Sonos Arc Ultra review: bigger bass, better sound, and Bluetooth too

By immoderate measure, it’s been a lousy twelvemonth for Sonos. The company’s much-anticipated introduction into wireless headphones — nan Sonos Ace — should person been a triumphant infinitesimal (the Ace are very good). Unfortunately, nan Ace’s debut was overshadowed by nan company’s botched app update, which continues to canine nan institution contempt a slew of patches that person mostly (but not totally) fixed nan problems.

The app fiasco formed specified a pall complete nan company’s usually ebullient caller merchandise launches that Sonos announced its caller flagship Dolby Atmos soundbar — nan $999 Sonos Arc Ultra — not pinch a splashy in-person property event, but pinch a property release.

I cognize that Sonos’ wounds are 100% self-inflicted, but I can’t thief emotion bad for nan folks who brought nan Arc Ultra into beingness because, conscionable for illustration nan Sonos Ace, it’s a really bully audio product.

It’s not cleanable — I’ll touch connected immoderate of its weaknesses successful a infinitesimal — and it’s not a monolithic measurement up from nan original Arc (which it replaces), but there’s an undeniable betterment successful sound value that makes nan Ultra worthy nan other $100 — particularly if you’re already all-in connected Sonos.

The Sonos Arc Ultra (left) and Sonos Arc Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

If you’re acquainted pinch nan Sonos Arc, nan Arc Ultra is astir identical. It comes successful nan 2 modular Sonos colors (black and white) and its dimensions make it difficult to show nan 2 isolated astatine a distance. At 46.3 inches successful width, nan Ultra is only astir 2 inches wider than nan Arc, and yet it’s shorter, pinch a tallness of 2.9 inches alternatively of nan original’s 3.4 inches. The Ultra is moreover a small shallower.

The Sonos Arc Ultra (left) and Sonos Arc Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

The all-matte-plastic, cylindrical assemblage and integrated grille sphere what is arguably 1 of nan best-looking soundbar designs. Where astir group will announcement a quality is nan caller cardinal housing. It acts arsenic a plinth, creating nan effect — erstwhile seen from nan beforehand — that nan cylinder’s “wings” are floating a fewer millimeters supra nan surface.

That lodging is besides wherever you’ll find nan touch controls. In keeping pinch Sonos’ astir caller speakers (the Era 100, Era 300, and Move 2), these now see a dedicated measurement slider, which immoderate whitethorn find easier aliases much intuitive than nan erstwhile dual-function volume/track skipping controls. I didn’t mind nan erstwhile layout, but having them connected nan very apical aboveground resulted successful a batch of accidental touches. So far, that hasn’t been nan lawsuit pinch nan Ultra’s controls.

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The specs

The Arc Ultra gains Bluetooth connectivity, thing nan Arc lacked. When friends driblet by, it’s a useful characteristic that gives them nan expertise to watercourse to nan speaker without needing your Wi-Fi password aliases nan Sonos app. Better yet, turning connected Bluetooth and pairing a telephone doesn’t interrupt Wi-Fi features for illustration utilizing nan Sonos app aliases streaming via AirPlay — nan 2 tin coexist. Just support successful mind that Bluetooth streaming won’t sound rather arsenic bully arsenic streaming via nan app.

Unfortunately, nan placement of nan Bluetooth fastener is awkward. Unlike nan aforesaid buttons connected nan Era 100, Era 300, and Move 2, which are positioned for easy scope astatine nan apical of nan speaker’s rear surface, it’s nestled successful nan aforesaid mini rear cavity that houses nan HDMI and powerfulness connections, arsenic good arsenic nan Ethernet larboard and beingness microphone switch. The Sonos-supplied HDMI cablegram is thinner and much elastic than most, which whitethorn thief pinch nan crowding, but if your setup requires a third-party cable, things could get tight. It’s a bully point you only request to property it erstwhile pairing a caller instrumentality — navigating that abstraction unsighted is tricky.

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If you wall equine nan Ultra (which you tin do pinch an original Arc wall equine if you’re upgrading), it’s easier to get to those controls — nan cavity has a bottommost opening designed for doing so.

It would beryllium awesome if Sonos added astatine slightest 1 HDMI input to its flagship soundbar, but nan institution is intelligibly opposed to doing so. To beryllium fair, location are only 2 reasons for wanting an HDMI input: Your TV’s remaining 3 HDMI inputs aren’t capable to header pinch your postulation of connected devices, and/or you for illustration to nonstop a awesome straight to your soundbar because your TV is older and can’t passthrough formats for illustration Dolby Atmos. If you don’t autumn into these categories, move on — thing to spot here.

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In nan box, you’ll find nan soundbar, a powerfulness cable, and an HDMI cablegram — fundamentally everything you request to get going. What you won’t find is nan optical-to-HDMI adapter that utilized to vessel pinch nan Ultra. Sonos still sells them, but it reckons (rightly I suspect) that astir folks won’t request one. Besides, if you usage an optical connection, you’ll miss retired connected Dolby Atmos.

Despite nan caller headaches pinch nan Sonos app, I group up nan Ultra conscionable arsenic quickly and painlessly arsenic immoderate different caller Sonos product. The app recognized nan speaker almost arsenic soon arsenic I plugged it in.

Within a fewer minutes, it added it to my Wi-Fi, performed nan first package update, and gave maine a little circuit of its features. It past encouraged maine to execute Sonos’ TruePlay room tuning and gave maine nan action of enabling 1 aliases some optional sound assistants (Sonos Voice Control and Amazon Alexa).

Google fans return note: Unlike nan Sonos Arc, nan Ultra doesn’t connection Google Assistant for nonstop sound control, however, it’s still controllable from Sonos’ older Google Assistant-compatible products. You tin besides power it via Apple’s Siri.

Sonos app struggles

It’s been 7 months since nan caller app creation rolled out. Glitches speech (oh, truthful galore glitches), my biggest disapproval is that I still person problem navigating its interface.

The app utilized to person abstracted tabs that fto you jump betwixt what you were listening to, what you were looking for, and a position of nan Sonos speakers successful your home. At first, I didn’t mind their absence, but nan much I usage it, nan much I miss them.

Now, these formerly abstracted functions descent complete each other, layering 1 position complete another. Previously, moreover if you’d ne'er utilized nan Sonos app, you could intuit your measurement done it. The caller creation has a steeper learning curve that rewards memorization, not intuition. I still struggle pinch it, arsenic does my family.

I bring this up for 3 reasons. First, Sonos has ever made bully wireless speakers. But it was nan package that made them great. It made nan perchance daunting task of managing and controlling aggregate speakers and euphony sources easy. This caller app creation is simply a measurement backward, and it makes Sonos products a small harder to urge arsenic a result.

Second, nan Arc Ultra doesn’t travel pinch a distant control. The Sonos app is the remote.

Except for power, volume, and muting, which tin beryllium controlled via your TV’s remote, each different settings must beryllium done pinch nan app. The app is besides nan only measurement to corroborate nan sound format nan Ultra is playing. You whitethorn deliberation you’re listening to Dolby Atmos content, but unless you spot nan Atmos logo successful nan Sonos app, there’s nary different confirmation.

Finally, if you want to get nan champion sound value from nan Ultra erstwhile streaming music, you must usage nan Sonos app. The speaker supports Bluetooth and Apple AirPlay, and while some are convenient, some are lossy connections. You tin besides play straight from Spotify and Tidal apps, but again, these aren’t high-quality streams. For lossless audio, hi-res, aliases Dolby Atmos Music, you must adhd your subscription work to nan Sonos app.

OK, I’m done picking connected nan app. Besides, if you’re already a Sonos owner, I’m preaching to nan choir.

Now for nan existent logic you’re here: nan sound.

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All astir that bass (and treble)

Under nan grille is simply a wholly caller driver arrangement. The Arc’s 5.1.2-channel, three-tweeter/eight-woofer/11-amp configuration has been replaced pinch a seven-tweeter/six-mid-woofer/13-amp combo, positive nan prima of nan show, Sonos’ caller Sound Motion dual-membrane, quad-motor, bi-amped woofer.

It’s a singular spot of tech. Even though nan Ultra is shorter and shallower than nan Arc, and has much drivers taking up its interior room, it produces acold much low-end. Place your manus successful beforehand of nan speaker grille (just to nan near of nan measurement controls) and you tin consciousness nan aerial being pushed retired by that driver, moreover astatine mean measurement levels.

It’s not conscionable louder aliases much powerful — it’s much articulate, too. With nan Sound Motion driver taking nan lead connected lows, nan mid-woofers attraction their power connected nan midrange, thing nan Arc’s woofers were ne'er free to do. This equilibrium creates an audible betterment successful precision and clarity.

With this level of bass connected tap, nan Arc Ultra becomes a existent all-in-one soundbar, joining nan ranks of nan Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus and Sony’s Bravia Home Theater Bar 8. You tin still importantly heighten bass capacity by adding a subwoofer (or two), but it’s not mandatory. In fact, I’m judge a batch of folks — particularly those pinch smaller rooms aliases condo dwellers — will mobility whether they request a sub astatine all.

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I’ll admit, I said thing akin successful my review of nan original Arc, erstwhile it debuted successful 2020. At nan time, I deliberation it was a adjacent appraisal — fewer soundbars backmost past could amended connected nan Arc’s bass without nan thief of a subwoofer. In nan 4 years since, however, soundbar bass has improved a batch — and nan Ultra intends that Sonos has kept pace.

The Ultra’s accrued number of tweeters produces a noticeable quality successful clarity, particularly for dialogue. The all-important halfway transmission is cohesive and voices are much intelligible, moreover without experimenting pinch nan Ultra’s caller three-level Speech Enhancement settings.

Before my Ultra reappraisal portion arrived, my woman and I watched Netflix’s Kaos— a quirky, Jeff Goldblum-led reimagining of Greek gods successful modern times — utilizing nan Sonos Arc. But I had a difficult clip knowing galore of Dionysus’ lines. As is often nan case, a operation of accent and audio value had maine reaching for my Apple TV distant to do nan “what did he say?” instrumentality wherever it repeats nan past fewer lines pinch subtitles turned on.

Going backmost to nan aforesaid problematic lines pinch nan Arc Ultra was for illustration pulling distant layers of gauze — abruptly location was clarity.

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Turning connected Speech Enhancement will apt thief those who request greater separation of voices from inheritance sounds, but you whitethorn not for illustration what it does to nan remainder of nan soundtrack, particularly astatine its highest level. This is wherever Sonos could use from a beingness remote. It would beryllium useful to quickly move Speech Enhancement connected aliases disconnected (or alteration nan level) without reaching for my phone.

Multichannel and Dolby Atmos are some improved connected nan Arc Ultra. The caller driver statement provides a much defined consciousness of width, depth, and height, positive amended precision for individual sound effects. But erstwhile again, nan other bass from nan Sound Motion driver caught my attention.

Running done my accustomed trial clips, I thoroughly enjoyed nan further effect — literally. In nan iconic first group portion from No Time To Die, wherever James Bond sits calmly wrong his vintage Aston Martin arsenic nan car is slow turned into Swiss food by a hail of bullets, you tin consciousness each changeable viscerally.

There’s a likewise thrilling vibe to nan roar of engines successful Mad Max: Fury Road and Ford v Ferrari.

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There’s nary mobility that nan Ultra tin process 9.1.4-channel audio — I ran it done a bid of trial tones to verify — but you should astir apt temper your expectations connected this front. As pinch immoderate single-speaker setup, measurement is your friend. The louder nan Ultra gets, nan much vibrant and immersive nan experience.

The Ultra, for illustration nan Arc earlier it, does a decent occupation of tallness transmission reproduction, but it’s still not arsenic accomplished astatine recreating a consciousness of width and extent arsenic nan Bose Ultra Smart Soundbar (previously known arsenic nan Bose Smart Soundbar 900) aliases nan Sony Bravia Home Theater Bar 8.

On its own, it doesn’t switch a discrete speaker location theatre strategy aliases moreover a multispeaker soundbar package for illustration nan Samsung HW-Q990D. For that benignant of performance, you’ll request a group of Sonos Era 300 arsenic rear speakers and a Sonos Sub.

Adding these to nan operation creates that missing consciousness of width and depth, improves tallness effects, and delivers powerful levels of bass. It’s a superb setup, but it’s acold from a budget-friendly finance astatine $2,696.

Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

My 1 critique of nan Ultra’s sound is that it tends to grounds immoderate harshness and sibilance successful nan higher frequencies. It’s astir noticeable erstwhile playing Atmos contented — some for movies and music. My unscientific belief is that utilizing tweeters for some nan up-firing and side-firing drivers (instead of nan Arc’s full-range/tweeter combo) intends that immoderate sounds that request much midrange aren’t getting it.

My trial lawsuit for this is nan superb Atmos operation of The Doors’ Riders connected nan Storm. Some of Jim Morrison’s lyrics are echoed ethereally by nan tallness channels. It’s expected to sound for illustration nan eerie whispers of disembodied voices, but instead, they sound shrill … for illustration animation ghosts trying to scare you.

You tin mitigate this a small utilizing nan EQ settings (moving nan treble slider into nan antagonistic values), but since this besides affects nan remainder of nan mix, it’s an imperfect solution.

This is partially because Atmos Music is simply a hit-and-miss format. There’s an Atmos type of Diana Ross’ I’m Coming Out that sounds crazy bully connected nan Ultra. If I didn’t cognize better, I’d opportunity it was mixed for nan Arc Ultra: nary trace of sibilance, nan snare and cymbal hits are tight, and nan horns (plus Ross’ unique voice) are very clear. It’s not astonishing that Sonos recommended it arsenic a sample way for Arc Ultra reviewers.

I besides didn’t observe immoderate harshness erstwhile nan Ultra rendered stereo. Where nan Arc’s tuning favored vibrant highs and heavy lows — somewhat undermining its musicality — nan Arc Ultra has much nuance and item done nan mids and creates a natural, relaxed sound. It’s a balancing enactment you’ll admit if you usage nan Ultra for much than conscionable TV audio.

Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

One speedy statement connected utilizing nan Sonos Ace headphones pinch nan Arc Ultra via TV Audio Swap. Just for illustration pinch nan Arc, nan Ace tin person a fully rendered Dolby Atmos mix from nan Ultra, on pinch caput search to thief pinch nan realism of proceeding speakers successful a room. However, nan Ultra doesn’t mimic its ain 9.1.4 processing for nan Ace’s mix. Instead, it gets nan aforesaid 7.1.4 operation arsenic nan Arc delivered. That’s hardly a problem. It sounds conscionable good and I’m not judge I’d beryllium capable to separate different 2 channels successful nan mix.

Moreover, we’ll astir apt perceive a bigger betterment erstwhile Sonos releases its TrueCinema characteristic for nan Ace, which attempts to mimic your room’s real-world acoustics. When it launched nan Ace, Sonos said TrueCinema was coming later this twelvemonth (2024). But that was earlier nan institution had to reassign virtually each of its engineering talent to nan epic task of fixing nan surgery Sonos app.

My only gripe is that Sonos doesn’t connection overmuch elasticity erstwhile utilizing nan Ace and Arc Ultra. “Swap” is precisely what happens — you waste and acquisition soundbar audio for headphones audio. That’s not adjuvant erstwhile you want to watch successful a group setting, but 1 personification needs headphones. And, for now, while you tin group up much than 1 Sonos Ace to do TV Audio Swap pinch nan Ultra, only 1 group of headphones astatine a clip tin person nan signal.

The early is Ultra

Now that it has been replaced by nan somewhat much costly Arc Ultra, nan Sonos Arc will only stay disposable while supplies last. If you tin people a large discount — opportunity 30% aliases much — it’s still a awesome soundbar. But nan Arc Ultra is amended successful almost each measurement that counts.

With caller Bluetooth streaming, clearer dialogue, much precision and detail, and that other punch of low-end bass, it’s a amended speaker for TV audio and music.

The deficiency of an HDMI input (especially now that Sonos is asking $999) aliases a beingness distant are small, but notable drawbacks. The existent origin for hesitation, particularly if you’ve ne'er owned a Sonos product, is nan company’s ongoing app woes. You whitethorn want to hold for things to amended earlier taking nan plunge. But if you’re already all-in connected Sonos, nan Arc Ultra makes a awesome summation to your TV setup, whether it’s your first Sonos soundbar aliases an upgrade.