Sonos · Released Oct 2021 Last verified June 8, 2026

Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Review

Name: Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
Brand: Sonos

Dolby Atmos · HDMI eARC · Compact

Specdex verdict Sonos's Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is a solid premium pick — strongly recommended, even if it doesn't unseat the category leaders.

The right-sized Atmos bar for most living rooms — compact, elegant, Sonos-expandable.

All Sonos Beam (Gen 2) matchups → From $499

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Sonos Beam (Gen 2) — Dolby Atmos · HDMI eARC · Compact

Specdex verdict

Strongly Recommended

Specdex doesn't run benchmarks in-house. The verdict is an editorial assessment based on manufacturer specs and public reviewer consensus. See methodology.

Compare

Sonos Beam (Gen 2) versus its closest rivals

All matchups →

Editorial · Specdex take

Pros

+Atmos in a compact bar
+Trueplay room correction
+Expandable with Sub + rears

Cons

−No upward drivers (virtual Atmos)
−No DTS
−App glitches

Who's the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) for?

Quick verdicts for the most common buyer profiles, derived from the sub-scores above.

Power users and creators Skip

Compute scores trail current top-tier — look at our step-up alternatives below if performance is the priority.

Budget-conscious buyers Buy

At $499 this is a genuine value play — Specdex score of 86 far exceeds the typical sub-$500 baseline.

In the box

What you get when you unbox the Sonos Beam (Gen 2).

Soundbar
Power cable
HDMI cable
Wall-mount template
Remote (region-dependent)

Standard contents — region/SKU may vary; confirm at retailer.

Sources & benchmarks

Cited, not generated

Specdex does not run benchmarks in-house. We're rolling out cited public benchmark data category by category — PassMark for CPUs and GPUs is wired today; DXOMark, RTINGS, Geekbench, and NotebookCheck will follow.

Sources we use when available: PassMark for CPU/GPU, Geekbench Browser for synthetic, DXOMark for camera scores, RTINGS for TVs, monitors, and headphones. See methodology.