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)