TV audio quality has improved dramatically over the years, but slim modern displays sacrifice speaker quality for sleek designs and leave you with tinny sound that undermines your viewing experience. Finding space for full surround sound systems proves challenging in apartments or smaller living rooms where bulky speakers and subwoofers simply don’t fit the layout.
Sonos has built its reputation on delivering premium audio in compact formats and the Beam (Gen 2) addresses the soundbar needs of space-conscious homes without compromising performance: This Dolby Atmos soundbar currently sells for $369 on Amazon, down from its regular $499 price, and marks an all-time low for one of the most respected names in home audio.
A small package with immersive audio
The Dolby Atmos support makes soundscapes that are three-dimensional and puts sounds above, around, and next to you instead of just in front of you. This adds depth that regular stereo soundbars can’t match. Height channels bounce sound off your ceiling to make it sound like helicopters are flying by or rain is falling from above. This makes the scenes feel more real. The effect works best in rooms with flat ceilings that are less than 10 feet high. It can’t match dedicated ceiling speakers, but the virtual height makes the soundstage seem very big.
One of the most common complaints about TV audio is that voices get lost in music and sound effects and the crystal clear dialogue reproduction fixes this. Sonos designed a separate center channel processing system that focuses on vocal frequencies, so you can hear every word without having to change the volume all the time. Speech Enhancement mode makes speech even clearer when needed. This is helpful during shows with strong accents or lines that are hard to understand that would otherwise need subtitles.
The 200-watt maximum output gives you enough volume to fill medium to large rooms without distortion. It also pushes clean sound even when the volume is high, when cheaper soundbars start to crackle. The frequency response goes down to 50.4Hz, which gives explosions and music a nice bass presence without needing a subwoofer. You’ll feel the low-end impact during action scenes and bass-heavy songs, but bass lovers might want to get Sonos’ dedicated Sub for really low frequencies that shake the room. The small size of 25.6 inches wide makes it easy to fit under most TVs without blocking screens or making entertainment centers too big.
The Trueplay tuning technology uses the microphone on your iPhone or iPad to figure out how sound travels in your room and then automatically changes the soundbar’s output for the best sound. The app plays test tones while you walk around the room. It measures how sound bounces off of walls, furniture, and ceilings to make a custom EQ profile. This calibration makes up for acoustic problems like putting speakers in corners or on bare walls, which would otherwise change the sound. This makes sure that the sound is always the same, no matter how the room is set up.
You only need two cables to set it up: The HDMI eARC cable connects to your TV for sound, and the power cable plugs into an outlet. With an HDMI connection, all of your TV’s audio sources can be sent through a single cable which means you don’t have to connect each device directly to the soundbar. The Beam knows when you turn on your TV and turns on automatically. You can also use your current TV remote to change the volume without having to program anything else.
Getting the Sonos Beam Gen 2 for $369 is a great deal because it’s the lowest price this model has ever been at and you’re getting high-quality audio engineering from a top company. The lowest price ever makes Sonos quality affordable for people who thought it was too expensive before, and the timing right before the holiday season makes it the perfect time to upgrade.
