The Sonos Arc with Sub + One SL Speakers is a very good overall soundbar. It sounds well-balanced right out of the box and features a lot of customization tools to make it sound the way you want. It’s a premium-feeling soundbar setup that has an amazing surround and good Atmos performance. However, some may be disappointed by the lack of Bluetooth compatibility.
Our Verdict
The Sonos Arc with Sub + One SL Speakers is great for mixed usage. It offers a neutral, balanced sound profile that's suitable for listening to lots of different audio content, and it has some sound enhancement features so you can customize it to your liking. There's even a room correction feature that optimizes audio reproduction based on the unique acoustic characteristics of your room. However, it lacks a full graphic EQ for sound customization.
- Sleek and very well-built design.
- Room correction feature.
- Very well-balanced sound profile.
- Low latency.
- No full EQ.
The Sonos Arc with Sub + One SL Speakers is impressive for dialogue-heavy content like TV shows. Its balanced sound profile and its dedicated center channel can reproduce vocals clearly and accurately. You can even use its dialogue enhancement feature to make voices more clear and crisp. Unfortunately, you can't stream podcasts or audiobooks to the bar using Bluetooth, but you can do it via a Wi-Fi connection.
- Dialogue enhancement feature.
- Very well-balanced sound profile.
- Low latency.
- No full EQ.
The Sonos Arc with Sub + One SL Speakers is great for music. Out-of-the-box, it has a pretty neutral sound profile that's suitable for lots of different music genres. You can also use its bass and treble adjustments to customize its sound to your liking. Also, it has a wide soundstage that really immerses you in your music. However, it lacks a full graphic EQ, so it isn't as customizable as some of the other bars we've tested.
- Very wide soundstage.
- Very well-balanced sound profile.
- Low latency.
- No full EQ.
The Sonos Arc with Sub + One SL Speakers is very good for movies. It has up-firing speakers that can simulate height when you listen to Atmos content. Thanks to its satellite speakers, it has an impressive surrounds performance, too. On the downside, there's some bass compression when you play it at max volume.
- Supports Atmos content.
- Excellent surround performance.
- Very wide soundstage.
- Very well-balanced sound profile.
- Low latency.
- No full EQ.
Changelog
- Updated May 03, 2024: Updated Stereo Dynamics results with new methodology from TBU 1.3. Added text to Audio Latency: ARC, and Audio Latency: Optical boxes.
- Updated May 02, 2024: We've converted this review to Test Bench Update 1.3. If applicable, we've retested stereo sound based on the manufacturer's recommendations. Additionally, we've expanded our audio latency tests to the following boxes: Audio Latency: ARC, Audio Latency: HDMI In, and Audio Latency: Optical. You can see the full changelog here.
- Updated Jun 07, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 1.2. Updated the results for audio format support via ARC/eARC, HDMI In, and Optical. Added Video Passthrough to TV results as well.
- Updated May 24, 2023: Added market comparison to the Sonos Ultimate Immersive Set with Arc in the Height (Atmos) box.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
This soundbar is available both in white and black. While we reviewed the black version, we expect this review to be valid for the white variant as well. This review is also only valid for the full setup, and not for the standalone bar.
Sonos has also released a Costco-exclusive version of this soundbar. It should perform the same, but it doesn't come with a built-in microphone.
Popular Soundbar Comparisons
The Sonos Arc full 5.1.2 setup is a very good overall soundbar. Thanks to its sound enhancement features, it has a very neutral, balanced sound profile and is in the same ballpark as the often-compared Samsung HW-Q90R regarding audio reproduction.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best soundbars, the best Dolby Atmos soundbars, and the best soundbars for movies.
The Sonos Arc with Sub + One SL Speakers is better than the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) with Sub Mini + One SL Speakers. They're both very premium Dolby Atmos setups with built-in voice assistant support. However, the Arc is bigger, and it gets louder with less compression at max volume. Also, it provides a more immersive listening experience, especially with Dolby Atmos content. Subjectively, it reproduces more height in the soundstage, and objects seem to come from more accurate locations in the space around you.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 with Speakers + Bass Module is better than the Sonos Arc with Sub + One SL Speakers. The Bose has a better soundstage performance, and it supports more wireless playback options such as Bluetooth. Its default sound profile is also more balanced than the Sonos. That said, you can use the Sonos' bass and treble adjustments to create a more neutral sound profile if you prefer.
The full 5.1.2 setup of the Sonos Arc with Sub + One SL Speakers is much better than the Sonos Arc soundbar by itself. Adding the two rear satellites provides a much better surround sound experience, which is very immersive with surround content. It also makes the soundstage wider, although it does lose a bit of focus. The added subwoofer also creates more bass. On the other hand, the standalone soundbar might be a better option for people with limited space.
The Sonos Ultimate Immersive Set with Arc is better than the Sonos Arc with Sub + One SL Speakers. Both setups take the Sonos Arc paired with a Sonos Sub but use different satellite speakers. The Ultimate Immersive Set uses the Sonos Era 300 speakers, with up-firing drivers built in for a more immersive sound, especially with surround sound and height content. You get a more clear and real feel with sound effects as a result.
Test Results
