The Sonos Arc Ultra is Sonos' flagship 2024 standalone soundbar. It treads in the footsteps of the 2020 Sonos Arc, but builds on its footprint by revamping the acoustic architecture. With the new 'Sound Motion' built-in subwoofer and an array of front, side, and up-firing drivers, the manufacturer claims it can reproduce a 9.1.4 Dolby Atmos experience with an all-in-one bar. There have been improvements on the connectivity front, with Bluetooth as standard, plus the ability to connect Sonos Era 100 or Sonos Era 300 speakers to expand the surround sound possibilities. So, have Sonos raised the (all-in-one) bar with their latest home theater offering?
Our Verdict
The Sonos Arc Ultra is good for mixed usage. It has a balanced default sound profile that lends itself particularly well to dialogue-driven TV shows, aided by its discrete center. While there's an impressive amount of bass present for a standalone bar, it still doesn't render sub-bass wobbles and earth-shaking sound effects as intensely as a dedicated subwoofer. It can get plenty loud without compressing much, ensuring audio remains clean and pure, even at max volume. It's compatible with most major audio formats, including Dolby Atmos and DTS. Bluetooth compatibility arrives to complement existing Wi-Fi and AirPlay integration, ensuring this bar plays well with your other devices (especially the Sonos ones).
Sleek and sturdy design.
Lots of wireless connectivity options.
TruePlay room correction feature.
Compatible with most popular audio formats.
Minimal compression at max volume.
No graphic EQ or presets.
No full HDMI In.
The Sonos Arc Ultra is impressive for dialogue and TV shows. It does a great job of rendering mid-range content with detail and clarity, so dialogue and speech sound crisp and natural. The discrete center channel ensures great localization of dialogue, adding a sense of space to witty repartee. There are even three levels of voice enhancement to better aid intelligibility. There's no need to worry about audio clarity suffering at higher volumes, either. The great dynamics performance ensures voices sound clean and pure, even at max volume.
Sleek and sturdy design.
Compatible with most popular audio formats.
Minimal compression at max volume.
No graphic EQ or presets.
The Sonos Arc Ultra is great for music. The integrated Sound Motion subwoofer is capable of outputting much more bass than the average standalone bar, injecting punch and thump into kicks and basslines, though it doesn't quite have the same rumble you'd get from a discrete sub. The mid and treble ranges are very well-balanced, ensuring vocals and lead instruments sound detailed and clear within a wide soundstage. There's plenty of volume on tap for your next house party and very little compression, even at max volume. Bass and treble adjustment sliders are welcome additions, as are the DSP sound modes, but the lack of a more granular EQ will disappoint some.
Lots of wireless connectivity options.
TruePlay room correction feature.
Minimal compression at max volume.
No graphic EQ or presets.
The Sonos Arc Ultra is decent for movies. While the integrated subwoofer punches above its weight, there's not much low-end rumble to go with the punch, which can make action-packed sequences less of a sensory experience. The balanced mid-range and discrete center channel ensure the nuances of movie dialogue are well-preserved, and the soundstage is wide and immersive sounding. With Atmos content, the up and side-firing drivers help expand the sound field outwards and upwards, but tracking and localization naturally fall short of a discrete setup. Fortunately, you can integrate Sonos Era 100 or 300 speakers for a more immersive Atmos experience.
Compatible with most popular audio formats.
Minimal compression at max volume.
No graphic EQ or presets.
Height performance leaves something to be desired.
Changelog
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Updated Oct 24, 2025:
We mentioned the KEF XIO in the Height (Atmos) section of this review.
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Updated Sep 18, 2025:
This review was updated to mention the Klipsch Flexus Core 300 in Audio Format Support: ARC/eARC box.
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Updated Jul 30, 2025:
We added a reference to the Samsung HW-Q800F in the Dimensions - Subwoofer box.
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Updated Jul 28, 2025:
We've updated the review text and pictograms to accurately reflect the soundbar's integrated subwoofer.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Sonos Arc Ultra comes in two color variants: 'Black' and 'White' (here's a picture of its label). That said, Sonos sells various packages via its website that include this soundbar with various combinations of Sonos Era 100 and Sonos Era 300 speakers, as well as the Sub 4, such as the Sonos Ultimate Immersive Set with Arc Ultra.
If you encounter another variant of this soundbar, let us know in the comments, and we'll update our review.
Popular Soundbar Comparisons
The Sonos Arc Ultra is an all-in-one 2024 soundbar that's the next generation of the Sonos Arc. It improves upon the original in many ways, with a more balanced default sound profile, better wireless connectivity options (including Bluetooth), and better dynamics performance. Both soundbars are capable of integrating into an existing ecosystem of Sonos products, including the Sonos Era 100, the Sonos Era 300, the Sonos Move 2, and the Sonos Ace Wireless headphones. Neither bar has an HDMI In port, so gamers who want to pass through a high-resolution signal will want to check out the Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 9 instead. That said, the Sony can't output as much bass as the Sonos, and its soundstage isn't as wide.
For more options, be sure to check out our recommendations for the best soundbars, the best Dolby Atmos soundbars, and the best soundbars for movies.
The Sonos Arc Ultra is a step up from the Sonos Arc, both in terms of features and performance. The new acoustic architecture results in an improved frequency response, with a better bass extension and articulation. The dynamics performance has also been improved: the newer version compresses even less at max volume. While both soundbars integrate well into existing Sonos ecosystems, pairing with popular speakers like the Sonos Era 300, the Arc Ultra features Bluetooth integration, which will be a bonus for most users. The older variant comes with an optical to HDMI adaptor as standard, which will suit users with older TVs. That said, you can still purchase this separately.
The Samsung HW-Q990F is a better all-in-one solution compared to the Sonos Arc Ultra. That said, you can expand the 5.1.2-channel standalone Sonos bar into a surround sound setup by connecting it with compatible Sonos speakers. Meanwhile, the 11.1.4-channel Samsung system includes two discrete satellites, an external sub, and up-firing drivers in both satellites and the soundbar. If you're planning on gaming with your bar, the Samsung has HDMI In support, which can help reduce A/V-desync.
The Sonos Arc Ultra is a better soundbar than the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) in most respects. While both Sonos bars can connect with compatible Sonos speakers to expand the setup to a surround setup, the 5.1.2-channel Arc Ultra, by default, has an integrated sub and two up-firing drivers over the 5.0-channel Beam (Gen 2). The Arc Ultra also typically gets a bit louder than the Beam (Gen 2) in most scenarios. That said, the Beam (Gen 2) is significantly cheaper and supports optical inputs, making it the better option for setups with an older AVR or TV.
The Sonos Arc Ultra is a better all-in-one soundbar than the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar. It has a more balanced default sound profile, with better bass extension and an improved center performance, which helps localize dialogue. While the Sonos can't get as loud as the Bose, there's considerably less compression present at max volume. While both are 5.1.2 configurations, the Sonos has a slight edge when it comes to its surrounds performance and supports audio playback via DTS. The Bose is better built, though, and comes with an optical port, which could be useful for users with older TVs. Your decision could also come down to how each bar integrates with other devices in your audio setup. The Bose can pair with the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds Truly Wireless for a more immersive surround sound experience, while Sonos Ace owners will want to take advantage of the seamless audio switching between their headphones and the Arc Ultra.
Test Results
