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Sonos Arc Review

This model sounds incredible while listening to music and provides a pretty immersive home theater experience
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Sonos Arc Review (When it comes to doubling as a speaker for music, no soundbar beats the Arc.)
When it comes to doubling as a speaker for music, no soundbar beats the Arc.
Credit: Laura Casner
Price:  $899 List
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Manufacturer:   Sonos
By Michelle Powell, Matt Bento, and Max Mutter  ⋅  Nov 11, 2021
70
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#2 of 10
  • Sound Quality - 45% 7.4
  • Ease of Use - 35% 6.5
  • Volume - 15% 7.0
  • Style/Design - 5% 6.0

Our Verdict

For those seeking a premium listening experience from a top-ranked soundbar, the Sonos Arc is a clear choice, perhaps the choice if you already have a Sonos system in your home. This behemoth of a soundbar leverages Dolby Atmos and room-specific tuning to bounce sound off the walls and create an impressively convincing surround-sound-esque experience. That experience is made all the better by field-leading bass power and impressive overall clarity. It easily nestles into the Sonos ecosystem, allowing you to dot speakers around your home or add more speakers to your living room to create a true surround-sound system. For those seeking a soundbar that is used as frequently for music as it is for television and film, this is a stellar option. See it rated versus top competitors in our review of the best soundbars.
REASONS TO BUY
Phenomenal music playback
Seamless integration with Sonos ecosystem
REASONS TO AVOID
Huge
Expensive
No Bluetooth

Compare to Similar Products

 
sonos arc
This Product
Sonos Arc
Awards Top Pick Award
Best Home Theater/Music Speaker Combo
Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall Soundbar
Best Buy Award
Best Bang for Your Buck
Top Pick Award
Best for Small Spaces
Best Buy Award
Best Cinematic Experience On a Tight Budget
Price $899 List
$852.99 at Amazon
$715 List$280 List$449 List$190 List
$147.49 at Amazon
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Bottom Line This is a high-end soundbar that is more at home playing music than moviesThis soundbar creates a wide and immersive soundstage while producing a sublimely well-balanced mixWhile this model doesn't have a lot of features, it sounds excellent at an excellent priceThis soundbar delivers excellent sound for its diminutive size and has plenty of connectivity options to keep your house rockin'This is hands down the best choice for folks on tight budget
Rating Categories Sonos Arc Bose Smart Soundbar... Sony HT-S350 Sonos Beam Vizio V-Series 2.1...
Sound Quality (45%)
7.4
8.5
7.1
7.0
5.6
Ease of Use (35%)
6.5
7.5
5.8
6.5
6.9
Volume (15%)
7.0
8.0
9.0
6.0
8.0
Style/Design (5%)
6.0
7.0
6.8
6.9
5.4
Specs Sonos Arc Bose Smart Soundbar... Sony HT-S350 Sonos Beam Vizio V-Series 2.1...
Dimensions 3.4" x 45" x 4.5" 2.25" x 38.5" x 4.25" Bar: 2.6" x 35.5" x 3.5"
Sub: 15.4" x 7.5" x 15.13"
2.72" x 25.625" x 3.94" Bar: 2.28" x 36.00" x 3.20"
Sub: 9.9" x 8.25" x 8.25"
External Subwoofer No (optional) No (optional) Yes No (optional) Yes
Inputs (wired) Digital audio in (optical), Ethernet, HDMI (ARC) Digital audio in (optical), HDMI (ARC), Ethernet, 3.5mm AUX IR, 3.5mm AUX Data, 3.5mm AUX Bass, 3.5mm AUX ADAPTIQ tuning Digitcal audio in (optical), HDMI (ARC) Digital audio in (optical), Ethernet, HDMI (ARC) Digital audio in (optical), HDMI (ARC), 3.5mm AUX VA, 3.5mm AUX, USB
Supported Audio File Formats Dolmy Atmos Dolby Digital, DTS Dolby Digital, Dolby Dual mono, LPCM 2ch Stereo PCM, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos (Dolby Digital Plus), Dolby Atmos*, Dolby TrueHD*, Dolby Atmos (True HD)*, Multichannel PCM*, Dolby Multichannel PCM* DTS
WiFi-enabled Yes Yes No Yes No
Bluetooth No Yes Yes No Yes
Voice Assistants Alexa, Google Assistant Alexa, Google Assistant n/a Alexa, Google Assistant None, but has a dedicated 3.5mm AUX port to connect a VA device
App Sonos Bose Music n/a Sonos n/a
Remote control? No Yes Yes No Yes
Max Volume 87dB 97dB 102dB 85dB 95dB
Syncs with: Sonos Bose Simplesync enabled speakers None Sonos None

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Sonos Arc is a great soundbar for those looking for top-notch home theater sound from a simple, single-speaker solution. WiFi connectivity enables the use of Google Assistant, Alexa, and Apple Airplay 2 as well as access to many streaming services. The Android users among us wish that there was a Bluetooth connection.

Performance Comparison


sonos arc - the sonos arc is one of the best sounding models we've ever tested...
The Sonos Arc is one of the best sounding models we've ever tested, and gets the closest to recreating surround sound without any satellite speakers.
Credit: Laura Casner

Sound Quality


This soundbar delivers industry-leading sound quality. While it's not our absolute favorite for home theater applications, we feel it's the best model for enjoying music and worth some serious consideration if you plan on using the Arc for all sonic needs.

Cinematic Experience


This large soundbar creates a decently immersive soundstage despite not having a satellite subwoofer. The success of the Arc's surround sound mimicry is largely due to its use of Dolby Atmos — a sound format that makes for greater separation of sounds, allowing them to be more discreetly “spread out” within an artificial soundscape. The Arc makes it seem like all these different sounds are coming from different areas by bouncing them off the walls and other surfaces in your living room. Tuning the soundbar to your specific room using Sonos's Trueplay tuning, which involves walking around the room with an iOS device (sorry, Android users) while the soundbar emits submarine noises, vastly improves the soundbar's ability to do this.


In ideal conditions, the Arc is capable of tricking us into thinking the sound is coming from more places than just the soundbar itself. These “ideal conditions” include a standard, flat ceiling, and a couch pushed right against the back wall, making it easy for the soundbar to bounce sound this way and that. When we put the Arc in a room with higher vaulted ceilings and listened from a couch placed in the center of the room this surround sound experience was greatly diminished. However, even in these more difficult situations, the Arc still felt noticeably more immersive than many of its competitors. It is important to note that you'll only experience the full effect of this surround sound when listening to Dolby Atmos-enabled media. Luckily more and more streaming services (including NetFlix, iTunes, and Amazon Prime Video) are offering more and more Atmos-enabled titles.

sonos arc - the sonos arc pictured here adds an incredible level of immersion to...
The Sonos Arc pictured here adds an incredible level of immersion to your home theater experience.
Credit: Laura Casner

Music


Outside of surround sound mimicry, the bare bones of the Arc's sound are also exceptional. Perhaps most notable is the bass power. Likely thanks to its large size, this soundbar can really rumble. This is one of the few models we've ever tested that we don't think would be vastly improved with the addition of an external subwoofer (though Sonos does make one if you're so inclined). The Arc manages to keep that bass power controlled, however, with the low notes of music staying powerful yet crisp and well-defined. The mid and treble ranges enjoy similar clarity.

Ease of Use


The Arc is generally quite easy to use, but some idiosyncrasies of the Sonos ecosystem may annoy some people.


Setup


Setting up the Arc is quite easy, if slightly time-consuming-- just connect to your TV via the HDMI or optical inputs (HDMI is better if you have the option) and finish setup through the Sonos app. This is the time-consuming part. If you don't already have a Sonos account you'll have to make one. Then you'll have to link the Arc to your WiFi, sign in to any music streaming services you'd like to use with the soundbar, choose whether you prefer Alexa or Google Assistant, and finally tune the soundbar to your room. To do this the Arc emits a sonar-type sound while the app prompts you to walk around the room, moving your phone up and down. During the process, the Arc uses the microphone on your phone to create an auditory map of the room and optimizes its acoustics accordingly. All told this took us about 15 minutes.

sonos arc - there are minimalistic controls on the soundbar itself, but most...
There are minimalistic controls on the soundbar itself, but most functions are accessed via the Sonos app.
Credit: Laura Casner

This is where the Sonos idiosyncrasies start. In order to tune the soundbar (a process that Sonos has dubbed "Trueplay"), you'll need an iOS device. If you're an Android user it's pretty simple to borrow a friend's iOS device just to accomplish the tuning, but it's an extra step that is certainly annoying (you can still use the soundbar without tuning to the room, but doing so improves the audio experience). Additionally, the Arc is one of the few models we've tested that doesn't offer Bluetooth connectivity. Here again, iOS users are favored, as the AirPlay compatibility effectively replaces Bluetooth if you use Apple devices.

sonos arc - the slick sonos app allows adjustments to the eq, though the level...
The slick Sonos app allows adjustments to the EQ, though the level of fine-tuning is limited.
Credit: Laura Casner

We should also note that the Arc is quite heavy (nearly 14 pounds) and large (45" long). We felt a bit nervous navigating such a large and unwieldy thing next to a fancy TV, so just be careful when placing it on your TV stand.

sonos arc - the soundbar provides hdmi, optical, and ethernet inputs.
The soundbar provides HDMI, optical, and ethernet inputs.
Credit: Laura Casner

Sound Customization


The Arc offers a useful set of sound modes and adjustments. First, within the app you can change bass and treble levels using a set of sliders, as well as can set a maximum volume limit. There is also a speech enhancement mode that brings dialogue to the forefront, and a night mode that dampens loud noises so you don't disturb your neighbors.

Volume


By our measurements, this soundbar is by no means the loudest, and there are several less expensive models that can fill larger rooms. The Arc tops out at “only” 87 decibels, where the loudest models in the tests blasted out a solid 102 decibels. However, don't let this be what steers you away from the Arc, as 87 decibels is still excessively loud for watching television and film. Also, integration with the Sonos ecosystem is a big selling point for this soundbar, and Sonos enthusiasts will likely already have other speakers to help power their parties and fill their homes with sound.

sonos arc - soundbars with plastic or metal housing, like the arc, are much...
Soundbars with plastic or metal housing, like the Arc, are much easier to clean than models covered in cloth.
Credit: Laura Casner

Design/Style


The Sonos Arc sports classic aesthetics with clean lines, a high-quality all-metal finish, and a monochrome exterior (available in black and white). The only downside to its looks is its size. Measuring a full 45" in length, this bar is wider than any TV that measures less than 55" on the diagonal. Case in point, it looked absurdly large when we put it in front of a 40" TV.


Value


The Sonos Arc is one of the most expensive soundbars on the market. While you can get better value-per-dollar from many of the less expensive models, the Arc is a clear step above pretty much all of them. As long as you're ok paying a bit of a premium for the premium performance, the Arc is worth the money.

Conclusion


The Sonos Arc is one of the best and most capable soundbars we've tested. While it is eclipsed by the Bose Smart Soundbar 700's immersive soundstage, no one who already has an arsenal of interconnected Sonos speakers is going to be awash in a sonic landscape while watching Avatarand wish they'd gone with a different soundbar, and for folks looking to get a Sonos system, the Arc is a great starting point.

Michelle Powell, Matt Bento, and Max Mutter