INTRODUCTION

   While i was growing up the only video playback systems available back then were VHS and LaserDisc both of which were replaced by DVD and its superior specifications in the late 90's. The DVD format didn't just offer twice the resolution of VHS but it also allowed for multi-channel audio like Dolby Surround/Digital (AC3) and DTS so it's no surprise that PCs were among the very first system to support it (which is why i got the Creative Encore DXR2 DVD player back in 1998). Since then, I’ve paired all my TV sets and PCs with 5.1/7.1 surround sound systems and even though I’ve always considered them far superior to 2.1 systems and even soundbars in regards to surround/positioning audio they've all had but two serious drawbacks, space requirements and time consuming installations. Because of that I’ve learned to admire the simplicity offered by soundbars and since many of you have asked for more such reviews today with me i have one of the most popular models in the market today, the Beam (Gen 2) Smart Atmos Soundbar by Sonos.

   Sonos (Nasdaq: SONO) is the world’s leading sound experience company. As the inventor of multi-room wireless home audio, Sonos innovation helps the world listen better by giving people access to the content they love and allowing them to control it however and wherever they choose. Known for delivering an unparalleled sound experience, thoughtful design aesthetic, simplicity of use, and an open platform, Sonos makes the breadth of audio content available to anyone. Sonos is headquartered in Santa Barbara, California. Learn more at www.sonos.com.

   The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) model (currently available in black and white matte colors) is a 5.0 soundbar which consists by 4 front-facing elliptical mid-woofers (drivers), single center tweeter, 3 passive radiators and a total of 5 Class-D digital amplifiers. The Beam (Gen 2) Soundbar by Sonos also features Bluetooth v5.0 and WiFi 2.4GHz (802.11b/g/n) wireless connectivity (supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant), far field microphone array for voice control/commands, IR sensor (for use with TV remotes), RJ45 10/100Mbps ethernet port, HDMI eARC port and an ARM Cortex-A53 quad-core 1.4GHz CPU together with 1GB SDRAM and 4GB flash memory. As for formats the Beam Gen 2 supports stereo PCM, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos (Digital+ & TrueHD), Dolby TrueHD, multichannel PCM, DTS Digital Surround (HDMI eARC connection required) and Dolby Multichannel PCM. The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Atmos soundbar has already been around for roughly 17 months now during which numerous firmware updates have been released so let's check it out and see just how good it is.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Sonos uses a long and thick box made out of recyclable materials to ship the Beam (Gen 2) inside the front of which as expected is taken by a partial product picture and their logo.

A product description is printed at the rear in 7 languages right next to 3 product drawings and some of the supported technologies.

Along with the Sonos Beam Gen 2 Soundbar and its power cord inside the box Sonos has also placed a 1.5 meter long HDMI cable, HDMI to optical adapter, product information paper and the setup manual.

THE BEAM (GEN 2)

The 2.88Kg heavy Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Atmos Soundbar measures 651mm in length, 100mm in depth and 68mm in height/thickness.

The only other Dolby Atmos soundbar in the lab is the Creative Stage 360 model so i though a size comparison was in order (the Beam is roughly 20% larger).

A metal grill expands from the front and to the sides thus covering both the front and side firing speakers.

Above you can see an exposed picture of the Beam (Gen 2) in order to have a better idea where every speaker is located at (marketing material).

Sonos has placed their logo at the front center of the soundbar.

Right under the company logo there's an IR receiver (can be used with TV remotes).

At the top of the Beam (Gen 2) we find the play/pause/group with other rooms and Sonos products button, the volume up/down buttons, microphone on/off button, next/previous track touch area (swipe right and left) and the activity LED (several holes are also placed here, these are probably used by the far field microphone array).

Moving at the rear we find the power port, join/reset button, RJ45 10/100Mbps ethernet port and the HDMI eARC port.

The base of the Beam (Gen 2) has two long rubber feet and two holes used to mount the soundbar onto the wall and TV mounts available by Sonos.

SONOS APP

There are two apps one can use with the Sonos Beam (Gen 2), the Sonos S2 which is also compatible with older Sonos devices and the Sonos App (for this review i used the latter).

Once you install the Sonos App it will search for nearby products.

After the Beam (Gen 2) is detected, you will need to assign a room to it and wait until the latest firmware gets installed.

Normally after that you will need to setup the soundbar with your TV, if not you can press on the set up Beam with your TV picture.

Just like other modern Dolby Atmos soundbars the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is also an eARC/ARC model which means that you can connect all your HDMI devices with your TV and all the audio signals will be then pushed to the Beam (Gen 2) via the eARC/ARC HDMI port (convenient).

After you complete the setup, you can access and adjust a plethora of things from within the app including firmware updates, audio compression, voice commands, 2-way equalizer, parental controls/locks and height audio (simulates audio coming from overheard).

As mentioned earlier you can control the Beam (Gen 2) from your IR remote which you will need to pair with it (unfortunately doing so reduces the volume level of the soundbar).

There's also a TV dialog sync tab which syncs video with audio (never had to use it however).

Needless to say, you can use the Beam (Gen 2) to playback audio from your smartphone (the available volume limit tab does exactly as the name suggests).

CONCLUSION

   I've used only 3 Dolby Atmos soundbars to date, the JBL Bar 800, Creative Stage 360 and the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) so i have to admit that my experience with such models is somewhat limited. Still, that's more than enough for me to "judge" audio performance which is actually quite good across the board with the Beam (Gen 2) producing a wide soundstage with accurate and crisp mids and highs (turning loudness off helps in certain scenarios) and clear vocals/dialogs (largely thanks to the improved center tweeter). The lack of upwards firing mid-woofers and detachable rear speakers means that you will not hear every sound that should be coming from overhead and/or the rear but thanks to the psychoacoustic HRTF (head related transfer function) technology used with the Beam (Gen 2) Dolby Atmos titles actually sound extremely well. Unfortunately, bass levels are also something the Beam (Gen 2) doesn't do a stellar job with something which was to be expected since it's not accompanied by its own subwoofer. Now Sonos does sell standalone wireless subwoofers which you can pair with the Beam (Gen 2) but the end cost is clearly a lot higher than what some people may be willing to spend. The lack of a remote control may not be a huge deal since you can control the soundbar both from your smartphone and your TV remote but I think that it could come in handy for some people. Worth pointing out is that i also wanted to check the Trueplay feature Sonos has used with the Beam (Gen 2) which basically tunes the soundbar based on the unique acoustics of the room (so it should further improve surround/positioning audio) but since my iPhone has yet to receive the iOS v14 update i was simply unable to.

   After almost 17 months in the market the Beam (Gen 2) Smart Atmos Soundbar by Sonos retails for USD399 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 468Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) a price tag which is not something strange for a high quality and performance Sonos product. What does hurt the price/performance ratio of the Beam (Gen 2) however is that adding one wireless subwoofer from the Sonos lineup (even the mini) will set you back at least the same amount as the soundbar itself and so it’s obviously not what I’d call affordable. That being said however even without a subwoofer the Beam (Gen 2) does extremely well and since it really delivers all I was hoping it would it deserves the Golden Award.

PROS

- Very Good Audio Quality/Accuracy
- Good Volume Levels
- Available Connectivity (Bluetooth v5.0/WiFi 2.4GHz/HDMI eARC/HDMI to SPDIF Adapter)
- Dolby Atmos Compatibility (Digital Plus & TrueHD)
- Compact Size
- Far Field Microphone Array
- Sonos App (Available Settings)
- Available in Black & White Matte Colors

CONS

- Bass Levels
- No Remote Control
- Total Cost (Soundbar & Subwoofer)