Sonos Beam (Gen 2) £449
It’s no secret that we are ardent admirers of the Sonos Beam. Since its launch in 2018, the 3.0 channel soundbar has won the What Hi-fi? Award for the best soundbar in its price category each year. Key to its success has been a simplicity of design and streamlined functionality that has overcome two of the limitations of compact speakers: sonic scale and weight.
Unlike its predecessor, the Gen 2’s quintet of front-facing drivers are configured into five separate arrays rather than three. When watching Atmos content, two of these arrays are dedicated to reproducing overhead and surround sounds. With enhanced processor power the Gen 2 uses psychoacoustic HRTF (head-related transfer function) tech to give the impression of height without needing to get vertical. We’ve experienced Dolby Atmos delivery through processing wizardry before, and the results have been mixed. Here, while genuine overhead sounds are perhaps a stretch too far, there’s more to Dolby Atmos than helicopters, and the Gen 2 handles the format better than any similarly priced soundbar.
Atmos allows a film’s production mixers to place sounds and music as discrete objects within a soundfield, and having the ability to decode it means there is tangible motion, depth and space, which heightens the sense of immersion. The Gen 2 is able to project changing sonic perspective with accuracy and clarity. Whether it’s a chirping bird, car or voice, there’s remarkable consistency across the complete soundfield during Roma, while with Bohemian Rhapsody, the Gen 2 does a great job of representing the Atmos sound design as the camera’s viewpoint roams about the stage and each instrument or monitor comes into sonic focus.
The Beam Gen 2 not only lives up to the high bar set by its predecessor but exceeds it by a margin that more than justifies its higher cost. The decision by Sonos to use processing power and forward-facing drivers to recreate Atmos has paid off, with a more capable and effective handling of the format than many soundbars with upward-firing drivers. With streaming smarts, expert handling of motion, depth and space, and a compact design, it’s the best Dolby Atmos soundbar at this price point and a worthy Award winner.