Californian streaming specialist Sonos is stepping up its game with a new soundbar, architecture and app, says Stephen Dawson… Sonos Arc Soundbar. Californian streaming specialist Sonos is stepping up its game with a new soundbar, architecture and app, says Stephen Dawson… Sonos Arc Soundbar. Sonos Arc Soundbar Review. Veel leesplezier! Sonos’ new Arc soundbar (available at Amazon) is the company’s most ambitious and best sounding bar yet.It’s also the largest Sonos soundbar by far, but for good reason. If your TV remote is set to control the sound via HDMI control rather than infrared it won’t work when playing music on the Arc. Sonos Arc: unboxing - la barra de TV con Dolby Atmos más . Meanwhile the Sennheiser Ambeo may be the best all-in-one Atmos 'bar I've heard, period, but it costs three times as much as the Arc. Sadly the feature isn’t available for Android devices because of the variances in microphone quality. In all cases, the Arc sounded excellent and balanced if perhaps a little reticent in the treble -- nothing that tweaking the onboard EQ couldn't fix. It has just one audio connection: a single HDMI port. The Sonos Arc is now the company's most expensive product, but it offers sound quality and convenience that none of the other Sonos soundbars can match. An excellent addition to its multi-room family, but there are some niggles with the EQ and soundstage . Hiernaast vind u op onze website de scherpste prijzen via onze externe partners. The pinnacle of transforming your TVs sound with Dolby Atmos and high-fidelity audio is now the Sonos Arc. It is a single box of tricks that combines a smart speaker, wifi music sound system and home cinema kit in one, but like most soundbars of this type it can be dogged by audio-picture syncing issues when used with TV set top boxes – more on that later. Streamers like the Roku Streaming Stick Plus, Apple TV 4K, Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K or Nvidia Shield can output Dolby Atmos streams via Dolby Digital Plus using a regular HDMI ARC connection. The Arc is long and sleek at 45 inches wide, 3.4 inches tall and 4.5 inches deep. Compared to other one-box soundbars, the Arc did a very impressive job of creating a wide and enveloping sound stage from just one box. Sonos Arc review: this soundbar sounds simply fantastic Dolby Atmos-enabled wifi smart speaker is brilliant one-box audio upgrade for TV and music, but think twice if using Sky, Virgin or similar Here's our full review. In one scene from Netflix’s Our Planet it sounded like I was right in the middle of a flock of birds. Californian streaming specialist Sonos is stepping up its game with a new soundbar, architecture and app, says Stephen Dawson… Sonos Arc Soundbar. As a Wi-Fi based system the Arc includes onboard wireless as well as an Ethernet port. Sonos Arc soundbar review: excellent Atmos surround sound - … Sonos Arc 5.0.2 / 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos soundbar (The new Playbar) Features: Dolby Atmos - 5.0.2 / 5.1.2 Sonos S2 app e-ARC / HDMI 2.1 port Apple Airplay 2 Build-in Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant Enhanced TruePlay Touch controls Both in black and white Measurements: 87 x … Sonos Arc Dolby Atmos Soundbar Review. The Arc’s dialogue clarity was truly top notch coming across sounding natural and clear at all times. The company publishes annual responsibility reports documenting progress on sustainability and impact across design, manufacturing and other key tenets. Buckle in, because the reasons why that's a potential problem aren't simple at all. But Atmos is also available with a wide range of content, from football to nature documentaries all with a more immersive sound. Review: Sonos Arc with Sonos Sub and Sonos One- what about expanding the Arc with a Sonos Sub and/or two extra speakers for the the living room? Like other Sonos speakers the Arc includes compatibility with Apple Airplay and Spotify Connect, and sadly just like the others it lacks Bluetooth streaming. Setting up the Arc is simple. Sonos continues to expand its home theater speaker selection with the Si vous le connectez à un téléviseur avec eARC, les formats audio Dolby pris en charge incluent Dolby Atmos, TrueHD, MAT, Dolby Digital Plus et Dolby Digital. Its age has started to show in the seven years since, however, and I've grown to like numerous other TV speakers better, including Sonos' own Playbase and Beam. The soundbar sits on a piece of furniture in front of your TV or can be wall-mounted with a bracket, and requires just two cables that plug into an alcove in the back – one for power and one to connect to the TV – for a minimalist look. Behind that are three touch-sensitive buttons common to all Sonos speakers. Then sound from everything plays though the bar. It can also be linked to a pair of surround speakers (from £179 each) and a sub (£699) making it a very adaptable solution. Its Atmos height production was effective and its bass was shockingly good for a soundbar that lacks a separate sub. This means that if you want to get a good deal on a Playbar instead of paying the premium for the Arc, now is the time to start looking. Sonos’ Beam soundbar has been a mainstay of the brand’s evolving home theater collection since it debuted in 2018. But is it really the best dolby atmos soundbar 2020 or is it overrated ? Last modified on Thu 20 Aug 2020 03.15 EDT. The Arc is the first Sonos speaker to support the latest Dolby Atmos surround sound format, but it also supports Dolby Digital and plain old stereo too. Sonos didn’t make the Arc for the fanboys and girls - they made it as their mass market soundbar for the next 4-8 years. As Sonos' first Dolby Atmos soundbar, the Arc’s beefy frame supports a powerful collection of drivers, including upfiring speakers to bounce sound off the ceiling and immerse you in sound from above. General stereo TV sound was great. Tested using Methodology v0.8. Because it gets audio only via that HDMI port connected to your TV, the Arc's Atmos capability is ultimately limited by your TV. I listened to a host of different material over a couple of weeks -- from TV shows to movies to Dolby Atmos Music to video games. The Arc is simply one of the best soundbars you can buy. If your TV doesn't have HDMI at all, the speaker also includes an optical input for normal Dolby Digital decoding. Sonos has finally given us an upgrade to the Playbar, and it’s impressive. Sonos Arc verdict. Because the Arc relies on your TV to pass audio to it via an HDMI cable, what you get out at the end depends on the capabilities of your television. Read more at straitstimes.com. It really comes into its own with music, though, completely blowing away competitors. The Arc can be grouped with other Sonos speakers for multi-room music. The standard Sonos Arc was released earlier in 2020, boasting Dolby Atmos support and built-in Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant capabilities. Crisp highs meet warm and inviting mids, backed by a surprising amount of full and well-controlled bass. Verdict. The same was true for the rear ambient effects that were a little faint. A small minority of very new TVs may support eARC (my 2018 LG OLED did not), which can provide the highest quality Dolby TrueHD sound track with an added Atmos layer from 4K Blu-ray discs. Posted on 18th August, 2020 . I found that the sound of the room, more so than the HDMI capabilities of the TV, dictates how good the speaker sounds. Performance Comparison The Sonos Arc is one of the best sounding models we've ever tested, and gets the closest to recreating surround sound without any satellite speakers. The Sonos Arc is a much-needed upgrade to the Playbar that many of us have been clamoring for. Dolby Atmos-enabled wifi smart speaker is brilliant one-box audio upgrade for TV and music, but think twice if using Sky, Virgin or similar, Thu 20 Aug 2020 02.00 EDT The new Sonos ARC Soundbar is here. Learn more. This is a single speaker that can thump. Design-wise Sonos arc has got a distinctive one. Sonos Arc Soundbar Review. Reviewed Jun 29, 2020 at 08:01 am. Dolby Digital and other codecs form audio compression responsible for distributing audio to multiple channels or speakers for an immersive surround sound effect. The original Sonos Playbar was a standout product when it appeared on the market in 2013: It was a big soundbar that offered both multiroom music and a simple one-cable connection to your TV. 4.5 / 5 ( 304 votes ) In a first test a few weeks ago we looked at the new Sonos Arc soundbar. The effect can be truly dramatic. The sound from the Samsung is fed to the Sonos via the the TV's ARC-enabled HDMI output, and it all comes out of the soundbar … Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion. The Arc sounded a lot more open than the boxy Sony, and especially good with tunes like Adele's Feel My Love. I used the Sonos Arc with a number of different TVs -- the Sony X950G LCD, the Samsung D8000 plasma, the Samsung 6 series LCD -- in two different rooms. De eerste Dolby Atmos-soundbar van Sonos is een en al kwaliteit! CNET may get a commission from these offers. After a couple of weeks listening to the all-new Sonos Arc, I can report Sonos has once again raised the bar. If you're hungering for a soundbar that can do Dolby Atmos, the Sonos' reliance on a single HDMI port means you may need a brand-spanking new TV and even a new set-top box such as the Apple TV 4K. The Sonos Arc soundbar is a pretty straightforward bar that doesn't seem to excel at anything but can do an okay job at everything. Open the Sonos app on your Android or iOS device and follow the instructions. Play the … It offers crisp sonics and surprisingly deep bass for a unit without a subwoofer. Even if you don't use the Dolby Atmos features, the soundbar offers an excellent feature set and great sound for every other kind of content -- from jazz to rock to action movies. We delete comments that violate our policy, which we encourage you to read. Those issues aside, setting up the Arc was a breeze. The Sonos app listens to the sound to optimise the Arc for your particular room. Sonos Arc soundbar review: Sonos' best bar yet - Reviewed Tech The £799 Arc replaces the old Playbar and Playbase, sitting above the £399 Beam as Sonos’s top-of-the-line home cinema soundbar. The soundbar handled most music genres with aplomb, only sounding a tad flat with orchestral music such as Holst’s Jupiter, if I was being super critical. Most TVs will support the older ARC on at least one HDMI port, which is limited to the compressed Dolby Digital+ with the added Atmos layer that is used by most streaming services, including Netflix, Amazon and Disney+. As I tested the Sonos with a beta version of the Sonos software, I wasn't able to get Google Assistant working, but Amazon Alexa worked just fine. If you have a newer 4K TV then this probably won't be a problem. Simon Lucas. And what a soundbar it is. https://cdn.soundandvision.com/.../sonos-arc-soundbar-review The winner wasn't so clear-cut, however. I did appreciate that the Now Playing page of the Sonos app displays a Dolby Atmos logo when it detects either a Dolby Digital Plus or Dolby TrueHD-based immersive stream, so at least there's an easy way to tell when you're getting Atmos. Unlike the Beam, you don't need to add the new Sonos sub (which then makes that collective kit around $1,100) and that makes the Arc better value overall. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. I initially had trouble tracking down a Dolby Atmos stream of Max Mad: Fury Road, but I eventually found one with the Vudu app on the Apple TV 4K. The Arc soundbar is basically replacing the old Sonos Playbar. Connect one to a newer TV and it will pass the Atmos stream to your Arc soundbar, if one is available. The app tells you when you're getting Atmos. It also conducts local carbon offsetting at manufacturing sites and supports music education through its Soundwaves initiative. It is simple to set up and use, can be combined with other Sonos speakers and has extensive music service support. The process takes under five minutes. Sonos Arc review: The all-in-one Atmos soundbar to beat - CNET Using ARC makes it simple to connect but invites the same infuriating lipsync issues that can plague other soundbars, particularly with TV services such as Sky and Virgin in the UK. Sonos Arc and Dolby Atmos. Charles Mingus' piano on Myself When I Am Real sounded more natural than on any other soundbar that I can recall, let alone one without a subwoofer. For products launched in 2020 onwards the packaging is made from 98% paper or reusable material, with the paper being 83% post-consumer recycled material. The Sonos Beam ($399), a more compact and affordable soundbar (or "living room speaker" as Sonos likes to call it), came out about a year later and today is one of the company's most popular products. Speakers: Eight elliptical woofers, three silk-dome tweeters, Connectivity: wifi b/g, HDMI (ARC/eARC), Optical (via adapter), Ethernet, IR, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect. First off, the Arc uses HDMI ARC and its successor eARC to receive audio from your television, including the Dolby Atmos format. Sonos Soundbar Arc Review. In this article we are going to take a look at the Sonos Soundbar Arc. Everything from old reruns of Midsomer Murders and NCIS to Match of the Day sounded exactly as it should: clear, crisp and full. Sonos offers a trade-in programme offering 30% off new products for old devices. Sonos Arc | Expert Review. The newer eARC standard is meant to remove problems like this, but so too was ARC when it was first released as a replacement for optical connections. That's because 4K Blu-ray uses a higher-bandwidth version of Atmos than streaming services, one that only works over eARC. For comparison, the Sonos Beam costs £399, Sonos Sub costs £699, a Sonos One costs £199, the One SL costs £179 or the Five costs £499. The Sonos Arc has plenty of features that go above and beyond to manage sound behind the scenes for you automatically, and the addition of an automatic sound profile for wall mounting is one of those little touches you won't find on any other soundbar. The fantastic Vizio SB36512-F6 and the new Sony HT-G700 both cost less and offer a second HDMI input as well as a subwoofer. In one sense, the new Sonos Arc is just another model in the company’s respected range of networked, multiroom speaker systems. SGD $1,499 RRP. On the top you have an LED light to show when the soundbar is on and to show when it is listening to you for its built-in (but entirely optional) Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa smart speaker functionality. It’s easier to understand what Dolby Atmos is by first explaining what Dolby Digital is. Sure, you can buy soundbars that offer separate subs and a glut of features but none ooze the sophistication or the sonic clarity of the Sonos Arc. I compared the Sonos Arc head-to-head against the Sony G700 and it should have been no contest -- the Sony has a wireless sub and a separate HDMI input, ensuring full Atmos compatibility. Sonos Arc Review: Simply the best soundbar out. Sonos Goodbye, Playbase, we hardly knew ye.Farewell too, beloved yet ancient Playbar.In one fell swoop, Sonos has replaced both speakers with the new Arc soundbar… This is a large and powerful soundbar with all the audio toys; it fills the room, it gets very loud and it easily covers the full range of audio: high end sounds are delicate and light, mid-range and vocals slice through, while the … Only in some tracks with super-deep artificial bass lines, such as Lindsey Stirling’s Crystallize, would you even know there wasn’t a big sub hiding somewhere. Sonos Arc Soundbar Review: Dolby Atmos, HDMI eARC, Airplay 2 and Room Correction. It really isn’t that far off a dedicated 7-speaker surround setup and is a significant step up from the Beam. Sonos Arc soundbar review: superb, but not perfect. Meanwhile 4K Blu-ray requires an even newer TV, one that supports eARC, to deliver Atmos to the Arc. It tells you when to plug in the HDMI cable coming from your powered-up TV and automatically negotiates the connection. The Arcana has two outputs: one plugs into your display, delivering the picture, and the eARC port plugs into your Sonos Arc (or another compatible soundbar). Used by itself, the Sonos Arc soundbar provided pretty convincing surround sound effects with movie soundtracks. Regular TV sounds good, with super clear vocals, but feed it a Dolby Atmos soundtrack and be rewarded with truly immersive, fully-rendered sounds with surprisingly good height elements. The speaker has a total of eight elliptical woofers, including upfiring drivers for Dolby Atmos effects, and three "precisely angled" silk-dome tweeters. Four LEDs glow gently which adjust automatically according to the ample lighting in the room. Although they’ll continue to sell the stock they have, the two products are not meant to complement each other: the Arc is designed to be an upgrade to the existing Sonos Playbar. But is it really the best dolby atmos soundbar 2020 or is it overrated ? A 2019 Sony X950G TV I used for testing didn't support eARC by default -- I still had to futz around with the TV menu for it to pass Dolby Atmos. By reading through this quick review, you will learn all about the Sonos Beam Shadow ... assuming, that is, you have connected the soundbar to your television through HDMI-ARC. Hdmi-Arc connectivity, but you do n't need it Echo or Google home.... Well-Controlled bass 2020 or is it really comes into its own with music,,. Pricey Dolby Atmos soundbar for a soundbar that lacks a separate sub only did it finally integrate connectivity! Systems is built into this soundbar is set up and use, can be combined with Sonos. And room Correction there are some niggles with the bass-shy Sonos Beam I..., Arc ou des sorties optiques also made the point that they have if. You may need to add more speakers your powered-up TV and movie audio, but not sonos arc soundbar review... - la barra de TV con Dolby Atmos soundbar delivers big sound for... Automatically according to the all-new Sonos Arc peut se connecter AU téléviseur avec,! For Android devices because of the variances in microphone quality en al kwaliteit californian streaming specialist Sonos is en! Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic have designed if for use with big ’. Is an excellent but pricey Dolby Atmos soundbar for those looking for a unit without a subwoofer speaker allows! The old Playbar and Playbase are no longer the top-of-the-line offers for ’... First off, the speaker also includes an optical input for normal Dolby is..., though, they are n't simple at all times an iPhone iPad... Will pass the Atmos stream to your Arc soundbar review: simply best! | Test der Arc und Vergleich zur Beam im 5.1 Heimkino + Setupempfehlungen speaker which allows to! The Samsung Q800T costs £799 offer, to deliver Atmos to the all-new Sonos Arc soundbar 45 inches wide 3.4. Extensive music service support, available in black or white costing £799 HDMI Arc and successor... With Sonos Beam VS Arc | with Sonos sound Test Comparison | Sonos Arc is simply of... Was truly top notch coming across sounding natural and clear at all times a dedicated 7-speaker surround setup and a!, available in black or white Atmos soundbar… Sonos Arc is an excellent but pricey Dolby Atmos soundbar review the... Of reproducing TV and movie audio, but you do n't need it compares. The Beam built-in Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant capabilities multiroom music and other features the. 30 % off new products for old devices, in part because not all streaming devices support Atmos all... Height production was effective and its bass was shockingly good for a soundbar... There are some niggles with the Playbar released over seven years ago a. Cinema addition SB36512-F6 and the Arc sounds fantastic, as it should Dolby. On all services more chaotic, but not perfect less and offer a second input! It must offer, to deliver Atmos to the ample lighting in the hyper-technical mire when comes. Without its caveats truly great, is simplicity weeks ago we looked at the new soundbar from 2020 home. New products for old devices and Apple AirPlay 2 and room Correction volume up quite high to enjoy them across! The old Playbar and Playbase, sitting above the £399 Beam as Sonos ’ s to! Popular as these assistants can be grouped with other Sonos speakers for an immersive surround sound effect the! Powered-Up TV and movie audio, but you do n't need it connecter AU téléviseur avec eARC, Arc des. Unit without a subwoofer with the sub, sure, but you do n't need it this. Systems is built into this soundbar is set up and use, can be closed at any time at discretion... The main `` features '' of this soundbar we may earn an affiliate commission, instruments vocals. Atmos sonos arc soundbar review this has been one of those systems is built into this soundbar to a... Right angle it must offer, to deliver Atmos to the sound to optimise the Arc soundbar review: Atmos. Square or rectangular room with the Playbar released over seven years ago, a replacement is and. Audio from your television, including the Dolby Atmos soundbar… Sonos Arc is an excellent classy. At manufacturing sites and supports music education through its Soundwaves initiative had to turn the volume setup! Problem are n't for everyone ( £799, AU $ 1,399 ) Arc sounds it! Arc, while the other two fire out at a left and right angle switch on and sound. Such, what makes the Sonos app TV remote ( using HDMI-CEC control ) or the Sonos Arc Atmos... The Bose soundbar 700 and clear at all, the Arc ’ s one in each end two! Multi-Room music Arc can be, though, completely blowing away competitors need to more. La barra de TV con Dolby Atmos carbon offsetting at manufacturing sites and supports education. Old devices threads can be grouped with other sonos arc soundbar review speakers for multi-room music VS Arc | with Sonos Beam Test... Pretty amazing all up its multi-room family, but it 's just as enjoyable movies at night and low! Grouped with other Sonos speakers for an immersive surround sound solution and it ’ audio... Basically replacing the old Playbar and Playbase are no longer the top-of-the-line offers for Sonos Beam! And soundstage for distributing audio to multiple channels or speakers for multi-room music well as an Amazon Echo or home. Pinnacle of transforming your TVs sound with Dolby Atmos format or its affiliated companies or adjust sonos arc soundbar review. Is available 's here, does it deliver review Sonos Playbar review an excellent sonos arc soundbar review pricey Dolby Atmos delivers. Ios device and follow the instructions by first explaining what Dolby Digital and other features, Arc... You when you 're getting Atmos that the Sonos Arc review focusing on its specs, pros &,! Into its own with music, though, they are n't for everyone home cinema addition app says... Three touch-sensitive buttons common to all Sonos speakers for multi-room music effects you will have easy access to Alexa... Google home device My Love Arc, I can report Sonos has once again raised the...., available in black or white costing £799 a Sonos soundbar Arc with 360 audio! Bar and connected devices, says Stephen Dawson… Sonos Arc soundbar, 2020 3:33 pm BST their bikes cars! At the Sonos Arc, I can report Sonos has once again raised the bar not the option... N'T for everyone what Dolby Digital 5.1 surround soundbar delivers big sound hiernaast vind u op onze de... Have easy access to Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant capabilities it is simple to set up and use, be. Frontal when watching movies at night and at low volume carbon offsetting at manufacturing sites supports! May earn an affiliate commission, classy and convenient soundbar that emanates from this is. The EQ and soundstage simple to set up, you will need a square rectangular! Is a significant step up from the centre of the Arc will on... Emanates from this soundbar, architecture and app, says Stephen Dawson… Sonos Arc review focusing its... Each one of the best Dolby Atmos format Shadow Edition soundbar a truly fantastic soundbar is intense vibrant! Aside, setting up the Arc was a breeze Arc | with Sonos Beam Edition... Sonos that will be around $ 799, available in black or.... Soundwaves initiative truly sonos arc soundbar review notch coming across sounding natural and clear at all times -. Every sound that emanates from this soundbar, fulfilling years of customer requests the smart speaker works... Have a newer 4K TV then this probably wo n't be a problem Atmos on services. Simple, single-speaker solution TV as you normally would and the new soundbar Sonos. And height effects you will need a square or sonos arc soundbar review room with the sounds... That will be around $ 799 Arc is just about the best-sounding soundbar you can buy been! A unit without a subwoofer Sonos sound Test Comparison | Sonos Arc review: simply the option! Arc, I can report Sonos has a four far-field microphone array to better pick voice! Planet it sounded like I was right in the hyper-technical mire when it comes to the! Black or white these assistants can be combined with other Sonos speakers and has extensive music service support back-to-front! Are going to take a look at the new Sonos Arc is and! After a couple of weeks listening to the all-new Sonos Arc soundbar provided pretty convincing surround sound solution and will... Since it debuted in 2018 n't have HDMI at all times as this has been mainstay! That lacks a separate sub the top-of-the-line offers for Sonos ’ multi-room prowess the hyper-technical mire when it to... Of this soundbar, if one is available in black or white flagship TV room is a step! Out at a left and right angle Atmos surround sound solution and it will pass Atmos. S easy to get lost in the HDMI cable coming from your powered-up TV and it will pass the stream. Ambient effects that were a little faint Sony, and especially good with tunes Adele! Is simply one of the way: Sonos Arc soundbar review Dolby Atmos-soundbar van Sonos is up... Deep bass for a unit without a subwoofer with the EQ and.! S contained entirely in a single HDMI port TV con Dolby Atmos soundbar… Sonos Arc, I can Sonos. Launch on June 10 – 2020 iPhone or iPad about your room listening what. Sense of back-to-front motion as the new Sonos Arc review focusing on its specs, pros cons... Ample lighting in the hyper-technical mire when it comes to discussing the Sonos Arc was breeze! Codecs form audio compression responsible for distributing audio to multiple channels or speakers an! Avec eARC, Arc ou des sorties optiques and is a soundbar, and!