Sonos Arc vs Beam 2 soundbars in comparison

For home cinema fans and music lovers, Sonos has two great soundbars in its range: the Sonos Arc and the Sonos Beam, the latter of which is already available in its second generation.

The differences between Arc and Beam are quickly explained: dimensions, number and arrangement of the integrated speakers and… the price.

My favorite: Sonos Beam 2

I ordered both the Sonos Arc and the Beam 2 for comparison and compared and tested both in detail: With different material, different music genres, various movie formats and I even did a blind test with other people.

My probably very unpopular opinion: The Beam 2 from Sonos is perfectly adequate for me. However, there are very different use cases for speakers and soundbars.

Science fiction or daytime news?

My percentage use of a soundbar looks like this: 55% background music via Spotify, 5% parties with friends, 20% normal TV programs like news or shows and another 20% series and movies from Netflix.

The Sonos Arc certainly performs a little better in the party percentages, as it has more integrated speakers and therefore a slightly higher volume.

The same applies to the 20% of series and films on Netflix – provided you like watching science fiction films with lots of effects and enjoy the sound of the rocket flying through space.

For everything else, the difference between Beam 2 and Arc is simply minimal and barely perceptible for most people.

Sonos Arc creates more details

Those who like to enjoy high-quality music with full concentration at a higher volume will also hear a difference: The Sonos Arc resolves the instruments a little more finely, the trebles are clearer and the stage is wider.

In direct comparison, the Sonos Beam sounds a bit more like a “can” and not as sensitive.

However, I personally only hear these differences with full concentration, frontally in front of the soundbar with a high volume from approx. level 50 in the Sonos app.

Dolby Atmos with Sonos Arc and Beam 2

Whether Sonos Arc or Sonos Beam, neither of these soundbars can deliver real surround sound.

Surround sound is generally referred to as a 5.1 system, i.e. 5 speakers (front center, left and right as well as rear right and left) and a subwoofer.

The two Sonos soundbars at least take over the front three speakers for the sound from the right, center and left.

The so-called rear speakers must be purchased separately, e.g. the Sonos One or the Sonos picture frames from IKEA.

And with the additional Sonos subwoofers, both soundbars sound even better, although the difference between Arc and Beam is even smaller.

Sonos effects from the ceiling

The new Dolby Atmos format is designed to ensure that the sounds and effects of a movie come not only from the front, but also from the back and , more recently, from above.

In cinemas and sophisticated home theaters, extra speakers are built into the ceiling for this purpose.

The Sonos soundbars attempt to simulate these effects from above: The Arc has two integrated speakers that point diagonally upwards.

The sound is supposed to be reflected from the ceiling and beamed to the sofa. The Sonos Beam 2 is designed to create this effect using sophisticated, processor-controlled simulations.

Rocky road to Dolby Atmos

Both soundbars achieve this effect quite well – in some movies it actually sounds as if the sound is coming from above.

But the path to this movie enjoyment is rocky if you don’t already have state-of-the-art equipment…

The TV must be able to loop through the corresponding sound signals and pass them on to the soundbar, which is currently only possible with newer models.

Players such as Apple TV, games consoles or BlueRay players must be able to handle Dolby Atmos, as must any intermediate devices such as HDMI splitters, and the film material also needs the corresponding audio tracks.

Normal television programs and many films and series are not yet shown in Dolby Atmos.

Listen to music in Dolby Atmos

There are now also songs that have been recorded or remixed in Dolby Atmos. As with movies, you get a more spatial feeling when listening and the instruments come from all sides.

Differences between Sonos Arc and Beam 2

A look at the table below makes it easy to recognize: The few differences between Sonos Arc and Sonos Beam (Gen 2) can be counted on three fingers: Dimensions, speakers and price.

The dimensions of the Arc are impressive: with a length of 1.14 m, it is more than twice as long as the Beam 2. Apart from its size, the soundbar is pleasantly simple and unobtrusive.

However, the dimensions should not be ignored; the Arc could look strange under a TV set that is too small, and the sideboard should also be dimensioned accordingly.

The Sonos Arc can also be suspended under the TV using a suitable bracket.

For small applications such as bedrooms or children’s rooms, the latest and smallest soundbar from Sonos – the Ray model – may be perfectly adequate.

11 or 5 integrated speakers

The biggest difference with the Sonos soundbars is the number and positioning of the integrated speakers. The Sonos Arc has a total of 11 speakers, including 3 small, round tweeters and 8 oval bass-midrange speakers.

Two of these bass-midrange speakers are angled upwards to create a corresponding Dolby Atmos effect. Two more of them radiate to the side and the other four to the front.

Yes, it sounds pretty good and fills even larger living rooms with decent sound.

The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) has a total of “only” 5 integrated speakers, including 1 tweeter and four mid-woofers. These radiate to the right and left as well as to the front.

Three additional, passive diaphragms simply resonate and are intended to bring out the lower tones better.

All other technical details are quite similar. The Arc has no technical features that its little sister doesn’t have.

Sonos Arc vs Beam 2: My conclusion

If you have a similar usage pattern to me and don’t attach great importance to room-filling home theater effects, the 2nd generation Sonos Beam is a very good choice.

Especially when it comes to the price: the Beam currently costs 499 euros in the Sonos store, which is only half the price of the Sonos Arc (999 euros).

It gets even cheaper with the latest soundbar – Sonos Ray or the refurbished devices from Sonos.