Both the Beam and Ray are relatively compact and can also be placed on top of a stand or wall-mounted. The Beam and the Ray can be controlled with the Sonos app, but each soundbar also features a set of top-facing buttons for playback controls and track skipping. In terms of audio peripherals, the Ray features two high-performance midwoofers, a single tweeter, and four Class-D amps to power everything. A plastic grille covers the entire front of the soundbar, with flared edges adding a sharp but stylish look to the chassis. The Sonos Ray also comes in black and white and is clearly the smaller soundbar of the two, measuring 22 inches wide, 2.79 inches tall, and 3.74 inches from front to back, and weighing 4.29 pounds. In terms of power and performance, the Beam uses five Class-D amplifiers to run the show, meaning it has a fair bit of power. Swapping the fabric grille of the previous Beam generation for the tougher plastic covering found on the Sonos Arc, the Beam is equipped with four elliptical midwoofers, three passive radiators, and a single center-facing tweeter. The Sonos Beam is available in black and white finishes and measures 25.6 inches wide, 2.7 inches tall, and 3.9 inches from front to back, and weighs 6.2 pounds. Sonos Arc: which soundbar should you buy? What is Sonos? What you need to know about the wireless music system Still, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) has everything you could want from a soundbar, from audio prowess to thorough smart-speaker functionality.The 9 best soundbars of 2023: get great sound from your TV I can imagine some scenarios where the soundbar will actually be more expensive than the TV. We do wish the company had kept the Beam price under $400. With its smaller footprint and smart features, the $449 Sonos Beam (Gen 2) could be an attractive choice for urban dwellers or for those who just want a soundbar for their mid-size TVs. While the Sonos Arc stood out in 2020, not everyone can fit (or afford) the massive soundbar. Sonos Beam (Gen 2) review: VerdictĬreating the ultimate home-theater experience has become a top consumer priority in the past year and half. It can act like many of the best Alexa speakers or best Google Home speakers, letting you control your smart-home devices, get answers to queries or simply change the soundtrack hands-free. Like most of Sonos's other devices, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) supports Alexa and Google Assistant. I turned on Whiplash and felt each percussion scene as though I was sitting in Shaffer Conservatory watching a manic Miles Teller live. Once the new soundbar was tuned to my living space, I tested the Beam’s abilities with a variety of music, show and movie formats. Users will also benefit from 3D audio with support for Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus and most leading home-theater sound formats. Sonos says the Beam (Gen 2) has been retuned, creating a crisper central channel that prioritizes vocal clarity and vocal dialog. But an upgraded CPU improves the soundbar's height and surround abilities, even with the same speaker hardware. It features one tweeter, three passive radiators and four elliptical midwoofers, two of those forward-firing and the other two angled to either side. The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is nearly identical to the first-generation Beam on the inside. Sonos Beam (Gen 2) review: Audio quality and compatible formats If you've coordinated your Sonos Move, Sonos Roam or Sonos One colors, you can keep the pattern up for your new soundbar. The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) also comes in two color options, like the rest of Sonos' products of the last few years. Note some other soundbars have added HDMI, USB or 3.5mm aux ports. When you pair the Beam to your TV via HDMI eARC, you can benefit from high-definition audio formats during movie-watching and gaming. Capacitive volume and pause/play controls are on the top side of the Beam (Gen 2), while on the back there’s a concave port array with options for Ethernet and HDMI ARC/eARC connections.
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