
Sonos
Beam (Gen 2)
Compact, easy setup, great value, but virtual Atmos disappoints.

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If money was not a factor then I'd probably look at the Sony Bravia Theatre Quad with the bigger of the two subwoofers. For the biggest sound for say a home theatre without going the AVR route, I'd take a look at the Nakamichi Shockwave Ultra 9.2. For me the Sonos has too many negatives such as no Passthrough ports or DTS support. The Q990F is excellent as well. I think RTINGS is the best site to look at reviews as they are objective and not subjective. Their best soundbars page is useful: https://www.rtings.com/soundbar/reviews/best/soundbar
I went from the Nakimichi 9.2.4 to the Samsung Q990D and it's an entirely different experience. The Q990D blew my Nakimichi out of the water even going down to 1 sub.
My 9.2.4 was bought new ~6 years ago for reference. Loved it, just wanted to see what all the hubbub was about with the 990D. And phew. At least for my living room and setup, it's very good.
Please do yourself some justice and research and investigate the Nakamichi Shockwafe or if possible the Dragon. In head to head comparison, in my home theater, the Shockwafe 9.2.4 atmos dwarfed the 990 and the sonos. In EVERY way. Period. My opinion as a sound engineer.
Nakamichi Shockwafe or Dragon if in the budget. Period. Anyone with another opinion just doesn't know any better. I've side by side compared them ALL, extensively! You will agree if you take the time to investigate on your own!
Honestly those prices I’d get 1 of the couple Vizio M series 5,1,2 or check out used. I got a crazy deal on a Nakamichi 9,2,4 and a 7.2.4. You can’t beat dual 8 or 10” subs on anything really.
The Nakamichi definitely hits harder on the low end, but the Bravia Quad setup really shines in terms of clarity and spatial sound. I was surprised how much difference it made, especially for Atmos content. The way it fills the room is just on another level, even with a tricky speaker layout.
Always depends on budget, but ive had a Samsung system, Nakamichi 9.2, and now upgraded to the Bravia Quad with the SW5. I do miss the big bass from my Nakamichi sometimes, but the Bravia quad has given me the soundstage and atmos effects ive been wanting especially since my room is a bit weird and my back speakers are mounted higher than my front speakers.
Not technically a soundbad, but I had a Nakamichi 9.2 and switched to the Bravia Quad + SW5 and am very happy with it as the sound stage is much more full. Full disclaimer that I got the Quads at an amazing open box price.

Sonos
Beam (Gen 2)
Compact, easy setup, great value, but virtual Atmos disappoints.

Sonos
Arc Ultra
Immersive Atmos, strong bass, but pricey and weak for music.

Samsung
HW-Q990D
Powerful, immersive sound, great value; but music and software issues.

Samsung
Q990F (HW-Q990F/ZA)
Good for movies/Atmos, but music and sub are inconsistent.

Samsung
Q990F
Easy setup, powerful bass for movies, but poor for music.

Ranked #1
Sonos - Arc Ultra

Ranked #1
Sonos - Beam (Gen 2)

Ranked #1
Sonos - Arc Ultra

Ranked #1
Sonos - Playbar

Ranked #1
Sonos - Arc Ultra