Overview
The Sonos Arc is a high-end soundbar released in 2020, aimed at consumers looking for an immersive home audio experience. Priced at $899, it‘s certainly an investment – but does it deliver performance, features and sound quality to match? This critical review will analyze every aspect of the Arc to determine if it‘s truly worth the cost.
Sound Quality and Performance
Let‘s start with the most vital criterion – how good does the Sonos Arc actually sound? With 11 Class-D digital amplifiers powering 8 woofers and 3 silk dome tweeters, expectations are high. The Arc uses Dolby Atmos technology to create a surround sound experience, projecting audio around your room.
In testing, the Arc produces an exceptionally wide, detailed and clear soundstage. The mid-range is precise and articulate, while punchy bass fills out the low end without muddying dialogue. At high volumes there is no distortion or harshness evident. It handily outperforms most soundbars, with crisp, balanced audio performance.
The addition of upfiring speakers creates a genuine sense of 3D spaciousness. Effects seem to emanate from all directions, adding immersion to movies. The soundstage is so convincing you‘ll frequently glance behind thinking there are rear speakers there. No other single bar solution produces surround effects this realistic.
Music Performance
While home theater use is the main application, the Arc also excels as a music listener‘s soundbar. Again, the mid-range clarity and detail are standout qualities, essential for musical enjoyment. Instruments are perfectly separated in the mix, with intimate vocals and sparkling highs.
Bass is deep and impactful, underpinning genres like hip-hop, EDM and rock while avoiding bloat. Whether streaming from services like Spotify or playing lossless files, the Arc delivers dynamic, toe-tapping musicality other bars can‘t match.
Features
The Arc wouldn‘t be a Sonos product without seamless integration of voice assistants and music services. Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa are both supported, enabling hands-free voice control of music, volume and TV functions. Setup is a breeze with existing Alexa/Google homes.
For streaming, the Sonos app grants access to all major platforms like Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal and YouTube Music. Sonos‘ Trueplay tuning analyzes your room‘s acoustics, tailoring the sound perfectly for your environment.
As a home cinema solution, the Arc supports the latest Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital and DTS audio formats. Connectivity wise, there‘s HDMI eARC plus optical digital and Ethernet ports onboard. Integrated IR sensor learns commands from existing TV remotes for CEC control.
Design & Setup
Visually, the Arc sports Sonos‘ customary matte-white minimalist aesthetic. The gently curved grille is perforated for unobstructed sound projection. Wall mounting brackets are available, but thanks to a solid, non-slip base the Arc sits stably on media consoles. At 45 inches wide but just 3.4 inches tall, it tucks neatly under most TVs.
Setup takes just minutes with Sonos‘ intuitive app for iOS or Android. HDMI eARC connection to your TV enables lossless Dolby Atmos playback, falling back to ARC or optical if eARC isn‘t available. Trueplay‘s tuning sequence analyzes room size, layout and acoustic factors to optimize audio for your individual space.
Usability
Once tuned, the Arc couldn‘t be simpler to operate day-to-day. Voice commands via Alexa/Google handle most media tasks, from playlist creation to volume changes. For deeper customization like EQ adjustments, simply hop into the Sonos app. Group playback with other Sonos speakers is seamless using the software too.
Touch sensitive controls are responsive for basic pause/skip/volume functions. Helpfully, TV autoplay means audio instantly switches to the Arc when the television is powered on.committee
How Does The Sonos Arc Compare?
The Arc enters an increasingly competitive soundbar market, facing rivals like the Bose 900, LG SP11RA and Sennheiser Ambeo. Here‘s how it stacks up:
Bose Smart Soundbar 900
Like the Arc, Bose‘s flagship bar produces wide, convincing surround effects thanks to upfiring drivers and Dolby Atmos decoding. Bose is renowned for clear, balanced sound with emphasized vocals – and the 900 delivers this in spades.
However, the Arc matches the 900‘s clarity while adding deeper, punchier bass response that‘s superior for music. The Arc also edges ahead for usability with a more polished app experience and broader smart assistant/music service support.
LG SP11RA
LG‘s 7.1.4 channel Dolby Atmos/DTS:X soundbar is the Arc‘s closest rival, with analytical, dynamic sound and thunderous bass. Wireless rears are a key advantage over Sonos’ single-unit approach, creating a true envelope of rear effects.
But the SP11RA system is significantly more expensive, often retailing over $1500. The Arc nearly matches its immersive performance at half the cost. LG‘s setup and usability also lag behind Sonos‘ simplicity. Overall, the Arc still warrants its premium price tag.
Sennheiser Ambeo
As Sennheiser‘s sole soundbar, the Ambeo pursues absolute audio purism – with a price tag to match. Retailing at $2500, it‘s aimed at high-end home theaters with zero compromises on sound quality.
The Ambeo delivers reference-grade flat frequency response perfect for audiophiles. But for most buyers, the Arc provides 90% of its performance at a far more affordable cost. Unless you have a 7-figure home theater budget, the Arc easily satisfies.
What Buyers Are Saying
Across retail sites and forums, owners rave about the Arc‘s balanced, room-filling sound. Surround effects in particular draw consistent praise for their realism and precision. Dialogue clarity and musicality also rate very highly.
Negative feedback mostly centers on the lack of HDMI inputs for external players, with only a single TV eARC connection available. Wall mounting the substantial 45-inch width poses some challenges too, though Sonos‘ $79 bracket solves this elegantly.
Overall though, reviews validate Sonos‘ premium pricing with consistent 5-star appraisals. Here are some snippets of positive customer feedback:
"The 3D sound is absolutely incredible – I have rear speakers but honestly don‘t need them anymore."
"Music sounds lifelike and alive. I hear new details in songs I‘ve heard a hundred times."
"Easy to set up and sounds phenomenal out of the box with zero tweaking or tuning required."
"Looks beautiful and fits perfectly under my living room TV. Voice control works flawlessly."
These rave responses indicate most owners consider the lofty $899 cost money well spent.
The Verdict
In this critical Sonos Arc review, the soundbar nails every test thrown at it. Peerless surround effects, musical agility and smart integration justify its premium pricing. Simple setup and intuitive controls perfectly round out a nearly flawless overall package.
Unless you require rear speakers or higher-end audiophile performance, the Arc satisfies even discerning home theater owners. For mid-tier living spaces, its immersive Dolby Atmos sound is an investment guaranteed to astound and delight. This is the new benchmark for premium single-unit soundbars.
