A few months ago, I stopped by a Best Buy store in Los Angeles and unexpectedly got a demo of Sonos’ home theater system. Before that, I wasn’t into whole-home audio or obsessed with surround-sound speakers. However, something changed during the short time I spent listening to the Sonos speakers at the store. I may sound a little overwhelmed, but when you exceed the demo time and become completely immersed, it’s not just a one-off moment. Since then, I have been actively spending a great deal of time listening to all sorts of speakers, but nothing comes close to how the Sonos Arc sounds. This soundbar not only transformed the sound of my 55-inch 4K TV but also served as a smart speaker, Wi-Fi music system, and home cinema companion in one single unit. Admittedly, this is my first time reviewing a Sonos speaker. Here’s what impressed me about the Sonos Arc and what is missing from this premium Dolby Atmos soundbar.
The Arc looks like a typical Sonos product—simple, sleek, and positioned as a premium offering. However, I found it to be longer than other soundbars I’ve seen or reviewed in the past. It’s a one-meter-long cylinder, like a pencil, which means it is quite significant in size and needs space of its own. Still, the soundbar is relatively compact considering it houses eight separate woofers, three tweeters, and other electronics, all hidden behind the matte metal mesh. The size actually helps create a powerful bass response and a smooth transition between low and high registers—something I feel smaller soundbars struggle to deliver.
A quick piece of advice before you consider the Arc: if you have a TV larger than 55 inches and a dedicated TV stand with enough space, then this soundbar might be a good fit. The Arc is designed for large rooms. While it can be mounted to the wall, it automatically adjusts frequencies and how the sound moves in your living room. For smaller homes, I’d recommend the Sonos Beam instead.
Minimal controls but easy to set up
The Arc is designed differently from other soundbars on the market, and its approach is akin to that of Apple products. On the top, just above the Sonos logo in the center, is an LED status indicator that shows when the soundbar is on and when it is listening for the built-in Google Assistant and Alexa voice assistants. Behind the LED, there are three touch-sensitive areas for ‘volume up,’ ‘volume down,’ ‘play/pause,’ and ‘skip forward/backward.’ On the back are the HDMI port and an Ethernet jack in case your Wi-Fi network encounters problems. The Arc has a minimal layout, which may not appeal to A/V enthusiasts. There’s no analogue connection or separate digital optical port for legacy devices. Additionally, it lacks the remote control that most other soundbars come with, and support for Bluetooth is also missing. However, Apple’s AirPlay 2 is supported.
One thing to note is that there are no additional HDMI ports, so keep this in mind. If you are curious about the audio formats the Arc supports, here is a list: Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital, and Dolby TrueHD (for external Blu-ray players).
It’s important to note that to fully take advantage of the Arc, your TV needs to be up to date. The Arc comes with a single HDMI port, and since there is no HDMI passthrough, it can only connect to TVs that support HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel), which allows your TV to send audio to the soundbar over an HDMI cable. For example, my old Sony Bravia TV cannot pass Atmos over ARC, making Dolby Atmos sound impossible. The Arc also supports HDMI eARC (the newer version of ARC), which means it can source uncompressed audio from a device connected to your TV—but again, only if you have a newer TV that also supports eARC. I’d say this is a significant limitation of the Sonos Arc.
Setting up the Arc is as simple as setting up an Apple iPhone. All you need to do is plug in the power cord, connect the HDMI cable to the HDMI port on the back of your TV, and then fire up the Sonos app on your Android or iOS device and follow the instructions. The process takes under five minutes. Additionally, you can use Trueplay tuning by simply waving an iPhone around your room. The Sonos app listens to the sound to optimize the Arc for the room where the bar is placed. It’s a nice feature.
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You can tune your system with the Sonos app. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
Using the Arc is also straightforward. The Sonos app handles most setup and management. Although it has its own issues, it is generally usable. The app supports major music services and podcast platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Saavn, among others.
What also makes the Sonos Arc unique is that it can be grouped with other Sonos speakers to create a multi-room music experience or linked to a pair of surround speakers or the Sonos Sub. While the Sonos Sub is on the higher side in terms of price, it elevates the surround sound experience to another level. For this review, I didn’t pair the Arc with the Sub or additional speakers. The goal was to evaluate the performance based purely on the speaker system housed within the bar.
Exhilarating performance
The Arc is for those who want the absolute best sound. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
While watching Godzilla Minus One on Netflix, I could sense the capabilities of the Sonos Arc. It created a whole new environment; the details were rich, and I felt the sound bouncing around, as if I were watching a movie in a theater. The Arc sounded different from my previous experiences reviewing soundbars. Of course, the experience varies from content to content, but the Arc performs exceptionally well in almost all scenarios. It’s crisp and clear, which is particularly impressive considering the technology that powers the bar. Imagine it housing 11 individually powered drivers, including 8 oblong woofers and 3 silk-dome tweeters.
What’s also impressive is using the Sonos Arc for listening to music, much like you would with a HomePod or any other speaker. When you listen to Kishore Kumar, you know you are hearing Kishore Kumar. The music is rich, the vocals are clear, the volume levels can reach impressive heights, and the bass is more controlled than I expected. Music is subjective, and my mood changes constantly, so I listen to various types of music. The good thing about the Sonos Arc is that whether you are listening to techno or ghazals, the audio quality remains well-balanced. Sometimes I feel the Sonos Arc sounds complex, but this also makes the bar stand out from other speakers.
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Who should buy the Sonos Arc?
There’s only a single HDMI port built-in. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
One thing that sets the Sonos Arc apart from other soundbars is how impressive it sounds. This is the single biggest quality that won me over, despite its lack of some major home theater features. However, to be fully convinced of what the Arc is capable of, you also need to be a believer in Sonos. The brand operates at its own pace, much like Apple and Nintendo, and you need to be committed enough to invest in a premium-sounding soundbar, knowing that the ecosystem plays an important role. If you are looking for a sleek, high-end soundbar that supports Dolby Atmos, the Arc is undoubtedly one of the best-sounding systems you can buy on the market.
| Pros | Cons |
| Looks good | Expensive |
| Fantastic sound |
ARC/eARC rather than HDMI pass-through |
| Great Dolby Atmos reproduction | |
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Surprisingly good as a standalone speaker for listening to music |
|
| Easy setup | |
|
Good performance without a sub |
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Works with major music services |