The Sonos Beam is a 3.0 soundbar with a small, compact design. It's a smart soundbar with built-in voice assistant support that you can easily add to your Sonos ecosystem using the Sonos S2 app. Like other premium bars on the market, it comes with a room correction feature to optimize audio reproduction based on your room's unique acoustics - though this feature is only available with iOS devices. With this feature on, it has a neutral sound with a touch of extra brightness in the treble that's suitable for dialogue-centric content like TV shows as well as many music genres. The standalone bar struggles to reproduce the deep rumble in the bass, but you can always add on a separate subwoofer to improve its bass reproduction as well as satellites to improve its surround sound.
Our Verdict
The Sonos Beam soundbar is fair for mixed usage. Its neutral and accurate mid-range makes it ideal for listening to vocal-centric content like podcasts and TV shows. Vocals and lead instruments in your favorite music reproduce clearly, too, but you don't feel the rumble in the bass with bass-heavy genres like hip-hop and EDM. Though the bar can play surround sound, it doesn't offer a very immersive listening experience as a standalone bar. There's no Atmos support, either.
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Very well-built design.
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Easily upgradable setup.
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No Atmos support.
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No Full HDMI In ports.
The Sonos Beam soundbar is very good for dialogue-heavy content like TV shows. With its discrete center channel, this 3.0 setup anchors voices to a pinpoint location in the soundstage. Its balanced mid-range ensures that dialogue reproduces clearly and accurately, and there's extra brightness in the treble to make higher-pitched voices sparkle. You can even use its dialogue enhancement feature to make voices more clear and crisp if you prefer.
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Dialogue enhancement tool.
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Great center channel performance for dialogue in movies.
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Poor surrounds performance.
The Sonos Beam soundbar is decent for music. It has a room correction feature - which Sonos calls TruePlay - that adjusts its audio reproduction based on your room's unique acoustic characteristics. With this feature on, it has a balanced mid-range that makes vocals and lead instruments clear and present in the mix, and there's extra brightness in the treble to make higher-pitched vocals sparkle. If you want a different sound, you can even customize it with its bass and treble adjustments. However, you need to add on a separate subwoofer if you want to feel the deep rumble in bass-heavy genres like EDM and hip-hop.
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Wide soundstage.
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Lacks rumbling low-bass.
The Sonos Beam soundbar is fair for movies. The bar supports surround sound like Dolby Digital and DTS, but it has to downmix it into stereo to play it. It doesn't sound as immersive as setups with discrete satellites, but fortunately, you can add on separate satellites from Sonos if you watch lots of movies. However, you'll also need to add on a subwoofer if you want to feel the rumble in the low-bass during action-packed scenes.
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Great center channel performance for dialogue in movies.
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Wide soundstage.
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Lacks rumbling low-bass.
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Poor surrounds performance.
- Mixed Usage
- Dialogue/TV Shows
- Music
- Movies
- Updated Jun 13, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 1.2. Updated the results for audio format support via ARC/eARC, HDMI In, and Optical. Added Video Passthrough to TV results as well.
- Updated Mar 20, 2023: Added cable lengths to In The Box.
- Updated Mar 16, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 1.1. With this update, we've added a Mounting test and added information aboutSubwoofer Output, Spotify Connect, and Microphone Mute.
- Updated Nov 08, 2022: Retested the bar's sound with firmware version 14.18.
- Updated Mar 04, 2022: Updated review for accuracy and clarity.
- Updated Jan 19, 2022: Added DTS support with new update.
- Updated Mar 17, 2021: Updated review for accuracy and clarity.
- Updated Feb 09, 2021: Updated 'App' box, as the soundbar has a new companion app.
- Updated Feb 09, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Jun 30, 2020: We've updated some test results for consistency across reviews. No major score changes happened.
- Updated Sep 27, 2019: Review published.
- Updated Sep 25, 2019: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Sep 23, 2019: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated May 24, 2019: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Sonos Beam comes in one color variant: 'Black'. Some retailers sell a version of this product known as the Sonos Beam Shadow or the Sonos Beam Shadow Edition soundbar, and while we haven't tested them, we expect them to be the same product and perform comparably in tests.
The second generation of this soundbar came out in 2021. You can see our review for the Sonos Beam (Gen 2).
If you come across a variant not listed here, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Compared To Other Soundbars
The Sonos Beam is among the best small soundbars we've tested. Its small, compact size packs a decent performance that can be easily upgraded down the line, thanks to its separate subwoofer and satellites. It also has a great soundstage, thanks to its side-firing speakers. Unfortunately, it lacks Bluetooth connectivity, and like many small, standalone soundbars, it has a limited amount of inputs.
If you're still looking around for more soundbars, check out our recommendations for the best soundbars, the best soundbars for dialogue, and the best Dolby Atmos soundbars.
The Sonos Arc is more versatile than the Sonos Beam since it supports eARC and Atmos content. The Arc is able to deliver deeper bass, and it has better surround and height performances. That said, the Beam performs better at max volume. It's also shorter and much easier to fit between the legs of a 55 inch TV.
The Sonos Beam is better than the Sonos Ray. The Beam is a 3.0 setup, meaning it has a discrete center channel to improve dialogue reproduction, unlike the Ray. It's able to reproduce a bit more rumble in the bass range, too, and its soundstage offers a much wider, more immersive listening experience. There's also an HDMI input, which the Ray lacks.
The Sonos Beam is a better soundbar than the Sonos Playbar. The Beam has a more neutral sound profile and has a sleeker and more compact design. It also supports ARC via an adapter and is Apple AirPlay compatible.
The Sonos Beam is a better soundbar than the Bose TV Speaker. The Sonos is a 3.0 setup with a better surround performance. It comes with more sound enhancement features, it can also get loud enough for a large room, and you can stream music wirelessly to it using Wi-Fi or Apple AirPlay. It also has a companion app that can control all the bar's features. However, the Bose is a 2.0 setup that lets you use Bluetooth to play audio from your phone. The Bose also has an auto-off power-saving feature.
When comparing the bars by themselves, the Bose Smart Soundbar 700 is slightly better than the Sonos Beam. The Bose can get slightly louder, without as much compression at max volume. It feels better-made and has a premium feel, with a glass plate covering. The Bose also has more inputs and can play content wirelessly via Bluetooth as well as Wi-Fi. On the other hand, the Sonos is smaller and easier to fit in your home theater setup.
The Sonos Beam is a better soundbar than the Bose Solo 5. The Sonos has a 3.0 configuration with a dedicated center channel, which makes voices even clearer. It's better built, and it gets louder than the Bose. Also, its soundstage is wider, and it has more sound enhancement features. However, only the Bose supports Bluetooth.
The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is a bit better for mixed usage than the Sonos Beam. The Gen 2 is a 5.0 setup that offers better surrounds performance. It's better built and supports Dolby Atmos content. However, the 3.0 Beam does get louder.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 is better than the Sonos Beam. It's better built, and it has a better surrounds performance. Unlike the Sonos soundbar, it also supports Dolby Atmos content. The Sonos is still a solid choice for dialogue-centric content like TV shows. It also has a more compact design, which some users may prefer.
The Sonos Beam is a better soundbar than the Bose Smart Soundbar 300. The Sonos has a more balanced sound profile and comes with a room correction feature as well as an auto-volume feature. However, the Bose is smaller, it can support more audio formats via its HDMI ARC port, and it has more wireless playback options.
The Sonos Beam is a better soundbar than the Yamaha YAS-209. The Sonos is a 3.0 setup with a dedicated center speaker, unlike the Yamaha, and it can get much louder. It's also more compact, and you can easily upgrade the setup with a sub and rear speakers. However, the YAS-209 comes with a dedicated wireless subwoofer that helps to produce more bass than the Sonos. It also has a lot more connection inputs, and you can also connect to it via Bluetooth.
The Sonos Beam is a better soundbar than the Bose Soundbar 500. The Sonos is a more compact soundbar that can get a bit louder, and its stereo frequency response is more accurate. The soundstage of the Sonos is wider, which feels more immersive. The Sonos also has a room correction feature that automatically adjusts the sound profile based on the acoustics of the room it's in. On the other hand, the Bose supports eARC even though it reencodes these formats into Dolby Digital and is also Bluetooth compatible. The Sonos only supports wireless streaming via Wi-Fi.
The Sonos Beam is better than the Bose Solo Soundbar Series II. They're both small standalone soundbars with solid performances, but the Sonos has a better sound. It's better-built, with a more neutral sound out-of-the-box. Its soundstage is also much wider, so you feel more immersed in your audio. There's a discrete center channel to improve vocal clarity, and more sound enhancement features to help you customize its sound.
The Sonos Beam is a better soundbar than the Sony HT-X8500. The Sonos is a 3.0 setup that's better built, has a discrete center channel that performs better than the Sony's phantom center, and has a better stereo soundstage. You can also stream music to it using Wi-Fi or Apple AirPlay. However, even though the Sony's height channel performance is sub-par, it supports Atmos, which is rare for a 2.1 setup. The Sony also has EQ presets, and it has an HDMI Out as well as a Full HDMI In port, which is nice.
The Sonos Beam is better than the Klipsch Cinema 400. The Sonos is a 3.0 setup that's better-built and gets louder. It has better soundstage, center, and surround performances. Unlike the Klipsch, it has room correction and built-in voice assistant support. That said, the 2.1 Klipsch comes with a dedicated sub that helps reproduce a more extended low-bass.
The Sonos Beam is a significantly better soundbar than the Roku Streambar. The Sonos is a 3.0 setup that's better balanced and has a better center as well as surrounds performance. It also has more sound enhancement features and can get a lot louder, though with some compression artifacts present. However, the Roku is a 2.0 setup that has a couple more physical inputs. You can also use it to wirelessly stream your favorite audio to the bar using Bluetooth.
The Sonos Beam is a better standalone bar than the Roku Streambar Pro. The Sonos is a 3.0 bar with a discrete center channel to improve its vocal reproduction, unlike the Roku. It has a better soundstage, and you notice more bass in the mix right out of the box. Unlike the Roku, it supports DTS content and has a room correction feature.
The Samsung HW-S60B/S61B and the Sonos Beam are both small standalone soundbars with premium designs. The Sonos is a 3.0 bar, and while it can reproduce a wider and more immersive soundstage, it can't playback Dolby Atmos content like the 5.0 Samsung. If you care about Atmos content, you may want to compare the Samsung soundbar with the next-generation Sonos Beam (Gen 2), which adds Atmos support to the first-generation model.
The Sonos Beam and the Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar MAX are two very different standalone setups. The Sennheiser is one of the largest and heaviest bars we've tested. It can reproduce a more extended low-bass, gets louder, has a better surround performance, and supports Atmos content, unlike the Sonos. However, the Sonos is a very compact 3.0 setup. It has a better soundstage, and it's very suitable for dialogue-centric content like TV shows.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 with Speakers + Bass Module is better than the Sonos Beam. The Bose is a better-built setup with a subwoofer and satellites. It supports Dolby Atmos content, and it can reproduce a more extended low-bass. Also, its surround and soundstage performances are better. That said, if you prefer a compact, standalone soundbar, the Sonos is still a solid choice.
The Sonos Beam is better than the Hisense HS218. The Sonos is a 3.0 setup that's better-built and comes with built-in voice assistant support. It has better center and soundstage performances, too. Also, it comes with some more sound enhancement features, like room correction. However, the Hisense comes with a dedicated sub, which helps reproduce a slightly more extended low-bass.
The Sonos Arc with Sub + One SL Speakers is a better soundbar than the Sonos Beam. The Arc full setup is better built, and it comes with a dedicated sub and surround speakers. It reproduces a more extended low-bass and offers a better surround performance. Unlike the Beam, it also supports Dolby Atmos content. That said, the Beam's small, compact setup may be preferable for some users.
The Samsung HW-Q59CT and the Sonos Beam offer similar overall performances. The Samsung is a 5.1 setup with a dedicated sub that reproduces a more extended low-bass. Unlike the Sonos, it has a Full HDMI In port for high quality passthrough. That said, the 3.0 Sonos is better built and its more compact design may be ideal for some users. It also has better soundstage and center performances.
The Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300 and the Sonos Beam have similar overall performances, so depending on your listening habits, you may prefer one over the other. The Harman/Kardon offers a better surrounds performance, and it comes with EQ presets for sound customization. It also has three Full HDMI In ports and more wireless playback options. You can also use it for high-quality passthrough. However, some users may prefer the Sonos' more compact design, voice assistant support, and more neutral default sound profile. It also comes with an app, unlike the Harman/Kardon.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is better than the Sonos Beam. The Vizio is a 5.1.2 setup with a dedicated sub and satellites. Unlike the Sonos, it supports Atmos content and has a Full HDMI In port for high-quality passthrough. It also gets louder, and it has a better surrounds performance. The 3.0 Sonos is better built with built-in voice assistant support. Some users may also prefer its more compact design.
The Samsung HW-Q90R is a better overall setup compared to the Sonos Beam. The Samsung is a 7.1.4 setup with a better surrounds performance that can also support Dolby Atmos content. It gets louder with less compression at max volume, and it reproduces a more extended low-bass. When it comes to sound enhancement features, the Samsung has a graphic EQ and presets, whereas the Sonos has room correction. The Sonos is simple in its setup and is a great standalone soundbar with a center channel that helps reproduce dialogue accurately. It also has a better soundstage and built-in voice assistant support.
The JBL Bar 9.1 is better than the Sonos Beam. The JBL comes with a dedicated sub that reproduces a more extended low-bass, and it supports Atmos content. It has a better surrounds performance and more wireless playback options. Unlike the Sonos, it has EQ presets and a Full HDMI In port. That said, only the Sonos has built-in voice assistant support. Some users may also prefer its more compact design.
The Sonos Beam is better for most uses than the Yamaha YAS-408. The Sonos is better built with built-in voice assistant support. It has better center and soundstage performances, and it comes with room correction. That said, the Yamaha may be better suited for movies since it has a better surround performance. Also, its dedicated sub helps reproduce a more extended low-bass.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Sonos Beam or the JBL Bar 5.0 MultiBeam. The Sonos is a 3.0 setup with a better soundstage performance and a more balanced sound profile out-of-the-box. Also, it has a dialogue enhancement feature. However, the 5.0 JBL is better for movies, as it offers better Atmos and surround performances. It also comes with a Full HDMI In port and more wireless playback options.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage is a slightly better soundbar than the Sonos Beam. The Bang & Olufsen can produce more bass, it supports Dolby Atmos, and it has a graphic EQ with presets. It also offers more connectivity options and supports more audio formats. However, the Sonos has a more neutral sound profile, and it has a room correction feature. Some users may especially prefer its small size, which can be upgraded later down the line with a separate subwoofer or satellites.
The Sonos Beam is a better soundbar than the Sony HT-S100F. The Sonos is a 3.0 system with a center channel, which makes dialog clearer and easier to understand. It also has a more accurate overall audio reproduction and has many sound enhancement features, including room correction. It has a great soundstage for an immersive feel as well. On the other hand, if you like the simplicity of Bluetooth, only the Sony is Bluetooth compatible. It's also better built and noticeably smaller, making it easier to fit in your setup.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 700 with Speakers + Bass Module is better than the Sonos Beam. The Bose comes with a subwoofer that helps reproduce a more extended low-bass, as well as discrete satellites for a better surround performance. It's also better built, and it has a better stereo soundstage. It even supports more wireless playback options. That said, some users may prefer the Sonos' more compact design.
The Sonos Beam is a slightly better performing soundbar than the Yamaha YAS-108/ATS-1080. The Sonos has a more extended bass, feels better built, and offers more sound enhancement features. On the other hand, the Yamaha has more connectivity options, including a full HDMI In port. The Yamaha also has Bluetooth playback, while the Sonos can only connect via Wi-Fi or Apple AirPlay.
The Sonos Beam is a better soundbar than the Denon Home Sound Bar 550. The Sonos has a better soundstage performance, and it gets louder. It also comes with a room correction feature and a discrete center channel. However, the Denon supports Atmos content and Bluetooth connectivity. It also comes with EQ presets and a Full HDMI In port.
The Sonos Beam is a better soundbar than the Yahama YAS-109. The Sonos is a 3.0 setup that feels better built and has a more neutral sound profile. Its center channel performance is better, and it has more sound enhancement features. However, the Yahama has more physical inputs like a Full HDMI In port, and it supports Bluetooth.
The Samsung HW-Q70R is a better soundbar than the Sonos Beam. The Samsung has a more balanced sound profile, mainly due to its dedicated subwoofer, and it has up-firing speakers that support Dolby Atmos content. Also, the Samsung has more connectivity options, but the Sonos has more customization options to tweak the sound to your liking.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Sony HT-G700 or the Sonos Beam. The Sonos is a 3.0 setup that's better built and has built-in voice assistant support. It also has a better stereo soundstage, and it offers a room correction feature. That said, the Sony has a better surround performance, and unlike the Sonos, it supports Atmos content. It also comes with a Full HDMI In port.
The Vizio M Series M51a-H6 is better than the Sonos Beam. The Vizio is a 5.1 setup with a dedicated sub that helps reproduce a more extended low-bass. Thanks to its satellites, it also has a better surround performance. Unlike the Sonos, it supports Atmos content and comes with EQ presets as well as a Full HDMI In port. That said, some listeners may prefer the Sonos' better-built, more compact design. Unlike the Vizio, the Sonos has room correction and built-in voice assistant support. Its stereo soundstage performance is better, too.
The Sonos Beam is a better soundbar than the JBL Link Bar. The Sonos is easily upgradable, and its 3.0 configuration means it has a dedicated center speaker, which makes dialogue and voices even clearer. It also has way more features like room correction and a night mode. On the other hand, the JBL can play content via Bluetooth and has Chromecast built-in. It also acts as an Android TV box and a Google Home Speaker.
The Vizio V Series V51-H6 is better than the Sonos Beam. The Vizio is a 5.1 setup that comes with a dedicated sub and discrete satellites. It can reproduce a more extended low-bass, so you feel more thump and rumble in your audio. It also has a better surround performance. However, the 3.0 Sonos is better built with built-in voice assistant capabilities. It also has a better soundstage.
The 3.0 channel Sonos Beam is a much better soundbar than the AmazonBasics 2.1 Channel Bluetooth. The Sonos is even more compact, and it has a significantly better-balanced sound profile, a wider soundstage, and more sound enhancement features, including room correction. Neither soundbar has full HDMI-in, though, and both only support Dolby Digital surround content.
The Samsung HW-T650 is a bit better for mixed usage than the Sonos Beam. The Samsung has a dedicated sub that reproduces a more extended low-bass. Unlike the Sonos, it has EQ presets and a Full HDMI In port. That said, the Sonos is better-built with built-in voice assistant support. It has a better soundstage and room correction.
The Sonos Beam is better than the LG Eclair QP5. The Sonos is a better-built 3.0 setup with built-in voice assistant support. It has better soundstage, center, and surround performances. Some users may also prefer its more neutral, balanced sound out-of-the-box. However, it doesn't support Dolby Atmos content like the LG.
The Sony HT-Z9F is a slightly better performing soundbar than the Sonos Beam. The Sony is more versatile, even though it struggles to reproduce a rumbly bass. It can support Atmos content as well as all common audio formats through an ARC or full HDMI In connection. However, the Sonos is great if you're short on space and looking for a standalone soundbar with a fairly neutral sound. The Sonos can also be upgraded later down the line.
The Samsung HW-Q70T is better than the Sonos Beam for most uses. The Samsung has a more extended low-bass, and it comes with a graphic EQ and presets for sound customization. It supports Atmos content and has a better surrounds performance. It has a Full HDMI In port, and it supports more wireless playback options. That said, the Sonos has built-in voice assistant support, a better soundstage, and a smaller design. It also has room correction and auto-volume features, unlike the Samsung.
The Samsung HW-Q700A is a better soundbar than the Sonos Beam for most uses. The Samsung supports Dolby Atmos content and offers a better surrounds performance. It reproduces a slightly more extended low-bass than the Sonos, and it comes with a Full HDMI In port. It also has a graphic EQ and presets to customize its sound, and it supports more wireless playback options. That said, the Sonos supports voice assistants, and it has a better soundstage. It has a room correction feature, and some listeners may prefer its smaller design.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Sonos Beam or the JBL Bar 5.1 Surround. The Sonos is a 3.0 setup that offers a better soundstage performance. It also comes with a dialogue enhancement feature and built-in voice assistant support, unlike the JBL. However, the 5.1 JBL comes with a dedicated subwoofer, so it reproduces a more extended low-bass. It also offers a better surround performance and comes with EQ presets, a Full HDMI In port that supports high-quality passthrough, and more wireless playback options.
The Sonos Beam is a bit better for mixed usage than the Samsung HW-A450. The Sonos is better built, and some listeners may prefer its more compact design. It has better soundstage and center performances as well as a room correction feature. Unlike the Samsung soundbar, it offers built-in voice assistant capabilities and an HDMI ARC port. However, the Samsung comes with a dedicated sub, so it reproduces a more extended low-bass. It also has a graphic EQ and presets, which some users may prefer for sound customization.
The Samsung HW-Q800A is a better soundbar than the Sonos Beam. The Samsung comes with a dedicated subwoofer that helps reproduce a more extended low-bass. It supports Dolby Atmos content, and it has a better surround performance. It also supports more wireless playback options and has a graphic EQ and presets to customize its sound. However, the Sonos is more compact with a better soundstage, and it also has a room correction feature.
The Samsung HW-Q600A is a better soundbar than the Sonos Beam. The Samsung supports Dolby Atmos content and comes with a Full HDMI In port, unlike the Sonos. It also reproduces a more extended low-bass and comes with more sound customization features, including a graphic EQ and presets. That said, the Sonos is more compact, and it comes with a room correction feature and built-in voice assistant support. It also has a better soundstage.
The Klipsch Cinema 600 is better than the Sonos Beam for most uses. The Klipsch has a better surround performance, and it reproduces a more extended low-bass. However, the Sonos is better built with a better soundstage. It also comes with room correction and built-in voice assistant, unlike the Klipsch.
The LG SN6Y and the Sonos Beam offer similar overall performances. The LG is a 3.1 setup with a dedicated sub, and it can reproduce a slightly more extended low-bass. Unlike the Sonos, it has a Full HDMI In port for high-quality passthrough. That said, the 3.0 Sonos is better built with a more compact design that some users may prefer. Despite its small size, it still offers a better soundstage performance.
The Yamaha YAS-207 is a slightly better soundbar than the Sonos Beam. The Yamaha comes with a dedicated subwoofer and has better bass extension to produce a thumpy bass. It also has more input selection and supports Bluetooth, but the Sonos' center channel performs significantly better for dialogue-heavy content and has more sound enhancement features than the Yamaha.
The Sonos Beam is a better soundbar than the Vizio M-Series M21d-H8R. The Sonos is better built, and it has a more balanced sound profile. It also has a better soundstage performance, and it gets louder with less compression when you play it at max volume. However, the Vizio comes with some EQ presets, unlike the Sonos, and it has a Full HDMI In port that supports 4k passthrough.
The Sonos Beam is a better overall performing soundbar than the Sony HT-X9000F. The Sonos is smaller, its sound profile is better balanced, and it has a better soundstage. It also has an outstanding discrete center channel, as well as a room correction feature. However, it lacks low-bass. The Sony, on the other hand, can support Atmos content by downmixing it, it has a Full HDMI In port, and it can stream audio via Bluetooth. It can also pass through high-quality signals so if you have it connected between your PC and TV, text on the screen will be crisp and clear.
The Sonos Beam and the Sony HT-A7000 are two very different setups. The Sonos is a very compact 3.0 setup with a better stereo soundstage. It's a suitable upgrade over your TV speakers, but if you like to watch a lot of movies, you may prefer the Sony. The Sony is better built with a better surround performance, and unlike the Sonos, it supports Atmos content. It also has a Full HDMI In port for high-quality passthrough.
The Samsung HW-Q60R is a slightly better soundbar system than the Sonos Beam. Although the Sonos has a wider soundstage, the overall performance of the Samsung is better. It has a better performance with surround content thanks to the built-in Acoustic Beam up-firing speakers. On the other hand, the Sonos has a room correction feature, and it's easy to upgrade with a wireless sub and satellites, though we tested the Sonos as a stand-alone bar.
The LG SN9YG is better than the Sonos Beam. The LG is a 5.1.2 setup with a dedicated subwoofer that helps reproduce a more extended low-bass. Unlike the Sonos, it supports Dolby Atmos content and comes with a Full HDMI In port. It also has a better surrounds performance and EQ presets for sound customization. That said, the 3.0 Sonos has better soundstage and center channel performances.
The Sonos Beam is better than the Polk Audio Signa S2. The Sonos is a 3.0 setup with a discrete center channel that offers a better soundstage performance. It's better built, too. Unlike the Polk Audio, it comes with a room correction feature as well as built-in voice assistant support. That said, some listeners may prefer to customize their bar's sound using the Polk Audio's EQ presets.
The LG SN8YG is better than the Sonos Beam. The LG comes with a dedicated sub that helps reproduce a more extended low-bass. Unlike the Sonos, it supports Dolby Atmos content, and it has a Full HDMI In port for high-quality passthrough. It also offers more wireless playback options and more sound enhancement features, like EQ presets. That said, the Sonos is better built with a better soundstage. Some listeners may also prefer its more compact design.
The Sonos Beam is a better soundbar than the Vizio SB3220n-F6. While both bars have fairly well-balanced, neutral sound profiles, the Sonos packs a bit more thump and rumble. It also has a dedicated center channel, which helps voices sound clearer and an even wider soundstage. It doesn't support Bluetooth, though, unlike the Vizio, which also has a regular audio jack for better mobile device support and can play files from a USB key.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Sonos Beam or the Samsung HW-S60A. The Sonos is a 3.0 soundbar with a better soundstage performance and a room correction feature. However, the Samsung is a 5.0 bar with a better surrounds performance and a graphic EQ for sound customization. Also, it supports Bluetooth connectivity, unlike the Sonos.
The Samsung HW-Q800T is a better soundbar than the Sonos Beam. The Samsung comes with a dedicated subwoofer, so it can reproduce a more extended low-bass, and it also supports Dolby Atmos content. It gets louder than the Sonos, too, with less compression at max volume. Also, it comes with a graphic EQ and presets for sound customization, a Full HDMI In port that supports high-quality passthrough, and more wireless playback options. That said, the Sonos has a better soundstage performance, and it comes with a room correction feature, unlike the Samsung.
The Samsung HW-A650 is slightly better for mixed usage than the Sonos Beam. The HW-A650 comes with a dedicated sub that helps reproduce a more extended low-bass. Unlike the Sonos, it has a Full HDMI In port and a graphic EQ for sound customization. That said, the Sonos has a better soundstage. Some users may prefer its more compact design and its built-in voice assistant support.
The Samsung HW-Q950A is better than the Sonos Beam. The Samsung is an 11.1.4 setup that supports Dolby Atmos content. Thanks to its dedicated sub, it reproduces a more extended low-bass. It also gets louder, and it has a better surrounds performance thanks in part to its dedicated satellites. It supports more wireless playback options, and its Full HDMI In port supports high-quality passthrough. That said, the Sonos is better-built, more compact, and its soundstage is better.
The Samsung HW-Q900A is better than the Sonos Beam. The Samsung is a 7.1.2 setup that comes with a dedicated sub, which helps reproduce a more extended low-bass. It gets louder and has a better surrounds performance. Unlike the Sonos, it supports Atmos content, and it has a Full HDMI In port for high-quality passthrough. There are even more sound enhancement features available, such as a graphic EQ and presets. That said, some users may prefer the Sonos' better-built, more compact design. Despite its smaller size, the Sonos also has a better stereo soundstage.
The Sonos Beam is marginally better for mixed usage than the Samsung HW-A550. The Sonos is better built with better center and soundstage performances. Unlike the Samsung, it has room correction and built-in voice assistant. That said, the 2.1 Samsung has a dedicated sub that reproduces a more extended low-bass. Unlike the Sonos, it comes with a graphic EQ, presets, and a Full HDMI In port.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Sonos Beam or the Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR. The Polk Audio is a 5.1 setup with a dedicated sub and discrete satellites. It reproduces more of the thump and rumble in your audio, and it has a better surrounds performance. However, there were some audio issues with the model we tested. Also, the 3.0 Sonos is better built with built-in voice assistant support. It has a better soundstage, and some listeners may prefer its more compact design.
The Sonos Beam is a much better soundbar than the Sony HT-CT800. The Sonos has a more balanced sound profile, and its soundstage is noticeably larger. It's also a 3.0 setup, meaning it has a dedicated center channel for clearer reproduction of voices and dialogue. On the other hand, the Sony has a dedicated subwoofer, although you can buy a separate sub for the Sonos. The Sony also has many Full HDMI In ports and supports Bluetooth.
The Sonos Beam is a slightly better overall performing soundbar than the Samsung HW-S60T. The Sonos is slightly more compact, its sound profile is a bit better balanced, and it has a better center channel as well as surround performance. The Sonos also offers a wide range of sound enhancement features such as room correction and auto-volume mode. However, unlike the Samsung, it lacks an EQ. The Samsung, on the other side, supports Bluetooth connectivity.
The Sonos Beam is a better soundbar than the Sony HT-S350, even without its separate sub and satellites. The Sonos has a noticeably more neutral sound and a wider soundstage. It also has a dedicated center channel, which makes voices and dialog clearer and easier to understand. However, it doesn't have any HDMI ports. Also, only the Sony supports Bluetooth.
The Sonos Beam and the Samsung HW-Q950T are two very different setups. The Samsung is a very versatile 9.1.4 setup with a dedicated sub and satellites. It gets louder, and it can reproduce a more extended low-bass. Unlike the Sonos, it supports Atmos content and has a Full HDMI In port for high quality passthrough. Its surrounds performance is better, too. However, if you want a compact 3.0 setup for enhancing dialogue-centric content like TV shows, the Sonos is a solid choice. It even has a better soundstage than the Samsung.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Samsung HW-Q60T or the Sonos Beam. The Sonos is a compact 3.0 setup with better soundstage and center channel performances. It has built-in voice assistant support and a room correction feature. However, the 5.1 Samsung has a dedicated sub that reproduces a more extended low-bass. It has a better surround performance, a Full HDMI In port, and a graphic EQ to customize its sound.
The Sony HT-ST5000 is better for mixed usage than the Sonos Beam. The Sony is a 7.1.2 setup with a dedicated sub. It can reproduce a more extended low-bass, and it has a better surrounds performance. Unlike the Sonos, it supports Dolby Atmos content. However, the Sonos is a very compact 3.0 setup that's suitable for users who prefer dialogue-centric content like TV shows. Despite its small size, it has a better soundstage than the Sony.
The LG SP9YA is a better soundbar for most uses than the Sonos Beam. The LG is a 5.1.2 setup that comes with a dedicated subwoofer. It can reproduce a more extended low-bass, and it has a better surrounds performance. Unlike the Sonos, it supports Atmos content, and it has a Full HDMI In port for high-quality passthrough. That said, the 3.0 Sonos has a more compact design. It also offers better soundstage and center performances, so it's a solid choice for users who listen to lots of dialogue-centric content and don't want to use up a lot of space in their setup.
The Samsung HW-Q80R is a better setup than the Sonos Beam. As the Samsung is a 5.1.2 setup, the Sonos is suitable if you prefer to have only one soundbar that can do it all. The Sonos offers several sound enhancement features that the Samsung doesn't have such as room correction. However, the Sonos doesn't support height channels or Atmos. It also has a lack of connectivity options compared to the many offered by the Samsung.
Even without the sub and satellites, the Sonos Beam is a better soundbar than the Klipsch Bar 48, which has a dedicated subwoofer. The Sonos is smaller and very well-built, along with more neutral sound profile. Also, its soundstage is wider, and it has more sound enhancement features. On the other hand, the Bar 48 can get noticeably louder.
The Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2Ch is a better setup than the Sonos Beam soundbar by itself. Since we only tested the Sonos with the bar alone, it's somewhat hard to compare a 9.2 system with a 3.0 system. Nevertheless, the Nakamichi gets louder with stereo content, although its soundstage isn't as wide as the Sonos'. The Sonos soundbar also features a room correction feature that uses a microphone to make adjustments to the audio reproduction.
The Sonos Beam is better than the Sony HT-S200F. The Sonos is better built, and it has built-in voice assistant support. It also has better center and soundstage performances. Unlike the Sony, it has a room correction feature. That said, only the Sony has EQ presets.
Even with the bar by itself, the Sonos Beam is a better option than the Samsung N450. Without a sub, the Sonos has a similar bass performance to that of the Samsung, on top of having a more neutral sound overall. It is also a 3.0 bar, meaning you have a dedicated center channel for clear voices and dialog. The Sonos also has more features and room correction, which is great. It can also be easily upgraded with a separate sub and satellites. On the other hand, it doesn't have a lot of inputs, and you can't stream content via Bluetooth to the Sonos via Wi-Fi.
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Test Results
The Sonos Beam's soundbar has a fairly plain design, mostly solid plastic. A mesh-like fabric cover surrounds the whole bar, which can get dirty or tear. On top of the bar, there are three touch-sensitive buttons.
The Sonos Beam doesn't include a subwoofer. However, you can purchase a separate subwoofer to upgrade your setup.
The Sonos Beam doesn't have any satellites, but you can upgrade your setup with additional satellites.
The Sonos Beam is a small and compact soundbar that fits easily between the legs of a 55" TV stand. It isn't very tall, either, so it doesn't block your TV screen unless your TV sits flush against your table.
The Sonos Beam has a great build quality. It's mostly plastic, which feels very robust and solid. The fabric covering on the bar is a potential weak point since it's loose and collects dust easily.
- Manuals
- Bar power cable (6.2 ft / 1.9m)
- HDMI cable (4.9 ft / 1.5m)
- HDMI to Optical adapter (9 cm)
- Driver CDs
The Sonos Beam's stereo frequency response is decent. Like many premium bars on the market, it comes with a room correction feature to adjust its sound based on your room's unique acoustics—Sonos calls this feature TruePlay. With room correction on, its sound profile is fairly well-balanced, producing a neutral sound with a touch of brightness. Updating the bar to firmware version 14.18 adds some extra emphasis in the treble, too, so you hear the detail in higher-pitched sounds. Still, vocals and lead instruments in your favorite music remain clear and present in the mix. Like most standalone soundbars, it can't reproduce the deep thump and rumble in the bass range. It's ideal for dialogue-centric content without a lot of bass, like podcasts and TV shows. If you want to feel the bass in action-packed movie scenes and bass-heavy music genres, you can improve its bass reproduction by adding on Sonos' separate subwoofer.
The Sonos Beam comes with bass and treble adjustments in its companion app so you can customize its sound. With the bass set to 0 and the treble set to -6, it has a good stereo frequency response. Its sound profile is more balanced, so vocals and lead instruments are clearly and accurately reproduced without the extra brightness in the treble. That said, it still lacks the deep rumble in the low-bass, even when you adjust its bass.
This soundbar has a great soundstage. Its side-firing speakers work together with its center channel speaker to produce a soundstage that feels almost as wide as home theater speaker towers. However, you can't disable this setup, and while this soundstage widening effect works well, it feels like the sound is coming from a general area rather than a specific location. If you're looking for a soundbar with a wider soundstage, check out the Bose Soundbar 700.
This soundbar gets fairly loud, so it can still up an average-sized living room with sound. However, there are some compression artifacts present at max volume, especially in the bass range, even after updating the bar to firmware version 14.18. When you crank up the volume, sound isn't as clean or pure as at lower volumes.
This soundbar's THD performance is decent. At a normal listening volume, there isn't much distortion present, resulting in a clear and pure sound. That said, there's a slight increase in THD at max volume, even after updating the bar to firmware 14.18. Distortion is hard to hear with real-life content, but astute audiophiles will want to keep it in mind.
This soundbar is a 3.0 setup with a great center channel performance. It has a dedicated center speaker that improves vocal reproduction overall. Its sound profile is pretty balanced, too, especially in the mid-range, where most voices reproduce. However, updating the bar to firmware 14.18 adds extra brightness to the mix, which you may want to adjust with its treble dial to get a more even sound. Also, it lacks some low bass, but this isn't noticeable with dialogue-centric content since voices aren't usually reproduced in the bass range.
As expected, this 3.0 setup has a poor surrounds performance. As a standalone bar, it downmixes everything into a stereo signal while using the left and right speakers to produce its surround sound. It struggles to produce an accurate and clear representation of surround objects, making your audio content feel less immersive. Sound objects like footsteps and voices feel like they're coming from the front of the soundbar rather than around you. Luckily, as the L/R drivers are on the side of the bar, it can make the surround experience slightly better. You can also upgrade this soundbar with separate satellites to improve its surrounds performance. If you listen to mostly surround and Atmos content, check out the Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2Ch.
This setup doesn't support Dolby Atmos content. If you're looking for a small bar with Atmos support, check out the LG Eclair QP5 or the Sonos Beam (Gen 2). There are other standalone bars with Atmos support, too, like the Bowers & Wilkins Panorama 3.
The Sonos Beam has acceptable sound enhancement features. It has several features, including dialogue enhancement for producing clearer speech and a night mode for adjusting the volume level of different content as it changes. It even offers a room correction feature that automatically adjusts the sound profile to the acoustics of the room it's in, although it's currently only available on the iOS app. You can also adjust the bass and treble if you like to tweak your sound, but it lacks a full graphic EQ. If you want a small soundbar with a graphic EQ, check out the Samsung HW-S60A.
This soundbar has a limited amount of physical inputs. It has an ethernet port and an HDMI ARC in port. While limiting, you can use the HDMI ARC in port with external devices that have an Optical Out by using the HDMI to Optical adapter included in the box. If you're looking for a 3.0 setup with more physical inputs, consider the Bose Smart Soundbar 300.
The Sonos Beam supports surround sound via its HDMI ARC port. Unfortunately, it only supports Dolby Digital and DTS content, which you'll often find on Blu-rays and streaming platforms. This bar can't play back object-based sound formats like Dolby Atmos or DTS:X.
If you want a small soundbar with a Full HDMI In port, check out the JBL Bar 5.0 MultiBeam.
This soundbar can playback Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound, common in Blu-ray discs and streaming media. It uses its Optical out connection via its included HDMI to Optical adapter.
The Sonos Beam has an outstanding latency performance. It has low latency via its ARC and Optical ports, making it suitable for watching videos and movies. That said, some apps and some TVs compensate for latency differently, so your real-world experience may vary.
Unlike the Vizio M-Series M21d-H8R, the Sonos Beam doesn't have a Full HDMI In port, so it doesn't support 4k passthrough.
While the Sonos Beam lacks Bluetooth connectivity, it can still connect to external devices using Wi-Fi. There are also some apps like Spotify that have direct support built-in so you can easily cast your favorite songs from your mobile device. If you have an iOS device, you can cast using Apple AirPlay. If you have the Sonos app, it connects you to several music sources that you can use to play audio.
This soundbar's interface has two lights. The main light blinks and changes color according to your input source. The second light, found above the microphone icon, turns on when you activate the mic.
The Sonos Beam's touch-sensitive controls are fairly basic, including play/pause, volume up/down, track skipping, and enabling/disabling the microphone.