Sonos Beam Review The Compact Soundbar That Delivers Powerful Audio

When it comes to enhancing your home audio experience, a Sonos Beam is often the easiest and most effective solution. Among the many options on the market, the Sonos Beam stands out as one of the most popular and highly rated soundbars. Despite its compact size, the Sonos Beam delivers powerful sound that transforms your TV, music, and gaming experience. In this review, we’ll explore its design, sound quality, smart features, and overall performance, helping you decide if the Sonos Beam is the right addition to your home entertainment setup.

1. Sleek and Compact Design

The Sonos Beam is a compact and sleek soundbar designed to fit in a variety of living spaces without taking up too much room. Measuring just 25.6 inches in width, it’s one of the smaller soundbars on the market, making it an excellent choice for people with limited space or those who don’t want a bulky device cluttering their entertainment area.

Minimalist Aesthetic

The Sonos Beam features a clean, modern look that will fit seamlessly into any home decor. The fabric grille gives it a high-end feel, while the curved design and touch-sensitive controls on the top of the soundbar provide a minimalist approach. Available in black or white, the Sonos Beam can complement a wide range of TV setups and home styles.

Easy Placement

Thanks to its slim profile, the Sonos Beam can be placed under your TV or mounted on the wall with an optional wall mount. Its size is ideal for smaller rooms, apartments, or as part of a home theater setup in a larger living room. It offers excellent flexibility for users looking to maximize their space without sacrificing audio quality.

2. Impressive Sound Quality

Despite its compact design, the Sonos Beam is known for delivering impressive sound quality that rivals larger soundbars. Equipped with four full-range woofers, a tweeter, and three passive radiators, it delivers rich, clear audio with deep bass and crisp high frequencies. Whether you’re watching movies, playing video games, or listening to music, the Sonos Beam delivers high-quality sound that elevates your audio experience.

Dolby Atmos Support

One of the standout features of the Sonos Beam is its support for Dolby Atmos. This advanced surround sound technology creates a more immersive audio experience by simulating sounds coming from all directions, including from above. While the Sonos Beam doesn’t include up-firing speakers like larger soundbars, it still delivers a dynamic and 3D audio experience thanks to Dolby Atmos and the software enhancement provided by Sonos’ Trueplay technology.

Clear Dialogues and Powerful Bass

Whether you’re watching a movie, streaming a show, or playing your favorite game, the Sonos Beam is engineered to deliver clear dialogues without distortion. The speech enhancement feature can be activated to boost voices and make dialogues more distinct, which is especially helpful for fast-paced action scenes or in louder environments.

For its size, the Sonos Beam provides more than enough bass to fill your room, making it ideal for movies and action-packed scenes. While it doesn’t quite rival larger soundbars with dedicated subwoofers, the bass response is solid, especially for the price and size.

3. Smart Features and Voice Control

The Sonos Beam is not just a soundbar; it’s a smart home hub that integrates seamlessly with other devices and services. Equipped with built-in Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, you can control the Sonos Beam with your voice to adjust volume, change songs, control smart home devices, and even get updates on the weather or news.

Voice Assistant Integration

With Alexa and Google Assistant integration, the Sonos Beam acts as a hands-free control center for your home. Simply say “Hey Alexa” or “Hey Google,” and you can control various functions of the soundbar, such as adjusting the volume, skipping tracks, or controlling compatible smart home devices like lights or thermostats.

AirPlay 2 and Multi-Room Audio

The Sonos Beam supports Apple’s AirPlay 2, which allows you to stream music, podcasts, and other audio content from your Apple devices directly to the soundbar. Additionally, if you have other Sonos speakers in your home, you can use Sonos’ multi-room audio capabilities to stream audio throughout the house, creating a seamless listening experience across different rooms.

Sonos App and Trueplay Technology

For even more control, the Sonos Beam works with the Sonos app, which lets you adjust the settings, stream content, and customize your audio preferences. One of the unique features of the Sonos Beam is Trueplay tuning, which uses the microphone on your mobile device to automatically adjust the sound profile of the speaker based on the acoustics of the room. This ensures that you get optimal sound quality no matter where you place the soundbar.

4. Easy Setup and Compatibility

Setting up the Sonos Beam is incredibly easy. It uses HDMI ARC to connect to your TV, ensuring both high-quality audio and simple control through your TV remote. If your TV doesn’t have an HDMI ARC port, you can also connect the Sonos Beam via optical audio cable, though HDMI is the preferred connection for full functionality.

Seamless Integration with TVs

Once connected, the Sonos Beam integrates easily with your TV. It automatically syncs with your TV remote, allowing you to control the soundbar’s volume without needing to use an additional remote. The Sonos Beam is compatible with most modern TVs, and the HDMI ARC or eARC support ensures that it can handle high-definition audio signals, including Dolby Atmos.

Streaming and Music Services

The Sonos Beam is compatible with various music streaming services, including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Pandora, and more. You can stream music directly from your smartphone or tablet via the Sonos app or AirPlay 2. With the support for multiple services, you have access to millions of songs, podcasts, and playlists right at your fingertips.

5. Sonos Beam vs. Competitors

When comparing the Sonos Beam to other soundbars in its price range, it holds up exceptionally well. It offers premium sound quality and smart features that set it apart from other budget soundbars. While competitors like the Vizio SB36512-F6 and Bose Soundbar 500 may offer similar features, the Sonos Beam stands out in terms of its design, sound quality, and seamless integration with other Sonos products.

Price vs. Features

Although the Sonos Beam is priced higher than some other compact soundbars, it justifies its price with premium features such as Dolby Atmos support, smart voice assistants, and the ability to integrate with the Sonos ecosystem for multi-room audio. If you’re looking for a soundbar that does more than just amplify sound—one that offers superior sound quality and fits into a smart home setup—the Sonos Beam is an excellent choice.

6. Why Choose the Sonos Beam?

Here’s why you should consider the Sonos Beam for your home entertainment system:

• Compact size: Ideal for smaller rooms or those who want a more discreet setup without compromising on sound quality.
• Impressive sound: Offers dynamic, clear, and balanced audio with Dolby Atmos support for immersive sound.
• Voice control: Built-in Alexa and Google Assistant for hands-free control of your entertainment and smart devices.
• Smart home integration: Works seamlessly with other Sonos devices, creating a multi-room audio experience.
• Easy setup: Quick and straightforward installation with HDMI ARC, and compatibility with most modern TVs.
• Multi-platform streaming: Supports streaming from multiple services, including Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon Music.

7. Conclusion: A Premium Soundbar for Every Home

The Sonos Beam is an excellent choice for anyone looking to enhance their TV audio experience without the need for bulky speakers or complex setups. With premium sound, smart features, and seamless integration with the Sonos ecosystem, the Sonos Beam is an investment that offers great value for its price. Whether you’re watching movies, listening to music, or controlling your smart home, the Sonos Beam delivers powerful, immersive sound in a compact, stylish design.

If you’re in the market for a compact soundbar with premium sound quality, voice control, and smart features, the Sonos Beam is a standout choice that will elevate your home entertainment experience.