Sonos Beam Gen 2 VS Sonos ARC - ATMOS at half price!
Вставка
- Опубліковано 29 жов 2021
- Is the Sonos Beam Gen 2 half the price of the Sonos Arc? Or Is the Sonos ARC twice as good as the Sonos Beam? Different perspectives but let's cover them in today's video.
Sorry for the long video today! It is almost half an hour long but it does have a lot of content and it covers almost my entire experience with the Sonos Beam Gen 2. I have also recorded the full clips with binaural microphones of the Sonos Beam Gen 2 to compare with the Sonos Arc playing full bandwidth Atmos lossless soundtrack from Dolby. I have also taken the time to compare the relevant portion of the clips. I hope you find this video useful!
If you found my work useful and would like to support it, please visit my Patreon link to contribute to my coffee fund! : / peterpee . Now, only if you really find value! Even if you don’t contribute, I am happy to share my experience with all you viewers on my channel here!
Ugreen HDMI 2.1 cable:
amzn.to/2ZU0QqL
UGREEN 8K HDMI Cable Ultra High Speed HDMI 2.1 Certified Support 8K 60Hz 4K 120Hz Dynamic HDR Dolby Vision eARC Compatible for Xbox One Nintendo Switch Samsung TV Roku PS5 Metal Nylon Braided 6.6 FT - Наука та технологія
Wow, one of the best reviews I have ever seen!
Thank you very much and congratulations from Mexico!
I appreciate your very objective yet real-world review. I've done a lot of research on these two soundbars and your review is the best one that I've seen.
Thank you for the high praise!
Completely agree! I think you have to come to terms with what it is you are looking to accomplish with the purchase. I am just looking to improve the innate audio of the LG C1. I don't think I am looking for the essential home theater experience. Just a tv with great audio.
@@freakboy40 what did you end up getting
I went with the Sonos Beam Gen 2 which is perfect for what I want at least right now. I'm pretty much an empty nester now so don't really need the entire theater experience.
@@Nucleus123 I bought the Beam, but returned it. It had a nice "large" sound, but I was disappointed with vocals. I traded to a Bose 900. The Bose isn't quite as good as the Sonos for big action scenes, but it's better than any built in speakers and the vocals are simply excellent.
exactly what i wanted to see compared thanks alot i dont want to see nobody else do this comparison experience
Great way of presenting the frequency curves between the 2 products. Very educational, thanks.
Thanks! Glad this works! I will keep to this method.
@@PeterPee Can I play the Sonos beam 2 an the Sonos arc at the same time in the same room
Thank you for the review! Very well structured, super informative, and really helpful
Another perfect Peter review. Straight up and to the point.
Thank you Peter. As a SONOS guy I'm sure of my next purchase
This is the best review and comparison that I've found on UA-cam. I wish I've watched this first so I wouldn't have to waste my time watching the others. Thanks for helping me with my decision.
This is one of your best videos Peter and i am sure will be viral as this topic is not covered anywhere else as precise and in depth.
Wow. Thanks!
I love that you give the short answer 👍 But i also like to hear the details, so your video is perfect 👍 Have a great new year
First time watching your videos and this is a really great review! Thanks for putting all of this together!
Thanks Peter! Your videos are so thorough and well thought out, I always refer to you before making a purchase.
That's saying a lot! Thanks Pete!
I have first buyed mein Sonos Speakers and after watched your Reviews.. and you are rwight with every Review! Thank you for your nice videos!
Hey Peter, I've been following your videos since I bought my IKEA SYMFONISK bookshelf speakers and a 65“ LG 4K NanoCell TV here in Germany in 2020.
Based on your videos, I bought the SONOS Arc shortly after and the Sub a few weeks later. The sound is amazing and I am still very satisfied. Now that the new Dune 2021 movie has been released, I bought a 2nd sub and what can I say, it's a great experience!
Thanks for your great videos, keep up the good work!
The sound on the 2 videos at the end on my sony xm4 earbuds is awesome great review as always..
As always, great review! I recently purchased the Beam Gen 2 with 2 sets of Sonos Gen 2, a total of 4 Sonos One speakers.
Very nice!
4 sonos ones for the surrounds?
Very impressive comparison, I would liked to have seen a response curve for Arc + 2 x rear Ones Vs beam G2 + 2x rear Ones and both the sub. I hear the rears when set to full audio range greatly helps the arc but would love to see it
Another great video! Thanks to all of your work, we are enjoying our Arc, One SL's (x2) and Sonos Subs (x2). Fortunately, my DW (Darling Wife) hasn't asked the cost but instead tells me how much she enjoys the theatre like sound! Whew! LOL! In any event, I enjoyed the video, and am happy with the Arc. I also appreciate the way you are presenting the graphs! Very well done! Thanks Peter!
@real Batman,
Could you feel the difference with one and two sub?means what’s the difference in listening when turn off one sub and turn on second sub!?is that worth to buy second sub??
Thanks
My take is that the second sub adds about 10% more bass performance. It's hard to quantify but if I had to put a number to it, this is about it. I'd be brutally honest and say that if it is going to cost 700 dollars to get that 10% extra bass, most people won't appreciate it.
@@perumalraja6765 I originally purchased one sub with the rest of the system. After using it for a few days (and having done the Trueplay calibration), we found that the sub was less than obvious. Our room is an acoustical nightmare! It has an 18 foot high vaulted ceiling, is large and open, with windows forming one wall and an open area opposite the windows leading to another part of the house. So I purchased the second sub and followed something Peter said in one of his videos... I moved them to different positions to see what I liked. Ultimately, the subs are on either side of the TV cabinet, one facing the room and the other perpendicular to the first sub, but on the other side of the TV cabinet. Not a conventional set up, but WOW!... what an impressive sound! It made a huge difference! As for 'worth' it depends on each individual. It was expensive, and Peter says it's only a 10% increase in bass, but in our living area, it increased the bass by 50% or more! So... we are very happy with it.
Superb video thanks
Great vid and good explanation. Thanks!!
Finally a proper breakdown! I was going to pay out for the Arc bundle but now after watching this I am going to buy the Beam bundle instead and save some money, Thanks!
I’m fairly confident, my plan for our new home will be in my smaller club room (man cave), will be the new Beam Gen 2 & (2) Sonos Ones for a 65”.
In the much larger Great Room will be Arc & Subwoofer for a 75 - 80 inch TV.
Thanks Peter for the video.
That sounds about the right choice.
That sounds like an awesome setup!!
Hello Peter! Great vidéo. I have a question. I have a large basement room. I have two Sonos five to play streaming and vinyl on a turntable with an additional amplifier. In front wall at 12 feet a i have à 65' TV. Which Sonos soundbar to put under TV do you recommand for this set up? And adding à Subwoffer is a good idea too? Thanks !
Very informative, I enjoyed this video
I JUST BOUGHT IT SONOS ARC AND BLOWN AWAY THE SOUND QUALITY AMAZING
Yes! Me and the wife just moved into our first home and picked up the arc yesterday along with a gen 3 sub and 2 play 1 speakers. I am blown away with the sound quality 😍
La mejor comparación entre sonos arc y sonos beam 2 de todo youtube
What stands are you using for the play 5 behind you?
Great Video Peter. Do u think added Beam G2 with one SL or Gen sub which 1 will have more impact to the sound quality?
What a great video! Thanks! I was trying to choose between a sb with upward speakers or not. I have a TV with only ARC compatibility (no eARC) so no lossless audio formats available. Moreover, my gable wooden ceiling is 4,5 meters above the TV and could destroy sounds reflections downward. Couch is 3 meters from the TV and I could buy surround speakers. I am going then for the beam I consider the best choice. Any comment please?
Would the frequency response change much with adding 2 sonos ones with the beam 2?
Hi Peter, thanks for the comparison. Very detailed, as always! I currently have a Sonos Arc (+ 2 rear Ones + Sub) and I watch a lot of TV shows/movies that are heavy on vocals. I also listen to music primarily on this setup. I definitely find the vocals lacking, especially listening to music or dialogue and have kept the 'Speech Enhancement' turned on. While that helps a bit, I definitely want to fix this and may be go back to the Beam (I had a Gen 1 before).
My question is - can you do a frequency sweep on the Arc *with Speech Enhancement turned on* and see if that boosts the midrange? (and compare it to the Beam Gen 2).
There should be more people like you in this world. I wanted to like this video twice by watching it
WAF = Wife Acceptance Factor. The way every married man chooses his products (almost every time). Great review btw!!! Extremely detailed. The summary has never made me to leave a video!
Hi Peter, Great video- The Beam doesn't get so loud so it likely still just Ok for the bedroom area and not larger spaces. Would that be accurate? Also no upward firing so really no heights in the Beam so a virtual. I remember with the arc finding the sweet spot for the bounce of atmos. What's a sweet spot for the Beam when it has no upward firing speakers. There is always a sweet spot. I can't see height speakers, who will ever hire an electrician to wire in ceiling speakers. May make more sense to have the amp become a full fledge system. Then again when limited on sound formats maybe best to buy an everyday receiver. Or if any thing they may come out with speakers that have speakers on top like what Some others do. These would be for rears. That would make people to redistribute current rears elsewhere and buy back into Sonos for these. .
Hi Peter, thanks for creating these great videos and it proves to be enlightening for amateurs like me. I was hoping you could also share your thoughts on the Creative sxfi carrier from our own homegrown brand, Creative Technology. What is your take on this and how is this compared to Sonos or even Bose?
Hi Peter, been watching your videos for some time now and wanted to say what a great job you’re doing.
I have a question regarding the Loudness setting. Noticing that you have compared Loudness on and off in an earlier video, I’m wondering since Loudness is dynamic and changes based on volume, is there a difference in the sound profile over various volumes? Is that something you would be able to take a look at when time permits?
Keep up the great work!
I have never tried the Arc but the Beam Gen 2 paired with Sonos One surround speakers has been transformational for us! Thank you for your detailed review!
Fantastic video. Thank you for taking the time to put this together. I have a question though. I have am open plan room with my tv (65 inch) in a corner with the overall tv space about a third of the room. Essentially the room is big but my tv/couch area is small. In this scenario which would be better in your opinion, the beam or the arc? Thanks in advance
I think the main idea for the arc is to fill the bottom of a massive tv rather than a beam just a small amount.
I really enjoy your research and analysis. I wish to know where, online, or where to download to get Atmos tracks. Thanks
Glad I got the Arc before the price went up.
How do you like it? What movies have you watched? I had the Bose Smart Soundbar 900, but I took it back because the Arc has more bass! I do think that Bose is more clear and has beautiful high notes, but the Bass Module 700 just didn’t cut it for me.
Question:
Money not being an issue. On a 65 inch tv. 10 foot tall ceilings in a basement in an room the size of average family room. Which shall I pick?
A. Beam 2 with sub gen 3 and a pair of surround 1’s
B. Arc with sub gen 3 and pair of surround 1’s
From your various videos, the impression I got was to do an Arc as a stand alone or beam with all the accompanying sonos devices. Am I right?
Wanting to get orders in, especially with delivery delays. Thanks!
Wah you are good. Thanks for the video
Hi Peter, so great watch your video,I decided to buy two sonos five for music , and prepare to buy sonos beam gen2, and they will in my living room (around 40 square meters), 3 meters from TV to sofa.is it a good choice? Or Sonos arc is better choice?
Thank you!
Hi Peter , can you please share me the latest best sound setting for sonos arc + sub gen 3 + one’s for Sony A80J.
Also how to get the full sound from the TV to arc system ? Can I change any setting on TV to get the Dolby sound through eARC ?
Hiya I have a lg 65 c1 medium size living room what do you recommend beam gen 2 or arc thanks in advance and great videos as always
Thanks for the video! I wanted ask is the arc still worth it, if the side speakers are blocked? My setup is limited to a built in I can’t wall mount it. I would have maybe 3 inches of clearance on each side. I plan on getting a sub and era 100s with the beam gen 2 would the arc still be better even with the side speakers blocked?
Peter, would you recommend upgrading to the Beam gen 2 from the Beam gen 1 when used with a Sub and two rear ikea picture frame speakers?
Check my comment above! Someone replied
Excellent review and breakdown of specifics. I have been watching your videos quite a while and you make videos like no other… for better spatial effects am thinking to add surrounds with beam gen 2.. would you suggest symfonisk books shelf or lamp?
I did the Sonos Beam Gen 1 with rear symfonisk bookshelf rear surrounds for my LG OLED 55C1. I later added the Gen 3 Sub a year later. I upgraded to One SLs a few months ago. I really can't tell the differences between the Symfonisk and One SLs? The Symfonisk speakers are excellent and I would pick the version that fits your room the best. The good thing about the bookshelf speakers is you have so many options for placement location and/or distance for an more immersive sound. You might be stuck with one or two positions too close to your optimal listening position with the Symfonisk lamps.
Hey Peter, any update when the Arc will get DTS update? Also, not sure if your into gaming with Series X or PS5 but if so, what headsets would u recommend. Thanks again
Hi Peter! Love all your techie details. I wanted to ask if you could review the Samsung hw-q990b/za set compared to a Sonos arc+Sub+1SL. I’m trying to decide which to buy.
Great video and I agree! Would love an EQ guide for beam 2 when you get a chance, as your EQ guide for the beam 1 really opened mine up at the time a few months back!
Johnny, not sure if I can make that video in time. EQ testing takes a darn long time for me to perform and I might have to return the Beam Gen 2 soon!
@@PeterPee That would be amazing if you could! No worries if not!!
I've got a room that is 4 meters x 9 meters.
The sofa is in the center of the 9 meters side.
The TV is on the opposite wall, 4 meters away from the sofa.
I've got two sonos ONE.
Which soundbar is the best for this configuration? The beam (gen2) one or the arc one?
With the Beam (gen2) is better to have a subwoofer?
Thanks a lot for the reply.
Very nice video, but which one would you recommend Sonos Beam 2 or Bose 600.
Thanks
Great video as always… I sold my arc some months ago, my wife (and I) got tired of not hearing the voices… this sound promising! I vote for beam gen2👏🏼
Yeah, it seems that they have really gone further in the department of vocal tuning this time round. You CAN hear the difference in voicing right?
Peter Pee, I greet you from Mexico, I would like to ask you, in one of your videos you showed us your parameters in bass (-4), treble (-6), loudness (on), sub level (-5), for you they are still your best equalization or there is some update with time. I currently have the arc sonos, two one gen 2 sonos, and the sub 3gen sonos. greetings happy holidays
Believe it or not, I still hold my settings which I have tested them for but they work for my room. You room will be pretty different so I'd always suggest that you use my settings as baseline and tweak from there.
You are right that with some updates, the sound signature would have changed. In the past one year, you can try even with a bass setting of (-1) or (-2) and it might still sound great to you. A lot of it also depends on the volume you play at.
Hi Peter, I just purchase a Sonos arc and I found that the vocal dialog sound a little bit low, if I increase the volume, it will sound too loud for some action scene. I have been adjusting the volume up and down when watching a movie, it is very troublesome. I just subscribe to your channel, and I found that u have some good tip here in your channel. Just want to ask, u have any recommendations to solve the problem that I mention above? I have already turn on the vocal enhancement, but it seem not solving the problem. Appreciate if you can give me some advice, thank you.
There should be a night mode available which is next to the voice enhancement icon. It looks like a moon crescent shape. Turn that on and it will reduce the dynamic range. But this is a common issue with home theatre setup and it just begs to be loud.
@@PeterPee 👌thank you
Hello, Do I need Sonos Beam gen2 with Sony TV 55 inch (A8H | OLED | 4K HDR). Am I going to get significantly better sound from Sonos Beam gen2 than tv?
Cant give more Like to this guy. Top
This compatible with Samsung qn94a? I heard the beam gen 2 didn’t have pass through so it may be an issue for this tv…
Very interesting video ! Thank you!
I recently purchased the Sonos Beam 2 and I’m really surprised about the good quality of the bass. So your analyse confirmed my feeling.
Do you think it is relevent to add some Treble in the equalizer of Sonos App ?
Thank you for your content ! I just upgraded to the gen 2 and noticed when pairing with sub it’s not as effective as pairing gen 1. I find the sub doesn’t free up the power of the beam as it did with gen 1. Do you have any setting recommendations to remedy this or do you think sonos will update and make them work better together ?
I have noticed the same thing. Adding the sub to the Gen 1 was a huge step-up, while I can barely hear the difference when I activate the sub with the Gen 2. It just adds a thin layer of deep bass, not very elegantly. I hope Sonos will tweek something in the next updates. If not, I might as weel resell the sub.
@@AdrienBssgt found a decent eq as of yet that works well with sub?
@@reidwolton8887 Not really, I have - 3 bass and +2 treble.
@@AdrienBssgt what do you have sub audio at ?
Yeah it's correct hardly getting any bass on the sub gen 3 with Bream 2, I'm sending it back, 😬
Hello, I have been thinking about getting a Sonos sound bar but wanted to know what ur opinion is. Should I get a sonos arc or beam 2 with two 1’s rear speakers? Also would be amazing if sonos does the atmos feature for the rear speakers.
Forgot to mention my living room is 14’ x 11’
Like your new way of showing frequency curves!! The old way was confusing and really hard to see when watching video..
Thanks! I will stick to this way!
Great review, do you think the rear surrounds One Sl are worth it for tv shows and movies?
You will want some form of surrounds! If the one SL requires you to stretch your budget, consider the ikea symfonisk bookshelves if they are available in your region!
Great clip, really appreciate the science behind it. Curious if you've tested adding rears to the Sonos Beam Gen 2 and what the frequency response looks like?
I did add to it but didn’t have enough time with it to make a frequency response video. Unfortunately.
@@PeterPee in your opinion, did that setup sound better than just the arc alone? I am thinking about buying soon but still don’t know if I should get the Arc alone or get the beam 2 with sub
@@J.Ballest I’m in the same boat as you currently. It also depends on the room size you’re listening in I guess? I’m very curious about your findings
I’m a Sonos customer but I’m definitely interested in comparing the Sony HTA9 to the Arc and either The 5’s or Ones. As of right now nobody has a comparison of the two systems
I have an Arc, sub and One SL rears and tried the Sony HT-A9 earlier this week. My quick conclusion is that the HT-A9 is very impressive, but not worth the money. A sub is mandatory with the A9 (not included) and I didn’t feel it was with the Arc. The sound demos reel you in with the A9, but actual movies are only marginally better than with a Sonos system. TV was actually much worse, it’s not in Atmos, so it had a difficult time deciding which speakers should play. The sound bounced between the front speakers randomly and it was very distracting and annoying. I didn’t use my TV as a center channel as my Sony A8H doesn’t support it. That may help, but most reviewers say it doesn’t, it is actually worse. I feel that is probably the case with movies, but not TV.
My recommendation is to save your money. I have no doubt that Sonos will introduce One’s with upward firing Atmos drivers within the next year and that will make the A9 irrelevant. The A9 should include a fifth speaker for the center channel and the better subwoofer for $2k, then it would be phenomenal and worth it.
Edit: I forgot to mention, as many others have said about the A9, I had issues with drop out and pops. About once every 60-90 seconds, one or more speakers would drop out for a second or you would hear a pop. I did some limited troubleshooting but never eliminated it. What’s interesting is that there is a piece of paper taped to the control unit with steps on how to fix that issue. So Sony knows it is a potential problem right out of the box. I’m sure it has to do with being all wireless and outside interference, but there are only so many things you can do in your room. I have returned it. It should be available on Amazon, used, very soon!
@@Scalptrash Good stuff… I hope you are right about Sonos giving us One’s with upward firing speakers or just the ability to add more One’s that you can place above you aiming down for real better Atmos.
@@Scalptrash Thanks for this
Thanks @scalptrash for the revelation! Indeed, the Sony multi-speaker wireless connection is not as stable as most would hope that it'd be. Sonos is still the most stable by far, although one may argue that their bandwidth requirement is a lot lower given they don't really do hi-res bitrates.
I'd give the Sony a few more product lifecycles to get the wireless sorted out, and if Sonos has not moved on in terms of sonic abilities by then, Sony (and other competitors) might catch up.
Excellent breakdown no faffing about
For a room of 27 square meters and a TV of 55 ". Which of the two is better?
Always enjoy your video Mr. Pee, informative and well organized. Surprised you horizontally mirrored your layout, new camera or trying different settings? Keep up the great work!
Wow! You noticed that! I did, well, it's because I wanted my hands to follow the frequency curve. I did the earlier video and I kept getting confused raising my wrong hand and it was hard to point out the specific parts in the curve.
@@PeterPee We're tech nerds that follow you...we notice and listen to everything! Keep up the great work! 😎
I got the Beam 2, I've been extremely happy with it. However I got this annoying voice in my head where if I get an thought in my head, it will keep repeating until I give in. In this case, buy a Sonos Arc. I put a good deal of effort to silence it. Reasoned with it, looked up reviews and comparisons. It wasn't until I watched this video and read some of the comments, where I was able to shut it up. So here is my comment about it, along with my thanks!
Haha! You know a lot of viewers on this channel has that voice?
A beam with surround and a sub is perfecttt
I had the same feeling about the base when I heard the beam, but now your charts prove that :)
Another awesome video Peter
Any chance you can compare the old Playbar frequency response with the new Beam and Arc and how much it's worth upgrading
Hi Peter, I am not a fan of the dialogue in arc as you mentioned spot on that it is very dispersed and it’s not punchy. I have to raise the volume for the arc I’m planning to return the arc and pick up a beam Gen 2 as I already have 2 ones for my surround. Do you think it is a good choice ?
The Beam Gen 2 is looking to be a very good proposition. If you are able to get all your money back for the Arc, then I say return it and get the Beam Gen 2 if dialogue is important for you.
I have 2 beams and 1 arc. The beam is a great option but in the larger living room setting the arc is a much better option. The beam doesn't struggle in the living room but it's not even close.
You can also get some really good vocals on music from the arc.
I use 2 albums for my audio testing off the wall by Michael Jackson and never too much by Luther vandross. This is due to the musical arrangements and the tone difference in both the singers voices along with the excellent mixing of both albums.
That center range of the curve can be where it is a drop off in the mids is huge.
I even turn my play fives down in music setting to about to make use of the center channel of the arc producing great vocals.
However I agree for the money go with the beam hands down.
This is what I was looking for. What is best for the large living room vs. a smaller man cave room. I definitely need the voice enhancement as well.
Hi Peter - thank you for the video. I currently own a Samsung Q90T (2020) with eARC port and Sonos Playbar + Sub and 2 Play 3 as surround. I watch movies, TV series and listen to music. I would like to upgrade to enjoy Atmos. Coming from the Playbar should I go to Gen 2 or Arc? Also, the Q90T will give Atmos natively or I need to factor need an external streamer like Apple TV 4K or Nvidia Shield? Thank you!
The Q90T supports Atmos as well as DTS:X encoding so you are good to go! I'd recommend the Arc in your case. The Play:3s are much louder as surrounds than the Ones so you will balance it out better with the Arc rather than the Beam Gen 2.
@@PeterPee thank you for your reply - given Sonos Arc is quite expensive, do you think it is worth upgrading from my setup? Will Atmos be material (the room is about 20sqm, regular shape with one of lateral walls being a large glass patio window). Or shall I wait for Arc Gen 2? I would not want to spend 900 pounds just for 5-10% improvement on the margin. Thank you!
Great video Peter. Am in the market to decide between the ARC and the Beam G2. Have a pair of Sonos Five’s which will be the rear. Just moved into a new place and though this video swaying me to the G2, the size of the living room and height of 4m, still feels like I would need the ARC to enjoy. Do advise.
My suggestion is to go for the arc. I have pretty high ceiling too. I end up having to put the arc there for better sound and the beam at a place where the ceiling height is 2.8m.
very good one
Hi nice review there.. Any plan to review Samsung Q950A? It is one of the best soundbar in 2021.. maybe u can make a comparison with sonos arc / beam 2..
Great video Peter... Like Johnny Do, I'd love it if you could do the best settings for the Beam Gen2 like you did for the Gen1. I used it with the Gen1, Sub and 2 OneSLs and I was amazed with the sound difference. Considering the new base profile on the Beam2 it would be great to straighten up that curve 😊 Thanks again
Let's see if I have time to do this on one of the days this week. I might have to return the sound bar very soon.
@@PeterPee much appreciated 👍
I have an old Yammaha 5.1 surround with rear speakers and sub. Is a beam gen 2 better? Got a Sony 900h 65 inch
I've got nearly the same setup! My Yamaha is a 70 W RXv377. I tried a Sonos Arc and multiple amplifiers. None of them beat the old system. Music is a priority for me, so the flatter, more accurate Arc had the chance to beat my system but couldnt. For me that means the Beam2 wouldn't beat it either.
Hi. I have an LG 49UJ701V TV (2017) with Arc HDMI and last Apple TV 4k. So I want to know if sonos beam 2 gen + 2 Sonos one L will give me the Dolby Atmos experience. Thanks a lot and great video ;)
This tv doesn’t have Atmos processing. An Apple TV will query the tv for supported codecs and Atmos won’t be reported so it will not pass through Atmos. You won’t be able to get Atmos on the beam gen 2.
I went to a Best Buy to listen again to the Beam gen 2 and Arc. It was halfway working with only the music worked for the Beam and Video worked for the Arc. Anyway, I noticed the Beam 2 sounded very boxy and very narrow. Is this perhaps just due to the store display setup and need to run Trueplay on these?
I have beam 1, sub and 2 ones as surround. I don’t really know if I should upgrade to beam 2! Does atmos really make that much a difference? (Even without upward firing speakers)
I'd say keep the Gen 1 for now if you don't have a TV with Atmos support and eARC.
@@PeterPee LG c1! It has got both atmos and e-arc! So given the possibility you would buy it!
i use gen 1 for a month and change to gen 2 when its came out. i say gen 2 gives more field feeling than gen 1,and arc output are more rich. both of them have no upfire speaker,and barely no stream media support full channel dolby atmos, arc and e-arc should not be a game changer for the sound. considering you already have sub and rare speaker, money shouldn't been your first concern, go change to gen 2 is a good upgrade to your system. and the old gen1, lets say a great wifi speaker u can use it for your pc or another small tv.
@@fanli279 maybe at this point I should go for the arc ahah
If you want a bigger difference in sound then jump up to the ARC… Gen 2 isn’t that much better than the Gen 1 but the arc is a big leap forward especially since you already have the sub and ones. I did a video that goes more into this 😊
I too have the same question as Akatrielaiic. I have a beam 1, sub and 2 ones as surround and a 65" earc capable tv in my bedroom (14' W x 12' L x 9' ceiling). I use the new Apple TV 4K to play the spatial music and watch mostly Netflix. I thought my current Sonos setup is already pretty amazing with the sound effects seemingly coming from the side of the walls at times! So will the Beam gen 2 make a huge difference with it offering Dolby Atmos now? Or should I go for the Arc?
I enjoy your reviews and look forward on your take on this one. Thanks
Since you have the TV support for it, I think you should go for an Atmos capable bar. But I'd say that the increment in performance might not be as big moving from Beam 1 to Beam 2. Go for the Arc since you already have the Sub to augment the bass.
@@PeterPee That's my sentiment as well to go for the Arc. Thanks for your input!
The Arc is the better one but cost more.But like both of them and have a 65'' LG C1 and the Gen 2 would look funny in front of Tv.
Hi Peter amazing video, I'm curious to see the difference between beam1 against the beam 2.
How does Beam2 perform when listening to music?
In stereo mode, the bass notes are actually better without the processing for Atmos. But it’s not better than the arc. It’s just better than when it tries to play music in a movie track.
Do you think about make vedio about Sonos beam with Sonos five as home theatre?
Thought of that before but it's not a common configuration. If you are into movies more than music, I suggest that you use the Ones or the Symfonisk Bookshelf.
Hi Peter can you do a similar comparison between Bose 600 and Sonos Beam gen 2, without sub and without any other speakers
If I asked my wife what she wants, she'd say keep the 6 year old Panasonic soundbar we have now... the only way I got a 65" TV was not telling her how big it was & just turning up with it after saying "can I buy a new TV"- and then I had to build a new mantle to fit it because she didn't want it on the wall without a proper surrounding and all the cables invisible.
Is there a world where you can use the arc and beam together in the same room?
You will need two TVs with Arc/eArc and wi-fi. I don't think the Beam or Arc will work without them.
Great video, would be great if you could do the same frequency tests using x2 rear Sonos1’s and Play5’s
A lot of us have Sonos 1s without the expensive sub..
Another video idea 💡 that will be useful for us to know ^__^=
Hi Peter, why is the frequency response curve for the Sonos Arc @8:52 different from the curve you showed in a previous video (ua-cam.com/video/ssJ2XnsSJ-I/v-deo.html)? The curve looks more flat and smooth compared to the older video.
Did Sonos tweak the sound signature through firmware updates? Or did you test it differently?
The smoothing factor I used to even out there curve is higher. So it is easier to communicate and read on the screen. They are still roughly similar. But the important factor here is positioning. Room changes. Where the measurement mic is, other furniture items… so there will be slight variables.
Beam 2 vs lg eclair?
just because a soundbar can "play Dolby atmos" doesn't mean its going to SOUND like Dolby Atmos AT ALL ...
Peter do you know when DTS will be implemented?
From what I have read it will be coming the end of November.
Very soon is the word. And I am pretty sure they are trying to rush it so that it becomes a relevant gifting option for the year end.
To me, Sound Beam gen 2 seems like has side speaker, angle ones.
Yes, they have angled speakers firing to the front/side. The Arc has those firing off totally to the sides at 90 degrees instead of an angle.
Do you think the beam 2, sub gen 3 and ones are good for a room that is 16 x 12, which is a room that's 190 sq ft. Currently I have the Samsung q900a with rears. The one thing I don't get is, how do you not have more subscribers.
Exact same set up and room here it's amazing
Really great video. Thank you. Still not sure what I’m going to do. I had been thinking of Arc plus Sub, but my room is fairly small and TV is only 55”. Now I’m not sure. It almost sounds like getting the Sub with the Beam isn’t worth it in your tests. But am worried the Beam by itself may be disappointing
If you’re used to having a sub then the beam by itself will probably be disappointing. Buying the ARC and sub sounds amazing! I have a small room (12m2) and in my opinion the arc is still worth the extra money for its wider sound stage, more convincing Atmos and better range of sound.
You’ve just saved me £450 😊
Why did the price go up?!??