Arc

Maybe get the old arc on discount and add the 100s as fronts with Sonosequencr. Great for music and TV.

Since they added adjustable speech enhancement it's significantly better. Before that it was maybe a 10% upgrade.

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.

I have the original arc and love it and wouldn't look back or change.