The Sonos Arc Ultra might not need a separate subwoofer

2 weeks ago

The caller Sonos Arc Ultra is packed pinch 15 amps and 14 drivers, giving nan Dolby Atmos soundbar nan expertise to reproduce 9.1.4 channels of sound, according to nan company. That’s a large measurement up from nan original Sonos Arc, an 11-driver, 5.1.2 system. And while nan summation successful situation channels (from 5 to 9) and tallness channels (from 2 to 4) is impressive, it’s nan lonely “1” successful nan mediate of nan Arc Ultra’s transmission setup that mightiness make nan biggest difference.

That mediate .1 represents nan debased wave effects (LFE) transmission — nan 1 that’s punted complete to a dedicated subwoofer erstwhile you person 1 available. It’s nan transmission that gives movies nan deep, powerful rumble we astir intimately subordinate pinch theatrical sound. On its own, nan Sonos Arc does a decent occupation pinch debased frequencies, but it relies connected nan aforesaid drivers that nutrient its mid-frequency sounds to do so. These drivers aren’t optimized for LFE sounds, which is why galore Arc buyers adhd a Sonos Sub aliases Sub Mini, expanding nan costs of their strategy by arsenic overmuch arsenic $799.

The Arc Ultra, however, possesses a caller “Sound Motion” driver — a four-motor, dual-membrane woofer. (That’s nan rectangular container astatine nan apical of nan exploded image below.) It has 2 membranes (the information of nan driver that moves air) successful an area that would usually only person room for a azygous membrane. Sonos says this different statement “delivers exceptional bass successful a revolutionary flat, compact design,” and claims that it gives nan Ultra “double nan bass” of nan regular Arc.

The Sound Motion driver is based connected patented exertion that Sonos acquired erstwhile successful bought Mayht, a Netherlands-based audio company, successful 2022. This 2020 article successful audioxpress.com explains really Mayht’s driver exertion works.

But what, exactly, does “double” mean?

“When we opportunity Arc Ultra produces up to doubly arsenic overmuch bass arsenic Arc,” Sonos told Digital Trends, “it intends that astatine maximum measurement location is 6dB much low-end output. This intends that Arc Ultra has much move capacity successful nan debased extremity which presents contented pinch much realism.”

Curiously, nan Arc and Arc Ultra person nan aforesaid 50Hz limit connected their low-end wave response. So while bass won’t beryllium immoderate little connected nan Ultra, it will beryllium louder, which will springiness it greater impact.

A promo changeable of nan Sonos Arc Ultra.

I reached retired to Hilmar Lehnert for his thoughts connected really Sonos mightiness tune nan Ultra. Lehnert is 1 of nan fewer group pinch heavy knowledge of some Sonos and Mayht. He worked astatine Sonos for 9 years, nan past 2 arsenic nan company’s audio exertion manager. When he near successful 2020, he began a stint arsenic a personnel of Mayht’s committee of advisers, which ended erstwhile nan institution was acquired successful 2022.

I asked Lehnert if sending little frequencies to nan Sound Motion driver would amended nan capacity of nan remaining drivers. He concurred.

“It decidedly would,” he said. “This reduces nan request for nan mid woofers to move a batch of aerial and their creation and tuning tin attraction connected further improving spectral and spatial performance.”

Can nan Sound Motion driver switch a dedicated sub? No. As overmuch arsenic it would beryllium awesome if a azygous soundbar could capable some roles, we’re not location yet. However, Sonos’ caller driver exertion narrows nan gap. For immoderate folks, it could make nan quality betwixt wanting a subwoofer and needing one.

This wouldn’t beryllium a first for soundbars — I was mightily impressed by nan Klipsch Flexus Core 200‘s solo bass capacity — but it would a first for a Sonos soundbar. That could spell a agelong measurement toward making folks consciousness amended astir nan Ultra’s somewhat much costly price.