Sonos - Beam (Gen 2) 5.0 Channel Smart Soundbar with Dolby Atmos - Black

I bought the Sonos Arc for my bedroom and living room but wanted something smaller for my guest bedroom so I bought the original Beam. It was great but it was missing one feature…Dolby Atmos. The Beam 2 has added Dolby Atmos and improved the vocal audio so now it’s the perfect and best small soundbar. I’ve owned the top of the line soundbars by Samsung, Sony, and LG and they all sounded good for movies but sounded bad for music. None of those brands sells a subwoofer that can hit the low end bass like Sonos. I do have to issue a disclaimer for the Beam 2 and every soundbar available. The Dolby Atmos effect works best with upfiring speakers in a room with low ceilings but it’s limited. If you want the full Dolby Atmos effect you need rear speakers so you create a sound bubble and then you have sound coming in all directions…only then can you tell sound is being placed left, right, high, or low. I purchased the Beam 2, subwoofer, and 2 Sonos Ones so I get the full surround sound experience and it’s great and worth the money. Not only do movies and music sound great but the Beam 2 is great for gaming. When it comes to negatives…I will say it does get expensive to build out the system and the Beam 2 works way better with a sub, rear speakers, or both.

This is a compact soundbar that delivers big sound for its size. It fits nicely under most TVs and looks sleek. The audio quality impresses, with clear dialogue and decent bass for both movies and music. Setup is generally easy - just plug it in and follow the app instructions. It works with Alexa and Google Assistant for voice control, which is handy. The Dolby Atmos feature adds depth to movies, making them more immersive. Music playback is good, and you can stream easily from your devices. It also plays well with other Sonos speakers if you want to expand your system. However, there have been issues with the mobile app wich can be frustrating when you're trying to adjust settings or play music. The price is on the higher side for a soundbar, and you might want to add a subwoofer for better bass, which costs extra. The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) offers great sound in a small package, but the app troubles and high price might make you think twice. It's best for those who prioritize audio quality and don't mind occasional tech hiccups.

After listening to all in store I chose to go with the Sonos beam. Was going to go with the Klipsch flexus 200 but their demo is really poor and couldn’t get a good judgement of the sound. It was pretty easy to setup in the app and it’s very compact so looks good with our setup. The Sonos sounds better than an old Polk Magnifi max sr system I had and an old Samsung soundbar both originally retailed around this price. The beam is not as good as a set of dedicated speakers but still sounds better than any of the others at the price and will disappear into your space.

I was skeptical that a soundbar this size could fill my room, but the Beam (Gen 2) absolutely delivers. The dialogue clarity is the standout feature for me; I no longer have to constantly ride the volume button during action scenes just to hear what people are saying. It integrates perfectly with my existing tech, and the setup was so easy my kids could have done it. It’s the perfect balance of a minimal footprint and massive, high-quality sound—definitely worth the investment if you want a premium theater experience without a bulky setup.

I recently bought the Sonos Beam Gen 2 to boost the sound quality of my TV, movie, music, YouTube experience. At the store, I wasn't too impressed with the sound quality of any of the sound bars on display, but knowing other people with Sonos products (Play 1s, One SLs, etc.) I knew how good they could sound in an apartment, home, etc. Set up was a breeze with the NFC on an iPhone 13 Pro. I was initially really impressed with the sound quality of the Beam connected to my 2015 Samsung TV (ARC HDMI port). It wasn't until I switched the audio format to DTS Neo 2.5 (Samsung DTS Digital format) that I was truly blown away. I can't get Atmos sound through my TV, but wow the clarity, power, and bass of the soundbar alone still heavily exceeded my expectations. I actually messaged my neighbor to let them know I'd gotten a new speaker and give them the freedom to message me if my music or movie watching ever got too loud! Movies and TV are especially fantastic via DTS 5.1 audio. The channel and range separation is done well and both provide a very immersive audio experience. My audio quality test for headphones is always "Long After You're Gone (High Quality) Audiophiles Music" on YouTube which was re-engineered by a audiofile engineering company based out of Germany. The beam did not disappoint and with the Speech Enhancement mode on, the Beam displayed its ability to pump out exceptional, high-quality sound. I was pleasantly surprised by its ability to render clear, deep bass responses. I've now been bitten by the Sonos bug as I went out and got a Sonos One speaker for my bedroom and added the Gen 3 Sub to my Beam setup. I won't go in-depth on either, but the Sub is just stupid powerful. I shakes my entire living room area at a volume level of only 3 or 4 (goes all the way up to 15). The sub is pricy, but you pay for what you get here. Couldn't be happier with my first Sonos experience. FWIW, I decided to purchase a Beam Gen 2 for my parents for Christmas. Verdict: Great, high-quality soundbar that is surprisingly powerful and offers a fantastic audio upgrade to my entertainment experience. For an even greater theater experience, get the Sub. You won't regret it. That said, the Beam does punch above its weight in many areas.