The second-generation Sonos Beam is the best compact soundbar you can buy today. It is a redesign of the original Sonos Beam, which comes with two improvements: compatibility with Dolby Atmos and the inclusion of an HDMI eARC port.
Despite the compact size of this bar, the sound it offers is of very high quality, reaching half of what a Sonos ARC can offer, although its price is also half of what that one costs. In general terms, the Sonos Beam Gen2 is an ideal bar for those looking for the best possible sound quality in a compact soundbar size, and in this review, I tell you everything you need to know about it.
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 651 x 100 x 69 mm (width x depth x height) |
| Weight | 2.8 kg |
| Color | White, Black |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, Ethernet, HDMI eARC |
| Controls | Touch controls on top, voice control (Alexa, Google Assistant) |
| Audio Compatibility | Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD |
| Amplifiers | 5 class D digital amplifiers |
| Drivers | 4 elliptical woofers, 1 central tweeter, 3 passive radiators |
| Assistant Integration | Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Sonos Voice Control |
| Control | Sonos App, AirPlay 2, remote control (HDMI-CEC) |
Design and Controls
This second generation of the Sonos Beam is practically identical to the first, and the bar even has the same size and weight. With a width of only 65 cm, it is one of the most compact bars on the market, and this is undoubtedly its main appeal.
In appearance, it also seems identical to its predecessor, but if we look closely, the mesh that protects the drivers has been replaced by a perforated polycarbonate grille. It’s a very subtle change but really achieves a more streamlined look.
Otherwise, as I said, the bar is identical, and it even has identical controls in the same location: on the top, there are touch buttons for playback control and a button to activate/deactivate the microphone, which are the only controls on the bar. As is customary with Sonos, there is no remote control, and the brand requires us to use their app (available for Android and iOS) for full control of the bar’s functions.
One of them is TruePlay, an adjustment technology that uses the microphones of an iOS device to analyze the room’s acoustics and apply automatic adjustments to the equalizer to provide the best possible sound. The downside is that it only works with iOS.
The rest of the users will have to settle for the rest of the app’s functions, which include a night mode to compress the dynamic range, a voice enhancer to hear dialogues more clearly, the graphic equalizer, and the integration of music streaming services, such as Spotify, Tidal, Amazon Music…
Sonos is also one of the few soundbar manufacturers that offer their products in various colors, in this case, white and black. The Sonos Beam can also be wall-mounted, although you will need an optional bracket that must be purchased separately.
Connections and Formats
The Sonos Beam Gen2 is just as sparse in connections as the first generation, with a single HDMI eARC port. Sonos has kindly included an adapter in the box that allows the bar to be connected to the TV’s optical digital audio port, so we can use two types of connections. However, there are no HDMI input ports, which means any additional device (BluRay player, game consoles) must be connected directly to the TV.
One of the key differences between the first Sonos Beam and this Gen2 is that the HDMI port is eARC and allows the passage of Dolby Atmos and Dolby True-HD. Unfortunately, this second generation still omits DTS formats, although this is a common issue with other Sonos soundbars.
Another common absence in Sonos is Bluetooth, so the only possible wireless connection is WiFi, with which we can use Apple’s AirPlay 2, Google’s Chromecast, and Spotify Connect. Additionally, thanks to the presence of a microphone array, we have Alexa and Google’s voice assistants integrated into the bar.
Drivers and Sound Quality
On the outside, the Sonos Beam Gen2 is practically identical to the first Sonos Beam. However, inside there is another substantial difference: there are two more transducers that add two channels, totaling five. So we are talking about a 5.0 bar, with a tweeter for high frequencies, four woofers for mid and low frequencies, and two passive radiators to enhance the bass.
As in the original Sonos Beam and the Sonos ARC, as well as most Sonos speakers, each driver has class D amplifiers, which makes a difference compared to most soundbars, giving this Sonos Beam Gen2 great power without distortion at high volume levels.
Compared to the first Sonos Beam, this second generation also has a faster and more efficient processor that allows, in addition to processing the Dolby Atmos signal, to generate a more vertical sound beam in the side channels.
How does all this translate into practical terms? In short: if the first Sonos Beam sounded fantastic, this second Sonos Beam sounds even better. The new processing capability and driver arrangement achieve, first and foremost, an even more spacious and immersive sound, which is incredible for the size of this bar; and then, the reinforcement of the passive radiators is also noticeable, with more powerful and controlled bass.
Additionally, something that could be noticed in the original Sonos Beam was that the highs were too bright and sibilant at times, but this has been corrected in this second-generation Sonos Beam. The balance between all frequencies is perfect without the need for equalization.
Obviously, not everything is perfect. The bass, while very good for a single soundbar, lacks extension in the most demanding scenes. And the vertical effects with Dolby Atmos cannot be compared to those provided by systems with more vertical channels, and even to what the Sonos ARC offers, a soundbar with a much higher immersion capacity than this Sonos Beam.
Even so, the surround effect of this Sonos Beam Gen2 is very remarkable, especially considering its compact size. It is amazing to see how the Sonos Beam generates an extensive sound field measuring only 65 cm wide. In this sense, it is one of the best-designed pieces of engineering in the audio market, not just among soundbars.
And just like with the original model, the Sonos Beam Gen2 is even more impressive with music, a scenario in which this bar comes very close to the quality of a Sonos Five, and that’s saying a lot because we’re talking about one of the best speakers on the market. Certainly, the bass extension of the Sonos Five is far superior to that of the Sonos Beam, but it provides greater stereo separation, also making it a perfect candidate for those looking for a versatile and high-quality music player for the living room.
The good thing about Sonos is its ecosystem, in which there is a subwoofer and some speakers, the Era 1000, that you can wirelessly pair with the Sonos Beam to form a 5.1.2 channel Home Cinema system with extraordinary sound quality. It is true that for the cost of forming this set of speakers, you can buy a more complete bar, like the Samsung HW-Q990D, but it’s good to know that if you buy the Sonos Beam Gen2 and later want to expand and improve the bar, you can do so.
Alternatives
The most obvious alternative to the Sonos Beam Gen2 is the Sonos Ray from the same brand, an even more compact bar than this one, but clearly a step or two below in terms of sound quality, and without HDMI eARC and, therefore, without Dolby Atmos, but obviously also more economical.
Twice as expensive, but also twice as superior, is the Sonos ARC, a fabulous soundbar that provides one of the most incredible surround sounds on the market with just a single bar and without the need for rear speakers. However, it is a bar that measures more than a meter wide, and in terms of price, it clearly plays in another league.
Probably, the best alternative in terms of size and sound quality similarity is the Samsung HW-S60D. To be fair, this compact Samsung soundbar does not sound as good or as wide as the Sonos Beam, but it is cheaper and has Bluetooth connectivity, which may be of interest to many.
