Expert review Sonos Arc

When the soundbar is delivered to my home, the first thing I see is a massive, long box. While unpacking, I find out that this isn't just for show. With its 6.35 kilograms and a length of almost 115 centimeters, the soundbar is 25 centimeters longer than the Playbar. The design is something new and reminds me of the Sonos Move. The soundbar has rounded corners and is completely black (or white). You'll find the well-known control buttons on top again.

I've already set up many Sonos products and this time I'm also happy with the setup. In my new Sonos app, I can follow the instructions and within 15 minutes, I can connect my soundbar to the TV. If you have less experience or if this is your first Sonos product, it may take up to 20 to 30 minutes. The nice thing about this product is that you only need to use 1 power cord and 1 cable to connect it to your TV. That's it.

I want to watch Stranger Things. This series is particularly suitable to test the woofers and tweeters of the Arc. The dialogues are clear and I don't miss any details. When the series gets intense, the deep bass lets me really experience the sensation. Explosions seem to go right through me. The Arc has 5 channels. I'm skeptical at first, but quite impressed when I actually hear whispers behind me.

When I watch a baseball game, it feels like I'm in the stadium. The announcer sounds crisp and clear, but I do get that stadium feeling. It's as if he's talking through a classic microphone. The volume of the Arc can be very high, so you can even watch your favorite game in a large room with all your friends. No one will miss a single detail.

With the Rolling Stones tour in South America, I test the sound quality during a concert. Again, it feels like I'm right in the middle of the audience. Cheering sounds come from in front of me and from behind me. The Sonos Arc really lives up to its premise. The band sounds realistic and the details of the bass guitar and the basses of the drum set rumble from the soundbar. The banging and reverberation of the hall is clearly audible, so the concert appears lifelike.

The Sonos Arc has an built-in voice assistant. This means you can control both the bar and other speakers or smart devices in your home with your voice. Connect multiple speakers to each other via the user-friendly Sonos App and create a home cinema set or multi-room setup, for example. You can also use the app to adjust the sound reproduction or to listen to the Sonos Radio. This is a special radio service for all Sonos users.

As mentioned before, Sonos indicates that the Arc has 5 channels. According to Sonos, this offers a surround sound from the soundbar alone. I don't think it sounds like real surround sound, but it does sound more spacious. The Sonos Arc certainly provides stereo sound. If you want to be ensured of a surround experience, choose 2 rear speakers like the Sonos Era 100. And if you want to listen to a deeper bass, you can easily expand with a Sonos Sub.