Sonos Beam review

For years, Sonos soundbars have been just for the flush of money. Nevertheless, the agency’s newest speaker is much extra reasonably priced, extra compact and contains good options.

Design & Construct

You actually do know what you’re getting when buying a Sonos product; Primarily a modern and fashionable design with a method that can match properly with the overwhelming majority of TVs and decors. You possibly can select black or white finishes.

The Beam, like each Sonos speaker we’ve reviewed appears to be like and seems like a high-end product – and we’re speaking in regards to the packaging and cables as effectively.

Construct high quality is superb with a mixture of stable plastic that doesn’t really feel low cost and material across the sides. All of the ports are neatly hidden on the again as standard.

The important thing issues right here is that the Beam is far more compact than the opposite two Sonos soundbars. So when you’re on the lookout for one to place in a bed room, kitchen or simply don’t have as a lot house then it’s an excellent selection.

Just like the Playbar, you possibly can wall-mount the Beam so it’s very versatile in how one can place it.

The speaker has contact delicate controls on the highest that are responsive and never annoying to make use of as is commonly the case.

Sound High quality & Options

Establishing the Beam couldn’t be a lot simpler. Merely plug the facility in and comply with the directions on the app, which is able to take you thru the totally different choices for connecting to your TV. It will embrace organising your TV distant to manage the quantity of the speaker, which could be very useful.

Regardless of being cheaper, the Beam has some options not discovered on the older Playbar. You get AirPlay built-in making it simpler to stream music to the speaker and HDMI ARC, which is a primary for a Sonos system.

This implies you possibly can plug it into your TV with an HDMI cable, so long as it has an audio return channel (ARC). In any other case, Sonos supplies a useful adapter so you need to use optical.

You additionally get Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, just like the Sonos One, so it is a good soundbar which you’ll be able to management together with your voice.

Utilizing your voice and the far-field mic array, you possibly can regulate the quantity, change the TV on and management different good residence gadgets round your own home like lights and heating in case you have suitable merchandise. If you’d like privateness, the mics may be switched off.

Lastly, we’re onto sound high quality and though the Beam is considerably smaller than its two greater brothers, it nonetheless packs a formidable punch within the audio division.

It solely has 5 drivers in comparison with the Playbar’s 9 but it surely doesn’t matter an excessive amount of, particularly when you’ve obtained the Beam in a smaller sized room.

4 of them are full-range drivers and one is a tweeter. Some are organized to offer a stable centre channel sound, whereas two face out to the aspect to supply a wider soundstage.

This isn’t encompass sound, however in order for you you possibly can add satellite tv for pc audio system, the most cost effective possibility being the $179/£179 One SL. The Beam Gen 2 provides Dolby Atmos for the preferred digital encompass sound commonplace on the market.

There are additionally three passive bass radiators, which help the Beam within the low finish. It could possibly’t compete with the Playbar or Arc on this respect but it surely’s nonetheless spectacular. You possibly can pair the Beam with the Sonos Sub however we’d advocate merely getting the Playbar if it’s not too giant as shopping for the Beam and the $429/£429 Sub Mini actually provides up.

Though the Beam is half the dimensions of the Playbar and designed to be a speaker for TV, sound and music it managed to adapt to something you possibly can throw at it -somehow with wonderful sound high quality, spaciousness and stereo area.

For the Beam, you may make use of modes like speech enhancement and night time mode. The latter of which makes certain loud parts like explosions don’t wake anybody up advert you possibly can nonetheless hear quieter issues.

There’s all of this and we haven’t even talked about all the same old advantages of the Sonos multi-room system with its virtually countless checklist of suitable companies. Discover out extra in our full information to one of the best Sonos audio system.

Value & Availability

Initially launched at £399/$399 for the unique era, the newer Gen 2 Beam has been given a worth rise to $499/£499 making it extra reasonably priced than the $899/£899 Arc.

These wanting one thing extra reasonably priced ought to go for the Sonos Ray which is simply $279/£279 when you don’t want HDMI or voice management.

You should purchase it instantly from Sonos or retailers together with Argos, John Lewis, Currys and Amazon. You can too check out one of the best soundbars proper now in order for you extra inspiration earlier than taking the plunge.

Verdict

There’s little or no to dislike in regards to the Beam, despite the fact that it’s now not essentially the most reasonably priced soundbar within the Sonos vary.

HDMI ARC will probably be a boon for some and Amazon Alexa/Google Assistant is one other bonus, particularly in case you have good residence merchandise you possibly can management with it. The Gen 2 mannequin provides Dolby Atmos.

What makes the Beam actually particular is that the extra compact measurement means it’s going to match into extra areas, but the sound isn’t massively worse off for it. Sonos has labored its audio magic right here. It’s the now inflated worth that’s the major draw back.