Sonos
Sonos Arc Ultra
9.1.4 Atmos · Sound Motion woofers · eARC
92
/ 100
From $999
VS
Sonos Arc Ultra wins by 6
Sonos
Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
Dolby Atmos · HDMI eARC · Compact
86
/ 100
From $499
Specdex verdict
Sonos Arc Ultra takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, Sonos Arc Ultra lands at 92 and Sonos Beam (Gen 2) at 86. That puts Sonos Arc Ultra ahead by 6 points — a decisive margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick Sonos Arc Ultra if…
- ✓Massive bass without a sub
- ✓9.1.4 channel processing
- ✓Easy TrueCinema tuning
Pick Sonos Beam (Gen 2) if…
- ✓Atmos in a compact bar
- ✓Trueplay room correction
- ✓Expandable with Sub + rears
Sonos Arc Ultra 92
vs 86 Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
Score breakdown
Sonos Arc Ultra
92 sound 94
features 90
design 92
ease 90
Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
86 sound 86
features 88
design 92
ease 90
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | Sonos Arc Ultra | Sonos Beam (Gen 2) |
|---|---|---|
| Channels | 9.1.4 | 5.0 (virtual Atmos) |
| Drivers | 14 + Sound Motion woofers | — |
| Connectivity | eARC HDMI, Wi-Fi 6, BT 5.0 | eARC HDMI, Wi-Fi 6, BT 5.0 |
| Atmos | Dolby Atmos | — |
Sonos Arc Ultra
Pros
- +Massive bass without a sub
- +9.1.4 channel processing
- +Easy TrueCinema tuning
Cons
- −No DTS:X
- −App glitches
- −Expensive
Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
Pros
- +Atmos in a compact bar
- +Trueplay room correction
- +Expandable with Sub + rears
Cons
- −No upward drivers (virtual Atmos)
- −No DTS
- −App glitches
FAQ: Sonos Arc Ultra vs Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
Which is better, Sonos Arc Ultra or Sonos Beam (Gen 2)? +
Sonos Arc Ultra scores 92 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 6. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is Sonos Arc Ultra worth the price? +
At $999, Sonos Arc Ultra delivers a Specdex score of 92 — strongest in sound.
Is Sonos Beam (Gen 2) worth the price? +
At $499, Sonos Beam (Gen 2) delivers a Specdex score of 86 — strongest in design.
Does Sonos Arc Ultra or Sonos Beam (Gen 2) last longer? +
Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.