“Sonos sound lacks clarity and detail. Return it if you can and get a good soundbar. I replaced my Beam with a JBL Bar 300 and it's so much better in every way ald especially sound quality.”
“Sonos sound lacks clarity and detail. Return it if you can and get a good soundbar. I replaced my Beam with a JBL Bar 300 and it's so much better in every way ald especially sound quality.”
“Great most of the time, but when I just had the soundbar, I found it trying to compensate for bass with the lack of a sub. During the high bass times, it definitely suffered”
“The beam by itself is good, use it for a week and then go back to your TV speakers and you'll hear the difference easily. However, I noticed a huge improvement when I added a sub.”
“I had a Beam 2 for the longest time and I was honestly always disappointed. Movie dialogue was always barely audible and music was… fine, but felt way worse than my Move 2.”
“For voice and dialogues, it's amazing. For music, I was pretty dissapointed at first, as I thought it sounded pretty contained and muddy. But you need to EQ it a bit guys”
“For an average size room and ceiling this sound is more than enough. I have mine paired with a sub mini and a pair of 100's. It gives me a very good home cinema experience (IMO).”
“Unfortunately, last week it stopped working and now just has a flashing white light. I talked to support last night and I have to return it for a replacement.”
“I found mine a bit underwhelming at first but found a few months later they seemed to sound better, idk ymmv. Get a mini-sub when you can afford it tho, it really adds some depth to the beam.”
“I also love our Beam 2 setup as well. The Beam 2 room doesn’t feel like a downgrade, it just feels different (sound coming from a smaller package but really really good sound at that)”
“I ended up selling all my Sonos gear and replaced my Beam and my Arc + ones with a simple JBL Bar 300 and a Bar 1000. Sound is incredibly better on the JBL.”
“My Beam Gen 2 were better during normal TV streaming sessions, because they use mostly 5.1 soundtracks. And exactly this soundtracks sounds like stereo (with the Arc Ultra and Era 100 rears).”
“I have two beam gen2, 2 era100, 2 one sl and a sub mini and have had virtually zero problems with them. Once in a great while I've had to unplug and replug the era 100s but that's it.”
“Just super inconsistent volume. Low voices high background noise and bass, then complete opposite, then everything super quiet, then too loud. Idk im coming from bose and it just sounds very inconsistent compared.”
“I had the Beam v1 and two Play:1s for surround and initially I wasn’t that impressed. It was definitely better, but not dramatically so. The sub made it into a true home theater system for me.”
“I love the sound of it. Even my wife who doesn't care at all about audio or speakers thinks it sounds great. Playing Spatial Audio music on Apple Music especially sounds great.”
“i was also expecting a way better experience with height effects especially coming from beam gen2 where there is no upfiring driver.”
“The Beam 2 is a great soundbar but I’m concerned you may be disappointed with Dolby Atmos movies and especially music. It also really needs surrounds and subwoofer.”
“I’ve always preferred the beam 2 sound signature to the arc, as much as I trueplayed, eq adjusted it never sounded right, far too trebly, some scenes actually hurt my ears!!!”
“Right now I have the Sonos Beam Gen 2 paired with the Sonos Sub Mini and I just find it underwhelming, especially at lower volume.”
“I upgraded from a Gen 1 to a Gen 2 and literally cannot tell a difference. I have the Gen 1 in a guest room and Gen 2 in our living room and they sound identical.”
“Beam 2 is amazing with surrounds. You can also build a true 5.1 surround system by adding 2 more fronts by using a third party app called SonoSequencr and it sounds amazing.”
“on beam gen 2 are the voices with more bass (dark voices). I have them both like you but arc ultra is much better in every way.”
“I think the biggest thing for me is the app and wifi connectivity. I was so used to the Vizio just being plug and play and the wireless woofer working on command”
“Once we got the mini Sub, the Beam really started to shine, and I actually think the Beam 2 is better than the Arc when paired with a sub. Voices are much clearer on the Beam than the Arc”
“Bottom line I’m learning to never buy a Samsung or Sonos again. I’ve had issues with both of them. Should have stuck with LG.”
“I have both, and I think the Beam 2 is a slight improvement in vocal clarity, but otherwise they sound pretty similar. That Atmos effect on the Beam 2 is rarely perceptible, so don't buy it for that.”
“the beam 2 with sub mini downstairs on the daily watcher. Yes the Arc sounds “better” but the Beam Gen 2 with sub mini is no slouch. I find myself continually being impressed by the sound.”
“The worst sound I have ever heard coming from a soundbar. Entirely flat and dull. Insanely inconsistent volume levels.”
“firstly upgraded to a Beam, it was better but not "wow" better (especially in my open plan layout). Adding surrounds was what gave me the wow immersive feeling.”
“Sub mini is a game changer but I went from LG TV speakers to that setup. Watched dune 2 and our minds were blown. Actually stayed awake and engaged through the whole film.”
“Arc Ultra is a legit big step up from Beam Gen 2 - wider soundstage, more headroom, and Atmos effects are much better.”
“I had the beam 2 and upgraded to the arc. I find dialogue and audio in general to be vastly better. Bean 2 is excellent, but in my room, the arc is no contest.”
“the sub mini / beam / surround ones- is, dollar for dollar (and even when you don’t take cost into account) the best non standing system you are going to find. It’s great.”
“the beam gen 2 is fine for mildly upgrading tv sound and I like the music sound for it. But it's really just meh IMO.”
“The Beam 2 is an excellent speaker that punches above it's weight. However, it does fall down on Atmos, which is one of the main reasons I went with the arc.”
“the Beam sounds more like Sonos’s music speakers and just happens to be a soundbar. It can’t do stereo separation and surround effects as well, but it just sounds cleaner and less processed.”
“My initial impression is that its not very loud! I have heard a friends stereo homepod setup and it was fuller.”
“It’s all features first and sound second with the sound being more muddy than I expected. I just couldn’t see the Beam sounding more worth it than $200-300”
“With the Beam Gen 2, the Era 300s almost felt like the stars of the system. Rear and height effects were super obvious and dramatic, which made Atmos content feel really “wow” straight away.”
“I set it up and was immediately disappointed with the sound stage and the lack of clarity and the muddy mids.”
“As someone who upgraded from a Beam to Arc Ultra I’d agree that music is definitely better from the Beam. The Arc Ultra is superior in all other aspects.”
“The Beam 2 is a great soundbar .. It will give you sufficient bass and overall great sound. Obviously adding a Sub mini makes it a more complete system but it is a great stand alone soundbar.”
“I like my playbar better than my beam by far, but it’s 4x as big. I only have the beam in my hot tub though”
“I have really never experience any problems with my beam and even now I am watching Netflix and just updated the app. It's all good and the fact that you can add sub and surrounds any time is a cherry on top.”
“I have an Arc and Beam and I agree that the Beam clearly has advantages outside of the power. Especially with music which not sure why the Arc doesn’t handle it as well.”
“Because I did the mistake buying this rubbish and it might be useful for other ppl not to waste their money”
“While I agree it or maybe even the Roam are Sonos worst products, IMO it’s really not that bad. Especially in a small setting like used with a desktop.”
“Beam 2 superior in my setup, 65” LG G5, sub gen 1 and Sonos one SL surrounds. Very surprised at how bad the Arc was… yes, may have been faulty but happy with the Beam 2”
“I’ve had the beam 2 for a few months, and the metallic sound issue is horrible. They already replaced it with another beam and the issue persists. I’m ready to sell it for a different brand at this point because I’m so frustrated with this sound quality issue.”
“the Beam does better than the Arc in dialogue. I'm not sure how or why but the Arc seemed veiled. But the Arc is definitely better for Atmos content.”
“they both sound great. Get the one that fits the room better I have the beam 2 in a smaller room and the arc ultra in an open floorplan living room. Both sound awesome”
“Overrated product (lot of marketing and paid reviews). Like all sonos products. Simple as that.”
“The Beam did well in our upstairs living room with the help of the sub mini but the opportunity to upgrade to an Arc for that price was worth it IMO.”
“Bought the Beam last year and added the sub mini this year. Adding the sub mini has transformed everything. I’m still blown away to this day when watching DA content.”
“My soundbars were affected by the app issues. Even changing the volume was sometimes too laggy.”
“I got so frustrated with my gen 2 disconnecting that I bought a Samsung sound bar, which is trash compared to the Sonos, but it does stay connected.”
“I think the Beam gen 2 is a pretty amazing soundbar for the size and absolutely recommend it for the surprising sound from such a small footprint although again MSRP of $499 is a ridiculous price”
“I had the same thoughts on the beam on lack of loudness but the arc makes a huge difference!”
“The beam gen 2 sounds super crisp by itself but i agree the bass is subtle in a medium sized living room. With a sub mini it sounds perfect though.”
“I was initially disappointed in the Beam by itself. But after using it for a few months, the sound really sneaks up on you. It's actually quite good and a massive improvement over the TV speakers.”
“Currently have a beam gen 2 (with sub mini) and not impressed with the atmos performance”
“I started with the Beam2 as standalone and yes... is not very bassy. But when you add surrounds (I added the Ikea Bookshelf), it gets much better.”
“I love my Beam, with a couple ancient Play:1's for the TV. Thankfully, Sonos on the TV (LG vie eARC HDMI, plus paired surrounds) always "just work" and sound great.”
“I did the beam 2 first and upgraded to the original arc. Even that was much better.”
“It has been a nightmare for last months as you never know which speakers are visibile in the app or streaming in Airplay. I wish they would make the system more stabile. The product is good from audio point of view”
“I just bought a Gen2 Beam to replace the Master Bed Beam 1, and it’s freaking awesome to hear some good dialogue without having to increase the whole system sound.”
“I have both. Yes there are massive differences. Arc Ultra is 100x better”
“I am actually kind of underwhelmed. I know that you can add the Era 100/300s or get an Arc Ultra, but this seemed to be the best starter kit. But… am I crazy to think it’s not as mind blowing as I thought it would be?”
“I did the same swap and the improvement on both sound quality AND codec compatibility (using plex and an nvidia shield) was night and day. I used to have several problems with Gen 1. None with Gen2.”
“The Beam 2 is really overpriced for its performance if you ask me. If you need something small, the Bose Smart Soundbar would be a much better option than the Beam 2. The Bose will have a much cleaner & detailed sound than the Beam 2, and also gets noticeably louder than the Beam 2 as well.”
“Watched some TV, watched some Netflix.. movies sounded decent. I had stereo play 1s in the master prior, and those sounded better for music.”
“the Beam 2/era 100 surrounds/Sub Mini is their best all-around, no-frills system and absolutely the best value. Movies sound great and music is particularly good.”
“I replaced a Sonos Beam by a JBL bar 300 and it's a loooot better !”
“It does play Atmos but it is virtualized so don't even expect the definitive Atmos experience. I would say it is a 20% atmos, enough for me.”
“The dialogue is clear with enhance option on. Era 300 definitely gives good rear sky surrounding. With preference settings and Trueplay on it gives really impressive Atmos movie and music experience.”
“We replaced a Beam by a JBL Bar 300 and it was incredibly better.”
“it definitely adds depth to the sound, especially for movies, you can feel it. But at least in my case, it wasn’t a substantial change. It didn’t give me that “wow” moment like when I paired my two Era 100s with the Beam.”
“the beam is actually awesome and the only thing that doesn’t cause me troubles. It has never missed a beat and as it’s plugged directly into TV it works a treat.”
“I returned mine so fast. Much better sound systems out there.”
“Beam 2 is a good soundbar for a small living room however, I felt it lacked enough for dialogue and it also didn’t have enough bass/punch.”
“I went from Arc+Sub to Beam2 + Sub Mini. It may be room size or room geometry, but while I never found fault with the first pair I definitely prefer the second.”
“Music sounds much better on the Arc + mini than on the beam”
“Now the sound IS BETTER, for sure, but for how much better it is, I don't think I am getting the best value out of 450 pounds I paid for.”
“there was a big difference for me between Gen 1 and 2. Gen 1 I felt like I was having to hold the remote and adjust the volume constantly, Gen 2 sounds perfect.”
“I’m not as impressed as I am with my playbar but whatever.”
“I too was very disappointed at first. Consider that the TV you have already has a decent in-room audio system. In the end I bought both rear speakers (the one to be clear) and the Siub mini... now in my opinion it's perfect”
“The beam is one of the best value soundbars available. For an entry point in the system, flexibility of use, and the fact that it can be upgraded easily, it is a fantastic pick. 10/10 would recommend.”
“The Bose beats this ‘dOLbY AtMOs’ Beam 2 by 10x, easily.”
“Bought sonos because it was great although only if you add the subwoofer, without the sub it performs great but needs a sub to really shine. In addition to that sonos sounded soft and way less stressful and fatiguing to my ears.”
“I’d personally stick with the Beam Gen 2 at this point, but I am happy with the arc ultra set up I have. The beam is currently in my office and I still love it.”
“The JBL Bar 300 sounds much better than the Beam.”
“If it is just for watching TV than it‘s okay, but the minute you want to listen to music or enjoy movies you definitely need a sub.”
“The eArc is a really nice feature - made syncing between the TV and the speaker seamless. I didn't have much expectations with regards to surround, but am still happy with what it's putting out as is.”
“I always felt the Beam 2 was very overpriced.”
“just the Beam by itself… am I crazy to think it’s not as mind blowing as I thought it would be? It’s better than my Vizio for sure.”
“The arc ultra is 2x the price, but does not have a 2x the sound experience in my experience. If anything - its pretty similar with just a bit more mid-range.”
“with this beam, I didn’t get that wow factor!”
“Should the app and wifi issues not exist, I’d have kept it because it was a great combo, albeit overpriced even at its sale prices”
“I’ve had a Beam gen 2 for a couple of years now. I started with just the bar, then added surrounds and finally the sub mini. I’m very happy with the system.”
“HUGE. MASSIVE difference. I know plenty of others have already said this but I definitely wanted to chime in. I have both. Arc Ultra in my bedroom and living room and a Beam Gen 2 in the guest room. The difference is extremely noticeable so if you have the budget I’d highly highly recommend going with the Arc Ultra”
“We have a Bose soundbar in our bedroom and I was thinking, the Sonos isn't exponentially better than it. At least for the price”
“It receives it's praise because it sounds really good. Bigger soundstage than you'd expect for such a small footprint, clear dialogue and vocals, plenty of volume... It's a massive upgrade over TV speakers.”
“The Beam Gen 2 is no match for both systems.”
“The playbar sounds much better with music, the beam is better while watching tv. For me the playbar is the much better soundbar”
“I tend to listen to much more music with the Beam 2/era 100s/Sub Mini system in our bedroom. It has excellent sound quality that’s just easier listening.”
“Beam sounds like weak brittle garbage.”
“The Beam gen 2 and Sub Mini combo sounded great, don’t get me wrong. It’s still a little better than the Samsung q600f, especially in bass. But for half the cost and I don’t have to buy a separate subwoofer? Samsung wins in this case.”
“It’s amazing, I have mine paired with two play ones as surrounds, it’s just works straight out of the box and doesn’t need any tweaking, but you can if you like. I upgraded from a gen 1 never had any issues.”
“I should reiterate that by no means does this combo sound bad. I guess I was expecting more for lack of a better explanation.”
“I have a Beam with my 65" TV and it works fine for me. It is much smaller than the TV, but I think it looks fine sitting in front of my TV on the stand.”
“Personally, I was far from satisfied with both the Arc and Beam 2 without subwoofers. I added Sub Minis which were perfect.”
“I was sure I was going to get an Arc until I did a direct comparison against the Beam 2. I personally think dialogue is good bit clearer on the Beam 2.”
“the combo of the Beam and the Sub mini is pretty incredible sounding and better than the Q600F I just exchanged it for. However, I know I am not the only person to bring up the issue of connectivity at times or their really lackluster app.”
“I’d replaced my bigger Bose soundbar with the smaller Beam 2. 3 months later I bought the Sub Mini - just this weekend in fact - WHAT A DIFFERENCE.”
“I do feel the added bass and appreciate the clarity but not sure why I was expecting the difference to be considerable.”
“I can't imagine the arc sounding better. When using it for music it's easy to pinpoint the location of the instruments and just absolutely amazing.”