Customer Ratings & Reviews

I bought the Vizio M21d-H8R, Sony HTX8500, and the Sonos Arc to compare three standalone Dolby Atmos sound bars at different price points. I’m keeping one for use with my Hisense H9G and 2021 Apple TV 4K. My TV placement is not ideal for acoustics: the TV is in the corner, seating is not square with the TV and sits at a slight angle to it. There’s no square, flat surface behind or on either side of the TV, and the room is “lopsided” in relation to it. I wanted a sound bar that was: - Stand-alone. I don’t have room for a sub or satellite speakers. - Able to produce clear dialog. Dialog was often difficult to discern on my TV speakers, even on content like Ted Lasso that doesn’t have much happening aside from dialog. - Generally pretty good sounding. This might seem obvious, but I wanted sound that would match the quality of the H9G’s picture. The H9G is not the world’s most amazing television, but it’s no slouch. I was spending money on sound anyway, and I didn’t want to get something that felt sub-par. That said, while I have a decent ear, audio equipment seems to have a point of diminishing return where paying more doesn’t sound that much better. The Sonos Arc gets great reviews, but I wanted to see if I could tell with my own ears, in my apartment, with my equipment. The verdicts: Vizio M21d-H8R. Disappointing. Dialog was not clear, even after trying different EQ settings on the sound bar. There’s noticeable low end from the sub (compared to the H9G speakers) but it sounds cheap. The low end stuck out and had a boomy quality. In addition, there was bad latency from HDMI ARC. Latency was fine when the Apple TV was plugged straight into the sound bar, but any signal passed through the TV’s HDMI ARC was not syncable. I don’t recommend the M21d-H8R at all. Sony HTX8500. I noticed nothing wrong with this device, but nothing exciting either. Dialog was clear, low end was present and fit with other frequencies, and it decoded Dolby Atmos just fine. Surround effects were slight—I could hear some movement in the stereo field, but no height from Dolby Atmos, and everything felt like it was coming from straight ahead. This is expected for the technology in this sound bar, but less than what Sony advertises. Latency was good, through both HDMI ARC and the sound bar’s HDMI in. If my budget had kept me at this price point, I would have been satisfied with the HTX8500. Sonos Arc. At $500 more than the HTX8500, I really hoped this didn’t sound as good as it does. Unfortunately for my wallet, there’s a clear difference between the Arc and the HTX8500. Wherever that price/performance point of diminishing returns is, it’s above this. The Arc has a noticeably fuller sound. While it doesn’t have satellites, it still manages to create sound that feels immersive. The up-firing speakers do a decent job with the Dolby Atmos height dimension. Flares in the burning village scene of 1917 sounded like they were floating above. The effect wasn’t mind-blowing, but added a little more richness and dimension to the sound. There’s much more clarity in the low end compared to the HTX8500. Certain sounds, like flames or spaceship engine noise, were absent with the HTX8500 but subtly noticeably on the Arc. Dialog is pretty clear, and the dialog enhancement setting works well for the most part. Latency on the Arc is good, even though everything is run through the H9G and out to the sound bar using HDMI ARC. I hate extra remotes, so I appreciated the fact that the Arc is controlled via an app for the few times you need to tweak settings. Apple Airplay works great—the sound bar was easy to add to another pair or airplay speakers in my living room, with no wireless sync issues. I’m keeping the Arc and returning the others. The exciting sound is worth the extra money to me. For those looking to save money, the HTX8500 was satisfactory. Steer clear of the Vizio M21d-H8R.

Hands down, the best soundbar we have ever had. We replaced our Bose Soundtouch that was 10 years old, thought about getting another Bose, but this totally beat it out in every aspect. The sound is absolutely amazing, and it's so easy to use and set up. Well worth the money!

I am admittedly not an audiophile but I can generally sense good sound when I hear it. I have a 100 inch screen with an ultra short throw projector in large second floor den in my house. It is not a dedicated theatre room as there is additional areas for the kids to play arcade games etc. So I did not see the value in going full out 7 channel tower speakers and full surround. But I was willing to shell out some cash on a soundbar after being so disappointed with Samsung and Sony bars in slightly less price range. And my god I am glad I went with this bar! Keep in mind I also purchased the subwoofer along with it. Its bass is fine but I couldn't imagine a movie experience without the woofer (which absolutely slams btw! I left a review for that as well). In any event, I was super impressed with this bar's ability to direct sound in a manner that makes you think you have side or rear speakers. It's really incredible. While I realize Sonos sells rear speakers, my set up doesn't have a ton of depth so our reclining cinema chairs are against the wall so I don't totally see the value in them, particularly when the bar itself does such a good job of simulating that experience and sound. I have never left a review for a soundbar in my life as none of them have ever impressed me. The Sonos will completely change your mind on a soundbar. It's truly the first soundbar where I actually felt I was getting equivalent quality for what I paid. I would also mention that setup is incredibly easy when working with the Sonos app. I am such a novice when it comes to any home theatre setup and it was a breeze for me.

Expensive, but worth the price. Sound quality is substantially better than TV speakers (which were above average). Much more bass than other sound bars I’ve owned, including Bose. Very easy to setup.

I bought this as an upgrade from a different Dolby Atmos sound bar and its a head above the rest. My previous one was no slouch either. The design and set upnis simple. The accompanying app works well. Above all else the sound is supremely impressive, super sharp and clear. Sounds sound as of they are coming from areas far away from the actual speaker. Being able to expand the sound bar to include additional subs and sorround speakers is also a bonus. Not many other brands allow for that kind of flexibility.

Originally would have given this 4 stars. Sound quality was excellent, easy to hook up and use. But the TruePlay option was not working with the iPhone 15. Sonos has since updated their app and this works great and the sound is even better. Price was somewhat on the high side for the quality, but the features make that cost easier to swallow. Was purchased as a package with the Sub and a pair of Era 100’s.

So I purcharsed the Sonos Arc, The Gen 3 sub and two Era 300 for the full setup as well as the mounts for the Arc & Eras. Words hardly can explain how much I’ve impressed by these speakers. I am not an easily impressed audiophile. I have been obsessed with high quality sound for about 15 years. I am also a music engineer. I have spent a lot of time with low and high quality audio products. I have a music studio that is acoustically treated with a pair of adam audio A7Vs and a 10” krk sub. That setup is 2k I thought I wouldnt top that audio quality. But this sonos setup up did it. It is easy to setup. Has a beautiful build, sturdy, and it sounds jaw dropping. I watch a bunch of diffrent content from movies to sports to shows and with the sonos setup i hear so much I never knew was in these shows and movies the clarity, the sound stage, the bass all amazing but let me say on the thing I love. The sub isnt just rumble it recreates the low end noises and really makes whats on your screen sound like its all going down in your living room. I am in love with our new system I definetly recommend it. If your on the fence just pull the trigger it is 1000% worth it ❤️

By far the best soundbar I have ever had! I used it with a projector setup so I did need a separate audio extractor to send the audio signal to the soundbar and not the projector. Setup was very easy with the Sonos app, just plug in the power and the app finds the soundbar to finish the setup on your phone. The sound alone is amazing but paired with the Sonos subwoofer it brings it to another level!!

Great sound ... easy to setup to any TV bought with mini bass shakes the house!

This is my first purchase of a Sonos product. I am so impressed with the sound quality and simplicity of the set up and system. The arc soundbar is just the right size for my 65 inch Sony tv. The sound fills the room with volume and clarity. I live in an apartment so i leave the volume at 10 or 12 and that is still plenty of sound i wish i had a house to really see what this soundbar and sub could do! The subwoofer adds just enough bass and sounds so crisp and without any distortion. I do like the app you can see what sound source you are receiving if it is Dolby digital 5.1 or Dolby digital plus or atmos. This purchase was well worth the price you will not be disappointed!

We’re using this Sonos Arc on an LG C9 with eARC. Streamed both Atmos and Non-Atmos movies and tv shows. It’s excellent. Voices are always clear which is important to me, after using true play, I got the sense of sound behind me in some action scenes in certain movies. I love the fact that all the drivers are always firing. When it detects Atmos, just like all our other Sound bars it does get louder and sound placement Is definitely more discrete. This Sound bar seems like it could fill a very open room. I’d put it up against our Bose Soundtouch 300 and I’d choose the Arc everytime because of Atmos and the fact that it’s ARC port actually works. The Sonos Arc falls somewhat short of our Samsung Q90R but most sound bars do and it will cost more than the Samsung to add rear speakers and a sub. As a stand alone bar though, this is the one to buy! You will not be disappointed, this thing is an absolute monster, MONSTER! We’re very happy with our purchase. Thanks Sonos!

The SONOS ARC is the perfect addition to my 77" Sony A80J tv. The sound fills the room in such a pleasant way - theatre quality. Its not just "loud", but the sound literally encompasses you from every direction. I think this is the best sound bar you can buy. Although reasonably expensive, it is well worth the money. Very simple to set up as it is very intuitive, and the Sonos app guides you along the way.

I cannot say enough good things about the Arc. Love it! I actually replaced my Sennheiser Ambeo soundbar with the Arc, Sub, and Era 300's for surrounds in my movie room and could not be happier. This provided exceptional sound and is very easy to use. I wish you didn't have to rely on an app on the phone for so much and would prefer a physical remote (probably in the minority there) but this packs a punch.

Needed to fill a large space and compliment the new 85" Sony so this was where I landed. Sonos makes it so easy to set up and the sound of the Arc paired with the sub is just incredible. Better than anything I have ever heard. Trueplay is incredible and the sound comes from everywhere. Well worth the money. Recently added era 100s as surrounds and now this thing is crazy good.

My entire home is Sonos. While the app is completely awful, the sound of the speakers is excellent. The Arc was my latest Sonos product purchase and I was thinking about adding the subwoofer. After I unboxed and "installed" the Arc, I watched a sci-fi movie with the bass turned up and was stunned at how deep it was. Needless to say, I am no longer going to purchase the subwoofer, and have in fact had to reduce the level of the bass to the halfway point (all on the awful app) so my downstairs neighbor doesn't have to listen to thunderous AT-ATs breaking through her ceiling. This is my fourth and last sound bar, and I will say I get nice surround sound from two Sonos Ones as well.

The sound bar is installed in my media area and I got the subwoofer to go with it. Once it’s configured it sounds amazing. I tested it with the movie from Disney’s Shang-Chi as well as Apple’s Soldy atmos music. Simply amazing. For a wireless sub woofer it had grrat base and llos great in white. They only had to make minor adjustments to the levels in which the Sonos App made it super easy.

Impressive sound quality, easy to setup compared to my previous 5.1 speaker wired home theater setup. Sonos Arc conntected to LG OLED's HDMI Arc input connection. Fyi - must switch TV's settings from internal speaker to HDMI Arc connection. Next, simply download Sonos2 app and follow instructions. Sound quality is impressive, dialogue clearer, deeper bass, music more realistic. Try listening to music streaming and hear it for yourself. Highly recommended.

If this is in stock while you’re looking for a new sound bar do yourself a favor and buy it. I just upgraded from the Sonos Playbar and Sonos did it again! Yes the price is high but the quality and sound output is even higher. I’ve been at someone’s house and listened to their sound system and nothing. I mean absolutely nothing touches Sonos in my opinion. Upgrading to an 85” tv and playing PS5 I knew I had to upgrade to the new Arc. While it was limited to actually secure one as soon as I had all my rewards in and there was an Arc available I had it within a few days. The sleek design and sound quality is unmatched. Next up is an upgrade to my Sonos 1 surround speakers.

The Sonos Arc is the best sounding, easiest set up soundbar I've ever tried. I'm a soundbar skeptic. But that turns out to be just because I've never heard anything as good as this. The connections to the tv were easy, the sound from the Sonos app to the device was awesome, and connecting it to my Google Home setup was a snap. And most of all, the sound, the sound, the sound. Fabulous from close or far. Movies or sports. I can't wait to play with all the settings and sound scenes to get the most out of it.

Always wanted a Sonos soundbar. Had other brands but was always not 100% satisfied. After reading all the pre-sale hype about the Arc, decided to go for it. What impressive packaging. They say opening the product is part of the experience. This was! Unpacking was simple, as was installation. Once the app was downloaded, just followed along. It was finally time to give a listen. The sound was clear and clean. The bass became more noticeable as the volume increased. The bass was also clear and not distorted. There is no numeric volume level with the Arc. Possibly inconvenient but not deal breaker. The ability to enhance the dialogue is an excellent feature in the Arc. Have watched many movies where much of the dialogue is drowned out by music or background noise. It's nice to finally hear what the actors are saying. After using the Arc for about a month now, my only complaint or concern is that on 3 occasions the sound goes on and off intermittently when first turned on. Have not taken this up with Sonus yet. Like so many electronic things today, they require rebooting. Unplugged then replugged and works fine. Hoping this will not be a forever problem. This is the reason for the 4 star rating rather than 5 star. Otherwise, love my Sonos-Arc!