If you had the Arc, Sonos Sub then things were great. There’s a cohesion through the tonal spectrum that the Beam and Playbar can’t match. There are now four Sonos soundbars in the company's multi-room family tree, the Sonos Beam, the Sonos Playbar, the Sonos Playbase and the newly-launched Sonos Arc, with each one offering something a little different. In some ways the Beam is obviously less sonically capable than the Playbar and Playbase, but its performance given its size and price is really exceptional. The newest of the four, the Sonos Arc, will ultimately replace the Playbar and Playbase in the line-up, leaving you a choice between the Arc and Beam. The Beam and Arc has Alexa built in. Available in black and white finishes, the Beam lo… 88. The Beam is the smallest of Sonos’s TV speakers by quite some margin. The key addition on the Arc is Dolby Atmos surround sound. Its sound profile is well-balanced too and its stereo performance is better. Meanwhile, no Sonos product supports hi-res audio, thought the Sonos S2 software update could change that later in the year. If an account exists, we've sent an email with a link to reset your password. The Play 3 surrounds and sub seem sound even better. Read on for our thorough comparison of the features, specs, dimensions and sound – and today's best Sonos soundbar deals. 6 months ago 4 July 2020. So which Sonos soundbar is best for you? Arc Vs Beam The Arc and the Beam have a lot of the same technology inside, but the Arc is bigger and better. Unlike the Playbar, the Arc can't be positioned on either its front or side – it's oriented the same way regardless of positioning (the bespoke Sonos wall-mount is a £79/$79/AU$99 optional extra), and even automatically adjusts its frequency response accordingly. The Playbar uses an optical connection, whereas the Beam uses an HDMI ARC connection— by far the preferred choice for most setups — that can be fitted with an included optical adapter if needed. The Sonos Playbar has 9 digitized amplifiers compared to 5 for the Beam … If you’ve got no intention of wall-mounting, the obvious course of action is to buy the Playbase. It’s clear and balanced, with good rhythmic sense, plenty of punch and a natural midrange. It’s little surprise that this is a bassier delivery than that of the Beam, but that it goes deeper than the Playbase is unexpected. It's more than just a soundbar, too, thanks to app- or voice-controls and access to practically every music streaming service. Support for practically every music streaming service under the sun, the ability to work with other Sonos speakers in a multi-room set-up, and the option to add two of the company’s music speakers (the Play:1, One, One SL, Play:3 or Play:5) as surrounds and/or the Sub for extra bass are all here. But if it's within budget, the Sonos Arc is the one to beat. Part of me wishes your title had been either "Arc vs Playbar vs Beam" or "Beam vs Playbar vs Arc" However, the photo is cool! Weighing just 2.8kg, the Beam will be less of a stress on your wall if you decide to wall-mount too. With the Arc, Sonos is rewriting its own home theater playbook, tossing out the pricey Playbar for something even bolder. Unsurprisingly, given its relatively diminutive dimensions, the Beam has the fewest drivers, with one tweeter and four full-range, elliptical woofers working with three passive bass radiators. You can add Alexa to the Playbar or Playbase (or any Sonos speaker) by adding an Amazon Echo device such as the Echo Dot to your network, but this isn’t nearly as neat or as functional. Note: The prices above reflect the retailers' listed price at the time of publication. azurik777 Standard Member. Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer, We check over 130 million products every day for the best prices, cease software updates for older products, Harman Kardon brings 3D spatial audio and live music concerts to your car, Sony launches new 360 Reality Audio wireless speakers and video streaming service, Mercedes MBUX Hyperscreen is a giant 56-inch OLED 'in-car cinema'. That also makes it significantly wider than the Playbar (90cm). Success! The Beam only has 5 speakers vs the Arc’s 11. Good question. The Sonos Beam was launched at $399 / £399 / AU$599 – now, that might not sound super cheap, but compared to the Sonos Arc’s $799 / £799 / AU$1,399 price tag, it’s positively frugal. The Playbase has the same number of tweeters and mid-range drivers as the Playbar, but also has a separately amplified, innovatively S-shaped woofer for its bass frequencies. They then used those learnings on Arc, only this time they had a longer soundbar (more surface area) and more woofers to play with. Around the back you'll find the HDMI connection, ethernet port, power connection and a pairing button. To get the best sound from the Playbar, you need to stand it on its edge - which then runs the risk of obstructing your TV screen. It’s also in many ways an awkward design. Measuring 65cm wide, 10cm deep and 7cm tall, it's easy to find a spot for under or in front of your TV. That it misses out on AirPlay 2 will be a deal-breaker for some. Sonos Arc experience vs Beam. What Hi-Fi? The four Sonos TV speakers are available in black or white and the Arc, Beam and Playbase have capacitive touch controls. Sonos Arc will launch on June 10 and is priced at $799. The Arc also adds eARC support, to ensure it can handle those Dolby Atmos signals from TVs that can output it. There are capacitive touch controls on the top, and it also leverages HDMI ARC for seamless control when connected to your TV. A Warner Media Company. What’s more, its compact dimensions make it far easier to find space for and its more advanced features, voice control in particular, make it extra compelling. Minimalist styling is once more the name of the game, but the little speaker’s elongated pill shape and mesh wrap combine to make something that looks just a little bit classier and more stylish. FOR: Affordable; compact; voice control; impressively weighty, spacious sound for the size and price, AGAINST: A bit of brightness at high volumes and with poor quality source material, VERDICT: The most feature-packed of Sonos’s TV speakers, and the best performance-per-pound proposition, FOR: Big, open, weighty delivery; very deep bass; loud and authoritative enough to fill the largest rooms, AGAINST: No voice control; no AirPlay 2; slightly inauthentic bass; somewhat awkward design, VERDICT: It’s showing its age in terms of design and features, but the Playbar is still the best option for large rooms and those looking for extra bass, FOR: Practical, solid design; excellent tonal integration; natural, rhythmic bass; AirPlay 2, AGAINST: Quite prominent brightness and sibilance to treble, VERDICT: The soundbase design will suit some, but the Playbase’s irritating treble spoils an otherwise excellent presentation. And while the Playbase doesn’t go as deep as you might expect, the integration, tonality and naturalness of its bass frequencies is impressive. is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. The Arc, Beam and the Playbase have AirPlay 2 support, bringing with it the ability to create multi-room systems with speakers from multiple brands. This arrangement provides an ultra-wide soundstage, thanks to the placement of each component, along with the plastic grille with precision drilled holes. Both the Arc and Beam also offer voice control, with support for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, plus some Apple Siri commands using an iPhone or iPad. For example, Beam is compatible with Appel’s AirPlay 2, Google Assistant, and Amazon’s Alexa platform. The Playbar is arguably the least attractive of the four devices, with its angular design looking a little outdated compared to the rounded panels of its newer siblings. Success! In fact, it delivers one of the most convincing Atmos presentations of any soundbar we’ve heard. It’s the 11 Class-D digital amps, eight elliptical woofers, three silk-dome tweeters, and their arrangement inside the Arc’s housing. It features all of the same smart home features — AirPlay 2, Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa — as the Beam. It has a great subwoofer that gives you a great bass, which the Playbar lacks. Previously owned a Playbar. You can preorder the Arc right now, with deliveries beginning on June 10. HDMI ARC and eARC do also add an extra layer of cooperation between speaker and (HDMI CEC-compatible) telly, particularly with voice control. Unlike the Playbar and Playbase, which rely on an optical connection to get sound from your TV, the Arc and Beam uses HDMI ARC (there is an optical adapter too). The Playbar uses an optical connection, whereas the Beam uses an HDMI ARC connection — by far the preferred choice for most setups — that can be fitted with an included optical adapter if needed. What's the Difference Between the Sonos Beam vs Playbar vs Arc? ... From the outside, the industrial design differences between the Arc and the old Playbar are noticeable. You’ll be able to transition the Beam to the new Sonos S2 app when it launches in June. No such issues with the new Sonos Arc. Soundbar products like the Sonos Playbar and Sonos Beam are slightly different in that they need to physically connect to a TV. The Samsung HW-Q70R is a better soundbar than the Sonos Playbar. At 90cm wide and weighing 5.4kg, it’s big and heavy. The Sonos sub has a cube shape design with a hole in the center and choice of colors, while the Bose sub has a tempered glass top with a choice of colors. The Beam is the smallest of Sonos’s TV speakers by quite some margin. If you have your TV on a wall mount, then the Playbar makes more sense of the two. Given those differences in the drivers, it’s impressive that a clear Sonos sonic signature runs through the range. That could be a major consideration for some. At £399, it does plenty for the money, and even though the Playbar … The problem is that in this orientation, the Playbar’s drivers are largely firing upwards, leading to a sound delivery that’s tall but lacking in directness. De Sonos Arc kan wel gezien worden als de vervanger van de veel oudere Sonos Playbar. In this video we take a closer look at the Sonos Beam soundbar made for small to medium sized rooms. But size isn’t what truly sets the Arc apart from the Beam. The Sonos Beam is for someone who wants a high-quality soundbar with plenty of depth and range, without spending a fortune. Sonos just announced its latest soundbar, the Sonos Arc, along with the new Sonos Five, Sub, and its new S2 app. Sonos learned from Beam (released in 2018) how to squeeze as much bass as possible out of a small soundbar. If your TV is on a stand, put it on a Playbase instead. You might be wary of splashing the cash on a Sonos product, as the company recently hit the headlines over its plans to cease software updates for older products in May 2020. Naturally, you can pair the Arc with the new Sub and a couple of One SL speakers to give you full surround sound experience. The Arc is bigger than the Beam, by quite a bit. All of the hardware launches on June 10, while the new app will be available a couple of days earlier on June 8. It features many of the Arc’s core new features, only here it is smaller and A LOT cheaper at $399/£399.It’s not as powerful as the Playbar or the Arc, but it is still a mightily impressive soundbar for smaller living rooms and apartments. It’s a premium soundbar, with a premium price and features. Updated The Sonos Beam remains significantly smaller and cheaper than the other Sonos TV speakers, yet it offers the same array of streaming and multi-room features, plus the crucial upgrades of voice control and an HDMI connection. I have it in an average sized bedroom pairedwith two play1s. Not only is it smaller and lighter, the Beam also looks prettier than the Playbar and Playbase, though the Arc may give it a run for its money. Let’s take a closer look. © The Atmos-toting Sonos Arc uses Dolby's 3D sound technology to great effect. First up the Beam. Visit our corporate site. The addition of Dolby Atmos surround sound. Sonos at a recent press event announced the new Sonos Beam soundbar, a compact soundbar with Amazon Alexa built right in.