Sonos - Ultimate Immersive Set with Arc

I’ve owned both too and in my opinion the Sonos has quite an edge in audio quality. Samsung gets loud but isn’t particularly pleasant to listen to

Let's also add that Samsung abandons firmware support for their products every 2 years. Additionally, if one piece breaks, good luck to you. The Sonos pieces can be replaced. And, Samsung has the worst product support known to man, generally.

Have had both and we'll agree to disagree

Impressive by Samsung. I think they miss 1 point, and that's the stand alone feature of the era300. That's my main reason I went for Sonos. The (stereo/high res) quality of these speakers as stand alone. The satellites of Samsung can't act stand alone.

I have the Arc with sub and 2 in-ceiling Sonos speakers. I'm hoping to see someone review that setup with the ARC Ultra.

Andrew Robinson is full of shit. I owned both and can say the Samsung is definitely better overall in both performance and value. I’m not sure why he made such a crazy claim, but maybe he was overly giddy because Sonos finally sent him a free product to review.

In that case I’d probably say the arc because it’s modular and you can choose to add a sub which makes a massive difference and still have the opportunity to add rears or extra speakers at any point in the future

That one will sound the best, it’s come above the q990d in the end of year tests with multiple people. If playing 4k uhd blu ray the audio formats supported by the q990d are better suited to blu rays disks, it’s a hard choice.

Good luck with whatever you get. If you go Sonos they hold their value very well too so it’s not actually that’s expensive over time as you sell and upgrade.

For whatever it's worth, I've tried the Sonos Arc/sub/era 100, and then the Q990c before settling on the Sony HT-A7000 with RS5's and dual 3rd party subs. For my basement application, the Sony smoked the other two.

The Sony 360 spatial mapping, for one. Insanely good. I also had issues with connectivity between the Samsung and my Bravia. The Sonos sounds very musical but was really "thin" sounding. The Sony is just so...robust/enveloping/full...I think that's the best way of putting it. No matter where you sit, you'd swear there's a speaker smack in the middle of my left and right side walls. It's just an awesome sound bubble, but it's not just noise all around. It all fits together. PLUS....you can use 3rd party dual subs. That's a game changer. Sonos allows for dual subs, but not from any brand. The Samsung has a really nice sub...for a soundbar. But it doesn't compare to my Sony setup. Now...with all that being said, the Q990 series is a killer killer killer value that sounds awesome. I picked up a new Q990C for under $700 from Samsung direct for my son's new house. It's incredible for what he needs.

I returned the Sonos arc system last year and got the Q990C and thought the Samsung was more dynamic. But I returned it also and got the Sony A7000 system and prefer it out of the 3. Arc would be my third choice.

Sonos and Klipsch might be the worst choices for the money. Klipsch has gobs of issues - they play loud, but they're not great in the atmos "sound bubble" department, and they have issues. Sonos - Software hell and the arc itself sounds good, but small. Do yourself a favor and look at last year's Sony Ht-A7000 with rears. The sub can either be their SW5 or a third party sub connected hard wired. You can even go dual in this fashion. Once you get it tweaked, it's unbelievable.

Agree to disagree. I returned my arc with surrounds and sub for the Sony I mentioned - it was transformative.

I would vote for the Q900 over the Sonos Arc unless you opt for the dual Sonos subs. The Sonos is more musical, but the Samsung is a lot more robust and dynamic. The arc with subs and rears can hold its own. But the arc without rears is a bit "small" sounding. I would actually consider the Q990 and use the settings to repurpose the rears as fronts. I haven't heard it but it sounds like it really kills it as a wide front stage sound bubble.

See my other reply. I've been messing around with being a lifelong AVR guy (mostly Yamaha and upper mid-level Klipsch) and spent a brief time with a full soundbar system (with rears and dual subs). They each have their merit. You didn't directly say it, but if you go the soundbar route, I would 100% beyond any question add rears on day one. For me, the Sony HT-A7000 with RS5 rears and using their "dual subs" hack is the way to go. I just sold all my soundbar stuff to get back to putting together a full 7.2.4 system (it's an obsessive hobby) and I can say I can't shame the A7000 after going back. It 100% held its own admirably. The Q990 does a great job at my son's house so that would be my second pick. The Sonos ARC with sub and rears that I had sounded nice, but was nowhere near as dynamic. If you go to a full system, do at least 7.1 with your receiver. Then you can experiment between 7.1 and 5.2 whenever you feel like mixing things up. I'm a lifelong Yamaha receiver guy (since the 80's) because of their sound quality and durability. So that's my current vote. I tried two new Sony receivers and they sounded Amazing and the setup is simplified and similar to a soundbar level of complexity. Unfortunately the "hissing" complaints are real, so I returned them (issue when enabling their EQ functions). I had an Onkyo briefly but couldn't get the nerve to open the box so I returned it. Too many complaints about reliability issues and setup quirks. So I'm back to Yamaha.

Short version for anyone reading this post for pre-purchase research - on last year's models, I tried the Arc, Q990c and HT-A7000. The Sony won out by a large margin in terms of dynamics, immersion, and reliability for my 85x90L and then 85x95L. Also, if price isn't an issue, the tipping point is pairing it up with a Sony tv (integrated menu and ability to you with using the tv as the center channel - I give this feature a solid "B"). For price, stick with the Samsung if your going with this years models.

Can't speak for the latest models, but I've had the Arc, Q990C and the HT-A7000 (all with rears and sub) - and the Sony Outperforms the others by a significant margin, in terms of immersiveness and reliability. For 2024, the Arc is the same, the Bar 9 is supposedly an improvement sonically, and the Q990 has only modest improvements (according to reviews). But if you end up with a Samsung tv, you might consider the Samsung based on some features exclusive to staying in the family, and price. The Arc system sounded very musical, but nowhere near as dynamic as the Sony or Samsung with movies.

It really depends on who you ask. Andrew Robinson reviewed both and said the full Sonos setup kills the Q990D and it isn’t particularly close. Is it worth that much more though? Probably not. Audio is a game of diminishing returns. And it’s pretty much impossible to beat the value Samsung offers.

I’ve also owned both the Q990C and the full Sonos setup and I don’t think he’s full of shit at all. He’s also not the only reviewer who ranks Sonos better. I don’t think it murders it the way he says, but I think Sonos certainly has a more refined sound. The only thing Samsung does better performance wise is being louder at lower volumes. It’s certainly the best value though. But sound is subjective 🤷🏻‍♂️

If you get a Arc + Sub combo, absolutely. The first time we listened to Rocket Man mastered for Atmos on our setup, my wife and I both cried. It's unreal the power of that setup.

Good point. I think you’re right for the most part although I’m upgrading to Sonos Ultimate Immersive set after getting rid of my Q990D. While much more expensive, I do think it’ll have comparable/better sound and be more reliable. All a matter of how much you’re willing to spend.

I agree on the Sonos Arc +sub. If funds allow, a pair of Era 300s for rears are incredible when watching movies.

Each has its own plus and minus. I like both options. You can get ikea speakers for rear and sub mini for and apartment with sonos. So it is no as bulky and 1700 with the smaller set up. And if a rear speaker blows out or sub blows out you can replace that component only. You can mix and match to fit your needs. And you get two color options. Not as easy with the Samsung if something is discontinues and need a replacement part. And it is not as well suited for whole home audio. But you don’t lose an hdmi port like Sonos when you used arc. And plus if you are a multi plateform gamer, pc, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, and pc ontop of a streaming box like appletv.

I think I will just get one at Best Buy, try it and then decide with my ears. I don't need dialogue clarity. I want a notable (not giant) improvement in music. My ARC rears and sub mini are good for all movies and media. It's not great--good enough for music. My goal was to replace (and I did) a major separates system--Sonos checked those boxes---music is ok--but if I can get better, and have the same setup--soundbar, sub mini rears, and get the music even better --what a win!

Same. For me it's about getting better mids and highs --clear, not forced, a tiny bit lush. Adding the submini with my rears helped but if it can sound even better for music......I'll get one--so i'll try one from BestBuy --return if it's not that great. The ARC is good. I also know in time I can get 5s for rears at anytime But if the soundbar is notably better--sure Ultra---I'm waiting for a few professional reviews off reddit.

I'm trying to do a dual purpose unit----since it's in the living room, an ARC plus sub mini plus rears sounds good even with my Ikea Symfonisk But to get the same system to sound better with music, to my ears the 5's sound better--but I won't keep a pair unless sonos allows equalization (not bass treble slider) with music. In that configuration the 5's could be equalized as could the ARC serving as an additional linked sound source. The 300s shut off the center firing speaker completely whether with music or for home theater---that seems like a real waste of a speaker--buying a box with 6 speakers and only having 5 that work.

They also mentioned that there weren't great gains on the music only end of things.

I'm keeping my old ARC. I have room to grow out the rears if I want (5s). I also could add a separate music system (single box Naim or Cambridge Audio) for the same price as the Ultra. I've never been unhappy with movie audio on my ARC ---

My ARC has good says and bad days--depends on which streaming service, what show I'm watching and I think I've finally just learned how to listen to the ARC---Generally I'm listening at volume levels below 30 due to folks sleeping. I do frequently turn on the dialogue enhancement. If I had money to spend I'd upgrade--or if I was going out to buy a sound bar for the first time--this would be it.

That's how I think. I came from reel to reel tapes, 8 track, casettes, big rotary phones etc.....separate but excellent stereo components. I wanted an all in one solution and Sonos really has done a great job for TV audio and though I'm not always happy with it for music (ARC, rears and submini--) I'm satisfied. I have the better better better bug but truly I could call it a night with the austerity of what I have.

There's always going to be next models of just about everything. My guess is in 5 years there will be next soundbar or speaker from Sonos and I'll hop in then --- I'm laser focused now on music and just about set that I won't get that from Sonos (and I'm not someone looking for stereo separation)--I know what these all in one systems are about. I just want more natural mids and less tinny highs. When I periodically retune (trueplay) my ARC and fiddle a tad bit with height audio, bass, sub mini audio---it could be I'm just hearing it all different and I like it, could be I'm just getting better at the "zone" for my room. I get improved results.

I have Sonos and it' s great for TV audio. It's really not good for music with a soundbar--it has nothing to do with the speakers and everythng to do with Sonos emphasis on TV audio and lack of user freedom to configure their components. I'm looking at Samsung and/or Nakamichi. There are many new options on the market compared to 3 years ago.

I had to add a submini, had to---underscored, for the ARC. It wasn't even craving bass , it really is almost a Sonos necessity for the ARC to have the mids and highs work properly--the Sonos algorithm redistributes sound when it recognizes a sub or sub mini, this improved TV audio immensely and "helped" music but still didn't quite take it to the next level. Some say, for music listeners, despite others calling it a waste, that adding 5's as rears (think peter pee, few posters) that music improved with the ARC using full setting and cranking up rear levels let the 5's work as they should as a pair of speakers and then you get the additonal sound of the ARC and your sub / sub mini. If that produce good sound for my ears--ill probably go that route--overkill perhaps for movies (though Peter Pee at least) but those that use them as rears (there are 6 speakers in each Five) say movie audio is also improved (which I didn't need to do). Anyway off to lug a pair home and demo them--let my ears decide.

the price point is high --sonos for many is their home eco system , adding things, removing things--the ability to change rooms. Other soundbar systems (Nakamich/Sony/others) the speakers are wed to that soundbar---sonos--any rears can be up and moved to other rooms and used. The higher end Sonos systems basically creep up to pricing similar to the Nakamichi Dragon with the added ability to move the speakers.

I think most people coming from higher end systems , especially for music , find using the sonos soundbars (ARC, ARC Ultra, ) even with sub and rears to still not hit the mark or the "good" realm. I never hear a balanced middle. Many people who praise it really haven't ever had anything beyond big box store audio systems. My system was with a Mark Levinson Amp, Mordant Short speakers, KEF, Klipshc I knew I wasn't going to hit something like that--very realistic. I knew I would get austerity--which I wanted--my living room would be done with boxes and wires all around. That said, the Sonos Arc for many does not do double duty for music and TV audio. I wish it did. It only seems to need a bit more--and not on the speaker end--it's more about how they've tuned them--for the TV audio. It's an old topic here but put in a small graphic equalizer with a high degree of granularity---like an advanced feature to toggle on / off-kind of a saveable personal music setting and I think I could make it sing. A bass and treble and loudness button is not equalization. I know all the tweeks from the community and none of them really do what I'm looking for . Yes adding rears and a sub / sub mini helped as opposed to the soundbar alone which was really not great for music. I'm eyeballing some of the newer stand alone units coming out of England as the music solution. Who knows maybe Sonos will create an equalizer one day. Most people they sell to, the ease of use (presumptive) appeals.

I don't just want enveloping music. I need really clear high end, really full middle, balanced......it's never done that. I don't think adding an Ultra will be enough for that problem. Sonos seems to have a Sonos sound made for the broad consumer--never added graphic equalization--it's their box. I do like my movie audio-so thumbs up on that. Music is mediocre, passable. For most people that probably is their good. I admit it.

On mine the high ends for music are almost forced, the mids just aren't clean. I hear it every time I put music on. Rears , sub--all helped--did that for the TV audio --it improved that considerably but like a little kid waiting--ok now i'll turn the music on---it's ok, not hitting accpetable or good. I've had my system a couple of years---

I did that with my ARC before I unwired the old stuff. It was night and day on music. It was an improvement on movie audio though slight. That's what I got it and ridding myself of boxes and wires etc. That all said I was hoping to hear a real sound Incredible improvement in music from reviewers. Most talk about the bubble--which isn't really what is the primary component of music listening--it's the range and clarity and natural sound.

Exactly- I love my TV movie sound--but it should do double duty as at least a "good" music system. In away it proves it can when music is part of a movie soundtrack and no it doesn't have to be Atmos--but play some music from any music service, other sources and it's just not doing it. I can unbundle 5's from my system and readd for music. I might also just by a stand alone unit from England--good stuff on the horizon .

That's really been a weak spot since ARC---most folks just want TV sound which in my opinion is really good with Sonos. That said it's in your living room for many of us and I've always wanted the ARC or now ARC Ultra, in a full set up to be really good with music. I've always been at the level of it's "satisfactory" with music (arc, sub mini rears)-hoping maybe the ARC ultra will tip the scales---have to wait with my own ears and just try one--return one. I hate having to go back to having two systems. Frankly my setup with separates amp, preamp, speakers everywhere, cables--was great at music first and then The TV audio. I'd like the Sonos to blow me away for music on a soundbar.

I have ARC, submini rears and this has been my reality---it's not impressive with music. Sure it plays music, sounds ok but it's not really great. The TV audio stuff is great.

It sounds like you found a system that can do double duty. At the time I entered Sonos there weren't too many options and I still felt sonos had the best sound signature but lately --especially out of England there are a few (for music) contenders---Naim and Cambridge Audi. I'm stuck with my ARC and really just have to fix my rears----probably will buy expensive Fives for rears and call it a night ---.

I have an ARC---no app issues this week LOL but to date, ARC with Ikea Symfonisk rears and a sub mini--i've not found anything to match the TV sound--that said--it really sucks on music. I'm looking at Nakamichi or other systems. When I invested in Sonos -3 years back---I really thought they were future proof. I really didn't look under the hood (at just having a bass and treble control) for adjusting sound--no equalizer. After--I realized they are disreputable--the release of the 300s with one speaker completely disabled in a soundbar configuration--and them advertising it as 6 working speakers (it's 5) is the epitome of disreuptable. What's worse is consumers disregard it to say they own Sonos. When I'm out and about I'll take a listen to newer systems such as the Harmon Kardon. My take is that a soundbar system (as it's a living room for most) should produce excellent music as well as excellent TV sound.

Honestly, your best bet is going to be the Sonos Ray. Never heard anything as clear, crisp, and appropriately responsive for that size, which is surprising because I've tried both high and mid tier offerings from Bose, JBL, Vizio, Samsung, bookshelf speakers (Edifier, Sony, etc.). The Sonos Ray is often on discount on Amazon for $169 and uses an optical connection so you don't have to worry about delay. In all regards of what makes up a sound bar, the Ray has impressed me the most even after trying the Q990C, and Sonos Arc. The only reason I returned mines is because rumors of the Sonos Arc Ultra started to come out so I'm going to wait to try it first as its more than just stereo and if its just straight up overkill for a pc, I'll go back to the Ray (while it is stereo only, it is crazy good and sometimes while watching a movie had me turning around to check if my roommates were calling me just to realize it was the Ray. TLDR: Sonos Ray, $169 frequent sales on Amazon, Optical, Best stereo out of a soundbar that is also super small.

My gut says it does not score as high as the Samsung, but closer than the original Arc. Maybe +0.4-0.6 points per category. Personally I think Rtings does a fair job rating things, though in some cases, like with OLED tvs, the top 3 in a class are nearly indistinguishable to the average consumer. Really would need side by side comparisons to notice any real difference. But I’d like to be proven wrong and see the Ultra beat Samsung. But I won’t put money on it.

So I checked out the early review. It’s not formatted the same as their final review so kinda apples to oranges. Rough scoring: - 8s on stereo frequency and center channel - 6 on 5.1 content - 5 on Atmos height and sound enhancement options - 6 surrounds (surround left and right firing speakers) Edit, but what’s unclear is by what gauge are these ratings based on. If compared to full dedicated sound system potential, then I can agree on those ratings. They did say the ratings could change in final review. This was also the bar alone. Edit 2: comparing the test to the original Arc, mixed results, but overall a 1.9pt (0.27pt average) improvement not including wireless category. So my original post was nearly dead on. - -0.3 on Atmos height, perhaps due to smaller drivers - +0.7 on surround - +0.7 on center - +0.3 stereo dynamics - no change on sound stage - +0.4 stereo frequency response - +0.5 stereo frequency response calibrated - -0.4 audio latency - +6 on wireless (adding Bluetooth)

I got the arc…. Then went back and got the sub. What a difference

Sounds great on my Sonos arc

Yes I have Sonos Arc with 2xplay 1 rears and no sub. It's great

Yes, this is the best for dialogue clarity especially

Maybe without surrounds..

If you don't care 'much' about Atmos sound then the Fives are the solution. I will say get the arc though because in the future you can run the arc as a soundbar and add other speakers. You will not be able to use the era 100s/300s or Fives for TV sound. Just my thoughts.

I had a really cheap sound system before I got a Beam Gen 1 and I didn’t really get blown away either. I did start enjoying it a lot more once I added surround speakers and other Sonos speakers for each room for multi room audio. I eventually upgraded to the Arc and that was a decent jump in quality.

I have an Sonos Arc and love it, but if I you have no interest in their other multi-room speakers or getting their Era300s as rears I would look elsewhere as there’s better value for money in the purely soundbar space.

My Sonos arc, sub and satellite speakers absolutely matched my 5.1 I had in the room prior. Don’t agree with title at all.

15% disscount and got a decent ammount for my Arc so uppgrading. Just orderd 😁

Never heard ones, using x2 era 300 as rears and its the best sonos product i used by far. Got arc, beam gen 3 also. The diffrence between Atmos content and when i look at a 5.1 dolby movie is huuge. To bad only a certain ammount of movies got atmos and only some playstation 5 games

I got a beam gen 2 first, was always a bit dissapointed on the sound quality on the arc. Beam gen 2 has alot crispier and better sound even if not as may effects . Hope to get that good sound but in a bigger bar with more surround effects

Got A Sonos Beam gen2, Arc that i sold and now Arc ultra arriving tomorrow, sub gen 3, x2 era 300. After i bought a good router instead of the basic free crap you get from internet supplier i had 0 problems for 2 years. My speakers never lost connection or had any other problems everything worked 100% perfect, i dont use any voice functions though so cant understand what people complaining about it are doing wrong. Im extremly happy with Sonos and only- was that Arc had less crispy clear vocal/dialoge sound then beam gen 2 but seems they fixed it on arc ultra. The app have some- and some + but depends on how and what you will use it for. If you mainly look movies and play playstation 5 like i do 0 problems. Can get small delay sometimes if you play music app and change song

This^^ It was an update that nuked my entire system. Ain’t been the same.

No, and that’s really what you’re paying for with Sonos. Which would be great… if that experience worked well. But when the “Sonos experience” has been broken for most of the year, it’s pretty hard to put that in the list of pros. For existing customers who are stuck in the ecosystem, sure, this is going to be the best option. For anyone not currently a Sonos customer, absolutely no reason to go with an Arc over the competition.

with your budget go full HT, not soundbar. however if you don't have room for all that then look at Sonos Arc (plus sub and surrounds). Its expensive but sounds really good in small spaces

haven't heard that one specifically outside of a showroom. I do have experience with the Arc setup though and how it sounds in a room the size OP mentioned

not sure you have actually listened to an ARC setup then. or if you did the one you listened too had issues

generally with sonos the Arc soundbar plus Sub is what you would want BUT for the cost you would be better off just building a true HT. These and the sony bravia soundbars are not cheap at all. Also the bigger the room, the worst they are going to sound.

I use the Sonos arc, I love it 

I recommend the Sonos arc plus sub It’s a delight and has the ability to get additional surrounding speakers

The plus with the Sonos is you can add over the years and switch speakers out, like I can’t afford a sub now but later I’d like to add one, maybe they make another arc ultra plus or something I can change out my og arc and keep my era 300 etc not saying I would cause it sounds good as is

Arc is great just turn on speech enhancement and night mode

I agree with this I’ve Been having network issues, and just had my arc and sub mini hooked up and it’s incredible at time i thought my era 300’s were connected. Arc plus sub mini 60% volume sound incredible.

It has been my experience that the Sonos soundbars, especially the arc and the arc ultra are really made to run best with a subwoofer and rear surrounds. I have an arc, sub mini and two older play3s as my surrounds. This system replaced a nice 7.2 system that included amps, $600 lcr speakers, a large subwoofer, and four medium-expensive ceiling speakers. My Sonos system is better than the old system. I would try the arc ultra or the arc, adding surrounds and a subwoofer before you give up. It’s really nice to have your whole house included in the same system.

this is exactly what i was wondering myself. I originally had Sonos Arc and then swapped it out for Samsung Q990B. Stuck with this ever since...now wondering whether i upgrade to Q990D or go down the Ultra Arc route. On paper, Samsung can cope with far more sound formats than Sonos can, plus additional hdmi port(s)? Also, being I have Samsung tv, it has additional centre speaker capability which Ultra won't have. Still in two minds, but am hoping more reviews and possibly comparisons will come out over next few days. thnx

If money isn't an issue just go for the latest and greatest so you don't have fomo in the next few years. I had Arc and now I own Ultra and it is better. Crisp center channel that ended my issues with inaudible dialogue on 5.1 movies and better phantom objects placement in the atmos bubble. That being said, you still need to invest in rears and sub for the optimal, real surround experience. The Arc Ultra alone can't cheat the physics of real speakers in the back. Bluetooth on the Ultra is also an essential feature that I was missing with the original Arc. Is it worth double the money? I don't think so but if you know you'll have fomo sooner or later than just go for the Ultra. it is currently the best soundbar that Sonos can offer.

The bass is much better on ultra compared to standard arc but I would still strongly recommend to pass the bass duties to sub or sub mini so the center channel can shine with handling only mid and high frequencies. Adding a sub is a vast improvement to any action movie scenes and makes the music sound fuller. Ideal upgrade would be arc ultra and sub obviously. but you can look for Arc on the marketplace which you can find at a great price now, add sub mini and you'll have a really good full surround setup as well. Other option is buying just the Ultra and you can determine yourself if the bass is sufficient enough for you. You can always add a sub mini down the line.

I have the Bose system and it’s great. I had tried Sonoa Arc but wasn’t impressed. Ability to raisw center channel volume on Bose is a must have feature. Also- ignore the AVR people.

Arc owner here; simple, aesthetic, user friendly. I’m sure other soundbars are great, but I’m very happy with my Arc + Sub + two side speakers.

Yep, I've got this exact setup with my 65" LG C2, it's great for movies and gaming. I used to have a 7.2 surround system, but didn't want to clutter up our new home with lots of speakers, so switched to the Sonos setup. I don't miss the 7.2 system at all, soundbar does a good job at sounding wide, despite less physical space between the left/right/centre speakers. Not having to run cables between the soundbar, sub and surrounds is also great.

The lack of DTS support has been uber-annoying on the original Arc. I'm not shocked that they didn't add it here, but at this price IMO it should really be included.

That's a really good point. The sticking point here is almost certainly a licensing fee. On Xbox and many other situations we have to pay such a fee. I too would at least consider paying a reasonably priced fee to enable DTS on the Arc. Why haven't they done this?

go to your local audio show room and test out some sonos audio sound bars, there bluetooth subs are great, and so are just the soundbars for the price. worth every single penny to sound like your in a movie theater watching dolby surround. it’s honestly amazing how deep the bass was coming from just the sound bar. i had the lovely option to listen to one on a vacation, i belive it was the arc.

Atmos soundbars without a sub should still create good height experience (Bose smart ultra, Sonos arc, etc)

I have 6 E100, an arc, and a sub mini. By far the room I prefer to listen in is where I have the arc, sub mini and 2 E100s linked. You wont be sorry.

Sonos Arc. Really.

Yep. Not a whisper of either. And the photo leaks seem to have that same single HDMI port. I can’t warrant the spend to upgrade the Playbar without them. I skipped the Arc for exactly the same reasons. Infuriating really.

Pre-ordered after much consideration. Currently have the Arc, Sub-Mini and 2x One SL as rears. Considered the Era 300's but would be overkill in my standard size living room and not really worth the extra cost for rears. I'm sure they'd sound 'better', but not £800 better, not for essentially a bit more height.

You are spot on with my personal experience as well. I owned an Arc, 2x era 300 and 2x sub gen 3's. The Samsung just outperforms it flat out. It objectively measured higher in pretty much every category on rtings comparison and it lines up with personal testing. The Q990D subwoofer is audible down to 26hz easily and the Sonos Sub gen 3 does not play any lower than 30hz even with the dual subs. It sounds crystal clear and 100% I bet people would pick the Samsung over the Sonos if they did a blind test and 1/4 volume for random movies or music. It's my opinion and I know people that prefer the sound of Sonos but overall Samsung is the better choice. Sonos is good but not worth the premium tag. I had the same experience with devialet speakers and they are more expensive than Sonos.

I'd prolly take the Sonos Arc if you are not looking for subs and satellites. Got the Q935C and it is great. Replaced 2 small active Genelecs and a Klipsch active sub with the system. Now I can enjoy music in my office and enjoy a good surround in my living room.

The arc ultra alone in a bedroom sounds really good surprisingly, I have tried the regular arc alone also, but the arc ultra is superior in a single speaker format.

I never tested the beam, just the Arcs as I upgraded to the ultra and moved my original arc to the bedroom. I did some testing of sound with just the arcs connected with no sub or surrounds and truly was amazed how well the Arc ultra sounded without sub and surrounds in a bedroom. The arc ultra puts out bass where the arc can not even come close.

Honestly, what’s wrong with a good soundbar and possibly a subwoofer. I have a sonos arc in the common area. Single remote. Seamless. Good enough to enjoy a movie. FAR from home theatre grade but makes for enjoyable tv watching.

Your 2 option are either do a Sonos soundbar and a Sonos amp for the rear speakers, or go with an avr and pick out 3 front speakers. It depends on budget ultimately. The avr will give you better sound, but if you have your heart set on a soundbar, then the Sonos arc can use wired rear speakers if it is used with a Sonos amp

It will be a notable improvement over the arc as a stand alone sound system, aside from that any other sonos system with sub and rears will remain a much better option than ultra alone. Also I predict ultra plus sub and rears will be a really minor upgrade from the same setup with regular arc, similar as the latter showing very little to no improvement except for a bit better soundstage over the equivalent system with a beam 2 instead.

With sub and surrounds the only noticeable difference between the regular arc and beam is just a slightly better soundstage and nothing else, wouldn't be surprised that the ultra isn't a worthy update...

Well.. when I first purchased my Arc, sub and era 100 speakers just about two years ago, I enjoyed the Dialog and the loudness I was able to achieve. Somewhere along the way, within the multiple updates, volume level seemed to have decreased to about 70% and Dialog is terrible. If during the initial couple weeks of setting this system up, with how it sounds today, I would have returned it. The product I initially purchased does not sound remotely close now as it did originally. Will never buy anything again that allows for updates to alter user experience or sound.

For just being a soundbar to my ears the Sonos arc sounds best, maybe a Sony bravia 8/9 soundbar. But from your choices I presume those are out of budget. Around $500 or cheaper with no subwoofer I'd recommend the Samsung s60d/s61d. I find it has better bass and a richer sound than either Sonos or Bose option. Also the beam gen 2 is only Dolby digital, not Dolby Atmos.

I gotcha, probably still have a good time with a 930. Or even q700c and some 9200s speakers. But if good Dolby Atmos quality is what you're looking for, then those cheaper models will only be adequate at best. Better than not being there, but not impressive if you've heard a theatre, and comparatively the Samsung q990c sounds good, even the Sonos arc too.

The dual sub part is where I'm probably not going to get an Arc Ultra right away unfortunately as much as I want one. I currently have dual subs with the Arc, but one is a Gen 1 the other is a Gen 3. I LOVE how it sounds with the dual subs I don't think I could go back to just one sub. And dropping $$ on the Ultra PLUS another Sub just isn't doable unfortunately.

As a first soundbar you will definitely enjoy the Arc. It is leagues ahead of set speakers and that it truly your point of comparison. I am curious if you are now using or intend to join the Sonos ecosystem?

Great post. I can relate to the journey in that I followed a similar path from the original Playbar to Sonos Amp to the original ARC — with a several years frustrating flirtation with HomePods — to my current setup up with the Beam Gen2 + Mini Sub. I was never impressed with the ARC and it just didn't cut it for music. The Beam was/is amazing as a music and TV staple. Our great room isn't conducive to surrounds though I've got a new Era 100 in my office and love it. Our TV is built into the wall and at eye level which is where TVs ought to be (no over-the-mantle-mounting for us). The Beam is under it and fairly low — not ideal but I used the bracket to extend it out into the room slightly. Still, I wanted better music since we listen to a lot of music. So, I sprung for a new Five (I owned a pair of the original Fives which I sold earlier in the journey.). My setup is now perfect. The single Five is more than adequate for music and you've made the case for the Beam Gen2. First time I've felt like I don't need to tweak any more — at least for awhile.

My biggest gripe is I had Google Assistant connected on my speakers (Arc + 2 Ones in Lounge, a 5 in kitchen and a Roam and a One elsewhere), and that's broken and I can't add it back on cos the new app is useless. Outside of that, my performance has been as expected so nothing bad there, but it doesn't fill me with confidence and make me ready to drop 4 figures on adding to the system any time soon

TBH I don't like most budget soundbars in that price range. They are barely better than TV speakers and one day you'll want to upgrade them AGAIN at which point you're just out more money and created more e-waste. For an 85" TV I don't think these budget bars have the right punch to suit a TV of that size. I would recommend choosing from one of, in no particular order: * Sonos Arc (preferably plus Sub Mini) * Bose Soundbar 700/900/Ultra (okay standalone without subwoofer) * Samsung Q990D (you can find some online retailers that discount this deeply) Or if you really want to go on a budget, maybe the Q930 or the Bose 600. A good sound system is a long term purchase. Like I have a Sonos Playbar from 2013 and quite frankly even a brand new top-of-the-line system doesn't sound a ton better than that.

Personally I think the Q990D's price to performance is really hard to beat. You can buy almost 3 Q990D's for the price of the equivalent Sonos setup, so I think "long term" investment is a bit of a fool's errand. On the Sonos front, I actually replaced an Arc (not Ultra) + 2xSub + 2xEra300 system with the Q990D and actually slightly prefer the Q990D for the content I watch -- but they were really close and competitive overall. I can definitively tell you as a Sonos person since 2014, that if you don't get the Era 300 rears, the Atmos immersion will be nowhere close to a Q990D. It's also worth noting, one big difference is that Sonos takes a very purist approach to channel mapping. Stereo is almost strictly stereo and 5.1 maps to specific channels on the Arc as well as the surrounds, never more. This is similar to what Samsung calls Standard mode, but Samsung also has 3 surround modes that offer more of an effort to use AI/DSP to expand content onto all of the channels. In practice I find with Sonos you really have to go out of your way to find Atmos or 7.1 content (even sometimes doing your own transcoding because Sonos can't deal with modern DTS formats) otherwise immersiveness really suffers, while the Samsung does so great with all sorts of input formats that you can stop obsessing over what audio format a source is in.

I actually feel the Q990D is wider and more spacious sounding than the Arc. But the Arc has more of a traditional stereo image when playing music.

Yeah I don’t want to speak for the dime a dozen no name speaker bars, but I’ve had several systems like the PlayBar, Arc, and now the Samsung Q990D. Our vacation home has one room pre wired for HT so we’ve compared a 5.1 receiver setup in that room before. Honestly those high end sound bars are quite competitive. They sound better than the HT-in-a-box Denon speakers the house came with. Even with I replaced those with better Klipsch bookshelves, I would say the Arc immersive set and the Q990D still outperform for movies and TV though not for music. Plus you can’t really beat the ease of setup. If you have space for 4 power cables around the room right next to each speaker, you can have a 7.1.2 setup. Some of the latest sound bars can wirelessly transmit eArc equivalent audio without an HDMI cable to the bar even. I’ve been to many houses with a budget soundbar and yeah those sound awful, but you often hear people claiming any AV receiver setup beats even good sound bars and that’s simply not been my experience.

I’ve just upgraded my Arc to the Ultra. If you’re watching films, it’s leagues ahead of the Arc I hate to say. Film dialogue and its centre channel are a decent leap on from the Arc. Having said that, if you run the arc with speech enhancing turned on. It’s get some way to helping it sound as good as the Ultra. I’ve seen reviews saying the Atmos is WAY better. It’s not, it’s average at best and will only ever be that without physical speakers in the roof. If you don’t own any Sonos products already. My advice is to look elsewhere, at least to a company who don’t treat their customers like morons. The software bugs, crossover issues with Sub, app issues etc etc etc have plagued them for a good few years now and they just don’t seem to be learning. Sonos have decent hardware and a half baked software and contempt for their customers. If I wasn’t already balls deep in expensive subs and rears I would definitely not be recommending the products to friends or family.

We bought the ARC two weeks ago and no issues at all.

I have the Ray, Beam, and Arc. While there is a noticeable difference between the Ray and the others, the Ray is in a smaller room and it works just fine (and is much better than the built in tv speakers).

My take is don’t sweat the latency, just make sure you’ve calibrated correctly. If you use the auto calibration feature on the RB2/3 wireless Strat, it’s a breeze and very reliable. I use a Sonos Arc soundbar which creates a bit of latency, but you’d never know it after calibrating.

If you’ve never had a bar before.. get the arc , use it for 2 years, grab the ultra on a sale or on its way out with a price drop :) No point fomoing.. you’ll never land on one thing if you keep fomoing. Arc is now at a good price drop.. better still get a used arc and used sub 3 and enjoy. My philosophy is to never pay retail for any product. I always wait for the iPhone to launch to get one or two gen older iPhone fresh from the store with a 30-40% price drop. Still enjoy better tech than I did before.. still keep my warranty and consumer law rights, and then the next best thing is not the best any longer.. I grab it :) Had a beam 2 for 2 years. Sold it off for the same price I bought it 3 weeks ago.. got a discounted arc new from the store. :) happy camper. Wider sound stage etc.. waiting for the ultra to now go on sale , and enjoy my new arc until that happens :)

You could entertain any bar under 500 with the same results. All generally mediocre. Spend 500 and be happy with a Sonos Beam add surrounds later and overall be happy every time you watch a movie or listen to music. If you want to spoil yourself go Sonos arc it's $900. I install professionally and anything other than the Sonos bars are a waste of money in my opinion.

I got one. Get the sub

https://preview.redd.it/0k9uw8csboxd1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a6ec7500b901e72532cecfd010443c223043100d Mine arrived about 30 min ago, replacing an existing arc. I bought the new wall mount and I can confirm it is smaller than the old arc wall mount, it was a painless swap just disconnected existing arc and mount put new mount on the wall and connected the new Arc Ultra using the existing cables. No issues with app adding the device either. My set up is 2xera 300 as rears with Arc now Arc Ultra and a gen3 Sub to the right of the Arc on the floor, my first thing I played on it was Avengers End Game(On your left scene) for those that care and wow the difference was immediate. I have had the old set up for a long time and i always liked it but i found voices/dialoged on the Arc to always leave me wanting, the first thing that was evident on the Ultra is huge improvement on the voices. I put normal terrestrial Tv on via my supplier SKY tv and normally i have to have volume at around 15 with voice boost on for it to be clear, with the ultra its at 10 and no voice boost and crystal clear. Will give updated review tonight as I have the UHD Twister sitting to be watched and starting the Dark Night Trilogy. All in all first impressions are great. \--update- First movie down which was the new UHD Twister, omg I'm blown away I did not expect there to be the difference there is. 100% worth the upgrade

Yes, agreed. Sonos Arc was great on release, but the Ultra takes it to another level.

Honestly the two have pretty different sound signatures. The Arc has a bit more low end heft and for music can sound a bit more natural though for regular shows and movies it can have a bit of a processed feel to the sound. The Bar 9 is a little bit leaner but has a cleaner treble imo, has more features (though somewhat neutered compared to the A7000) and has the opposite effect where music can sound artificial (mostly with the 360 sound mapping on, you can turn it off for music but it loses a lot of dynamism that way) but movies and tv shows sound pretty great and you don’t hear any noticeable processing. For low volume listening, a lot of smaller, detail oriented sounds are more immediately apparent on the Arc than the Bar 9 but I can’t rule out some sort of compensation that the Arc may be doing in its processing to bring it more forward in the mix. You do have a myriad of choices on the Sony to do the same thing at the risk of bringing in a processed sound but at least it leaves the choice up to you.

I have tested both systems. And I agree with your verdict on both systems. Bose needs to fix their sub popping issues. Some people say that issue is because of the wifi router interfering the signal between bar and sub. So hard wiring the sub to bar should solve the popping issue. For sonos I am only disappointed by its dialogue performance. But overall it is not so bad. So I ended up returning the bose and kept the sonos for my bedroom where I won’t be pushing the volume so high. With that said, Best overall system is Samsung Q990C. I have it in my living room. It provides the best cinematic experience. I know pretty much everyone has said this about 990C on this sub but they are not wrong. It’s definitely the best in my honest opinion. I hope you find the system whichever suits your needs. :)

You might feel that way when playing 2 channel songs. But that can be solved by putting the sub at higher volume. But with movies and spatial songs I can guarantee you’ll not have any complaints about bass. I’m saying this after owning Sonos sub gen 3 with arc. Still if you are a bass head then I would recommend JBL 1300x that comes with 12” sub. One of the best sub for soundbar system.

I have an apartment. I had Sonos Arc and Samsung HW-990C. Both excellent but very powerful. I got rid of the Sonos Arc because that ecoystem was getting too expensive for my taste and I have lot of DTSX and DTS HD MA content. Only regular DTS is supported. This system mostly caters to Dolby. Also wires on the rear speakers. Got rid of the HW-990C because of wires on the rear speakers. I have the JBL 1300x. I got an amazing deal on ebay for $599. Its very powerful and the I love the detachable rear speakers which last about 10 hours or so. But I only use them for movies or video games. I dont need surround sound for all TV shows.

In a smaller room maybe they can be comparable, but in room which needs any type of correction the Arc or similar Bose are much better for overall sound quality, music listening, AND bass. The room correction of the higher tier brands is what really makes them different. The Sammy either works for you, or it doesn’t. Didnt work well at all in my LR, but was OK in my office which is a smaller symmetrical room. Samsung also has many surround modes but most sound over processed and none of them work great on all content in my opinion. Always fooling with it to get a good sound. Sonos/Bose have automatic upmixing which works VERY well on all content and music. Auto tune and forget it, just like a good AVR. I’d also say the 990 Is ugly…but thats subjective.

I own a Sonos arc, sub gen 3 and era 100 rears in one room and a Samsung q990d with Samsung tv for Qsymphony in another room. The Samsung sounds fuller and better and I paid $900 for the entire system. Sonos is good but not for more than 2x the cost of Samsung. Unless you really want the multi room audio features of Sonos, I think the Samsung q990d is the best value on the market right now.

Second this. I own Sonos beam 2, Sonos arc, all paired with sub gen 3 and now the q990d and for movies Samsung wins hands down. For music the q990d is also better than the Sonos arc. The arc is decent for music. The beam gen 2 is terrible for music and only ok for movies and tv.

I’d buy Sonos over Nakamichi any day. Plus the updates are going to be amazing in the arc ultra. My arc plus sub already sound amazing.

Out of these 4 the A7000 is the best option but also the most expensive, the HK multibeam 1100 for 600 is a great price, id take it over the Sonos Arc everyday

Currently own the A7000 and i absolutely love it, got mine for around 900 €. Previous to the A7000 i had the HK 1100 and it really is a very capable soundbar! Gets very loud, good bass on its own and good surround effects, only got rid of it because i had issues with the sub disconnecting. My brother has the Arc and to me the HK 1100 just sounds more natural, has greater bass on its own and vocals werent as sharp as on the Sonos Arc. I would say the Arc has slightly better Atmos performance tho

This. I can barely listen to my brothers Sonos Arc because i feel the treble is way too pronounced and drowns the other frequencies. IMO my Sony A7000 delivers a much warmer and satisfying sound

I strongly recommend you considering the Harman Kardon multibeam 1100, awesome soundbar for the price! I preferred it over the Sonos Arc and the smaller citation sub s is also really good for the price

Well what's interesting is a lot of comments are addressing exactly what my issues are with the Arc/30ps/gen 3 sub setup. The era 300s tend to overpower the Arc. Arc dialogue has some issues. Sound stage could be wider (this was made really evident by the 300s) so for me it's very encouraging a lot of comments talk about these things.

It could just be the era 300's tended to overpower the Arc. I just find in order to get dialogue where I like it I have to turn off the "loudness" setting and as a result I kind of miss out some of the dynamic sound. I still enjoyed it and I liked the bubble and sound panning a lot with the current setup, but the Arc was definitely the weakpoint of the system.

Sonos arc or flexus core 200. I was in the same boat wanting just a sound bar and went with the beam gen 2. Returned it after a week, vocals are great and direct, but lacks depth, satisfaction. Made me appreciate bass more after that. Sonos arc @$600 is better then the core 200 @$400-$500. If you want to add a sub down the road, Sonos subs are expensive. The core will allow you to add 3rd party subs.

Arc with sub and 2 era 300’s. It’s incredible to say the least

I got my arc with the era 100’s now as L/R but I find the arc very muffled and dry. Do you have the same feeling with the Ultra? Or is that more punchy and still good

Sonos arc bar none, I have two of them and I love them so much!

I have alot of questions (bass performance, is it better with music than the Arc, etc), but above all else I'd like to see how good the virtual surrounds are. I'd rate the current Arc "virtual" rear surrounds poor at best, making the 5.0.2 designation rather pointless.

That’s why I want to see the hype around the Arc Ultra as a 9 channel bar… I do NOT have faith the surround speakers will sound much (any) better than the virtual speakers on the regular Arc.

Definitely haven't seen any other soundbars that use a crossover of 150hz or higher. The majority are set between 60-100hz. Sonos arc on its own plays down to 55hz, the ultra goes down to 45hz. Ambeo plus will do 55hz, Ambeo max 30hz. Bravia 8/9 55hz, Bravia quads 50hz. Bose bars will do 50hz, Hisense bars 50hz etc. The lowest one of the lot is the Devialet Dione which does 24hz and one of the bars you could potentially get away without a subwoofer, although a separate one will always be miles better. Ideally you wouldn't want to go above 120hz on a subwoofer as it starts to become too localised when you go above it. Obviously running dual subs or more will help correct this which 150hz then wouldn't be a problem. Anything much higher though are you are going to end up getting sounds coming out of the subs which ideally should be coming out of the soundbar/speakers instead. Placement is also key and can make all the difference, so get on those knees and do the sub crawl if you don't have any room correction software / software built directly into the subs themselves 😅

I have a beam, a playbar, and an arc. The beam is plenty for a bedroom and would be my choice if I didn’t already have some older playbars for the bedrooms.

Sonos. No wait seriously hear me out. Control, yep. Use as an audio announcement end point including ducking audio and so forth, yup. That alone is slick as hell. You can modify any Sonos speaker setting with HaSS. Volume controls and limits, late night low frequency cutoff, disable leds and much more. Very happy with my arc, sub v3 and era100’s as surround sound rears. One added bonus. Whatever the tv sends via hdmi eArc I can duplicate to any other groups of Sonos speakers. Pipe the hockey game audio into more rooms of the house etc. Been bumpy for half a year but things are working slick again for me. Take a look at the Sonos plugin and what you can do local API. Mine also are doorbell chime devices, home security system alarm horns, announce important household messages and much more.

Arc ultra is disappointing.same tinny voice as original arc...yes.voice may be crisp clear now .what is the use ..Sonos not able to fix fundamental tinny voice issue even after adding extra drivers...no common sense in shrinking internal volume size ...may be additional drivers would have really performed if they would have retained original Arc's bigger internal volume..Sonos again messed it.... u blame tv manufacturers again Sonos?

No..it won't sound good..don't just blame true play..even without trueplay same tinny voice.again worst product from Sonos despite it is better than original arc

Sonos can not do any correction if there is defect ...it is evident they could not able correct tinny voice and metallic sound with Arc for 5 years with original Arc Ultra also has same problem which also won't be corrected for next 5 yrs then they introduce new product arc gen 2 in 5 years. For 1600$..Whoever designed playbar,othe play series and Sonos ones have been either retired or not alive or laidoff....horrible tinny voice again with Ultra

Arc is designed to also be used without a woofer so its speakers are tuned accordingly. Hell, even a beam gen 2 sounds great lol because samsung is counting on always having the included subwoofer to sound along the other speakers. But the current situation with sonos app is not a good look for the company as of now. The beam and era 100s i had on my room was able to play movies fine but if you ever tried to play music with their (previously) amazing app with included stream services like Apple Music to play Lossless isnt currently working right, era 100s get disconnection errors all the time... So yeah, pricewise 990 series aint getting beaten anytime soon. Sure, Sonos ultra inmersive setup will sound better, for the money it fucking should.

I just picked up the Arc on sale for about $650, but you really have me tempted to return and and get the Ultra. Only problem is I have Play:1s for surrounds and don’t really want to have to upgrade those as well.

No complaints with my Sonos Arc

Well this sucks.  Currently running an arc with era 300 rears and gen2/3 dual sub combo.  Just pre ordered the ultra and it appears I’ll lose the gen 2 sub?!?

I tested both back to back (Q990 vs Arc Ultra+Sub Gen 2 + Era 300s). In a nutshell: Sound quality of Sonos is a tad better overall. Samsung has better dialogue sound quality and gets louder at similar volume outputs. Sonos Sound feels more refined, clearer and a bit more immersive thanks to the spectacular Era 300s. Also, Sonos is a much better system for music playback, where Samsung just sounds off. If you don't care about music, but care about the best bang for the back, go with the Samsung! It's value is unbeatable. Also: Sonos as a company is in deep trouble due to the app disaster last year.

From my own experience (tested both systems), this is absolutely not true and my experience is backed by Reviewers such as Andrew Robinson, Neverenoughtech or techradar, who all favor the Sonos for Sound Quality. I would not go as far as Robinson, who stated that the Sonos System monsters the Q990D, but it has the better sound quality overall, not just for music. As for rtings: When you look at the metrics, you can see, that the Q990D performs better at max. volume (compression, SHD, THD). Who uses those Soundbars at max volume though? I noted this several times, but I don't think that the test methodology of rtings matches real world conditions. Even a Samsung 800D destroys Soundbars such as Sennheiser Ambeo Max, Sony Theatre Quad, Nakamachi Dragon or the Sonos System for Sound Quality according to them, which really is pure nonsense.. Here comes the plotwist though: I would still go with the Q990, as OP asked to factor price into the decision. If you do so, Samsung is the clear winner. Except if you are a music lover. Then again: Why bother buying a soundbar for this usecase.

Oh yes it is. 

I did exactly this with the Q990D and Sonos Arc Ultra. Sent back the Samsung.

For music, the Sonos ArcUltra is as good as it can get for a Soundbar. The Samsung is really bad in comparison, it's not even close. If you really want to step up, you would need at least a dedicated 2.1 System. The 990f will most likely not close the gap to Sonos. Sorry to say, but selling Sonos because you hoped for better music Playback by the Samsung was not the best move. 

Have you read my comment? Because that's exactly what I said. I'll try again: The Sonos Arc Ultra with Sub and rears is superior in terms of Sound Quality (not by much, but it is, see sources in my comment). The Samsung has better value. This makes Samsung better overall. "Absolutely not true" was referring to your comment, that the Samsung would destroy the Sonos System for movies. There is no evidence for that, including my personal experience testing both systems.

I went with Sonos. Atmos shortens the gap between the 2, but Sonos still wins. Let's see  how the Q990f will perform.

I don't want to be rude here but we are talking about soundbars. No life is endangered so you don't have to be insulted when in my opinion Sonos has better sound quality than Samsung. DTS:X is not relevant for me, as I don't use physical media. I respect your opinion though, which surely is grounded on your own personal experience? Regarding those Youtubers NeverEnoughTech: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph-RhVJ9B9A&t=3023s&ab\_channel=NeverEnoughTech](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph-RhVJ9B9A&t=3023s&ab_channel=NeverEnoughTech) at 47:58 (He ranks Sonos above Samsung for movies, music and dialogue. Andrew Robinson: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V-2wsBO78U&t=83s&ab\_channel=AndrewRobinson](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V-2wsBO78U&t=83s&ab_channel=AndrewRobinson) at 12:15 (He even states that Sonos would monster the Q990D, which is a bit overenthusiastic in my opinion) Techradar: [https://www.techradar.com/televisions/soundbars/sonos-arc-ultra-review](https://www.techradar.com/televisions/soundbars/sonos-arc-ultra-review) (Chapter on Sound Quality; "for those with the ear, I think the Sonos system’s sound is superior."

2 Sonos Fives > 2 Era 300s> 1 Sonos Five > 2 Era 100s > Sonos Arc Ultra > 1 Era 300 > Move 2 > Beam Gen 2 > 1 Era 100 > Sonos Arc >       (2x) Ikea Symfonisk Bookshelf speakers >                           Roam. This would be my ranking for music. 

This makes my £100 buy for an arc seem even better than I originally thought! I would definitely say it's worth it, the audio is very very good imo

I have a Sony Bravia QD-OLED XR-77A95L (and a backup XR-65A95K in its box down in my basement), using an Arc, Era 300 x 2, and Sub (Gen 3) x 2. At night, I never keep the sub volume above 0. During daytime, the highest I set it to is +2. As far as the OP’s settings, he’s got his settings WAY TOO HIGH, especially if the Arc Ultra fully utilizes all those tweeters (and one of my two subs is 8” away from my dresser that the Arc is on so it sounds like there is plenty of bass coming from the Arc; my 77” Sony and my Era 300s were seriously, professionally wall-mounted with cable concealers of which I all chose – the TV wall mount I believe is a model EGLF3 “Echogear” which has the ability to move about 6” to the left or right after it’s in the wall, which I needed as the studs were not centered with where I wanted the TV to be without having to articulate the arms with four very thick HDMI cables on them). The Era 300s can get significantly louder than the Arc, especially when they’re only about a foot behind your head and 30” to your left and right (which I have them set for, “2-10 feet distance”), because you wanted to put your setup in your bedroom. My head is directly in line with the Arc and the TV. I have it where the TV is tilted down mildly to my liking, and the bottom of the TV visibly appears to be only 1” above the Arc. This was not a cheap install; no good ones are. The guy (and his assistant) who drove over an hour to my house in southwestern Massachusetts did the job in 5 1/2 hours, and cost me $935 (cash price), which was the cheapest price I found for a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rated professional. (The highest price I found was $1150.) Anyway…. For my system, I use the following settings which I came to after listening to regular Xfinity TV, Apple 4K (3rd Gen) Dolby Vision/Atmos content, Sony UHD 4K Blu-Ray Atmos content on movies and music discs – and neither Apple streaming nor a lossless Blu-Ray that I’ve ever used or heard of has more than 7.1.2 or 7.1.4 channels – and with the regular Arc + Sub x 2 (note: I highly recommend two subs as it puts less strain on each one and the frequency will extend down to its 25Hz bottom, if the content has it) + Era 300 x 2 (which have 6 drivers each though doesn’t use the front tweeter when set up as a surround) so you end up with a 7.1.4 system. It should be known, for the purpose at hand, that I have trained my brain’s “tone map” (as you can’t technically train your ears no more than you could train a microphone) over the past two decades because prior to that I preferred a very “U” shaped curve, but now prefer a very neutral, well defined, properly imaged and balanced “audiophile” or “Hi-Fi” settings, and do have a seriously accurate $140K headphone system (of which I built my $80K amp and modded other gear), $40K+ worth of headphones, roughly $7K in portable gear, and I built my own cables and power cords with my own custom designed wire and geometry; my cables take a very long time to build so I haven’t done any for a few years now, but when I did (under my company name “Bellatone” though most started calling it Bellatone Audio), I only sold through word of mouth to people who mostly had speaker systems in the $500K+ range who could easily afford my relatively not expensive cables and power cords, when 1/3 the cost was parts and they could take anywhere from 8 to 600 hours to build). Regarding having two Sub (Gen 3) or Sub 4, I recommend one be placed on or within a few inches of your right wall about 4-5 feet from the back wall, and one on or within a few inches of your left wall about 4-5 feet from the front wall. That way the bass waves being ported will fill the room fully. (Due to obstacles in the way of doing that with my front sub, it’s about 8” to the left of my dresser so that the bass is ported in both directions but gives non-vibrational resonance to my 400lb. dresser which makes the Arc sound like it has tons of bass coming from it.) Finally, getting to where the OP has his settings at, this is where my frequency neutrality comes in, but still has plenty of presence. If you want to hear one of the best mastered Dolby Atmos recordings which will fill up your entire room with sound to the point where it sounds like there are 50 speakers all around you (and it can help to have high ceilings that are angled up from the back, flat at the top, and down in the front, which actually aims the height channels closer to you), listen to the Dolby Atmos version of Steven Wilson’s “The Harmony Codex.” You can stream it on Apple Music but if you want the full weight of lossless, get the Blu-Ray. These are the settings I use with my Arc, Sub (Gen 3) x 2, and Era 300 x 2 (with the Era 300 wall mounts at about 4’ in height which puts their bottom edge about 6-8” above the top edge of the Arc). I did a lot of calculations before having these mounted where they are, and it almost didn’t work had my right rear’s wall mount’s stud been just 1” further to the right! My optimal, daytime, movie or music settings: ⬇️ EQ: Bass +4 Treble +6 Surrounds: TV: +3 to +4 Music: 0 to -11 Distance: 2 to 10 feet Music Playback: Full • (However, when playing Atmos content, Sonos properly doesn’t change the sound whether you select Full or Ambient mode. The sound stays the same.) Sub (with two Gen 3s): Level: +2 to +3 Phase: 0° Height: Level: +4 to +7 (typically +6) Hope that helps anyone looking to improve their settings. If you have any questions based on your Sonos gear and room size, feel free to ask!! 😊 I have a fairly large bedroom with a big bathroom on the right wall, and inside is a custom built-in (by the previous owner), walk-in closet in the bathroom – right as you enter there’s a closet door opposite the sink – which is where my rear, right sub is placed against the wall in the bedroom so the closet acts as a giant resonance chamber for the port facing the wall and the port facing the room can be heard easily and accurately from my listening position. P.S.: Did you know that there are TWO versions of Dolby Atmos? The worst of the two is the one we are using, made for soundbar systems. This is because there are so many companies which claim different virtual configurations and don’t offer uniformity or the same speaker quantity, quality or amplification quality. • The SECOND Dolby Atmos is implemented inside AVRs, and can offer up to 13 discrete, lossless, high resolution (24/192) channels total. (Only one soundbar system, the Nakamichi Dragon, was given the AVR version because they begged the C.E.O. EIGHT TIMES before he finally listened, saw the onscreen adjustments, and gave them the seal of approval, but it cost them more to get those Atmos chips (ICs). kind regards, pj

In the same way as you are buying an OLED when you could be being a 1/3rd price LED, you can get hollow and basic sound or you can get the “c4” of sound and get something like that Samsung package. I have a Sonos Arc - now on sale nicely because the Arc Ultra is out - and the subwoofer. Very, very good sound.

I’ll wait for reviews. Happy with my beam 2 since I got an optical HDMI cable for it. The Arc made dialogue too difficult to hear for me. I’m the type of ADHD person that can not focus on dialogue easily and the beam has been a godsend. If this arc fixes that for me, maybe I’ll upgrade next year (still have ones as surrounds so the height channel won’t matter to me anyway, but the extra stereo separation of the arc was nice)

The beam 2 sounds clear, while the arc sounded muffled for me.

We did the Sonos arc, put it in a table beneath the tv with some candles in front of it so you don’t even notice

The beams are ‘just that good’ I have beam, arc and ultra. I was never impressed with arc. Getting the ultra, for me, just puts it back in the territory it should have held in the first place. But, if someone were really struggling for a decision between beam and ultra? I’d say just get a beam. The beams are just that good.

Absolutely, I have a lot of physical media that I stated to buy after I got my original arc and it sucks to not being able to listen to the uncompressed audio tracks. Honestly I would even pay for a license if it was possible

Ha, what? How is that the conclusion you came to from my post? I was merely agreeing with the person above that those products still sound fantastic. I also own multiple Arcs, 6 Amps connected to Sonos x Sonace speakers, a Beam, gen 3 Sub, Sub mini, and a Play 3 that all sound great and all work just fine on the S2 platform. Any tech company is invariably going to release newer and better products over time. But for a basement TV that is mostly used by the kids to play the Switch or stream some garbage, the above setup is more than OK.

I agree. I have a Denon receiver with Bose speakers and Bose Subwoofer in the living room. All I can say impressive specially with Dolby Atmos content. I had a Bose Ultra in the master bedroom, and it turned out to be a nightmare. While the sound is good when the Bose Ultra works, getting it to function after turning off the TV was a challenge. Because of this, I decided to get a Sonos Arc. I'm aware of the Ultra, but I can't justify the difference in price.

Sonos arc is one of the best standalone (no sub) soundbars along with the Sony A7000. The only reason the Q800C gets a higher RTINGS score is because it comes with a subwoofer. If you add a sonos sub to the Arc is will beat the Q800C but at almost 2x the price. The Arc is also old and will be superseded by a new model later this year.

The Sonos Arc in Combination with the new Sonos Ace headphones could be an interesting solution for your problem. The Ace will be able to use Spatial Audio and gets the signal from the Arc. So you can hear any sorround sound signal and Atmos as loud as you want with the headphones. And you upgrade the TV sound as well a reasonable amount for your low volume listening, without doing an overkill.

Would agree with you from my experience. Sonos allows for the second sub but the price difference between the two and the performance gap between the ARC and Q990D is quite slim.

With an A95L, don’t cheap out on the audio “that will bring down” your A95L. You want ATMOS. I would say get a Sony soundbar. Or you can build in pieces with a Sonos ARC or Beam at first. Then add the sub and rears later on when your budget allows.

Thank you for this review. I currently have a Arc, sub 3 and 2 one SL's. Would I see a improvement with the Era 100's as rears instead?

Thank you for your help, where I am confused is I thought the 100's were similar to the One's. Where they had the one woofer so that would only give the rear channels. Are you saying the 100's will create a virtualized wide and height channel?

This is awesome, thank you again. So just to make sure I understand, if I have the Arc, Sub 3 and 2 Era 100s. I would have a 7.1.4 system? However the wide and 2 rear heights would be virtual. Do you have any documentation that shows this also?

That is great, the way my room is set up having the 300's wouldn't look great. I currently have my SL's on a bookshelf so if I can swap them for the 100's that would solve my problem.

This topic is like iPhone camera vs Samsung galaxy camera. Both of them are good Thinking of this way, Samsung soundbar is only small part of its business, and Sonos soundbar is Sonos only business. I had same dilemma before, and ending up I got open box Sonos arc + sub-mini + era100, which cost less than 1200. Funny thing is I am telling my friends I just got Sonos , all of them wanted to come my house to try it. When you tell them you got Samsung sound bar, friend will just ask is it good. That’s all.

Paid $900 for mine 3 years ago, so yeah, you got a great deal

I would get Sonos arc, Sonos sub and pair of era300’s for rear speakers. It is true the app is pos due to douchebag ceo. The app is getting better as they update and patch. I haven’t had any issues with tv setups though ever. All the issues I have encountered is when I tell it to join other speakers together to stream music. That has been working lately for me after software updates, but others do still report issues. As I stated above for tv surround I have had no issues ever and IMO the atmos and ability to play music makes Sonos my personal choice.

Depends on how much you want to spend and the real quality and feature. Personally I use Sonos sound bars as they perform well and support other features like music streaming. I have a 65 inch oled in my living room with a Sonos arc which plays atmos and music. I did also have to get the Sonos sub to pair with it but it sounds great. I have also used a beam 2 on my basement tv/gamer oled with sub and it does a good job. I did add rear speakers in my basement for around but you don’t have too. My upstairs tv only has arc and sub and sounds great. I did add rear have the new arc ultra coming which is rumored to have internal base now and in some rooms would allow you to forgo buying a sub.

The Sonos speakers work great with my lg and previous Samsung. For 500 it will be hard to get more than an arc or beam 2. With a sub probably more like 800 to 100 on used market. Maybe a mini sub and sound bar might dip into your range. For small area beam 2 will work but for best affect the arc is my choice. I like Sonos as they are good but the ability to stream music or Apple airplay is my main reason for them over a higher end wired setup.

Probably not most popular but I like my Sonos arc and sub setup. I can’t do rear speakers due to room design.

Arc or even better arc ultra. I have both with subs and they sound good. The ultra is superior though.

Arc and a beam2 have been the least of my issues they seem to always work with the tv. It is paring with other speakers etc. that gives me issues.

Thank you so much . Yes just bought Arc and since I don’t have an additional speakers , I am going to return this for ultra . Big help 🙏

I thought that was fixed? I’ve been running my Xbox on atmos for months now and never been an issue. Not a shill or anything just wondering

Thanks for the write-up, nice to have all in one place. I have an Arc with two Symfonisk speakers as rears. In terms of upgrading my system would you say two Era 300s as rears would be the best value for money at around €900 ? Use case is mostly movies with music only rarely. Would the difference be that notable?

Arc is awesome and expandable and somewhat modular.i have an arc with 2x subs and era 300s as surrounds, it's room filling and super immersive even with 5.1 content.

Fair enough, the bar on its own is extremely underwhelming for the price. I started off with just the arc and sub in a smallish room and it was a very nice setup. For context I had the samsung q90r and it was a shocker, bass cutout constantly so I returned it for the Sonos.

Is the bass on the arc ultra that much stronger than the arc? I've got an arc now that I'm about to shift to another room and am looking for a new soundbar.

I went from a Beam Gen 1 to the normal Arc and one off my grips with the Arc was speech clarity. It's really good on the Beam. It sounds like this is massively improved on the Arc Ultra. Like a lot of people have suggested, room size and layout is an important factor. Even if I'm happy with my Arc I'm far from utilizing all of its potential. Recently I'm in between to houses and in my current rental space I opted for the Beam since I didn't want to set up the surround system with one's and sub. I think the arc works best in an complete setup. My Arc went to storage mostly because the Beam is cleaner with speech by itself.

I had both and I am very very underwhelmed by how arc plays music. Beam 2 sounded better (at least for my ears)

Samsung Q900’s get great reviews.. Senheiser soundbars sound like ass, if that’s the budget just get a Sonos ARC and Sub Gen3. The best overall soundbar is Sonos… I am an A/V installer, and will always recommend a receiver with speakers.. but if soundbar is your only option, get a Sonos Arc, Sub Gen3, and 2 Era 300’s as rear speakers. You can also add a second sub if you want more bass. The Sonos app has been having some issues and they’re working on it. If I’m doing a Sonos install and run into issues adding/updating the speaker in the app, a few resets or trying the following day gets the job done, annoying but it still works even though glitchy.. and once setup it works perfect, just a few possible hiccups during setup. If you can at all do a real setup, do it, you won’t be disappointed. I replaced a $1,500 soundbar with a receiver setup half the cost, and it blew it out of the water… but if the room or spouse just doesn’t work with it 🤷‍♂️

Sonos Arc. I love mine. I also have the subwoofer.

I have a Sonos Arc and sub mini in my bedroom. I have a Samsung Q950a in my den. I love gaming and watching movies on the den TV and think the Samsung sound great. If I had surround for the Sonos, maybe I'd like it as much. I bought my Samsung before I knew about the EPP program and overpaid by about 700 bucks. It was still cheaper than a Sonos setup that does sound overwhelmingly better to me. I considered an Arc Ultra for my living room, but decided to get the Samsung Q990D. With the discount, the value is too hard to pass up.

I hate Bose app for setup. I hasd the Sonos ARC and JBL Cinema sound bar. I enjoyed them both

He did say that, if you already own an ARC, it's still a damn good soundbar and you should not stress out about FOMO.

If you have the money, definitely the Sonos Arc, with a sub and a couple of era 300s. (You can totally get away with just the bar in the begging and slowly adding the rest to ease the financial burden). Otherwise the JBL Bars 800, 1000 or 1300 all solid. Depending on budget.

I disagree with everyone here unequivocally recommending the 990 (which I do think is great, btw). If you have somewhere to put rear speakers and you watch movies on Netflix then the Q990 might be worthwhile for you. When watching movies the surround sound is really nice. If not then it will indeed be overkill because you're buying speakers you won't even set up.  Also, personally I find that on some sources dialogue can be a problem with the Q990 not because it isn't clear but because once the volume is where you like it for reasonable voice levels the system will blow your head off when loud elements or special effects kick in (explosions, car crashes or even yelling). I often have to watch movies with controller in hand to manage the volume shift between dialogue and louder scenes. This won't be a problem for news and sports, but likewise you probably won't appreciate the extra speakers either.  There's a version of that soundbar that comes without the extra speakers (I forget the model number). That might be more appropriate for you. But I'm that case don't expect anything too special, it'll just be a bit louder a bit clearer. Sonos arc is also pretty good but same thing: with just the bar on its own don't expect to be wowed, you'll just get more clear audio. 

Sonos arc and mini sub master race

I have a Sony hta5000 and Sonos arc which both kick ass. Highly recommend both. Prefer the Sonos to the Sony but you can’t go wrong with either. A Sonos beam gen 2 is a good, cheaper option to the arc as well.

I had the Arc for four years and recently upgraded to the Arc Ultra. I haven’t experienced any issues with either sound bar. Try it out for yourself. If you experience any issues or don’t like it, you can always return it.

The Arc Ultra has a louder center channel and more definition. The Arc Ultra sound bar alone produces much more bass than the Arc too.

Seeing all these threads is making me tempted to upgrade my arc to the ultra. For what it is now, I am happy with my arc + sub + era 300 surrounds.

Sonos Arc, Bravia theatre Bar 9. I didn't like the Bose it sounds too artificial in normal content

I do feel the same. I tried sonos arc set up and it was amazing. I hardly feel any bass from 990d

I had the arc + sub + 2 ones Bought a Q950 and now I know what is atmos. It’s much much better. Also I will never buy any Sonos again because I have 2 ones and 1 five that just don’t work anymore because of that crap app

I had the beam 1, sub mini and ikeas as surrounds and it was amazing. I upgraded to the arc because I had some amazon vouchers from work to use. But I saw your other posts about the cost and I think for the price the beam is great. I also used it on its own for years before I added to it and it still sounded good. I now use it as my office PC speaker, so it lives on for me! I know there is a lot of hate for the app at the moment, but just for tv soundbar use, the only time I have used the app is to set up and then check if the sound coming out is Atmos or not. So I have had no issues

Sonos ARC if you don't want a sub. If you had a sub, it would just be in the corner so it's not like it's going to take up any space.

I noted the ceiling issue in the other comments with him but I thought of the Arc was because he didn't want a sub.

LG G3 and Sonos Arc no issues with this combo.

For soundbars the Sonos  arc w/ either a Sonos sub or the  mini and 2x era 300 or 100. Samsung HW-W990D . Both great soundbar systems . Also check out the Sony Bravia quad w/sub. The home theater purists will cry foul and tell you to get a receiver , at least 5 speakers . Then you need to hide the wires and hopefully the center channel isn’t too big for your cabinet . 

I prefer my Arcs over my Ultra….both are great though. Don’t let the negativity fool you. Those of us that are happy don’t post weekly to say we’re happy.

Yeah just get a sonus arc. That’s what I recommend to all the ladies in my life (and men who aren’t AV nerds), assuming you prioritize appearance, sound, and not screwing around with settings. If you are an AV nerd, samsung away. Or do what I did. 2x vanatoo transparent zero’s mounted next to TV + one polk psw10 subwoofer connected through analog audio using the TV’s variable audio output setting. Far better sound quality than any of these bars for $499 total and actually less problematic. Buttttt, no surround sound and not as attractive.

I preordered an Ultra. I was on the fence ordering a second sub 3, so I am hoping the Ultra will cancel my want for dual subs. I’ll move my current Arc into a bedroom to replace a Beam. Used 15% upgrade coupon.

got 4 of these tv's and have the Sonos Arc on 3 of them. the 65 I have a Beam. works flawlessly.

Idk man, my Sonos Arc with a pair of 300s fills the room with a giant sound stage….

Man, send me that video. We’ve been so happy with the original arc, single sub (the new one) and pair of 300s in the corner of an odd shaped lounge room with a slanted 14ft ceiling, that we’ve considered upgrading this to an ultra and putting the arc in our bedroom. We tried the Sony HT, and it couldn’t overcome the corner and we needed a true center, the TV didn’t suffice. The Sonos does a spectacular job of placing a broad range of sound in the right spot, and makes PS5 gaming honestly better than headphones, because the balance is better (to my ears), the height is accurate, and it punches well. 7.1 is not an option in the room, and I def wouldn’t be happy without the height.

Get a Sonos arc + 300 rears + sub.

Returned my HTA9 for the Sonos - very happy with it.

moi j'ai aucun soucis tt fonctionne bien (arc + sub gen3 + 2x one) mais je trouve un peu limite pour mon salon (70 m2) dont 40m2 pour la partie tv du coup j'espere que l'ultra pourra mettre un peu plus de chaleur et de verticalite ou alors je devrais plutot changer mes one par des era 300

I decided to give Sonos more money for another Arc 4 weeks ago. I know, I know... but knowing I just invested in an instantly out of date piece of machinery is arguably more infuriating than all the app issues.

We got the Arc and two Sonos One speakers for rears. Had them for a couple of years now and no complaints. Need to add the sub at some point. Probably with Costco Citi cash back.

We’ve had the Sonos Arc soundbar with Sonos One wireless speakers for the rear for a few years now. No trouble with any of them.

Same setup here. Doesn’t get any easier than this.

Sonos Arc is the only Soundbar worth upgrading to from what you have. The Atmos will work great with a flat ceiling.

I love mine. I wish that is what I paid.

Living in a small apartment in NYC means not having room for a receiver and not running wires. Sonos Arc with satellites is a great setup for my space. Did I pay through the nose for style and compactness? Of course I did, but I also have a passable home theater experience that takes up almost no real estate.

After listening to the Arc ,Bose 700 and Samsung 900 A I settled on the Samsung .. all were paired with subs … however for only music the Arc was better

My Sonos Arc and Sub slap. Idc what ltt says, it's a very sleek looking system for the living room where monitors would just look out of place.

Thanks for this sincere post, I got my Arc at a relatively good price, switching to an Ultra would be a huge amount of $ I could spend on getting a pair of 300's as surround for example.

For sure the JBL. I had it and absolutely loved it until I upgraded to the Sonos arc. Not to mention the deal on that JBL, you can’t beat it. The 10 inch sub really gets down too. Plus Hisense is not great quality imo

It's actually crazy now that I think about it that we paid so much for the Arc and have to turn on dialogue enhancement as a necessity and now I'm thinking of doing this expensive upgrade to improve it. Sonos has us by the balls and they know it.

Thanks for mentioning balancing out the 300s. That’s how I feel since getting my 300s that they overpower the arc. Balance is what I was looking for! Ps the sound is the room like was so good! Start reviewing in the future ;)

The Ultra Slim line from Samsung is your absolute best option, hands down. The Sonos Arc is good, but I'm not sure why people say it's the best when the S800 from Samsung is built with this exact pairing in mind. Dolby Atmos sound in the slimmest body possible with a compact wireless subwoofer for a fraction of the cost of Arc and Sub. Sonos benefits: more robust whole home audio platform, better Sound quality Samsung benefits: far better design (in the case of pairing with The Frame or a flush mounted TV), better value, works with Music Frames.

I was in your same boat. You have nothing to lose if you return the old Arc and upgrade. I did the same and just paid the minor difference.

That’s the key right there! If you add 300s as rears and connect a Sub Gen 3 to the 300s, the sound signature and bass blows the Arc or Arc Ultra even when paired with a Sub Gen 3 out of the water. The Era 300s have more bass with its 3 drivers in general and adding a Sub Gen 3 to it takes it to another level. I noticed that when I paired 2 Sub Gen 3s to the Arc Ultra, TruPlay just dampens the performance of the Sub Gen 3s regardless of the orientation of the Subs. Separating the Subs made all the difference in terms of bass performance. The sound stage is also even wider sounding because the heavy duty bass sounds are coming from the stereo pair Era 300s placed on the back left and back right of my room. The Era 300s for surrounds are directly behind the main listening positioning. === This is a side note. I noticed that the Arc Ultra has been taking away the responsibilities of the Era 300 Surrounds when playing on my Nintendo Switch compared to the Arc. They are completely silent now. Even though the Nintendo Switch Surround sound test clearly activates the surrounds during the testing, they are silent during actual game play where surrounds are usually utilized. The Era 300 surrounds work during YouTube video playback and Dolby Atmos movies, which seems to be more limited in terms of sound stage.

Is this what people are complaining about or is it that they can’t send signal through the soundbar first so you get formats your TV wouldn’t have supported. I had this problem with my LG G1, it didn’t support DTS:X, but my old soundbar did so I plugged my shield right into the soundbar instead of the shield. It was a shit soundbar but I liked seeing it say “DTS:X” when I played something with that. When I got upgraded to the Arc I didn’t care about passthrough because it didn’t have DTS:X either 😅

Yeah for me the converted DTS:X to PCM7.1 or whatever sounds 1000x better on my Arc than actual DTS:X sounded with passthrough on my shitty old soundbar. Makes no difference unless Sonos started supporting that format but then it’s a good excuse to upgrade my TV…

Sounds conspiracist (is that a word?) but I feel like my arc used to be great for voices initially when I got it and used it prior to the many updates and sound profile changes. Maybe my ears adjusted and I've been spoiled now but how do we know tuning isn't just different between software on arc and arc ultra to move us in the direction of these two products? I love my arc but for just dialogue change I'm frustrated at hearing this feedback and also knowing updates can alter sound profile in the future.

My ARC works great with Dolby Atmos on Apple TV 4K. Never had issues.

I just picked up a refurbed Arc and so far no problems. Paired with two Era 100's for surround sound. The family loves it!

Having heard them all, and owing a Q990D I'd strongly say the ARC. Then Bose then Samsung/Sennheiser. Only Samsung/Sennheiser is for music I think they sounded good enough but for the other 30% I think the 990D is better. I had a demo of the Q990D and the full Sonos set up, for music jesus the Sonos was amazing (even with no rears) but as soon as a movie comes in the Q990D slaps the Sonos for room filling sounds really full audio. The Bose was very nice but for me by the time you add the Sub in your paying Q990D money. And for that 1% movies I'd take the Samsung.

I just bought one two weeks ago. Sounds fantastic and works perfectly.

Sonos will never sound better

Those youtubers you mentioned always put samsung first, so I don't know what you're dreaming about.

Lol, usually in the stores any system sounds worse. The D actually sounds much better than the B. The arc is a joke, and abomination, a complete scam.

Absolutely true samsung destroys sonos for movies. Sonos can't even play original audio content, dts, or lossless atmos. Sonos says it can take lossless atmos but from where? Not from a bluray player or a computer. There's no lossless audio on any streamed movie. Plus the tiny speakers, yes, sonos absolutely sucks for movies.

I don't care about who sounds better. Not a fan boy, but most people feel Samsung does a way better job. Well, you show very recent info, just wait then to the F, I'm sure Samsung will go above them just based on the new sub woofer alone.

For movies sonos and the lack of dts absolutely megasucks at every imaginable level.

I can't speak for the ray but I can say I have an arc and a beam gen 2 and the beam gen 2 would be a good choice for you for an affordable soundbar that is crystal clear. Plus it has earc which really in 2025 is a must. You can pick one up on Sonos website refurb for cheap too.

Yeah my dad has the play bar with two play 5’s and the gen 2 sub. That system sounds MILES better than my arc, 2 era 300’s and gen 3 sub. I’m like… wtf am I doing wrong? This dude’s set up sounds like a movie theater and the music is insane on it. My music coming from the arc sounds like dog water sometimes. Muddied vocals is the perfect phrase

Yup hope all goes well. To add; I’ve algo got an Arc with a Sub Gen 3 and a pair of Era 300’s as surrounds. Only problem I ever ran into is when the new app came out I had to factory reset everything. Wasn’t a big deal - haven’t had issues since.

Do sou play audio through the apple tv or through the sonos app? Makes a big difference on my arc+sub+play1 setup

I've heard both back to back on material I know intimately. I liked the Arc a lot, I would not buy one with the Arc Ultra now in existence, not sure if I'd be willing to upgrade at a full loss, but if I could sell the Arc then maybe. Happy to respond to specific questions, but basically the low mids are much better managed. I still think you need/want a sub.

I have a multiple Sonos sound bars including the Ultra and I can truly say the Sonos Arc is a really fancy center speaker. 2 Sonos Era 300s blows away the Arc but they can’t be used as a TV source. The Arc sounds okay and the new Ultra provides better base but it’s far from true surround. I wish Sonos would let me add a real front right and left speakers. In large rooms, the Arc just isn’t enough. I’m currently looking for a better solution for my living room.

Great thread! You've clearly done your homework. A couple of thoughts/suggestions... 1.) Broadcast TV does support Dolby Atmos. ATSC 3.0 "Next Gen TV" tuners support Dolby Atmos broadcasts for free over the air using a Dolby Digital+ carrier. They also support resolution up to 4K with HDR (High Dynamic Range). NBC broadcast the Olympics live in NYC and 11 other major markets in 1080p resolution with HDR and Dolby Atmos surround sound. So, while not widespread yet, Dolby Atmos is available via live broadcasts. Even OTA live broadcasts. BTW, this works on an Arc or Arc Ultra as the ATSC 3.0 tuners pass the output over HDMI as DD+ with Atmos encoding. 2.) Blu-ray Disc does support Dolby Atmos, in both lossy (DD+) and lossless (Dolby TrueHD) formats. I own a couple of dozen Blu-ray Discs in lossless Dolby Atmos. UHD 4K Blu-ray also supports Dolby Atmos (of course). Kaleidescape also supports lossless Dolby Atmos (and lossless DTS:X, which the Arc Ultra can't decode). Both the Arc and Arc Ultra can support lossy and lossless Dolby Atmos (Dolby Digital+ and Dolby TrueHD). 3.) Despite what Sonos may have confirmed, the Arc Ultra doesn't do *discrete* 9.1.4 "out of the box." And virtual channels are a far cry from discrete channels. There are a total of 14 drivers in the Arc Ultra, some of which are full range, some midrange and some tweeters (plus one woofer). To get 14 discrete channels of sound from the Ultra (9.1.4) the bar's 13 drivers would all have to be full-range drivers, each pointing in different directions to directly radiate or reflect all 13 channels from different points in space. You can tell from the explosion diagram on the Arc Ultra product page that it doesn't have enough drivers to reproduce 13 distinct channels. To get something resembling discrete 9.1.4 from the Arc Ultra you need to add a Sonos sub and add a pair of Era 300s (which have both front-facing and top-facing drivers) for the rear speakers. The Arc Ultra's bass output is "twice the Arc" but only at 50 Hz. There is no way this bar extends below 45 Hz so you really need a dedicated sub to get true LFE bass reproduction. So yeah, Sonos can call it 9.1.4 from the Arc Ultra alone if they want, but none of the virtualized surround systems I've heard (and I've heard a lot) hold a candle to discrete surround systems. I believe the Arc Ultra will offer a decent sonic upgrade to the regular Arc (though this is purely a belief at this point since Sonos didn't send out early review samples to journalists and reviewers), but I think failing to add a second HDMI port and DTS:X decoding to the Arc was a big missed opportunity. There is a push toward DTS:X surround from IMAX and Disney+ (among others) which makes its absence here significant. I know Dolby Atmos is much more widespread but I like options. And having a second HDMI port would allow users to plug in a streaming device, gaming console or disc player directly to the bar and bypass the sonic limitations of some TVs which can't properly pass lossless sound formats through their ARC or eARC HDMI ports. Anyway... good job covering the issues here and I hope you enjoy your Arc Ultra.

So disappointing for music. Pointed this out 3 years ago and got downvoted like crazy

I have both Sonos and Bose . I have Bose 900 Bose 500 and Sonos arc and playbar. Both have their pros and cons but based on Sonos edging out Bose on sound quality and the app I used to recommend them more based on software alone. I was close to upgrading my whole home to Sonos until the app update that caused all the headaches. To this day the app is terrible and the soundbars have so many issues connecting that I don’t even want to use it anymore . Say what you want about Bose but the app is basic and it just works.

Currently have One SL surrounds for my Arc. Moving to ultra soon. Having a pair of Era 100 in the kitchen for stereo playback that I love. You have me thinking I need to swap these!

If you haven’t tuned with Trueplay, it really does make a difference. I can’t speak on the Arc Ultra by itself (or at all, to be honest) but I can’t imagine you’d have a great experience without surrounds. This is kinda one of those “there’s no replacement for displacement” things; you can fake sound directionality to an extent, but things won’t really feel like they’re coming from behind you unless they’re… coming from behind you. I’d recommend picking up a couple of Sonos Ones for cheap on marketplace. Many people take very good care, and I personally have 5 used Ones and they all look new and I paid no more than $125CAD (90ish USD) for them. I personally have an Arc with Ones as surrounds and a Sub Mini and it’s a pretty impressive package, though I’m not an audiophile and I don’t watch very loudly as I have shared walls. But you DEFINITELY get the “behind and beside you” sounds, and the rumble from the sub adds a lot to the experience (though I’d forgo the sub to begin with and see how you like it)

For the Arc I’m not sure why you need Bluetooth it connects to your WiFi and you have full control that way you can stream music from your phone Via Airplay or the Sonos app if you want, so you really don’t need Bluetooth.

Ignore the scaremongering. The app is fine and an arc is way better than a beam (also I don’t think beam does atmos?)

Oh for sure. Soundbar vs L+R speakers for music is chalk and cheese better soundstage. Phantom centre speaker for dialogue will be good in the central black chair, but a soundbar locks dialogue to the screen for all seats. Only in movies will the Arc give you more surround immersion with era 300s. KEF as mentioned is a good alternative to 9s - especially due to wider listening window from concentric driver

The Samsung q900c includes the sound bar and the sub. If you want a sound bar only I think the Sonos Arc is the best option Q symphony is a marketing gimmick, you are buying a sound bar because the tv speakers are not good enough.

Yes have been using the Ultra since release and am truly impressed. I always felt the original Arc was lacking in fronts and especially after getting the 300’s as rears, it lagged behind. The full Sonos surround setup is now just incredible.

I agree. I have had all three and would rate them 1) Playbar 2) Beam Gen 2 3) Arc The playbar isn’t the best for voices but it is the best sounding overall.

I have a Sonos Amp running some stereo KEFs with phantom center. Sounds much better than my Arc. Would love to have the Arc as center in this setup though

Yes, but the quality of the Sonos Arc, to me, is below what I would be interested in at that cost. If you spend a little bit more, you get a lot more performance.

I have 2 in my midsized master BR....with arc and 300's. F'n rumbles!

I have the Sonos arc and arc ultra…with gen 3 and 4 sub. I have the Sonos one sl’s paired with the first arc (surround) and the era 300’s (surround) paired with the ultra with the gen 4 sub…there is literally no delay in audio. Also the arc ultra is the absolute way to go holy fuck is it loud and the gen 4 sub is bassy as fuck. So not entirely sure where your delay in audio is but it’s all based off WiFi so anyone with a delay get a better router and better internet speed?

I will wait for some reviews from the likes of Peter Pee, I have an Arc and Gen 3 sub setup, not going to bother with a gen 4 sub, don't see the need.

I won't say it's not overpriced, but the Sonos Arc sounds really good without a sub. Their little bar only sounds ok. Calling the Arc budget is a tough call compared to a receiver and discrete speakers.

One thing that a sound bar can not replicate is separation. If you have more separation space between the speaker placement than the length of a sound bar I would go the AVR route if possible. I have been using both a complete Bose 700 setup in the man cave for years and for the last few months a Sonos Arc/Minisub/Era 100 setup in the LR. They both sound OK but lacked in music with the Bose sounding better to my ears. I missed the stereo (2 ch) experience and am replacing the man cave system with a AVR setup. My Journey: Experimenting I got a Martin Logan/Wiim (B1 speakers/steaming amp) combo on sale with a REL sub to audition in my space and see if it is something worth pursuing. After setting it up and listening to it for a few hours there is no going back to a soundbar for me. I use an hardwired Apl TV as a source. Now I am on a new AVR journey. Last time I was doing serious audio things was in the '80s. The Martin Logan B1 speakers are 7 1/4 inches wide (18.5 cm) if that would be a consideration. 4 of those, a center, sub and an AVR receiver could be had around your price point. M2C

Agreed, I did and experienced the exact same 🙂

I previously left a review over a year ago of me A/B testing my playbar to the original Arc and after a few weeks decided to return the Arc in favor of the playbar surround setup. I found that I had preferred the sound signature of the playbar to hollow, tinny, harsh sound of arc. Just got my Arc Ultra and tested it back to back with my playbar with music, TV, and ready player one 4k bluray. My initial reaction is how the ultra makes the playbar sound very muddy. Ultra’s frequency response is much much more balanced than the playbar and even the original Arc and I believe it’s a big upgrade over both the previous flagship soundbars. I have a pretty big open floor plan with my tv room joined with my kitchen so I worried that the small drivers on the ultra would still feel harsh and not full but my doubts and concerns are alleviated. This is such a relief for me as I was disappointed with the Arc to where I ended up returning it. This is not the case with the ultra. My playbar served me well but it’s time to take it down. Currently have one sls and sub gen 3. Will be adding era 300s or might wait to see if we get Era ultras with sound motion tech coming soon. Will report back.

That’s a steal. The beam 2 is listed at $499 at Costco. Arc is way better than a beam 2.

Watch Andor season 2 with the Sonos Arc surround system. It’s why you pay good money for that surround sound

Great writeup, thanks! As an Arc owner with amp and passive speakers, not sure if this is a good upgrade for me.

Sonos Arc is incredible for pure audio, I know buyers remorse might hurt if the new hotness drops in a few months, but respectfully when you look at the functionality of the Arc, is there anything specific that you feel like it’s missing? I’ve had it for over a year and can’t say there’s anything I’m missing beyond fuller surround which of course I can’t get without adding more speakers to the system.

How much money you have? A Sonos Arc would do brilliantly…

useful feedback, may push me to replace my main Arc. Only thing is a bit disappointed they haven't brought in DTS HD or X support, but then again most new releases are TrueHD / Atmos anyway

Go for the ARC Because it is expandable. But know no software can replace actual speakers.

I just bought this, and had to return it because I knew I’d never get the delay just right. What’s your setup?

I’m in the same boat. My current surround system arc, sub, and 2 era 300’s have been fine the whole time. I read this sub a lot and just haven’t experienced what others have. I called my AV company when I got the email this afternoon. We are moving forward with the new models.

Here’s a polished version: I think you did a good job, it looks great. As for the soundbar, my living room isn’t very large. I use a JBL 9.1 that I got at a great price a couple of years ago. Even though it’s an older system, it delivers excellent performance, especially for music. In the bedroom, I have a Sonos ARC which also sounds amazing. However, the best way to decide is to listen to them in person.

More drivers doesn't always mean better in my opinion. I've had a good amount of different soundbar setups like the Sonos Arc, Bose Smart 600, Samsung Q800B, Sony S2000, & others. I was looking at the Sennheiser Ambeo Plus myself, & it looks like an amazing piece, but I get the feeling you might be paying a tad more for the name than performance. Also the lack of tweeters really raises my eyebrows in a bad way. Personally I thought the Bose 600 sounded better, louder, & maybe even more immersive than the Arc did despite being half the size. & The BM700 is just a monster subwoofer. I highly recommend looking at the Bose systems. Or you can get my newest & now favorite soundbar, the Klipsch Flexus 200 & Sub 100. This system just rocks. I sold my Sonos setup (Arc, Sub Mini, 2 Era 100's) for this Klipsch system, & I don't regret it at all!!! Eventually I plan to buy another Sub 100 & the Surround 200's when they release.

Id pick the 990F over the Arc Ultra. Sold my Sonos Arc + Sub Mini + Era 100's setup about a year ago probably & also had a beam 2 before that. But overall I wouldn't say Sonos is worth the money. I'd also highly consider looking at the Klipsch Flexus Core 300 + Sub 200 (12") + Surr 200's. I have the Core 200 + Sub 100 (10")& I absolutely love this system & think it personally sounds better to me than my Arc setup did. I also thought my Samsung Q800B I had a few years ago was better than the Sonos setup too.... So Its between the 990F & the full Flexus 300 for me. I truly think I'd have to sit and listen to them both for a good 100+ hours before actually being able to decide which one sounds better

I can't possibly imagine the issues with Sennheiser are near as bad as Sonos has been. Idk if it's really "fixed" but I've read it's getting better. I sold my Arc, Era 100's & sub mini cause it was a headache to fix when it shits itself. Unplug each piece & replug & set up in the app all over again, & usually have to try more than once. Good sounding system, but only when it works

It is. I had the Arc up front, Era 100's to the left & right of my bed as surrounds, & the sub mini as the subwoofer. I started with the Beam 2 but decided to sell it & get the Era 100's to start before buying the Arc. You might not have too much issue having only a bar cause it seemed like I didn't have too much issue using only a bar & sub. Then I went Era 100's stereo pair & occasional stereo drops would happen, but then it seemed to get even worse once I added the Arc. The only fix ever was literally unplugging everything & re-plugging everything back. Then what felt like around 30+ minutes of setup time, if it worked that is. But I personally say it's too many issues for the price. I went to the Klipsch Flexus Core 200 + sub 100 & haven't regretted it or looked back once.

If you're huge on bass, get the Sennheiser. You can add up to 4 subwoofers to it. Also, I'm not sure if Sonos has fully fixed all their issues, but it's been almost a year since I sold my Arc, Era 100's, & Mini sub cause constant connection issues. Great sounding products, but wow did something go MAJORLY wrong in the transition to the new app. Having to unplug each piece & basically redo my entire setup from scratch multiple times a week was beyond frustrating. I have the Klipsch Flexus Core 200 now & i don't regret my decision at all. Absolutely amazing soundbar, even as a standalone bar. Also, the Klipsch Flexus Core 300 looks like a real beast of a soundbar. I HIGHLY recommend looking into the Core 300.

I'd definitely pick between the Polk Magnifi Max AX or the Klipsch Flexus Core 200 + sub 100. I have the Core 200 + Sub 100 myself and it's an absolutely amazing system. I thought it seemed to have a better overall sound than my OG Arc did. And the Sub 100 is definitely no joke either, that thing pounds! Pictures rattling on the wall across the room at <50% volume & Sub at 0. The Polk was another system on my radar but never pulled the trigger on. It looks like a solid & serious system. But I just couldn't get myself to buy it. But I think the Flexus system is possibly the best system out there for the price. And you can run 2 subs as well which seems insane from my experience with just 1 Sub. Recently I saw the system on I believe either Amazon or Best Buy with the Core 200, Surr 100's, & 2 Sub 100's for just over 1k. And I don't think there's a system more serious than this for the price.

Yes the Klipsch sub is wireless. Comes with a little USB that plugs in the back of the bar. Sonos is great, but only when it works. When it's not working it's a massive headache. Id have to get up & unplug every piece individually, plug the Arc in & set it up again, then plug the subwoofer back in & get the subwoofer to hopefully set up but that was a pain in the ass more often than not. & Finally plug both surrounds in & pair them up. So around 30+ minutes total to reset the system. God I cannot tell you how infuriating it was to go through that mess

The Ambeo lineup is one of/if not the absolute best sounding system out there. I heard a demo of the Plus at Best Buy and it blew me away with the level of detail it has, & I mean nothing I've had even sounds remotely close, & I've had everything from the Sonos Arc, Samsung Q800B, Bose Smart 600, none of them are even close to the Ambeo in terms of detail to the sound, it's truly INCREDIBLE!!!

Flexus Core 200 by LITERAL MILES!!! I have no experience with the apple home pod. Had the Q600C briefly, bar sounds alright but the subwoofer sounds like shit. Had the JBL Bar 500 & it was just a sloppy system all around, crappy subwoofer & distorted bar. & The Beam 2 is eh. Quite weak & very dull sounding. If I can comfortably listen to a movie at 60%+ volume, that sucks in my book. Hell I even had it at 100% in my bedroom before & I was just like "that's all this things got???" I also thought the Arc was too soft for me as well. The Core 200 bar by itself is just fantastic! 2 4" subwoofers that really hit hard. It's such a full sounding bar it's amazing! Dialogue enhancement works pretty well too if needed, + a 3 band bass mid & treble equalizer. Choice of either the Sub 100 or Sub 200 (10" or 12") & you can run 2 subs regardless of which sub you buy, unlike Sonos where you can't run 2 sub minis, only 2 full size subwoofers. I sold my Arc, Era 100's & sub mini for my Core 200 + Sub 100 & I don't regret it at all. The soundstage is impressively wide sounding considering the lack of side firing drivers. I've had scenes in movies where it sounds like there's something at the side of my room, beyond the soundbar!

I think your only option is to get a sound bar (I have the sonos arc it sounds great for the TV) or you need to place speakers strategically around your room mounted or on stands. I don't think you're gonna find anything that's not a sound bar for those dimensions.

If you don't have a sub and surrounds it's going to sound worse. The arc is not meant to be used in isolation

You can easily buy a set. They do that so the consumer can pick what they want to bundle it with. Maybe they already have surrounds or a base? Maybe they want the Ikea surrounds? Or maybe someone wants to buy them at separate times?

It’s all subjective. None of them have great sound, they have decent connectivity and don’t dominate a room

It's a soundbar. It's absurd to think that you'll get good sound without a sub and surrounds. Stand-alone bars will necessarily have shit bass and poor immersion. They don't have the necessary volume. Maybe a Nakamichi DRAGON but at that point, you might as well get a real setup.

Compared to what? Sonos is the Honda Civic of speakers. They are nice for whole home audio and aesthetically pleasing. They're not on par with objectively good setups

Beam 2 is gonna look small in front of your 75 incher. Arc gonna look better and has a wider sound stage. I would look into adding a sub or sub mini too. You can find an arc or beam on sale 20 percent off right now. Both are excellent speakers. Beam is punchier out of the box. Arc really shines when paired with a sub or sub mini. I love when I can find a movie or show in atmos. Both airplay.

If this is your first Sonos product, I would recommend starting with the ARC and spending the rest on the sub4, take advantage of the good second-hand and even new offers. Ultra isn't going anywhere for now.

Arc is typically connected via HDMI ARF / eARC, which i dont think Mac supports. You’ll really have delay if you use Airplay. Sonos arc is not made for that use case, you might find solutions on the internet but they will require 3rd party software / hardware likely

Sonos arc, 2 of their smaller “one” speakers for rear, and then a sub.

Really depends on what you’re after. If you’re after good, accurate sound with real stereo separation, a 2.0 or 2.1 setup is going to beat a soundbar at even money every single time. Bias the spend toward the speakers in that scenario, and only spend as much as you have to on the receiver to get the connections you need. If you want surround effects without installing a whole system, something like the Arc is going to be pretty good, and possibly really good in the right room. (The right room is one with low ish ceiling and close ish side walls, because a lot of the effect is reliant on bounced sounds.) If you are able to compare the Arc to a comparable (so more expensive, because more speakers—think that even money scenario about but add the missing 3+ speakers) true surround system in the same room, the latter will again easily be a more accurate system, and you may find the Arc to have a sort of gimmicky sound compared to something less processed and less reliant on processing tricks to create surround effects. It’s entirely possible you like the processed sound of an Arc more than the more accurate sound of separates. Life’s too short to listen to what you like less, so have at it.

Rubbish. Sonos arc (connected via earc to tv), sub mini and two Era 300's (connected via wifi) work flawlessly with iOS app, for movies and music. All the fuzz about the app, at least most of it, has something to do with failing other stuff (like wifi) or the inability or unwillingness to read a manual.

i have Arc with Era 100s as surrounds plus Sub gen 3. Movie performance is not an issue, it's really just the music playback that's lacking. If i set the surrounds to play full music, then the balance is off. First of all, music is best in stereo instead of coming from front AND rear, and second of all, the rears sound i think just a bit better than the soundbar for music.

Basically same set up and just wanted to chime in and say my testing with the ultra has been fun! Big upgrade from the arc especially the clarity of speech

Arc has been flawless

All good. I'm an Arc OG buyer with Ones for rears. I might buy some Era 100s now for an affordable mini-upgrade and move my current rears to another room thanks to the info I leaned here.

If your application is mostly broadcast Tv and you are not a diehard movie watcher, then sub $500 for the arc is fine. However, if you are an enthusiast and plan to scale and your buying habits in audio tend to veer premium, you might as well skip the debate and jump on the Ultra. Unlike Beam gen 2, the Ultra is a more than just a generational iteration. While Sonos’s acoustic tuning and sonic signature is shared across all of its products, the Ultra is a different soundbar than the outgoing Arc. It will have much better dialogue and Spatial Audio for overhead at,os if that appeals. It will also have much more bass, adding the value of a complete system without necessarily a need for a sub. I think Sonos hasn’t reduced the price of the Arc for the time being in order to demonstrate the tremendous value of the Ultra for $100 more. For those who have an Arc with subs and surrounds, the upgrade will be nominal to moderately substantial depending on the room acoustics (size of room and ceiling height). For first time sound bar users, the word so far is that the Arc Ultra is best at sub $1500 even matching the $2500 Sennheiser. It comes down to your purchasing habits in this category. This is just my opinion . Best is if you goto a BBY and get a sense for tithe new Ultra and how you think it will perform in your set up

I have the Sony HT-A9 with the sub and it's been amazing. Had the sonos arc and one's as surrounds, and a sub; also tried Ambeo that shit is massive but excellent also. Ultimately went with the Sony since my partner wanted to be able to play Bluetooth occasionally and didn't wanna tinker with having to download sonos app, etc. I had a Samsung HW-Q950A too but ultimately resold it, and had intentions of trying Nakamichi but returned it unopened and stuck with HT-A9. Occasional glitches like once every 6 months if that so have to run the Optimizer stuff. I've loooved it! Going on 3 yrs now having mine. The price went down some, and just keep an eye on bestbuy open box for the sub, i got the SA-W5.

I know Sonos is getting a lot of heat lately, but I only use my Arc Ultra, sub and era 300s for home theater and they are incredible. The front stage atmos from the Ultra is a massive upgrade from my old Arc, but the Arc is still a great soundbar, especially since it's down to like $675? Definitely a solid price. With the Arc on sale right now, I'd get that with the sub mini, and you'd have a great system. The sub mini packs a great punch, and doesn't annoy your neighbors if you're in an apartment or a smaller room. But the app has had issues lately, but I haven't run into any as it seems to effect people who have more speakers than myself or those who play lots of music through different music streaming apps.

I took my arc back to Costco today, they gave me my $900 back. I'd bought the Ultra when it came out with a 30% discount, so that worked out. I was just honest with the manager, said the speaker worked perfectly for the year or so I had it, but the app had caused so many issues that I was just returning it. He said no worries, "we've had loads of returns." Seems like Costco is aware that Sonos destroyed their app last year. Although, since switching to my Ultra and changing all my speakers to 5g, my issues have been resolved.

I have the same xperience…honestly people need to compare old Arc with new arc ultra without sub and 300s. With them it sounds much better anyway…but I guess I will return my ultra for an exchange one and if it’s the same I stay with my old arc…

I use to flip Sonos equipment, I have a Arc, 2 subs, and a pair or Era 300's for surround (flipping stuff I paid very little overall) it's sounds incredible, but that's a lot more than a just a soundbar

With all the bugs going on with Sonos at the moment I would avoid Sonos, but if you do want a Sonos I would go a beam over the ark. Recent software upgrades has changed the arcs sound signature and I sold mine because it was just way too thin and harsh.

Your issue is what made me sell my Arc. If you trim the treble to tame the harshness, then the mids and upper-mids become flat and lifeness. They so need to give us a proper EQ.

Samsung, at least in three years time it will still sound the same. Sonos likes to change the sound signature of its bars once or twice a year. So if you like the sound now, that may not be the case in 12 months time. I bought an Arc 3 years ago liking its sound, but Sonos’s sound changes made it progressively worse, so much so that I sold it because I just couldn't stand listening to it any more. a

Sonos has a terible sound signature to my ears. thin mids, boosted upper mids and simelant extremely forward treble. I couldn't tune it properly so I sold it. I suggest listen before you buy.

If you don't want to deal with rear speakers, Ambeo. If you can do rear speakers Soni Quad or Q990D. The sonos sound signature is very forward thin treble and no real lower mids, so personally I would avoid. I had an Arc but sold it, because I just couldn't get it to sound good and natural.

Personally, I would skip the arc, I just sold mine. Sonos's recent software upgrades to the arc have changed it's sound signature for the worse. It's now really trebel forward and similant. I just couldn't stand listening to it any more, so I sold it.

got the Arc, a pair of Play 1,3 and 5 gen2, Sub gen 3, Beam gen 1, flawless. Airplay to them, stream from google hw, Broadcast TV and movies, love it all, would get more any time, just don't need any as these just work and sound great. And if the app sjould go funny again, there is homeassistant ;) and also 10 fingers to chose from to push buttons :D

Hi There! Thanks for all the reviews and opinions from actual owners! Seems like the Ultra is a worthy upgrade from all previous Sonos Soundbars including the Arc. Everyone is saying that the Ultra is better with Multi-Channel Audio but wondering if anyone can provide a little input on how well the Ultra handles Stereo or 2 Channel audio? I find that my Arc is not great with Stereo and seems to project the sound more directly to the Left & Right as opposed to the “Front” Left & Right. It seems to rely heavily on the speakers physically on the left and right hand side of the soundbar and doesn’t project sound forward all that great when playing Stereo Audio. I’m hoping that the Ultra has improved on Stereo audio too and not just Multi-Channel and Centre Channel. Thanks!!

Best review is your own. I picked up the ultra, tried it out and it’s back at best buy for someone to buy open box. For me it wasn’t enough to spend $1000 and move my Arc to another room.

Used sonos arc

I have tall ceilings like you and my Sonos arc not only provides no audible atmos but also generally sounds thin in a room a bit like yours. Acoustics like this are challenging.

I took the Arc last weekend. I’m to deep in the ecosystem and needed to replace the playbase because we want to wall mount everything. Also have a sub and 2 play:1’s 799 - 200 for the playbase trade-in..

I just bought the Arc at end on September. Whole package. Luckily have the 60 day return at Best Buy. So will be upgrading to ultimate after Ultra packs is released this coming week. Especially after this review.

Only Arc has the Sound Motion technology, it has a mini sub inside

My only criticism of the Arc is that it feels a bit underpowered compared to the Era 300 and especially the front height channels during movies. I will wait for more review before deciding also because Ultra might mean I need to give up one of my 2 sub

What are your thoughts on selling my Arc & Sub mini and just getting the Arc Ultra? I have Era 300’s as surrounds and don’t like having very much bass (apartment dweller).

Same. Although the new Enhance Dialogue feature for AppleTV is crazy good.

I have turned off Speech Enhancement because I was having issues with non-vocal high-pitched noises hurting my ears when it was turned on. But I am sensitive to noises like that. Enhance Dialogue actually knows what voices are and only boosts that. It's a little too strong, though, but fantastic for mumble movies!

I’m thinking about ditching my Arc for HomePods 😆

Wouldn't that be nice? I've got the Era 300's as rears with my Arc, and they're overkill. I don't feel secure upgrading to the Arc Ultra with Sonos's recent history. Wish they would just give me a separate "music mode" so I could enjoy the front speaker of the stereo 300's easily.

I had the top line LG soundbar when I bought my GX brand new. The sub stopped connecting to the system after a couple of years. I replaced it with a Sonos Arc set up and it sounds amazing. Lately though a lot of folks have had issues with the Sonos app update but my Arc has had no issues.

I agree that Arc was disappointing for music. Arc Ultra for me is big upgrade especially for stereo music. It is really fine for my needs with 2x Era 300 only.

I’ve always preferred the beam 2 sound signature to the arc, as much as I trueplayed, eq adjusted it never sounded right, far too trebly, some scenes actually hurt my ears!!! I do think size of room must play a part, the arc and arc ultra are probably better suited to larger size living rooms, smaller rooms like mine it all gets a bit much!!

The Ultra is better but not even close to 2x as good. We’ve got two Arcs, sold one at a very hefty loss for an Ultra. Satistfied, but not at a 550€ premium.

I purchased my 1st Sonos product, the beam 2 because of Andrew’s glowing review. Since then, I added the sub mini, ones and eventually the Arc and Era 300s. I was going to skip the Arc ultra because I believe the improvement is marginal from prior reviews and feedbacks from the forum. After watching this video, I ordered the ultra and the sub 4.

I went with arc ultra full system. No regrets

Either sonos arc/arc ultra, devialet, sony a7000 (if you can find it new)

You must have been that .01% affected for home theater use for Sonos.

Most likely ur best bet for price to performance. You can get used for like $500 now

I use a Sonos Arc as part of a surround setup and I like it a lot

Or it could be the sound signature that simply doesn’t resonate with you. I bought an arc and was so underwhelmed that I’m way too bitten to spend more to try the arc ultra.

I have never used an Era 300, but I do have an Arc. Love the Arc, but not as a standalone office speaker. Take a look at the dimensions. Era 300 looks to be the easy choice. I have a Sonos Move and Sonos One in my office.

If money is no object then the Sonos Arc For full theater experience add the subwoofer + surround (Era) speakers but the sound bar alone is still a fantastic upgrade

I e had an Arc for a couple years now. I have it paired with ones in the back. The vocals (or maybe center channel are awful). Is there anything to help that? Yes I have the voice boost on.

Nothing against the Arc Ultra but I think you’ll be happy with the Arc. I say this because before the Arc Ultra existed, I was incredibly happy with my Arc and 300s for rear surrounds. I’m upgrading because I can, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that I was very happy with the Arc before.

G4, Arc, sub & surrounds. No dropout problems, had 1 issue during the Super Bowl during the first half where suddenly the right surround started to act like the center channel but I checked everything before the halftime show and ran a couple Dolby setup videos and the problem went away for the halftime show and hasn’t reappeared so I’m somewhat convinced that the streaming broadcast was to blame. It’s just a stunningly good tv and combination.

I have the Arc, and while I have had a ton of problems with the app and playing music, I have not had any problems with using it for my TV for the last 4 years. I also have a very complex system with 5 sonos amps, 3 sound bars and 2 subs so it amplified the app issue. For you with just the Arc for TV you should be fine and if the app is down for some reason you can still airplay to it directly for music

If you want a sound bar that looks good, sounds among the best, works reliably with your network, lasts a long time, and you can resell for still good price, you get the arc. The Samsung stuff is disposable tech even if it does sound good. They have a new model every year, the speakers and sub are tied to the sound bar, and it’s value plunges when you resell.

I don't necessarily agree. I got the arc and then got surrounds and sub was last. I wish I got the sub first instead of surrounds because the arc is great enough to sound good and support "enough" of a surround experience by itself. What it can't do well is hit the lows like the sub can. While adding surrounds makes it sound better, the sub can literally add a part of the sound that wasn't there at all. I say get the sub first and rears second!

I recently bought the G3 and I added the Sonos Arc, two Sonos One speakers, and the subwoofer. No joke, it has been magical. Feels like I turned my man cave into a movie theater lol. I highly recommend it

Just like a majority of the comments, I have to say Sonos Arc and full sized Sub. Had a G2 and now a C3 and I love the sound quality of the ArC and Sub combo.

Got mine for $300 at a local auction. The Arc is great. I did have some issues once I added surrounds. That’s when the lacking vocal enhancement showed up in movies/shows. But I hear adding a sub to the Arc pretty much fixes this completely. Great steal, enjoy!

I had this same question. Came here to ask about it, and got downvoted. But it seems most people are happy with their Arc, the Ultra provides prominent upgrades, but the Arc is a superior soundbar as a standalone. I just won one at an auction for $200 and will be adding two 100’s for the rears. I love the product so far and anticipate being even more satisfied once the rears come. App hasn’t been an issue at all either. It gets a little confused between my TV sound and Tidal software at first, but that’s pretty much expected when using two or more sources on anything.

I would say the ARC needs a sub more than the ultra, so consider that.

Bose is the best looking sounbar imo. I have sonos arc atm, saving money to buy the Sony Bravia quad .

Sonos Arc with a sub-mini. Through in a couple era 100s or 300s ideally

Sonos Arc, what’s good is you can add speakers to the ecosystem over time such as a sub and surrounds. I wouldn’t recommend LG bars which combine with your TV speakers. Whatever comes out of your TV is going to be subpar simply due to physics, and the LG bars can’t fix that.

If you don't want to bother go with Sonos. Arc or Arc Ultra + Era 100 (or 300) + Sub of your choice. It is pricey but you can add components later when budget allows. Start with a soundbar, i would recommend Arc Ultra or Beam 2 depending on the space. You can go with decent AVR + KEF Q150s for example as a stereo pair but soundbars now can be very good with basic plug and play. No wires is a huge plus too. Most of the streaming content is in Dolby Atmos now and you can get a very good results with a soundbar without needing to drill the holes in the ceiling. Again, very space dependable but still. Audio is difficult, i've been in both camps. For a dedicated HT space i would definitely go with AVR. For a living room i would not bother and get a soundbar.

pricey in the end but I’m extremely happy with my Sonos setup; arc, era 300 surrounds, and front and rear subs. This is from switching from a 5.1 denon avr and Boston acoustic speakers.

I just feel I can’t hear the arc very well.The voices are are over powered by the background sound.

This is my anecdote. If you have an Arc or Arc Ultra and love it, please enjoy your system! But for those who feel like they can relate to anything I'm saying or are on the fence about what Sonos soundbar to purchase, this might help you make a decision. My home theater setup has been an absolute rollercoaster. Three years ago, my first Sonos product was a Beam Gen 2. I shared it with a roommate in a sparsely furnished apartment with tall ceilings and tons of echo, it sounded alright, but never great. We rarely used the living room, so there was zero incentive to add subs or surrounds. When the roommate moved out, they took the Beam with them, and it worked much better in their new space. They still love it to this day. Two years ago, I moved in with my SO and had full reign over our living room/home theater. I went all in and built what I considered my *dream setup* at the time: A high quality pair of standing speakers (went with Polk R500s) powered by a Sonos Amp. I absolutely loved the simplicity of the Sonos ecosystem. I added a Sub Mini and found a killer deal on 2x Ones with Sonos stands to use as surrounds. This system *kicked ass*. Music sounded sublime, movies with dynamic sound mixing felt lifelike, and even basic TV dialogue was incredible, it genuinely sounded like people were in the room with you. This past summer, my SO and I moved into a new space, and unfortunately, there was zero room for my beloved standing speakers I purchased just a year prior. By then, the Arc Ultra was supposed to be released based on leaks from December 2023, but thanks to Sonos nuking the app, it still wasn’t out by the time we moved. I found a local audio shop that took my standing speakers as trade, and I used the credit to get a Sonos Arc. I also sold my Amp, breaking even. Around the same time, I found another deal on Era 100s and broke even sellings Ones + OEM stands. By August, I had my full new setup: Arc, Sub Mini, and Era 100 surrounds. And all I could say was that it sounded fine. Well-mastered Atmos movies and music were *good*, but for regular stereo content (most music, podcasts, and general TV) it barely felt like a step above TV speakers, which I despise with a passion. Trueplay really carried the system, without it, I would’ve ditched the Arc immediately. It was a night-and-day difference after tuning, but I still knew the Arc wasn’t for me. When the Arc Ultra was finally announced in October, I pre-ordered within an hour because I just couldn’t stand the Arc anymore. One of my favorite things to do with my old standing speaker setup was to demo my favorite music on a quiet weekend day, and that just wasn’t possible with how poor the Arc sounded. Lows and mids were muffled, and highs felt overly tinny on most of my favorite tracks. When the Ultra arrived in early November, I eagerly set it up, and after performing Trueplay, it definitely sounded much better than the Arc. It was more “full” sounding, like a wall between the speaker and listener had been lifted ([I actually praised it in a first impressions post I made](https://www.reddit.com/r/sonos/comments/1gi89ch/upgraded_from_arc_to_arc_ultra_first_impressions/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)). The biggest improvement was the center channel, dialogue in movies and shows was elevated 2-3x over the other channels, which made it crystal clear, though at times it felt unrealistically over-exaggerated. I was generally enjoying the Ultra with no plans to replace it anytime soon... until Thanksgiving week. While staying at my parents’ house on a quiet day when no one else was around, I blasted some music through their setup: a Sonos Amp powering my old Polk T50 speakers (a pair I bought for just $150 on sale back when I was in college), a perfect system for them as they stream a lot of music, watch soley stereo TV content, and play their turntable through it from time to time. I couldn’t believe it. That $150 pair of speakers sounded *heavenly* compared to the Ultra. When I got home, I couldn’t unhear it. The Ultra sounded so processed and lifeless by comparison. I re-performed Trueplay, adjusted the EQ, everything! but nothing could make it sound right to me. I honestly felt disgusted listening to it again. I couldn’t justify the $750 I paid (with a 30% off coupon). I scrambled to request a return during the final days of the return window. I wanted that thing out of my sight ASAP. At this point, I still wanted to stick with Sonos because I had no qualms with my Sub Mini or Era 100s, and space constraints still ruled out a return to a proper standing speaker setup, even a small bookshelf setup was out of the question unfortunately. The Beam was the only option I could trust, It was $300 refurbished with recent sales and an absolute no brainer at that price (Ray was out of the question because IMO HDMI-ARC/CEC are essentials in 2024). If I was going to have a system that didn't sound *great*, I'd rather it sound *ok* for $300, rather than *ok* for $750 like the Ultra did for me, and I’d be able to pocket the savings for a future dream system. My Beam arrived last Thursday, and I set it up Friday night. After performing Trueplay, I was genuinely surprised at how good it sounded as part of the full surround setup with Sub Mini and Era 100s. Stereo content sounded much cleaner and far less processed than either the Arc or Ultra. I had been without the Ultra for just over a week, so I couldn’t compare directly, but to my ears, the Beam sounded slightly better. Sure, stereo separation is weaker, physics is physics, and the Beam is shorter, and honestly, the Atmos overhead effects on the Arc and Ultra were never apparent to me in my Arc setups anyway. The real magic moment came on Saturday when my SO was out. I sat down to demo some music, fully prepared to be underwhelmed. It was *unbelievable*. For the first time since my standing speaker setup, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to music again, cranking the volume and just in awe at how good it sounded (sorry neighbors). I sat there for hours playing through some of my favorite albums. No overly processed highs, no muddy mids, everything just sounded clean, direct, and enjoyable. The Beam synergizes beautifully with the Sub Mini, which picks up the lows at just the right point to where each component plays to its strengths. I also keep my surrounds set to ambient for music, as full surround just doesn’t sound right to me, music should come from in front, not all around, but that’s just a personal preference. I can’t get over the fact that spending *less* money gave me such a better experience. The only thing I miss about the Ultra is its strong center channel, but Apple TV’s recently added dialogue enhance feature solves that perfectly. It’s *magic*, it makes speech perfectly clear without altering the rest of the mix, even on god-awful built-in TV speakers it works surprisingly well. After five long months of battling what is admittedly the *biggest first-world problem* of all time, I can finally sit and enjoy my sound system without listening fatigue or disappointment. Here’s where I stand now: I can’t recommend the Arc at all anymore, (assuming it doesn't get discontinued soon) it just doesn't stack up unless you have a full setup and still sounds disappointingly thin most of the time. The Ultra has its place for two extremes: 1) if you want a standalone, all-in-one sound system without sub + surrounds (its sound motion driver is insanely good at producing bass, I would toggle sub on/off when demoing it the difference was near imperceptible at times) it's the best option from Sonos. or 2) you’re building the ultimate Atmos setup with a Sub and Era 300s, it will no doubt provide the best rendering of surround effects for well mastered content. For everyone else, the Beam Gen 2 is *king*: For half the price of the Ultra (and much less on sale/refurb) stereo content sounds fantastic, surround content is still plenty immersive, and music is in a league of its own (when paired with a Sub to fill in the lows) due to a significant, and very welcome, lack of over-processing.

Thanks for the review, I used to own the arc but the left / right seperation and centre vocals were not that great for me, is this improved in the ultra at all.

Just replaced my Arc with my new Arc Ultra. Full setup: Arc Ultra 2x Era 300s Sub Gen 3 Connected to Apple TV 4K using a Samsung S90C 77" TV (eArc) Setup using Trueplay and iPhone 16 Pro Max First impressions: 1. Sounds a lot brighter/clearer than the regular Arc - this is a good thing (not so bright as to cause distortion). 2. A lot of the bass seems to be coming from the Arc rather than the Sub now when playing back music 3. Center channel is improved immensely and I don't need to use the "enhance audio" option on the Apple TV anymore - just a much better experience (this is the main reason why I wanted to upgrade and was not left disappointed). 4. The brighter clearer sound does have one drawback that I noticed though when watching movies - I'm well aware of where the sound is coming from. This is especially clear for the front (left and right) channels. I do however appreciate the difference in clarity though so for me it's still a major win over the regular Arc. Haven't had too much time testing it out yet due to it being a workday after all, but overall I'm really impressed and happy with the upgrade. Other thoughts: 1. Not as tall as the regular Arc so there's now a noticeable gap between the TV and the soundbar which isn't aesthetically pleasing (not a negative though). 2. The white version now comes with a white power cable and white HDMI cable.

To add on, a soundbar is better for TV. Regular speakers are better for music. You get better sound separation. I have an Arc, but I never use it to listen to music. I could probably address it with EQ, but it doesn't sound as full for music.

Sold my arc, sub mini, and era 300’s for the theater bar 9, rs5’s, and sw3. So glad I made the switch, granted I do have a Sony flagship and also watch a ton of DTS-HD movies. The difference is definitely noticeable

Replacing my Arc and Im impressed. Voice clarity has always been lacking and now its much better. I like the improved soundfield and all in all a great upgrade. That being said, I used a 30% off coupon and sold my arc.

Good to know better dialogue and was hoping the speakers would more even in the front powerful to match the era 300s. But I definitely found arc and era 300 the atmos bubble was quite good. Hoped ultra would be even better..

Exactly, I want the ultra because it’s better and dialogue isn’t great on the arc but it’s also not so bad that I would get rid of arc. Thinking if I get ultra I bring arc to other tv with my ones and maybe one sub and have ultra and 300s and just one sub for other setup.

Yea if it's for music I wouldn't get a soundbar. And if I was set on a soundbar for music I would go with the Arc well above Samsung (and I have the Q990d, it's remarkable but clearly catered towards Theater Surround), but the Arc has its share of issues atm

As someone who has an Sonos Arc, and the new Arc Ultra, the ultra is a great improvement over Arc.

In all honesty, all I ever heard was how great the Arc was in the reviews. Then, when I purchased it, I realised I'd been had by all these people who had never owned a play bar , the only thing it offered was Atmos and some pretty lack lustre up firing speakers. But everyone was raving about how great the Arc is .

Sonos Arc and Sub Gen 3. I don't really have the space for a nicer dedicated sound system. But the Sonos system is nice and gets the job done.

I used to have Bose. I personally didn't like how it sounded. It sounded too harsh or sharp in the ears. It's kinda hard to explain. The Sonos sounded more natural and had a nice blend with the sub. If you buy now most places have holiday return policies that are until mid January.

I got a Samsung S95B when it first released back in 2022. I ended up hating the TV due to Samsung really messing up the TV via firmware updates and never fixing their mistakes. I replaced it with an LG G3 last holiday. I will be team LG from here on out. No issues with my PC, Sonos Arc Soundbar, or anything. Picture is great and everything just works. Samsung QA has also been going down over the past few years. I highly recommend the LG C4 or G4 if you can afford it.

I have a Sonos Arc w/ Sub. I work for an electronics retailer so I get a good discount on them.  Sounds great to my wife and me!

If you like to try Sonos, consider the older Sonos Arc soundbar (no sub) or consider the Beam Gen 2 + mini sub.

So go for the Arc now...and save up for the sub later

Hmmm. I just bought an arc, a set of era 300's, and a set of subs. Wondering if I should return them for this. It's a $400 difference and it already sounds phenomenal.

Keep the sub.

Maaaan it is night and day! I just sold my Sonos Arc yesterday. Dude came over to have a look and test it. Demoed it one time with sub turned off and one time with sub turned on. During the first run I feld kind of bad because the movie scene I showed him (first 3 minutes of 6 Underground) sounded kind of flat. Then I turned on the sub and we just smiled at each other. It’s just night and day.

I have an Arc, Sub 3, and 300s. Tempting to upgrade for the dialog clarity. But I need to hear that setup in person. My Arc fell off the wall while I was traveling, so that’s a factor as well. It’s telling me it’s time.

I like you returned my arc and much much prefer the sound of the beam.

I have an Arc, sub and two ones for the TV and it's very good. In my main living area I have a Beam for the TV and it's very good. I have a one outside and it's very very hit and miss with music, skipping and all the other faults reported with the app at one time or another. Swapped it out with the other ones I have which have been flawless and the fault swaps to the new speaker and the one that was faulty is perfect on the TV. I also have a couple of roams for music which skip etc. I did try the Arc setup with music and it was OK. My Arc is wired with Ethernet. I reckon you'll be all right with the Arc Ultra.

I have a Sonos Arc soundbar and it’s been great for TV use. Most video content is anchored to the center, so you don’t get that much benefit from stereo separation. Dialogue is clear. Dynamic range and bass is surprising for the form factor. Even has room correction. Is it good for music and video games? No.

Interesting thanks! I have the Arc + Sub Gen 3 + rear One SLs and with speech enhancement on I think voices sound fine. To me the biggest issue is that front left right channels lack proper separation, it simply cannot match separate Left Right channels at opposite corners. I don't see how the Arc Ultra can improve this. For music the system is good but not great, my Wiim Amp Pro plus passive speakers in the office sounds clearer.

I have a Sonos Arc with a wireless sub. I used to have an A/V receiver with floor speakers, a nice center, and a good sub. A premium soundbar is vastly inferior to real speakers. I downgraded in the name of preserving domestic tranquility. Personally, I’d rather anchor a system with a pair of compact tower speakers.

Hey, and sorry for my late reply! I got the 55 G4 too, and separately bought the Sonos Arc on a good deal before the Ultra released, and am really enjoying it

My TV is so old it can’t even use all of my Arc power. I’ll upgrade that TV before buying another soundbar.

With a "77" inch screen you're at a crossroad. A mega screen with no audio or a bit flat. A sonos arc + sub is good but i would buy a av receiver and 2 stereo towers with woofers & tweeters. 700 $ gives you a few options but you can always upgrade. The prices for wireless speakers/subwoofer that sync with a soundbar are outragious. 2000€ or more for a sonos arc ultra + sub + 2 rear speakers. The quality is outstanding but a wired HT setup for that price is another level. And more options with an av receiver, my budget HT receiver from 2008 has more than 10 options for the output, 3 movie and 4 music effects.

With a "77" inch screen you're at a crossroad. A mega screen with no audio or a bit flat. A sonos arc + sub is good but i would buy a av receiver and 2 stereo towers with woofers & tweeters. 700 $ gives you a few options but you can always upgrade. The prices for wireless speakers/subwoofer that sync with a soundbar are outragious. 2000€ or more for a sonos arc ultra + sub + 2 rear speakers. The quality is outstanding but a wired HT setup for that price is another level. And more options with an av receiver, my budget HT receiver from 2008 has more than 10 options for the output, 3 movie and 4 music effects.

Sonos arc + two one’s rear + two subs is nice

I have a Sonos Arc + Sub that recently replaced an Insignia that was $100 ages ago. I am consistently impressed by the performance. I was using optical, had no access to Dolby Atmos, multichannel audio, etc. Whenever I was viewing a source with high bitrate audio, like Apple Music or 4K discs, there would be a delay. Now I get every feature that that my C3, XSX, ATV4K allow and it works perfectly. It’s obviously not a true home theater setup but it’s all I’ll need for a long time. Can’t recommend enough, a lot of people have recently upgraded their Sonos home theater due to new iterations, so the 2nd hand market could be a good place to look.

There is no real value comparison, for the price difference it's not worth thinking about. Samsung is a simple decision, no upgrades (other than possible software fixes/tweaks) but Sonos is hugely more expensive for no major uplift in overall experience. Don't get me wrong, I really liked the Sonos Arc full package and wished I could've afforded it but I'm glad that I didn't and got the Q990C instead because at the time I saved hundreds that I've been able to spend on other home cinema (media player) upgrades since.

I must say I agree with this, I own an Arc + Sub + Ones in my living room and just a Ray in the bedroom and I am more satisfied by the Ray as a purchase based on bang for my buck. It's soo much speaker for 150€ (got it on sale). Sure the Arc beats it at many things, but we're talking 1500€ vs 150€ - and yes, I'm saying 1500€ because the Arc without a sub sucks, maybe the ultra doesn't, but the normal Arc does. Meanwhile, the Ray without a sub is very good.

No. I’m testing out a Sonos arc with the sub as we speak and for music it’s terrible. The vocals and mids just sound poor. Going to return it.

The bass is worse on the 990D, I can only describe it as clumsy and unrefined. Definitely the weak/cheap link in the overall package. Just note, though, that overall, even taking that into account, the sound is easily a step up than an equivalent sonos arc/sub/era300 surround setup because the Sonos relies on the sub to keep up, the 990D is held back by it. The Sonos sound has a hard limit in terms of quality and sounds stuck inside itself. That's how I see it coming from being nearly 20 year sonos person....to not.

I also had the same set b&o beoplay 18 2.1 prior to getting the Arc/sub/rear. The Sonos is superior when running movies with Atmos support. However, for regular movies with no atmos support and music; it pales in comparison. Tbh, it’s not even close. If you are a movie enthusiast and are actively seeking out atmos supported movies, go for it. The Sonos are worth it. For mix usage? Don’t bother with the Sonos’s. For around 3-4k you could get some good b&o/Kef that will sound far superior.

That’s not what tech radar and others say. A full Sonos set up pisses all over it for both movies and especially music; albeit it’s more expensive, like-for-like. The App is a pain in the arse though..very inconsistent.

https://preview.redd.it/mlaith9rvxhe1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=78737601c8faeed0e1701ef8e8a9b98da28eeb84 That’s comparing the two.

Before buying my arc and sub I compared it back to back in the shop with a Cambridge audio Evo 75 and a pair of KEF LS50. I spent almost an hour in the demo room and we struggled to get the Arc connected properly. This was before the new app. Anyways after a bit of fiddling we got the system going and I was impressed. But the Cambridge Audio absolutely blew the Arc out of the water for Music, especially with the Kef speakers which on their own was the same price of the arc and sub. But for TV listening I could barely find a difference. So reluctantly I chose Sonos as I knew 90% of my listening would be through the TV. I often wonder whether I made the right choice? Don’t get me wrong I’m super happy with the setup and even considered upgrading to the Ultra. But I’ve decided it’s not the way to go. I feel it would be better to upgrade my 65inch LG and get better visuals before sorting the sound. It’s an expensive business trying for perfection in a system. One definitely has to decide what you want, a banging sound system for music or sound system that complements your TV. The two can’t quite meet in the middle.

Sonos arc serves me well and I have it paired with the sub and two rear speakers

Anything in that price range will be a disappointment. Try to step it up to the 250+ range, something with ARC support. I personally like Sonos. However, their price range starts at 400.

I think the Arc is a great choice. Had one myself and really liked it. I’ll do more than just improve the sound you’re getting from the TV. The arc has pretty good bass extension as a standalone bar, so you may not feel the need for a sub. But, you can always add a sub and rears later if you get bitten by the home theater bug….which may happen after hearing the improvement with just the bar.

I liked the a7000 soundbar and their sw3 subwoofer but their rear speakers really disappointed me and I bought the rs5’s. Cannot play music through the rear speakers and they didn’t make much sound when I would watch sports. Returned my whole set up for Sonos and was very pleased. Sub mini packs a punch and the arc soundbar is much more reasonable of a size for me. I thought the arc had slightly better clarity too but I don’t play my stuff very loud since I live in an apartment

I got the Klipsch Flexus Core 200 recently and love it, though I see it is apparently rather pricey near you. I also really liked the Sonos soundbars when I was listening to them in-stores. I wasn't able to listen to the Arc Ultra and the Arc side-by-side, but I listened to them at two different stores and thought they sounded fairly similar so I'd recommend the Arc out of what you listed. If you could find the Arc Ultra within your budget, even used or open-box, it might future-proof your setup a bit, though.