Compare the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) to the Sonos Arc
Sonos Beam Gen2
- Dolby Atmos sends effects via the ceiling to your listening position, which makes the sound extra spacious.
- Adjust the sound of the soundbar to the room via TruePlay on your iOS device.
- Add the soundbar to the Sonos multi-room system and you can stream music throughout the house.
Sonos Arc Black
- Dolby Atmos sends effects to your listening position via the ceiling, so the sound is extra spacious.
- With the built-in Google Assistant, you can control the soundbar with voice commands.
- Via TruePlay, you can adjust the sound of your speaker to the acoustics of the room.
Comparison Sonos Beam (Gen 2) and Sonos Arc
| Sonos Beam (Gen 2) | Sonos Arc | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions (BxHxD in centimeters) | 65.1x6.8x10 | 114.2x8.7x11.6 |
| Number of built-in speakers | Center tweeter, 4 woofers, and 3 passive bass radiators | 8 woofers and 3 tweeters |
| Dolby Atmos | Yes | Yes |
| HDMI ARC connector | Yes | Yes |
| Optical connector | Yes | Yes |
| Spotify Connect | Yes | Yes |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Smart home platform | Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, IFTTT | Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, IFTTT |
Design
Sonos Beam (Gen 2): compact size
With a width of 65.1cm, the Beam (Gen 2) is a compact soundbar. You can easily place this soundbar in a small room or bedroom. The size of the bar makes it most suitable for 40-inch televisions or smaller, but it doesn't look misplaced under a larger television either.
Sonos Arc: wide soundbar
The Arc is a lot larger than the Beam. The bar is 114.2cm wide, which means it's most suitable in combination with a 50 or 60-inch TV. That way, you're sure the soundbar fits onto your TV cabinet or nicely hangs under your TV.
Smart home platforms
You can control the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) and the Sonos Arc via Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, IFTTT, and Amazon Alexa. This allows you to control the most important functions with your voice directly via the built-in Google Assistant and indirectly via Siri. To control the bar via Siri, you have to talk to another device that has Siri built-in. This device will then control the soundbar. Thanks to this, you can ask to skip a song without grabbing your phone.
Surround sound
The Beam and the Arc both have virtual Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital. The virtual Dolby Atmos technology ensures you can enjoy surround sound with just a soundbar. The sound is reflected to your listening position via the ceiling, which makes it sound like it's coming from every direction. Dolby Digital is a surround sound format that produces sound via 6 channels. You have to connect rear speakers and a subwoofer to be in the center position of the sound.
Sound
Sonos Beam (Gen 2): detailed
With a center tweeter, 4 subwoofers, and 3 passive bass radiators, the Beam produces a detailed sound. Within every genre, you can hear clear voices and details. When you play Dolby Atmos content, you're in the middle of the action.
Sonos Arc: perfect for surround sound
The Sonos Arc has 8 separate woofers and 3 tweeters that ensure a very detailed sound together. The large difference with the Beam is that the Arc has 4 woofers aimed at you and 2 drivers aimed upwards. Thanks to the drivers that are aimed upwards, Dolby Atmos content sounds even better.
Conclusion
When you're looking for a soundbar for a small or medium-sized room, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is the right choice. The bar practically has the same functions as the Sonos Arc, but the compact size allows you to easily place it in the bedroom, for example. Do you want a soundbar in a larger room? Choose the Sonos Arc. Thanks to the composition of the speakers, this bar produces a powerful sound and Dolby Atmos comes out even better.
