and versatile port selection.