Sonos Arc vs Beam Gen 2 vs Arc Ultra - Which Fits Your Living Room?
BIKMAN TECHWhen it comes to premium home theater audio, Sonos has established itself as a leader in the soundbar market. Today, we at BIKMAN TECH are diving deep into a comprehensive comparison of three stellar offerings: the Sonos Arc, Sonos Beam (Gen 2), and the brand-new Sonos Arc Ultra. Whether you're upgrading your current setup or building your first home theater system, this guide will help you make an informed decision based on your space, needs, and entertainment preferences.
1. Key Differences at a Glance
The three soundbars represent different tiers in Sonos's lineup, each designed for specific room sizes and user needs. The 🟩 Arc Ultra stands as the flagship model with 14 drivers and revolutionary Sound Motion™ technology, delivering a 9.1.4 spatial audio experience. The 🟨 Arc offers 11 drivers in a 5.0.2 configuration, while the 🟦 Beam Gen 2 packs 5 drivers into a more compact form factor perfect for smaller spaces.
What immediately sets these models apart is their approach to Dolby Atmos. Both 🟩 Arc Ultra and 🟨 Arc feature dedicated upward-firing drivers that bounce sound off your ceiling, creating genuine height effects. The 🟦 Beam Gen 2, while supporting Dolby Atmos, uses virtualization technology to simulate height channels without dedicated up-firing drivers. This fundamental difference significantly impacts the immersive quality of your audio experience.
2. Design and Build Quality
The 🟩 Arc Ultra measures 117.3 cm (46.18 inches) in width, making it ideal for TVs 55 inches and larger. Its sleek profile stands at 7.9 cm (3.13 inches) tall and 11 cm (4.35 inches) deep, weighing approximately 5.9 kg (13 lbs). The refined design features a new acoustic architecture that not only looks premium but also optimizes driver placement for superior sound dispersion.
The original 🟨 Arc maintains similar dimensions at 114 cm (45 inches) wide but with a slightly different profile. Meanwhile, the 🟦 Beam Gen 2 offers a more compact solution at 65.6 cm (25.83 inches) wide, 6.8 cm (2.68 inches) tall, and 10 cm (3.94 inches) deep, weighing just 2.8 kg (6.2 lbs). This makes the 🟦 Beam perfect for apartments, bedrooms, or smaller living rooms where space is at a premium.
All three models feature polycarbonate grilles with thousands of precisely drilled holes, allowing sound to pass through while protecting the drivers. The build quality across all three is exceptional, with solid construction that feels premium to the touch. Each soundbar includes touch-sensitive controls on top for play/pause, volume adjustment, and microphone muting.
3. Audio Performance and Technology
The 🟩 Arc Ultra's standout feature is its revolutionary Sound Motion™ technology, which delivers unprecedented bass response from a compact transducer. This innovation allows the 🟩 Ultra to produce deeper, more controlled low frequencies without the need for a separate subwoofer in many setups. The 14 Sonos-engineered drivers work in harmony to create an expansive soundstage that truly fills the room with 9.1.4 spatial audio.
The 🟨 Arc delivers impressive performance with its 11 drivers, including eight elliptical woofers and three silk-dome tweeters. Two of these drivers fire upward for Dolby Atmos height effects, creating a convincing overhead sound bubble. The soundstage is wide and immersive, though it lacks the bass depth and overall refinement of the 🟩 Ultra.
Despite having only 5 drivers (four mid-woofers and one tweeter), the 🟦 Beam Gen 2 punches above its weight class. It uses advanced processing to create virtual height channels for Dolby Atmos content. While it can't match the physical presence of its larger siblings, the 🟦 Beam delivers surprisingly clear dialogue and a wider soundstage than you'd expect from its compact size. Three passive radiators help enhance bass response, though a subwoofer addition would benefit bass-heavy content.
4. Connectivity and Smart Features
All three soundbars feature HDMI eARC connectivity for the highest quality audio transmission from your TV, supporting Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus, and PCM stereo. Each model includes an optical adapter in the box for older TVs without HDMI ARC. The 🟩 Arc Ultra adds Bluetooth connectivity, a feature notably absent from both the 🟨 Arc and 🟦 Beam Gen 2, allowing direct streaming from mobile devices without WiFi.
Smart home integration is consistent across all models, with support for Amazon Alexa and Sonos Voice Control built-in. All three support Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and Tidal Connect, though none offer Chromecast or Google Assistant support. The Sonos app provides unified control, allowing you to adjust EQ settings, enable night mode, and activate speech enhancement across all models.
An exciting feature exclusive to the 🟩 Arc Ultra is compatibility with TV Audio Swap for Sonos Ace headphones, enabling seamless switching between soundbar and private listening. All models support Trueplay room correction (iOS only), which uses your iPhone's microphone to optimize sound for your specific room acoustics.
5. Room Size and Placement Considerations
The 🟩 Arc Ultra is designed for larger spaces, ideally rooms 20m² (215 sq ft) and bigger. Its powerful driver array and Sound Motion™ bass technology can fill expansive open-plan living areas with cinematic sound. For optimal performance, position it at least 10 cm (4 inches) from the TV and ensure at least 14 cm (5.5 inches) clearance above if wall-mounting to allow the upward-firing drivers to work effectively.
The 🟨 Arc works best in medium to large rooms, typically 15-25m² (160-270 sq ft). Like the 🟩 Ultra, it needs adequate ceiling clearance for Dolby Atmos effects to work properly. The wider design means it pairs aesthetically with TVs 55 inches and larger, though it can work with smaller screens if your furniture accommodates it.
The 🟦 Beam Gen 2 shines in smaller to medium spaces, roughly 10-20m² (110-215 sq ft). Its compact design makes it perfect for bedroom setups, apartments, or as a secondary soundbar in a den or office. It pairs well with TVs from 32 to 55 inches and can be easily wall-mounted with minimal visual impact. Since it lacks dedicated up-firing drivers, ceiling height is less critical for placement.
6. Expandability and Ecosystem Integration
All three soundbars seamlessly integrate into the broader Sonos ecosystem, allowing you to create a complete surround sound system. You can add any combination of Sonos Sub (Gen 3), Sub Mini, or the new Sub 4 for enhanced bass response. For surround speakers, options include Era 100, Era 300, One, One SL, or even repurposed Five speakers.
The 🟩 Arc Ultra paired with Era 300 surrounds and Sub 4 creates the ultimate Sonos home theater experience, with the Era 300's upward-firing drivers complementing the Ultra's height channels for complete immersion. The 🟨 Arc benefits similarly from surround additions, though the improvement is most noticeable when adding a subwoofer to fill out the low end.
For the 🟦 Beam Gen 2, adding a Sub Mini and Era 100 surrounds creates a remarkably capable 5.1 system that doesn't overwhelm smaller spaces. This combination often provides better overall sound than a standalone 🟨 Arc or 🟩 Arc Ultra in rooms where the larger soundbars might be overkill.
7. Performance with Different Content Types
When watching movies with Dolby Atmos soundtracks, the 🟩 Arc Ultra delivers a truly theatrical experience. Action sequences feel explosive with precise object placement, while quiet dramatic scenes maintain crystal-clear dialogue thanks to enhanced center channel processing. The Sound Motion™ technology ensures explosions and bass-heavy soundtracks have genuine impact without distortion.
Music streaming reveals interesting differences between the models. The 🟩 Arc Ultra excels with its wider frequency response and superior stereo separation, making it excellent for critical listening. The 🟨 Arc provides a pleasant, room-filling sound that works well for background music during gatherings. The 🟦 Beam Gen 2, while more limited in scale, delivers surprisingly detailed midrange that makes vocals and acoustic instruments sound natural and present.
For gaming, all three models support low-latency audio when connected via HDMI eARC. The 🟩 Arc Ultra's precise soundstage gives competitive gamers an edge in detecting directional audio cues, while the 🟨 Arc creates an immersive gaming atmosphere. The 🟦 Beam Gen 2 performs admirably for casual gaming, though serious gamers in small spaces might want to add surrounds for better positional audio.
8. Advanced Audio Processing Features
All three soundbars include Night Mode, which reduces loud sounds and boosts quieter ones, perfect for late-night viewing without disturbing others. Speech Enhancement is available across the range, though the 🟩 Arc Ultra features an improved algorithm that makes dialogue even clearer in challenging acoustic environments or with heavy accents.
The Trueplay tuning system works slightly differently on each model. The 🟩 Arc Ultra uses an updated version that better accounts for room irregularities and can compensate for less-than-ideal placement. The process takes about 5 minutes and involves walking around your room with your iPhone while the soundbar emits test tones. Android users can perform a less comprehensive "Quick Tuning" using the soundbar's built-in microphones.
Each soundbar processes surround formats differently based on its capabilities. The 🟩 Arc Ultra and 🟨 Arc can decode and render full Dolby Atmos height information, while the 🟦 Beam Gen 2 uses virtualization. All three handle Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS, and PCM formats, automatically optimizing playback based on the source material and speaker configuration.
9. Power Efficiency and Environmental Considerations
Despite their performance differences, all three soundbars are surprisingly energy-efficient. The 🟦 Beam Gen 2 consumes the least power during operation, typically drawing 15-20 watts during normal listening. The 🟨 Arc uses approximately 20-30 watts, while the 🟩 Arc Ultra, despite its additional drivers, maintains efficiency through optimized Class-D amplification.
All models feature automatic standby mode, reducing power consumption to less than 5 watts when idle. They're constructed with recyclable materials where possible, and Sonos offers a trade-up program allowing you to receive credit toward new products while ensuring your old equipment is properly recycled. The packaging has been redesigned to minimize plastic use, with the 🟩 Arc Ultra featuring completely plastic-free packaging.
10. Real-World User Experiences and Feedback
Users consistently praise the 🟩 Arc Ultra for its transformative impact on their viewing experience. Many report that the improved bass response eliminates the need for a subwoofer in average-sized rooms, though adding one still enhances the experience. The Sound Motion™ technology receives particular acclaim for delivering tight, controlled bass without the boominess some users experienced with the original 🟨 Arc.
🟨 Arc owners appreciate the wide soundstage and immersive Dolby Atmos effects, though some note that dialogue can occasionally get lost in complex scenes without Speech Enhancement enabled. Many users recommend adding a subwoofer for the complete experience, especially for action movies and bass-heavy music genres.
The 🟦 Beam Gen 2 consistently exceeds expectations given its size, with users particularly impressed by its clarity and the effectiveness of its virtual Atmos processing. Apartment dwellers appreciate that it delivers satisfying sound without annoying neighbors, and many use it successfully in bedrooms where larger soundbars would be overwhelming. The lack of Bluetooth is a common complaint across both the 🟦 Beam and 🟨 Arc, making the 🟩 Arc Ultra's inclusion of this feature particularly welcome.
Making Your Choice: Which Sonos Soundbar is Right for You?
So, how do you choose? It comes down to your room, your TV, and your expectations.
🟩 Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is for you if:
- You have a small-to-medium-sized room.
- Your TV is 50 inches or smaller.
- You want a significant audio upgrade and a taste of Dolby Atmos without breaking the bank or taking up much space.
🟨 Sonos Arc is the perfect choice if:
- You have a medium-to-large-sized living room.
- Your TV is 55 inches or larger.
- You are a movie lover who wants a true, immersive Dolby Atmos experience with powerful, room-filling sound.
🟦 Sonos Arc Ultra would be for:
- The ultimate home theater enthusiast who accepts no compromises.
- You desire the widest, most detailed soundstage possible from a single soundbar.
- You are building a high-end entertainment system and want the absolute best-in-class audio centerpiece.
The original Arc remains an excellent option, especially if you can find it at a reduced price, offering genuine Dolby Atmos with upward-firing drivers and impressive room-filling sound. The Beam Gen 2 proves that great things come in small packages, delivering remarkable performance for smaller spaces while maintaining all the smart features and expandability that make Sonos special. We at BIKMAN TECH believe each of these soundbars excels in its intended use case – the key is matching the right model to your specific situation. Ready to upgrade your home audio? Click through to find the best deals on these amazing soundbars, and don't forget to share your experiences or questions in the comments below!
