The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) with Sub Mini + One SL Speakers is a premium Dolby Atmos setup. The bar is the second generation of the original Sonos Beam and maintains the same small and compact design as its predecessor. Adding on the Sub Mini improves its bass reproduction, and the Sonos One SL Speakers are a great way to expand sound throughout your living room. Like other premium Sonos setups, you can control the bar with built-in voice assistant support, and you can pair it with other products in your Sonos ecosystem to spread your favorite tunes throughout your whole home.
Our Verdict
The Sonos Beam Gen 2 with Sub Mini is very good for mixed usage. Out-of-the-box, dialogue in your favorite TV shows and podcasts is clear and present, and voices and instruments in music are detailed in the mix. The Sub Mini brings plenty of rumble, too, so you can feel the floor shake with bass-heavy music and action-packed movies. Speaking of movies, this bar supports lots of different audio formats that you're likely to come across on most streaming platforms and Blu-rays. It may be small, but this setup packs a punch.
- Room correction feature.
- Supports Dolby Atmos content.
- Bass and treble adjustments.
- No Bluetooth compatibility.
The Sonos Beam Gen 2 with Sub Mini is great for dialogue-centric content like TV shows. Its discrete center channel is designed to improve vocal reproduction, so you don't have any trouble following the plot in your TV shows and movies. If you want a more clear and crisp sound, there's a dialogue enhancement feature on hand, too. You can also stream podcasts and audiobooks to the bar over Wi-Fi and Apple AirPlay 2, but unfortunately, it doesn't support Bluetooth.
- Room correction feature.
- Wi-Fi and Apple AirPlay 2 support.
- No Bluetooth compatibility.
The Sonos Beam Gen 2 with Sub Mini is very good for music. This bar has a room correction feature that uses a built-in microphone to analyze and adjust its output based on your room's unique acoustics. The resulting sound is quite balanced and even, making it suitable for listening to lots of different genres. The rumbling bass is great for fans of EDM and hip-hop, while other genres enjoy a clear and detailed reproduction of instruments. Voices can sound veiled at times, but you can always adjust its bass and treble to make up for it.
- Room correction feature.
- Rumbling low-bass.
- Bass and treble adjustments.
- No EQ.
The Sonos Beam Gen 2 with Sub Mini is good for movies. It supports lots of audio formats you're likely to find on your favorite streaming platforms, like Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital. Its sub brings the excitement to action-packed scenes, meaning you can feel the rumble in your seat like at the movie theater, and its satellites spread sound effects into the space all around you. For such a small bar, it does a really impressive job. However, if you compare it to bigger options in the premium market, you'll notice a touch less height with Atmos content.
- Room correction feature.
- Rumbling low-bass.
- Supports Dolby Atmos content.
- No EQ.
Changelog
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Updated Nov 28, 2025:
The Inputs/Outputs - Bar section was updated to compare the JBL Bar 1000MK2.
- Updated Aug 13, 2024: Updated Stereo Dynamics results with new methodology from TBU 1.3. Added text to Audio Latency: ARC, and Audio Latency: Optical boxes.
- Updated Aug 06, 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 13, 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.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
You can find the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) in White and Black color variants. It's available as a standalone bar, which we've tested separately. However, these results are only valid for the soundbar when paired with the Sonos Sub Mini and the Sonos One SL Speakers.
Popular Soundbar Comparisons
The Sonos Beam Gen 2 with Sub Mini is a great option if you don't have space in your setup for a larger soundbar like the Sonos Arc or the Bose Smart Soundbar 900. It's a sleek, premium setup with Dolby Atmos support and built-in voice assistant capabilities, much like other top options on the market. Given its size, it does a great job of filling your room with sound.
You can also see our recommendations for the best soundbars, the best small soundbars, and the best Dolby Atmos soundbars.
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 Sonos Beam (Gen 2) with Sub Mini + One SL Speakers is a more versatile pick than the Bose Smart Soundbar 700 with Speakers + Bass Module. While they're both standout bars, only the Sonos supports Dolby Atmos content, which is increasingly common on many different streaming platforms. It also supports DTS content, unlike the Bose, which you're likely to find on Blu-ray discs.
The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) with Sub Mini + One SL Speakers is better than the standalone Sonos Beam (Gen 2). The added subwoofer noticeably improves the bar's bass reproduction, making you feel more thump and rumble in the mix, especially with movies and bass-heavy music. Also, the satellites are great for surround sound and Atmos content, as they offer a more immersive listening experience, with sound effects that are more accurately positioned in the space around you.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 with Speakers + Bass Module is better for most uses than the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) with Sub Mini + One SL Speakers. While they're both premium setups, the Bose is a bit better, as the bigger bar offers a better soundstage performance. Subjectively, it's noticeable with Atmos content, too, as the bar does a better job simulating height. It has more wireless playback options, and it gets louder with less compression at max volume. That said, the Sonos supports DTS content, unlike the Bose.
Test Results
