Sonos Beam (Gen 2) All-in-One Soundbar

MSRP 449 USD82% External
Keywords: alexaall-in-oneclass-dcompactdolby-atmosgoogle-assistantsmart-speakersonossoundbar

Product Gallery

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Product Overview

Sonos Beam Gen 2 is a compact all-in-one soundbar. While it is significantly smaller and lighter than the Sonos Arc, which is a bigger all-in-one soundbar released a year ago, it is not priced much lower, begging the question whether it can produce sound that justifies its price from such a compact and lightweight chassis.
This is a question that may pop into the minds of Sonos buyers from time to time, and Sonos has always managed to convince a significant proportion of them affirmatively.
In this case, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 uses the same quad-core 1.4GHz chip found in the Arc for digital sound processing. While the soundbar has only a single, centered tweeter with found mid-woofers, Sonos is able to leverage digital mapping to create a virtual surround sound experience.
As usual, the Beam Gen 2 comes with the smart speaker functions that many Sonos buyers have come to expect, as it is the case with ease-of-use.

Ratings

What we found**

Pros
  • Great sound for the size
  • Dolby Atmos support
  • Easy integration with other Sonos speakers
Cons
  • Nothing in particular

What external reviewers found***

External score 82% (not directly comparable across industries)
Pros
  • Great audio reproduction
  • Great for action films and sci-fi
  • Impressive sound quality
  • Impressive motion handling
  • Sleek design
Cons
  • Lacks low bass
  • No Dolby Vision support
  • No Dolby Atmos support
  • No HDMI 2.1 support
  • No DTS:X support
Read More

Price Comparison

Specifications

Connectivity

Ports
HDMI ARC + Optical (TOSLINK) + 100Mbps LAN
Wireless Connectivity
WiFi + IR receiver

Construction

Colors
Black or White with matte finish
Drivers | Tweeter
1x center tweeter
Drivers | Woofer
4x elliptical mid-woofers + 3x passive radiators
Form Factor
All-in-one soundbar
Microphone
Far-field microphone array

Dimensions

Size | Depth
100 mm / 3.94"
Size | Height
69 mm / 2.72"
Size | Width
651 mm / 25.625"
Weight
2.8 kg / 6.2 lbs

Function

Amplifier
Five Class-D digital amplifiers
Audio
Dolby Atmos
Processor
Quad Core 1.4 GHz A-53
Voice Assistance
Google Assistant, Alexa

Performance

Memory | Capacity
1GB
Memory | Type
SDRAM
Storage
4GB

Production

Availability
2021-10-05
Debut
2021-09

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Launch Comparison
Clear List

External Reviews

digitaltrends[1]

Reviewer score 86%
Reviewers from digitaltrends have found the following***:
The Sonos Beam has always punched well above its weight class when it comes to its ability to fill a room with great sound. With the addition of virtualized surround sound, it's an even more formidable addition to your TV. The Beam still lacks the deep low-end rumble of soundbars that come with their own subwoofers.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Dolby Atmos support
  • Virtualized surround sound
  • Supports up-firing and ceiling-based height channels
Cons
  • No Dolby Vision support

pcmag[2]

Reviewer score 80%
Reviewers from pcmag have found the following***:
The second-generation Sonos Beam doesn't sound wildly different than its predecessor. It produces a big sound field that belies its small size, with strong low- and high-mids for punchy, forceful audio. It supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice assistants, and it integrates with existing multi-room Sonos systems.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Large front-facing sound field
  • Dolby Atmos support
  • Supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice assistants
Cons
  • No built-in subwoofer

rtings[3]

Reviewer score 59%
Reviewers from rtings have found the following***:
The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is good for dialogue-centric content like TV shows. Its discrete center channel helps to more accurately localize voices within the soundstage. With its Trueplay room correction feature on, voices are reproduced pretty clearly, though they can be slightly muddied at times. There are some bass and treble adjustments to help you customize its sound.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Wide, immersive soundstage
  • Supports Dolby Atmos content
  • Great audio reproduction
Cons
  • Lacks low bass
  • Doesn't get very loud

t3[4]

Reviewer score 91%
Reviewers from t3 have found the following***:
The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is a compact, beautifully built and nicely finished soundbar. It doesn't give you full-on Dolby Atmos, you have to spend a lot more for that, and go a lot bigger, usually. But if ‘all' you want is big, bold and well-realised movie sound from a compact soundbar, the Sonos will make you happy. The Sonos S2 control app remains the gold standard where these things are concerned.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Big, bold and well-realised movie sound
  • Dolby Atmos support
Cons
  • No HDMI passthrough

techhive[5]

Reviewer score 74%
Reviewers from techhive have found the following***:
The Sonos Beam has a surprisingly wide soundstage and passive radiators that punch well above their weight. The Beam's virtualized Dolby Atmos height effects are on a par with what I've heard from similar Atmos soundbars that lack upfiring drivers. If you're looking for a compact soundbar that won't break the bank, the Beam makes a great choice.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Gorgeous, expansive soundstage
  • Dolby Atmos height effects
  • Sleek design
Cons
  • No upfiring drivers
  • No DTS:X support

techradar[6]

Reviewer score 85%
Reviewers from techradar have found the following***:
The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) delivers powerful audio performance, and is more than capable of filling your living room with sound. HDMI eARC compatibility will bring a ‘richer, more immersive, and higher definition sound experience’ The S2 app also makes it easy to stream music, allowing you to add the music streaming platforms of your choice.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Powerful audio performance
  • Supports Wi-Fi and Apple AirPlay 2 with compatible iOS devices
Cons
  • No Dolby Atmos support
  • No HDMI 2.1 support

theverge[7]

Reviewer score 85%
Reviewers from theverge have found the following***:
The second-generation Sonos Beam has Dolby Atmos, but it doesn't sound like it's coming from above. The soundbar supports Apple's AirPlay 2, so you can play music, podcasts, or other audio to it from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. It's still totally competent as a music speaker, though not as well-matched for that as something like the Sonos Five.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Improved virtualization
  • Dolby Atmos support
  • Sleek design
Cons
  • No DTS decoding

tomsguide[8]

Reviewer score 90%
Reviewers from tomsguide have found the following***:
The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is nearly identical to the first-generation Beam on the inside. It features one tweeter, three passive radiators and four elliptical midwoofers. Users will also benefit from 3D audio with support for Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus and most home-theater sound formats.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Sleek, compact design
  • Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision Plus and DTS Digital Surround Sound
  • Supports Alexa and Google Assistant
Cons
  • No Auto TruePlay

trustedreviews[9]

Reviewer score 78%
Reviewers from trustedreviews have found the following***:
The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) sounds exceptionally good, especially considering its relatively small size. There are some limitations, although these can be fixed by adding extra Sonos components into the mix for surround sound and bass. Poise and balance are excellent throughout. It’s great for action films and sci-fi, delivering the effects as they were supposed to be heard.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Impressive sound quality
  • Great for action films and sci-fi
Cons
  • Lip-sync issues
  • No Dolby Atmos

whathifi[10]

Reviewer score 92%
Reviewers from whathifi have found the following***:
The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is the best Dolby Atmos soundbar at this price. It can be used on 65-inch screens, as well as a more modest 43-incher. There's remarkable consistency across the complete soundfield. Despite the lack of upward drivers, there's a remarkably real sense of the engine idling away in the low shots.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Sleek, compact design
  • Dolby Atmos and HDR10+ support
  • Impressive motion handling
Cons
  • No upward drivers
  • No Dolby Vision

User Reviews

Comments

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References

  1. ^ Sonos Beam (Gen 2) review: Improved immersion with Dolby Atmos. [digitaltrends]. https://www.digitaltrends.com/sound-bar-reviews/sonos-beam-gen-2-review/. 2021-09-30. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
  2. ^ Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Review. [pcmag]. https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/sonos-beam-gen-2. 2021-10-06. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  3. ^ Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Soundbar Review. [rtings]. https://www.rtings.com/soundbar/reviews/sonos/beam-gen-2. 2021-11-01. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
  4. ^ Sonos Beam (2nd Gen) review: impressive Dolby Atmos from a cheap soundbar. [t3]. https://www.t3.com/reviews/sonos-beam-2nd-gen-review. 2021-09-30. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
  5. ^ Sonos Beam (2nd gen) review: The Sonos Arc’s smaller sibling now does Dolby Atmos, too. [techhive]. https://www.techhive.com/article/3637111/sonos-beam-2nd-gen-review.html. 2021-10-15. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  6. ^ Sonos Beam (Gen 2) review. [techradar]. https://www.techradar.com/reviews/sonos-beam-gen-2. 2021-09-30. Retrieved 2021-10-03.
  7. ^ Sonos Beam (second-gen) review: Atmos(t) a minor upgrade. [theverge]. https://www.theverge.com/22701137/sonos-beam-gen-2-atmos-soundbar-review-specs. 2021-09-30. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
  8. ^ Sonos Beam (Gen 2) review: The best-sounding soundbar for small TVs. [tomsguide]. https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/sonos-beam-gen-2. 2021-09-30. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
  9. ^ Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Review. [trustedreviews]. https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/sonos-beam-gen-2. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
  10. ^ Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Dolby Atmos soundbar review. [whathifi]. https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/sonos-beam-gen-2-dolby-atmos-soundbar. 2021-09-30. Retrieved 2021-09-30.

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These key takeaways ("pros" and "cons") and summaries are identified from third-party reviews. They may differ from the original texts.

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