Sonos Arc Ultra review: the best one-box Dolby Atmos soundbar for the price, with one grating flaw

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Sonos Arc Ultra review: Two infinitesimal review

The Sonos Arc Ultra is nan caller flagship successful Sonos’ soundbar line-up, and it takes everything that was bully astir nan original Arc and cranks it up to nan adjacent level. Better Dolby Atmos effects, amended bass, amended reside clarity, amended connectivity.

The Sonos Arc Ultra is simply a immense measurement up for euphony value complete nan original Sonos Arc, and while it’s little of a jump up from nan original pinch movies, it’s still a clear and evident improvement, and ranks among nan best soundbars.

Is it worthy upgrading from nan original Sonos Arc? I deliberation that’ll dangle connected really overmuch of a cinephile you are; I really appreciated nan improved sound equilibrium and nan clearer speech, and nan evident betterment to Dolby Atmos effects positioning, and recovered it difficult to spell backmost – but nan original Sonos Arc is nary slouch, and much casual viewers whitethorn find nan quality to consciousness little essential.

The Sonos Arc Ultra keeps nan original’s biggest flaw, which is not having immoderate HDMI passthrough larboard successful an era erstwhile HDMI ports are becoming a spot of a premium, and efficaciously each its cardinal rivals connection this. The deficiency of DTS is besides a shame, but won’t beryllium a large problem for astir people. I still thoroughly urge nan Sonos Arc Ultra, but it conscionable whitethorn not beryllium nan champion fresh for your setup because of its HDMI limitation.

For those wondering astir Sonos’ app, I had nary problems mounting it up, playing pinch different configurations, and changing settings.

I’m reviewing nan Sonos Arc Ultra arsenic a azygous soundbar here, though I person tested it pinch nan Sub 4 and rear speakers, and I’ll talk astir that acquisition too.

I deliberation nan Sonos Arc Ultra gives you nan champion cinematic acquisition you tin get from a single-unit soundbar for nether $1000 / £1000. However, successful nan UK, you tin get nan Samsung HW-Q990D for astir nan aforesaid value during income events, and if you’re happy having a four-box situation system, you’ll get a acold much immersive experience. And Sony’s Bravia Theater Bar 9 is simply a cardinal competitor astir nan world – it's a single-box soundbar for illustration nan Arc Ultra, but it offers nan missing HDMI port, and pinch 4K 120Hz support, nary less. It officially costs a batch much than nan Sonos Arc Ultra, but income play discounts bring it down to astir nan aforesaid price. It’s moreover bigger than nan Arc Ultra, though.

Sonos Arc Ultra review: Price & merchandise date

• Released connected October 29, 2024
• Priced astatine $999 / £999 / AU$1,799

The Sonos Arc Ultra is priced beautiful good astatine $999 / £999 / AU$1,799, considering that different flagship one-box soundbars tin beryllium acold higher, specified arsenic nan $2,399 / £1,990 / AU$3,999 Devialet Dione, aliases nan $1,399 / £1,399 / AU$1,795 of nan Sony Bravia Theater Bar 9.

Obviously, it's not cheap, and you tin find nan Samsung HW-Q800D for importantly less, but that's not a one-box soundbar, and building high-quality sound into a azygous portion that isn't immense (which nan Devialet Dione particularly is) is hard. For a premium soundbar, nan Arc Ultra is competitive.

Sonos Arc Ultra review: Specs

Sonos Arc Ultra review: Features

• 9.1.4 speaker channels, pinch Sound Motion bass driver
• All Sonos' accustomed typical skills, positive Bluetooth
• Dolby Atmos support, but nary DTS

Much for illustration nan original Sonos Arc, this is simply a Dolby Atmos soundbar pinch HDMI eARC connectivity, Sonos multi-room wireless support, and optional sound power from Alexa aliases Sonos’ ain much constricted sound assistant.

The biggest caller characteristic is nan Sound Motion driver, which delivers large bass capacity from a mini speaker, and a mostly improved speaker setup that now promises 9.1.4 channels of sound, compared to 5.0.2 from nan original Sonos Arc.

There’s besides Bluetooth connectivity successful nan Arc Ultra, which is simply a first for a Sonos soundbar, but is now modular connected nan best Sonos speakers astatine last, including nan caller Sonos Era 100 and Sonos Era 300.

Naturally, nan Sonos Arc Ultra useful pinch Sonos’ Sub options (including nan caller Sub 4 arsenic good arsenic older models) and you tin link it to rear speakers for a existent situation sound setup. The Arc Ultra is nan first Sonos soundbar that doesn’t activity pinch nan Sonos Play:1 aliases Play:5 speakers – but it still useful pinch Sonos One, Sonos Five, nan Era models, aliases pinch 2 wired speakers connected to a Sonos Amp.

Sonos’ TruePlay room-tuning tech is here, and it’s yet disposable connected Android successful a caller ‘quick’ version, which is besides disposable connected iOS. This caller type will astir apt beryllium preferable for a batch of group because it’s overmuch easier. It uses nan Arc Ultra’s ain mic array to trial your room utilizing a bid of pet-alarming tones, to set nan system’s sound for amended precision and Dolby Atmos situation effects. On iOS, it still asked maine to clasp my telephone wherever I beryllium for a group of measurements location first, which is what nan afloat TruePlay strategy does – but past I didn’t person to locomotion astir nan room waving my telephone up and down.

The biggest flaw successful nan Sonos Arc is nan deficiency of immoderate HDMI passthrough ports. Most premium soundbars person much than 1 HDMI larboard – 1 to link to your TV, and past astatine slightest 1 different that passes video done to your TV, truthful that you don’t suffer nan usage of 1 of your HDMI ports for connecting consoles aliases different video boxes. This is doubly annoying successful nan mostly of TV models disposable today, which only person 2 HDMI 2.1 ports for 4K 120Hz support astatine most, and nan HDMI eARC is usually 1 of those ports, truthful you’re losing 1 of nan astir important ports. (Many LG and Samsung TVs person 4 HDMI 2.1 ports, truthful this is little of a problem, and in 2025 acold much TVs will person 4 HDMI 2.1 ports acknowledgment to a caller spot from MediaTek – but that doesn’t thief TVs today.)

Even ignoring nan type of ports, 4 video devices is not an uncommon magnitude for group to want to link to a TV present successful 2024, and yet if you person nan Sonos Arc Ultra, you tin only link three.

It’s truthful frustrating, fixed that it was a title I had astir nan original Sonos Arc erstwhile that launched successful 2020. I’ve spoken to Sonos astir nan topic, and nan company’s stance has been that HDMI passthrough adds complexity and it wants its soundbars to beryllium arsenic elemental arsenic possible. But that only holds existent if personification doesn’t past person to woody pinch nan headache of what a bully solution is if they want to link much devices than they person ports free, erstwhile nan Arc Ultra is connected. I deliberation Sonos has simply off-loaded nan complexity to users. With an HDMI passthrough port, I’d person been earnestly looking astatine giving nan Arc Ultra a five-star standing overall.

The different notable rumor is simply a deficiency of DTS decoding. This is not a large problem if your TV aliases playback instrumentality will decode DTS-HD to LPCM, arsenic galore will. I had a awesome clip playing DTS-HD Blu-rays while testing nan Sonos Arc, and getting nan big, powerful, high-quality sound I was expecting. The deficiency of DTS:X is nan much annoying portion for purists, particularly pinch it now utilized connected Disney Plus for immoderate movies, but it really isn’t a dealbreaker for nan immense mostly of people.

The Sonos Arc Ultra useful pinch nan audio-swap characteristic of nan Sonos Ace headphones, truthful you tin watch thing that plays connected your TV pinch awesome spatial audio connected nan headphones to debar disturbing others successful nan location – our Sonos Ace review has much connected really good that works, but it’s not affected by nan Sonos Arc Ultra's performance, truthful I won’t spell into it here.

• Features score: 4 / 5

Sonos Arc Ultra review: Performance

• Excellent move range
• Very beardown Dolby Atmos effect
• Very clear reside and detail

In my opinion, nan Sonos Arc Ultra is nan best-sounding single-box soundbar you tin get for nether $1,000 / £1,000. It delivers fulsome equilibrium and breathtaking sound pinch clear speech, and superb tallness and width. The Devialet Dione possibly does this each amended arsenic a single-unit soundbar, but astatine astir doubly nan value and doubly nan size, it’s a harder waste successful respective ways.

Dolby Atmos situation effects don’t look for illustration they’re coming from down you, inevitably, but they do consciousness for illustration they scope you erstwhile location are activity effects successful particular. Height channels person mobility and precision, contempt being portion virtual – Sonos claims 4 channels of overhead sound, but location are only 2 drivers, pinch nan width drivers combining pinch nan tallness drivers for a consciousness of 4 channels, and it useful well.

Sound is layered very impressively successful Dolby Atmos, pinch a consciousness of 3D positioning crossed nan full abstraction successful beforehand of you.

Everything is an betterment complete nan original Sonos Arc. It’s not rather nighttime and day, but it’s a clear measurement up anyway. That particularly goes for reside clarity and Dolby Atmos effects successful movies, pinch everything emotion conscionable much expansive and much successful nan room than from nan older soundbar.

I tried Sonos’ caller and upgraded reside enhancement devices for nan Arc Ultra, and they’re very effective, but they impact nan sound equilibrium (as do each specified tools), and I recovered that I really didn’t request them anyhow connected nan Arc Ultra. It’s a spot unoriginal to opportunity that nan reside successful Christopher Nolan movies is difficult to hear, but I tested nan aged and caller Arc pinch them, and location was a large jump successful legibility connected nan Arc Ultra that meant they really weren’t difficult to travel immoderate much (generally).

Surprisingly, nan caller bass driver didn’t create that large an effect compared to nan original Sonos Arc successful movies that already ramp up nan bass, but it does thief to make nan sound consciousness fuller successful general. It makes nan bass that nan Arc Ultra tin make amended connected done to nan mid-range, truthful nan wide equilibrium successful low-end-heavy scenes is stronger – and conscionable fantabulous overall. There’s a bully dispersal of nan bass truthful that it doesn’t consciousness excessively directional, and nan effect is really pleasing for specified a comparatively compact soundbar.

The Sound Motion bass speaker did really jump retired during euphony though. This really was a nighttime and time quality from nan original Arc, pinch a monolithic betterment crossed nan full wave range. For music, nan original Arc sounded unclear and subdued compared to nan Arc Ultra astatine nan aforesaid volume. Having said that, I would still put nan Arc Ultra fundamentally connected par for euphony value pinch nan Sonos Era 300, which is half nan price. It’s easier to capable retired that sound erstwhile you tin beryllium heavy and tall, dissimilar a soundbar.

Running TruePlay tuning helps nan Dolby Atmos and finer specifications to travel done much clearly, truthful I perfectly urge it. There wasn’t a clear quality betwixt nan speedy type and nan afloat type successful my setup, truthful arsenic I mentioned above, nan speedy type should beryllium each that astir group request to fuss with.

To repetition myself from nan commencement of this section, I deliberation nan Arc Ultra delivers nan best-value cinematic acquisition from a single-box soundbar. It’s nan champion operation of a demure design, effective sound reproduction and 3D effects, and a reasonable value fixed what it tin do. More costly soundbars whitethorn do better, but nan audio package present is excellent.

I’m reviewing it arsenic a azygous portion for each nan scores here, but I besides tested it pinch a Sub 4 and Era 300 speakers successful Sonos’ full-power eventual system. I besides tested it pinch a Sub 4 only, and past slotted it and nan Sub 4 into my existing setup utilizing my Sonos One rear speakers.

Make nary correction – contempt nan Sound Motion tech being very awesome for bass, nan Sub 4 adds a full caller magnitude of bass you tin feel, successful frequencies nan soundbar unsocial simply can’t touch. You will virtually get much from your movies pinch a large sub, though evidently for a premium of $799 / £799.

In nan afloat elite situation mode, pinch Era 300 units down arsenic well, you tin really consciousness nan wide powerfulness of nan system. Even pinch 1 sub (you tin link a 2nd to much afloat dispersed nan bass around) you tin consciousness nan powerfulness of nan debased frequencies everywhere, pinch fantabulous fullness done to nan mid-range, and a clear separation of higher frequencies from that mix. It’s a really well-connected full system, and testing against nan Samsung HW-Q990C, I opportunity you get a much satisfying wide sound floor plan from nan Sonos setup. However, not by that much, considering you’ll salary a batch much for nan Sonos strategy – it benignant of proves why Samsung’s top-end soundbars are five-star products among nan best Dolby Atmos soundbars. Still, for those pinch nan ear, I deliberation nan Sonos system’s sound is superior.

Even pinch my Sonos Ones arsenic rear speakers, I felt for illustration I was getting a different sound floor plan from nan rears (post TruePlay) than pinch my Sonos Arc and Sub Mini that I usually have. They felt punchier and pinch a small much bass added to them, possibly to lucifer nan broader sound floor plan nan barroom is tin of compared to nan original Arc. I consciousness that swapping nan Arc for nan Arc Ultra successful my setup would beryllium an upgrade, albeit 1 that I would bask arsenic personification who’s obsessive complete sound and setups – possibly personification much casual astir location theatre wouldn’t find it to beryllium arsenic bully value.

• Performance score: 5 / 5

Sonos Arc Ultra review: Design

• Very good made and subtle
• Some cardinal buttons hidden astatine nan back
• Shorter but wider than original Arc

The Sonos Arc Ultra is 18% smaller by measurement than nan original Sonos Arc, according to Sonos, and this manifests successful it being little gangly (which is very welcome) and little heavy (also invited for those pinch chunky TV stands, though it’s still somewhat heavy because it has a chunky barroom crossed nan back). However, it’s really wider than nan Sonos Arc. It’s still bully for TVs of 55 inches and up, though, and nan shorter tallness tin make a existent quality pinch immoderate TVs.

It comes successful achromatic and white, and nan wide look is very elemental and classy. A hard, curved grille covers nan full thing, and it’s bully astatine conscionable disappearing into nan room, which is what astir group will want. The caller creation seems to prime up fingerprints worse than nan aged one, truthful beryllium warned if you’re fastidious and person handsy kids.

The fastener for activating Bluetooth pairing mode is connected nan back, which is inconvenient for a soundbar, particularly if it’s wall-mounted. You tin brace from nan Sonos app instead, but it would beryllium amended still if nan Bluetooth fastener was connected top, for maximum elasticity – particularly since nan fastener layout present was redesigned anyway, including moving measurement complete to nan right, for immoderate reason. In nan middle, you still person buttons to play/pause, and skip tracks.

The move to termination nan sound power mics is besides connected nan back, and is turned connected by default, truthful nan privateness conscious should retrieve to deed this earlier getting it situated. Also connected nan backmost is an Ethernet port, and past nan powerfulness and HDMI ports are connected nan sides of nan spot larboard cutaway connected nan rear – conscionable for illustration nan original Arc.

The Arc Ultra is wall-mountable and useful connected nan aforesaid mounts arsenic nan original Arc, which is bully for upgraders – though immoderate of nan equine whitethorn beryllium visible, owed to nan alteration successful size.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Sonos Arc Ultra review: Setup & usability

• Use Sonos app to get started
• TruePlay is now easier, and very useful
• Once connected to nan TV, very small effort needed

I had nary problems astatine each mounting up nan Arc Ultra astatine location done nan app, making nan settings adjustments I needed, and past adding/breaking aggregate different situation setups while I tested different configurations of Sonos setups.

I did person problem mounting nan situation strategy up successful our agency testing rooms, wherever nan relationship betwixt nan components would driblet regularly – but this is beautiful communal connected our agency Wi-Fi extracurricular of Sonos. I’ve had a problem getting Samsung’s soundbars to link to registry connected nan SmartThings app, and it tin beryllium difficult pinch smart location tech, truthful I don’t blasted Sonos for this – but it’s only adjacent to statement it if I’m going to excavation into nan experience. At home, connected my normal mesh router setup, I had nary problems astatine all.

The usability of Sonos’ soundbars continues to beryllium a somewhat mixed container – I deliberation if you designed an app for controlling a soundbar arsenic its first priority, alternatively than playing euphony arsenic its first priority, you astir apt wouldn’t hide settings for illustration nan Speech Enhancement that acold down successful nan settings.

I’d emotion to spot Sonos alteration really it approaches its Now Playing surface erstwhile you’re connected to HDMI, truthful it puts much accent connected making settings disposable to you alternatively of a deficiency of artwork.

But mounting it up was smooth, and astir group won’t request to spell backmost into nan app, particularly if you won’t link different devices. As I mentioned, I recovered nan reside clear capable without utilizing nan enhancement, and I didn’t deliberation nan EQ needed adjustment. TruePlay will beryllium suggested arsenic portion of nan setup too, and it worked pinch my distant (over HDMI-CEC, but infrared is besides enabled by default) retired of nan container pinch nary tinkering required.

• Setup & usability score: 4 / 5

Sonos Arc Ultra review: Value

• Premium, but competitory price
• As bully sound arsenic you tin get for nan price
• Surround-ready products disposable astir nan aforesaid price

The Sonos Arc Ultra isn’t cheap, but if you want powerful, expansive, clear Dolby Atmos sound from a azygous inoffensively-designed soundbar, you can’t do amended for nan value – arsenic agelong arsenic you’re not tight connected HDMI ports.

You tin get a afloat situation setup for a akin value to this, but nan halfway Sonos Arc Ultra is designed for group who don’t want to woody pinch having 4 boxes including a hefty subwoofer. And I deliberation it’s nan best, astir cinematic azygous container you tin adhd to your TV for nan price, making it very beardown value.

But arsenic I say, if you’re already filling your HDMI ports, that worth is harmed, because nan Arc Ultra whitethorn create a caller problem for you. For nan price, it should really connection you nan solution.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Should I bargain nan Sonos Arc Ultra?

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Sonos Arc Ultra review: Also consider

How I tested nan Sonos Arc Ultra

• Tested complete a week
• Tested astatine home, successful my accustomed setup
• Tested pinch Sonos situation configurations

For nan important information of this review, I utilized nan Sonos Arc Ultra astatine home, successful nan aforesaid setup wherever I usually usage nan original Sonos Arc, truthful I had a bully constituent of nonstop comparison. I straight compared nan sound of nan 2 bars to gauge nan difference, but mostly I conscionable utilized nan Sonos Arc Ultra for my normal viewing, which included 4K Blu-rays and streaming. I listened successful some lossless value and compressed, arsenic good arsenic successful Dolby Atmos, regular 5.1 situation sound, and successful stereo.

As mentioned above, I tested nan Sonos Arc Ultra connected its ain mainly, but besides tried it pinch nan Sub 4, and past pinch nan Sub 4 and different Sonos rear speaker options.

I besides tested a Sonos situation setup for a short clip compared to nan Samsung HW-Q990C successful TechRadar's TV testing rooms. On our firm Wi-Fi systems, I had connections problems that meant I couldn't do longer-term comparisons; astatine home, I usage a Google Nest Home mesh Wi-Fi strategy and had nary problems pinch nan Sonos app aliases web connectivity.

• First reviewed: November 2024
• Read much astir really we test