Sonos Arc £899
The Arc was Sonos’s first, somewhat tardy, foray into Dolby Atmos. Costing twice as much as the brilliant Beam, the Arc is designed to partner bigger TVS.
At 114cm, it is a bit wider than a typical modern 49in TV and so best partnered with a 55in model. The curvy design helps mask the Arc’s dimensions and makes it look svelte, but its 8.5cm height is not inconsiderable.
The Arc’s Dolby Atmos soundfield is generated by 11 Class D digital amplifiers that power 11 custom drivers – eight elliptical woofers and three silk-domed tweeters, two of which fire diagonally into the room. It delivers one of the most convincing Atmos presentations of any soundbar we’ve heard. Play the bombing-run scene from Unbroken and we’re immediately transported to within the fuselage of the B-24 Liberator. Our listening room is filled with wind noise and the whirr of the plane’s engines, and the incidental creaks and rattles are placed in specific spots, including right in the top corners of the wall we’re sitting against.
The Arc is dynamically deft too; big dynamic shifts are handled with aplomb, the first fly-by of the Japanese fighter plane and the machine gun fire from the Liberator rocking the room, even at less than a quarter of the Arc’s volume.
We switch to Blade Runner 2049 and bullets streak across the room, while low, distant rumbles of thunder and the building music are suitably menacing.
This is a supremely well judged bass performance. There are vast quantities of deep, weighty and tuneful bass – but the lower frequencies never overwhelm and, even at its loudest and deepest, the Arc remains remarkably composed. Treble is clear and sparkly too, but never too bright.
That tonal evenness helps make the Arc a much more musical performer than most soundbars too, although stereo music isn’t projected forward towards the listening position as much as you’d expect, given that movie soundtracks are delivered with such three-dimensionality.
That slight lack of directness to music is our only criticism of the Arc. This is a stunning performer. It delivers one of the most immersive Dolby Atmos experiences we’ve heard from a soundbar, and acts as a wireless speaker with access to practically every music-streaming service. Rarely does a device arrive that does so much and does it all so well.