Sonos - Arc

Could also go for the non-Ultra Arc if you want better than the Beam but still want to save a few hundred compared to the Ultra.

It's not. Atmos bubble with ultra and 300s is levels above the og arc + 300s

Anyone that tries the Ultra says it's worth the upgrade and yet there are always people convincing themselves that they don't need better vocal clarity/wider soundstage etc. It's because you have no idea how much better it can possibly sound. How much more audible the dialogue can be without coming off sibilant. I had the og Arc and I used to watch movies with remote near me to control the volume between action and dialogue scenes. The luxury of not having to do that anymore alone is more than worth it. If you have era 300s as surrounds, Ultra is a must have to create an amazing Atmos bubble for music.

You think I'm comparing them on paper? I have both as well bro. The difference in vocal clarity, soundstage and overall sound fidelity is strikingly obvious.

You're talking about Atmos under $1k. Just get the ARC, it sounds really good. Later you can add the Sonos mini-sub, which also sounds really good.

I made the upgrade in January, and I love it. The upgrade is noticeable and substantial, but the effects are probably most dramatic in rooms with ideal acoustics (a rectangular room with good sound insulation and a reflective ceiling). The soundbar excels with surrounds and a sub for movies, especially when Atmos/spatial audio available. I did not have much of an issue with voice clarity with the OG Arc, but the Ultra is clearly and noticeably better at this task. Music also sounds better than on the OG Arc due to additional clarity and dimensionality, but music is not a selling point unless you listen to a lot of music in 360/spatial formats where the hardware is fully utilized.

You just missed a bunch of deals. Bad timing! Get a refurb arc if you can. I think they’re still like $400-500 and used to be the ~$900 flagship model. Otherwise the beam gen 2 is nice and not crazy expensive. Easy setup.

In that same setup I found a noticeable difference between the Arc and Arc Ultra. Felt like the Era 300's were constantly overpowering the Arc whereas the Ultra is a better match for the 300's and it felt like sound panning improved.

I would say I feel the Arc Ultra pairs better with the Era 300's than the Arc OG. Felt like the Era 300's noticeably overpowered the Arc OG.

Great price for a new arc even if first generation. Get it!

Didn’t Costco have a dumbed down version of the Arc without a Mic and voice control that was a Costco exclusive.

The Costco Arc was a different product, even was a different color, like a lighter matte black. Not saying that’s what this, but that lesser product does or at least did exist. I’m a Sonos direct dealer and dealers were obviously somewhat up in arms when Costco started selling Sonos, and by releasing the lesser version of the Arc at Costco was one way for custom integrators to differentiate the product they were selling and installing that was a higher price.

Arc + G4. No issues here.

I’m not sure any Sonos soundbar would be the best option for PC gaming if you’re on a desk. They’re not designed for near field listening and they all rely on eARC, which is extremely rare on PC monitors. Also, there’s not much point spending money on an Arc if you’re going to rely on optical, because you don’t get the most out of it.

I have the G4, Arc, sub 3, and 2 300s and only "issue" I have had is sometimes I lose audio on my PS5, which I just switch the tv from the arc to tv speakers and then back and solves the issue. Not a huge deal and probably has happened 3 times in 2 weeks. I just assume its some kind of handshake from going from Dolby to non-dolby. But not sure. Definitely not a show stopper. I am loving the new TV and sonos setup.