Sonos Arc
VERDICT
The Sonos Arc remains the gold standard for premium soundbars. It delivers a remarkably wide and tall soundstage from a single sleek bar. While expensive, its ability to integrate seamlessly with other Sonos speakers for a full surround setup makes it an investment that grows with you.
The Big Picture
Traditional home theater systems are messy: wires everywhere, a giant receiver, and complex remotes. The Sonos Arc replaces all of that. It plugs into your TV with a single HDMI eARC cable. It uses advanced beamforming technology to bounce sound off your walls and ceiling, creating a 3D bubble of sound that immerses you in the movie.
🎬 True Dolby Atmos
Upward-Firing Drivers: Two of the 11 internal speakers point specifically at the ceiling.
The Effect: When a helicopter flies overhead in a movie, the sound bounces off your ceiling and down to your ears. It is convincing and thrilling, adding a vertical dimension to your audio.
📏 Trueplay™ Tuning
Every room sounds different.
The Tech: Using your iPhone's microphone, the Sonos app measures how sound reflects off your furniture and walls. It then calibrates the Arc's EQ specifically for your living room, ensuring the bass isn't muddy and the dialogue is crisp.
✅ The Pros
- Powerful, room-filling sound with deep bass (even without a sub).
- Sleek, premium design that disappears under the TV.
- Expandable: Add a Sonos Sub or Era 100s later for rear surround.
- Supports AirPlay 2 and voice control (Alexa/Sonos Voice).
❌ The Cons
- Very expensive ($899+).
- Only one HDMI port (you lose an HDMI slot on your TV).
- It is very wide (needs a TV size of 55" or larger to look right).
🤔 Should you buy it?
YES if you want the best possible cinema sound with the least amount of clutter.
NO if you have a small room or a small TV (get the Sonos Beam Gen 2 instead, it's more compact and cheaper).
See the showdown: Sonos Arc vs. Bose Smart Ultra Comparison