We’ve been hearing good things about the Sonos arc soundbar for a few months now, so we’ve decided to test it out. We’ve been testing out different scenes, like a jungle scene, with the new soundbar, and we’ve found that it delivers the audio experience we expect from a high-end soundbar. We also reviewed the price, Dolby Atmos support, and Wi-Fi connectivity. But there are still some issues, including the fact that it doesn’t support Google Cast.
Dolby Atmos
The Sonos Arc is Dolby Atmos compatible, so you can enjoy Dolby Atmos surround sound on your television. To use the soundbar, you’ll need to plug it into your TV’s HDMI port and download the Sonos app. Then, you can configure the soundbar to work with your television’s remote. This setup takes just a few minutes.
The Sonos Arc is equipped with HDMI input and eARC output. It also has a power input. When connecting to your television, you’ll need to make sure the TV has an HDMI ARC port. If you don’t have an ARC port, you can connect the soundbar to your TV using an optical cable. It also comes with an Ethernet port.
Another notable feature of the Sonos Arc is its compatibility with Alexa and Google Assistant. It will support both voice assistants, though you’ll need to disable the microphones on your TV to use this feature. Setting up the Sonos Arc is very simple, and the app will guide you through the process step-by-step. Once you have finished, all you need to do is hold your smartphone close to the soundbar and transfer the Wifi credentials.
One thing you should note is that the Sonos Arc’s soundstage doesn’t project sound forward enough. During stereo playback, the Sonos Arc uses all of its drivers, but it could improve this by switching the bias to front-firing drivers.
Sonos’ Arc soundbar is equipped with 11 custom drivers and a Class D digital amplifier. It has four woofers facing forward, one woofer firing upwards and two tweeters firing diagonally. The Arc is compatible with 5.1 audio and Dolby Atmos.
One downside of the Sonos Arc is its lack of a separate digital optical port or analog connection. Because the Sonos Arc only has one HDMI port, it’s best to use a newer TV with a HDMI ARC port. Older TVs may not support Dolby Atmos and will deliver regular Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. Furthermore, you can’t connect your Apple TV directly to the Sonos Arc, so you’ll have to use a separate HDMI cable for that.
However, you should note that LPCM multichannel audio isn’t compatible with Sonos Arc. While the Arc’s HDMI receiver does support Atmos, it cannot source uncompressed Dolby Atmos signals. The Arc’s HDMI receiver can only receive Dolby Atmos through HDMI 2.1.
Wi-Fi connectivity
The Arc is a premium smart sound bar that surrounds listeners in 3D sound using Dolby Atmos. It can be controlled using a TV remote, voice command, or the Sonos application. It also has Wi-Fi connectivity for wireless music streaming.
In order to use the Sonos Arc with Wi-Fi, you need to connect it to an HDMI ARC port on your television. These ports are the same as standard HDMI ports, but will have the ARC or eARC label on them. If you do not have an ARC port on your television, you will have to purchase an optical adapter.
Once connected, you can adjust bass and treble levels from the Sonos app. You can also turn on Night Sound, which flattens the dynamics and reduces bass. Another useful feature is Speech Enhancement, which aims to project dialogue more accurately. As with any other Sonos product, the Sonos Arc runs on the Sonos S2 platform. New software will be available by June 2020. Older Sonos devices will not be compatible with the new software.
If your Sonos Arc is not connecting to WiFi, there are several potential causes. First, the speaker might be running on an empty battery. If this is the case, you can try charging it with an AC adaptor. In some cases, this fixes the problem and makes it possible to use the Sonos Arc with WiFi.
The Sonos Arc supports Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital surround sound formats. It also supports the old stereo sound format. Dolby Atmos brings an element of height to surround sound. For example, when a helicopter is flying across a screen, the sound will appear above the listener.
The Sonos Arc is compatible with Wi-Fi networks and home theater connections. If your Wi-Fi connection is not strong enough to support the streaming of audio, you may want to consider a direct connection instead. This is useful if you only want to listen to your local music. However, this option will not work well for offline listening.
The Arc is easy to set up and use. Simply place it in front of your TV and plug in the HDMI cable (labelled enhanced Audio Return Channel). It only takes about five minutes to get the Arc set up. Once you’re done, you can use the Sonos app to optimise the sound quality and use the speaker to its fullest potential. You can also use the Sonos app to group Sonos speakers together and link the Sonos Arc to a PS699 sub.
Doesn’t support Google Cast
Sonos Arc is a soundbar that you can place on a flat surface or attach to a wall. It features upward-firing mid/bass drivers and four far-field microphones across the top. The microphones allow you to control the volume from your TV or the speaker with your voice. It supports AirPlay 2 and Amazon Alexa. The Sonos Arc is not Google Cast-compatible.
While it doesn’t support Google Cast, it does support Apple AirPlay 2, allowing it to be used for multi-room audio and with different brands of speakers. However, Google Cast support is missing on the Sonos Arc, so you’ll need to use the Sonos app to stream content to your television.
Sonos has improved the design of the Arc, making it look more like modern Sonos gear. It comes in either an all-white or black finish, with tone-on-tone lettering on the front. It’s bigger and wider than the Playbar, measuring in at 45 inches. This means that it’s more versatile and expands the soundstage.
One downside to the Sonos Arc is that it doesn’t project sound forward enough. It can’t provide the stereo playback experience of a movie soundtrack. The stereo sound delivers three-dimensional sound, which is important for a movie’s soundtrack. Sonos uses all its drivers during stereo playback, but switching the bias to front-firing drivers could result in a more direct sound delivery.
The Sonos Arc does have some good features. Its bass response is crisp, and its midrange is detailed, but it’s lacking a bit in definition. It’s best at richer productions, acoustic-oriented music, and Snarky Puppy tracks. However, the best sound reproduction comes from Atmos tracks in movies. The “Sweet Lord” track from Guardians 2 was absolutely breathtaking. The Sonos Arc is also compatible with Tidal’s Dolby Atmos Music.
As a home theater speaker, the Sonos Arc is a good choice. The sound signature is premium, and it provides cinematic pop and tactile detail. However, its lack of spare HDMI inputs may make it unsuitable for all but the most modern of TVs.
Price
The Sonos Arc soundbar is a premium smart sound bar that surrounds the listener with 3D sound via Dolby Atmos. It can be controlled with your voice, television remote, or through the Sonos application. It also features a built-in Wi-Fi network and offers a range of connectivity options.
The Sonos Arc soundbar uses eleven high-performance drivers for exceptional sound quality. Its five phased-array speakers support Dolby Atmos, so your home will sound immersive. It also supports streaming music and podcasts. Its sleek design, simple controls, and Trueplay technology make it easy to use.
The Sonos Arc has been on the Sonos roadmap for over two years. It was never expected to launch so soon, but Sonos executives did consider the economy before releasing it. Typically, it takes years to develop a new product. They didn’t want to stall the launch, and they don’t think the economy should hold back a new product. The Sonos Arc will be a welcome addition for those looking to improve the audio quality of their television or monitors.
While Sonos’ Arc isn’t as powerful as many of its competitors, the sound quality it delivers is outstanding. Its low-frequency response is solid, and the high-frequency range is rich and encompassing. However, there are some cons. The Arc requires an HDMI-compatible TV to work properly. Because it lacks a built-in HDMI passthrough, it can’t be used with older televisions.
The Arc also has an adaptive soundscape feature called Trueplay Tuning. This feature analyzes the shape of a room and adjusts the volume accordingly. This feature is particularly useful for listening to music in a space that is too acoustic. Sonos Move, which has an adaptive soundscape feature, did the same thing, and compensated for acoustic environment differences.
It can play stereo music and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround. It offers crisp sonics and surprising bass for a soundbar at this price point.
