The Sonos Arc is a premium smart soundbar explicitly designed for TV audio enhancement. As a flagship product in the Sonos lineup, the Arc aims to deliver an immersive and cinematic audio experience to complement your television viewing. With its sleek design, advanced audio technologies, and seamless integration with other Sonos products, the Arc has garnered significant attention among audio enthusiasts. In this review, we will delve into the various aspects of the Sonos Arc to help you determine if it’s the right soundbar for you.
Design and Build Quality
The Sonos Arc features a modern, minimalistic design that effortlessly blends with home decor. It is a long, slim soundbar measuring approximately 45 inches long, making it suitable for TVs ranging from 50 to 75 inches. The Arc’s premium build quality is evident with its solid construction and sleek grille that spans the entire front panel. The top of the soundbar hosts touch-sensitive controls for manual operation, giving it a clean and uncluttered appearance. Overall, the Arc’s design and build quality are top-notch, exuding elegance and sophistication.
Audio Quality
One of the key selling points of the Sonos Arc is its exceptional audio performance. Equipped with eleven high-performance drivers, including eight elliptical woofers and three silk-dome tweeters, the Arc delivers immersive, room-filling sound. The soundbar utilizes Dolby Atmos technology to create a three-dimensional audio experience, placing sound objects precisely in space. This results in a more realistic and enveloping soundstage, adding depth and detail to your movies, TV shows, and music. The Arc’s wide frequency response and powerful bass allow you to enjoy delicate nuances and thundering explosions equally.
Connectivity Options
The Sonos Arc offers a range of connectivity options to accommodate various audio sources. It features an HDMI eARC port, allowing for high-quality audio transmission from your TV. The eARC connection also supports lossless audio formats, ensuring the best sound quality. Additionally, the Arc has an optical audio input for TVs without eARC capability. It supports wireless connectivity through Wi-Fi, enabling seamless streaming from your favorite music services or directly from your phone or tablet via the Sonos app. The soundbar also supports Apple AirPlay 2, making streaming audio directly from your devices easy.
Installation and Set-up
Setting up the Sonos Arc is a straightforward process. It can be done using the Sonos app, which guides you through each step. The app also helps optimize the soundbar’s performance based on your room’s acoustics using its Trueplay technology. The Arc can be mounted on a wall or placed on a stand in front of your TV, providing flexibility in positioning. Sonos also offers a range of optional accessories, such as wall mounts and stands, to enhance the installation experience.
Our Verdict
The Sonos Arc is undeniably a premium smart soundbar with exceptional audio performance. It is sleek design and robust build quality make it a visually appealing addition to any living room. Thanks to Dolby Atmos technology, the Arc’s immersive soundstage provides an impressive audio experience, bringing movies and music to life. The connectivity options, including HDMI eARC and Wi-Fi streaming, ensure versatility in connecting various devices. Although it has a higher price tag, the Sonos Arc justifies its premium status with its superior audio quality and seamless integration within the ecosystem. If you prioritize outstanding sound and are willing to invest in a top-tier soundbar, the Sonos Arc is a compelling choice that won’t disappoint.
Remote Control and User Interface
The Sonos Arc comes with a compact and intuitive remote control that allows for easy navigation and control of the soundbar’s settings. The remote features dedicated buttons for volume adjustment, playback control, and mute. It also includes a button to activate voice control via popular voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. The user interface is simple and user-friendly, making it easy to access and adjust settings using the Sonos app or the remote control.
Speaker Configuration
The Sonos Arc boasts an impressive speaker configuration contributing to its immersive sound performance. It houses eleven drivers, including eight elliptical woofers and three silk-dome tweeters. This arrangement allows for wide frequency response and accurate sound reproduction across the audio spectrum. The combination of woofers and tweeters ensures a balanced and detailed audio output, with the tweeters handling the high frequencies and the woofers delivering powerful and well-defined bass.
Bass and Treble Performance
The Sonos Arc excels in both bass and treble performance. The dedicated woofers produce deep, punchy bass that adds impact and intensity to action scenes and music tracks. The bass response is tight and controlled, avoiding any muddiness or distortion. On the other end of the spectrum, the silk-dome tweeters reproduce crisp and clear high frequencies, ensuring that dialogue and intricate sound details are accurately conveyed. The balance between the bass and treble is well-tuned, providing an immersive and enjoyable audio experience.
EQ Settings
The Sonos Arc offers customizable EQ settings to tailor the sound to your preferences further. You can adjust the bass, treble, and overall sound balance through the Sonos app to suit your listening environment and personal taste. The app provides a user-friendly interface that allows you to fine-tune the soundbar’s performance and optimize it for different types of content, such as movies, music, or gaming. The flexibility to adjust the EQ settings ensures you can achieve the desired audio quality for any situation.
Soundstage and Imaging
One of the standout features of the Sonos Arc is its impressive soundstage and imaging capabilities. The soundbar utilizes Dolby Atmos technology to create a three-dimensional audio experience. With Dolby Atmos, sound objects are precisely placed in space, resulting in a wider and more immersive soundstage. This gives you a sense of being surrounded by the audio, making movies, TV shows, and music feel more engaging and lifelike. The Arc’s ability to create a well-defined and spacious soundstage enhances the viewing and listening experience.
Surround Sound Performance
While the Sonos Arc is a standalone soundbar, it can be further enhanced with additional Sonos speakers to create a multi-room audio setup. The Arc can function as part of a wireless surround sound system when combined with Sonos One or Sonos One SL speakers. This setup allows for a more immersive and enveloping audio experience, with sound effects and music extending beyond the soundbar. The integration with other Sonos speakers seamlessly extends the audio throughout your space, enhancing the cinematic experience.
Dialogue Clarity
The Sonos Arc delivers clear and intelligible dialogue, crucial for an immersive TV viewing experience. The soundbar’s speaker configuration, including the three silk-dome tweeters, ensures that speech is reproduced precisely and clearly. Whether watching a dialogue-heavy drama or listening to a news program, the Arc provides that every word is easily discernible, even in scenes with background noise or challenging audio environments.
Volume and Power Handling
The Sonos Arc is capable of delivering powerful and room-filling sound without distortion. It features robust amplifiers that drive the speakers to high volumes, ensuring the audio remains clear and balanced even at louder levels. Whether you want to enjoy a movie night with friends or fill a large living room with sound, the Arc has the power and volume handling capabilities to meet your needs.
Bluetooth and Wireless Connectivity
While the Sonos Arc primarily relies on Wi-Fi for streaming audio, it also supports Bluetooth connectivity. This allows you to wirelessly connect your smartphone, tablet, or other Bluetooth-enabled devices directly to the soundbar, providing a convenient option for streaming music or other audio content. Bluetooth connectivity adds flexibility and compatibility, allowing you to easily switch between different audio sources.
Compatibility with TV and Other Devices
The Sonos Arc is designed to integrate with your TV and other devices seamlessly. It features an HDMI eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) port, which enables high-quality audio transmission from your TV. The eARC connection ensures you enjoy lossless audio formats and the highest possible sound quality. Additionally, the Arc supports optical audio input, providing compatibility with TVs that do not have eARC capability. It also includes an Ethernet port for a wired network connection, ensuring a stable and reliable connection.
Streaming Services Support
The Sonos Arc offers extensive support for various streaming services as a smart soundbar. You can easily access popular music streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and more through the Sonos app. The app provides a unified interface for managing your music services and allows you to create playlists, explore new music, and control playback effortlessly. With the Arc, you can enjoy a wide range of music options and seamlessly transition between watching TV and streaming your favorite songs.
Audio Codecs Supported
The Sonos Arc supports a range of audio codecs to ensure compatibility with various audio formats. It supports popular codecs such as Dolby Digital, Dolby Atmos, and PCM (Pulse Code Modulation). Dolby Digital and Dolby Atmos support enable immersive and three-dimensional audio experiences, while PCM support ensures compatibility with uncompressed audio sources. The soundbar’s versatility in supporting multiple codecs ensures you can enjoy high-quality audio from various sources.
Size and Compatibility with Room
The Sonos Arc is a relatively long soundbar, measuring approximately 45 inches in length. This size makes it well-suited for TVs ranging from 50 to 75 inches in size. However, it is important to consider your room’s dimensions and the soundbar’s placement. The Arc’s slim design allows for easy wall mounting or placement on a stand in front of the TV. Its sleek profile ensures it can seamlessly integrate into different room sizes and decor styles without being obtrusive.
Brand and Reputation
Sonos is a well-established audio industry brand known for its high-quality products and innovative technologies. With a strong reputation for delivering exceptional sound, Sonos has become a go-to choice for audio enthusiasts. The brand’s commitment to continuous improvement and customer satisfaction has garnered loyal following and positive reviews from users worldwide. When choosing the Sonos Arc, you can be confident in the brand’s reputation for excellence.
Price and Value for Money
The Sonos Arc is positioned as a premium soundbar, and its price reflects its quality and features. While it may be a higher-priced option compared to some other soundbars on the market, the Arc delivers outstanding audio performance and a range of smart features that justify the investment. When considering value for money, it’s important to assess the quality, durability, and long-term benefits of the Sonos Arc to your entertainment setup.
Warranty and Customer Support
Sonos provides a robust warranty and reliable customer support to ensure customer satisfaction. The Arc typically has a limited warranty covering manufacturing defects and malfunctions. Sonos is known for its responsive customer support, offering assistance through various phone, email, and online chat channels. The brand’s customer support team can assist if you encounter any issues or have questions about your Sonos Arc.
Durability and Longevity
The Sonos Arc is built to last, featuring high-quality materials and construction. The soundbar’s solid build ensures durability and longevity, allowing it to withstand regular use and provide years of reliable performance. Sonos is known for its attention to detail and rigorous testing, ensuring its products meet stringent quality standards. Investing in the Sonos Arc means enjoying its exceptional sound quality for an extended period, making it a worthwhile long-term investment.
Energy Efficiency
In today’s eco-conscious world, energy efficiency is an important consideration for many consumers. The Sonos Arc is designed with energy efficiency in mind, utilizing power-saving technologies to minimize energy consumption. It features an auto-sleep function that activates when the soundbar is not in use, helping to conserve energy. The Arc also meets various energy efficiency standards, making it an environmentally friendly choice without compromising performance.
Portability and Convenience
While the Sonos Arc is primarily intended for stationary use in a home theater setup, it offers some portability and convenience features. Its slim and lightweight design allows for easy relocation within your home. The soundbar’s wireless connectivity and compatibility with the Sonos app also enable convenient control and streaming from your mobile devices. You can enjoy the flexibility of moving the Arc to different rooms or even taking it when traveling, providing a versatile audio solution.
Mounting Options
The Sonos Arc offers multiple mounting options for different preferences and room setups. It can be easily wall-mounted using optional brackets or placed on a stand in front of your TV. Sonos provides various accessories, including wall mounts and stands, specifically designed for the Arc, ensuring a secure and seamless installation. The flexibility in mounting options allows you to optimize the soundbar’s positioning for the best audio performance and aesthetic appeal in your space.
Comparison with Similar Products
When comparing the Sonos Arc to similar premium soundbars, it stands out for its comprehensive smart features, seamless integration with other Sonos speakers, and immersive Dolby Atmos experience. The Arc’s dialogue clarity and powerful sound performance make it a top contender in the premium soundbar category. While some competing soundbars may offer additional connectivity options or support for a broader range of audio codecs, the Sonos Arc’s combination of sound quality, ease of use, and ecosystem integration sets it apart.
Buying Guide and Recommendations
If you are considering purchasing the Sonos Arc, there are a few factors to keep in mind. First, assess your specific audio needs and preferences. The Arc’s immersive Dolby Atmos experience and dialogue clarity make it an excellent choice for movie enthusiasts and those who prioritize a cinematic audio experience. Additionally, consider the size and layout of your room to ensure that the soundbar’s size and audio performance align with your space.
It’s worth evaluating your existing audio setup and whether you plan to expand it. The Sonos ecosystem allows easy integration with other Sonos speakers, enabling a multi-room audio experience. If you already own or plan to invest in other Sonos products, the Arc becomes an even more attractive choice.
Finally, consider your budget and the value you place on premium sound quality and smart features. The Sonos Arc has a higher price tag than some other soundbars. Still, it delivers exceptional audio performance and a seamless user experience that justifies the investment for many users.
Final Thoughts
The Sonos Arc is a premium smart soundbar that delivers impressive sound quality, an immersive Dolby Atmos experience, and seamless integration within the Sonos ecosystem. With positive reviews from customers and experts, it has established itself as a top choice in the market. While it may come at a higher price point, the Arc’s performance, build quality, and versatility make it a worthwhile investment for those seeking an immersive and convenient audio solution for their TV setup.