Have you ever found yourself utterly immersed in a fantastic film or deeply moved by a piece of music, only for the experience to be marred by subpar audio? I certainly have. Before diving into the world of premium sound, my living room setup suffered from tinny dialogue and uninspiring soundtracks. This problem wasn’t just an inconvenience; it robbed me of the full emotional impact that entertainment should deliver. Without a proper audio solution, movies felt flat, music lacked depth, and even simple TV shows lost their engaging quality, leaving a significant void in my home entertainment. A product like the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) would have been a game-changer.
Essential Considerations Before Acquiring a Soundbar
The quest for superior home audio often leads people to soundbars. These devices are designed to dramatically enhance your television’s built-in speakers, which are notoriously underwhelming. Whether you’re a film buff seeking cinematic immersion, a music lover desiring rich, detailed sound, or a gamer wanting to feel truly present in the action, a quality soundbar can transform your entertainment space. It addresses common issues like muffled dialogue, weak bass, and a generally flat sound profile, bringing clarity and dynamism to everything you listen to.
The ideal customer for a compact smart soundbar like the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is someone looking for a significant audio upgrade without cluttering their living space with multiple speakers and complex wiring. It’s perfect for those who value both high-fidelity sound and smart home integration, wanting seamless control via apps, voice, or existing TV remotes. If you’re invested in the Sonos ecosystem or considering starting one, this soundbar is an excellent entry point. It’s also suitable for apartment dwellers or those with smaller to medium-sized rooms where a full-blown surround sound system might be overkill or impractical.
However, this product might not be for everyone. If you’re an audiophile who demands the absolute pinnacle of uncompressed, high-end 7.1 or even 9.1 surround sound with dedicated floor-standing speakers and a powerful AV receiver, a compact soundbar, even one as capable as the Sonos Beam (Gen 2), might feel limiting. Similarly, if your primary concern is strictly budget and you need basic TV audio enhancement at the lowest possible price, there are cheaper, less feature-rich alternatives available. Those who prioritise Bluetooth connectivity above all else for direct device pairing might also find its Wi-Fi-centric approach a minor inconvenience, as it lacks a direct Bluetooth input.
Before buying any soundbar, consider:
* Room Size and Acoustics: Does the soundbar have enough power and features (like room calibration) for your space?
* Connectivity: Does it support your TV’s audio output (HDMI ARC/eARC is ideal)? Do you need Bluetooth or Wi-Fi streaming?
* Sound Quality Priorities: Are you focused on dialogue clarity, bass depth, or immersive surround sound?
* Expandability: Do you plan to add a subwoofer or rear speakers later for true surround sound?
* Smart Features: Do you want voice control, app integration, and multi-room audio capabilities?
* Budget: What’s your realistic spending limit for the desired features and performance?
Introducing the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Smart Soundbar
The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is a compact yet powerful smart soundbar designed to elevate your home entertainment experience. It promises vibrant bass, crystal-clear dialogue, and a panoramic soundstage, creating a truly immersive audio environment for movies, music, and games. Upon purchase, you receive the soundbar itself, a power cable, and an HDMI cable, ensuring you have everything needed for a straightforward setup. This second-generation Beam builds upon the success of its predecessor, the original Sonos Beam, primarily by adding support for Dolby Atmos, delivering a more three-dimensional audio experience without significantly increasing its compact footprint. Compared to a market leader, perhaps a higher-end offering like the Sonos Arc, the Beam (Gen 2) offers a more accessible price point and a smaller form factor, making it ideal for smaller rooms while still delivering impressive performance.
This particular smart soundbar is perfectly suited for those seeking a premium, yet discreet, audio solution that seamlessly integrates into a smart home ecosystem. It’s for users who appreciate the convenience of Wi-Fi streaming, voice control, and multi-room audio capabilities that Sonos excels at. It’s less ideal for individuals who prefer a traditional wired home cinema setup with an AV receiver or those whose primary listening is from devices via Bluetooth.
Pros:
* Immersive Dolby Atmos: Delivers a genuinely spatial audio experience, especially for movies.
* Exceptional Sound Quality: Crystal clear dialogue, punchy bass, and a wide soundstage for its size.
* Seamless Sonos Ecosystem Integration: Easily expands with other Sonos speakers for true surround sound and multiroom audio.
* Smart and User-Friendly: Control via app, TV remote, AirPlay 2, and voice assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant.
* Compact Design: Fits comfortably under most TVs without being obtrusive.
Cons:
* No Bluetooth Connectivity: Relies solely on Wi-Fi for streaming, which can be limiting for some.
* eARC Requirement for Full Atmos: To fully experience Dolby Atmos, your TV needs an HDMI eARC port.
* Reliance on Sonos App: Requires the app for initial setup and certain functionalities, which might not appeal to everyone.
* Price Point: While offering premium features, it’s a significant investment compared to basic soundbars.
* Lack of Physical Remote: Users rely on their TV remote or the Sonos app for volume control.
Unpacking the Features and Their Benefits
Embrace the Power of 3D Surround Sound with Dolby Atmos
One of the standout upgrades in the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is its support for Dolby Atmos. This isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a game-changer for immersive audio. How it performs is remarkable for a soundbar of its size. While it doesn’t have upward-firing drivers like its larger sibling, the Sonos Arc, the Beam (Gen 2) intelligently uses psychoacoustic techniques and digital signal processing (DSP) to create a sense of height and envelopment. Sounds appear to come from above, around, and even behind you, transforming your living room into a cinematic soundscape.
The benefit of Dolby Atmos is profound. It moves sound beyond traditional channel-based audio (like 5.1 or 7.1) and treats sounds as “objects” that can be precisely placed and moved in a three-dimensional space. This means when a helicopter flies overhead in a movie, you don’t just hear it from the front; you get a genuine sense of it passing *above* you. Explosions resonate with a visceral depth, and rain sounds like it’s falling all around. For gaming, this translates to heightened awareness, allowing you to pinpoint enemy footsteps or environmental cues with greater accuracy. This feature alone significantly elevates the entertainment experience, pulling you deeper into the content and making every moment more engaging. It truly solves the problem of flat, two-dimensional audio, offering a level of immersion previously reserved for dedicated home theatre systems.
Effortless Music Streaming and Smart Control
Beyond TV audio, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) excels as a standalone music system. Its primary connectivity is Wi-Fi, which offers a much more stable and higher-fidelity audio stream than Bluetooth, ensuring your music sounds exactly as the artist intended, without compression artifacts. Streaming music, radio, podcasts, and audiobooks over Wi-Fi is incredibly smooth, even when the TV is off.
The control mechanisms are equally impressive. You can manage everything through the intuitive Sonos app, which is a joy to use. It aggregates all your streaming services, allowing you to browse, create playlists, and control playback from one central hub. Furthermore, the Beam supports Apple AirPlay 2, meaning you can effortlessly stream audio directly from your Apple devices. Integrated voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant allow for hands-free control, letting you play music, check the weather, or manage smart home devices with simple voice commands. Your existing TV remote can also control the volume, streamlining your setup.
This feature is important because it transforms the soundbar from a TV accessory into a versatile home audio centre. It solves the problem of needing separate speakers for music, offering a unified, high-quality audio experience throughout your home (if you have other Sonos products). The Wi-Fi connectivity and diverse control options provide unparalleled convenience and flexibility, making it easy to enjoy your favourite audio content in any form, at any time. The sound quality for music is particularly noteworthy; unlike some soundbars that prioritize explosions over melodies, the Beam Gen 2 is tuned to deliver a rich, balanced, and incredibly engaging musical performance, reminiscent of high-end psychoacoustic effects found in premium car stereos, truly immersing you in the sound.
Breeze Through Setup with Trueplay Tuning
One of the most intimidating aspects of any home audio system is often the setup. The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) simplifies this significantly. Installation is truly a “breeze,” requiring only two cables: one for power and one HDMI cable to connect to your TV’s ARC or eARC port. The step-by-step guidance provided by the Sonos app is exceptionally clear, making the process virtually foolproof, even for those who aren’t tech-savvy.
However, the real magic happens with Smart Trueplay tuning. This innovative feature, available on iOS devices, uses your iPhone or iPad’s microphone to analyse the acoustics of your room. It then intelligently calibrates the soundbar’s output to compensate for any reflections or absorption, ensuring the audio is perfectly optimised for your specific environment. It’s like having a professional audio engineer fine-tune your system in minutes. While the process sometimes needs a couple of attempts (as noted by some users, including myself, where the chime might bounce unexpectedly), the results are consistently impressive.
This ease of setup and intelligent tuning is crucial. It solves the common problem of sub-optimal sound caused by room acoustics, which can drastically degrade audio quality even from expensive equipment. By optimising the sound for your unique space, Trueplay ensures you’re always getting the best possible performance from your Sonos Beam (Gen 2), regardless of furniture, wall materials, or room layout. It’s a key factor in achieving that rich, panoramic soundstage and clear dialogue mentioned earlier, delivering an “enhanced, musical sound” that remains natural and non-fatiguing, whether you’re listening to 5.1 material or deeply immersive plain stereo sources.
Effortless Expansion for a Future-Proof System
The Sonos ecosystem is built around expandability, and the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is a perfect example of this. It’s not just a standalone soundbar; it’s the foundation of a potentially much larger, multi-room audio setup. You can easily expand your system over time by adding other Sonos speakers. Want true surround sound? Simply pair two Sonos One SLs or Era 100s as rear channels. Craving deeper bass? Add a Sonos Sub or Sub Mini. Everything connects seamlessly over Wi-Fi, avoiding the need for complex wiring or additional receivers.
This modularity is a significant benefit. It solves the dilemma of having to commit to an entire expensive home theatre system all at once. You can start with the Beam (Gen 2) and gradually build your ideal setup as your budget allows or your needs evolve. The ability to create a true surround sound system by adding wireless rear speakers dramatically enhances the immersive experience for movies and games. Furthermore, the multiroom listening capability means you can stream the same music throughout your home or different music in different rooms, all controlled from the intuitive Sonos app. This flexibility and scalability ensure your audio investment is future-proof and adaptable to changing living situations.
TV Audio Swap: Personal Listening Made Easy
A new and particularly useful feature for Sonos users is TV Audio Swap. This allows you to instantly swap TV audio from your Sonos Beam (Gen 2) to Sonos Ace Headphones. This seemingly small feature addresses a common household problem: wanting to watch TV or play games at full volume without disturbing others.
The benefit here is all about convenience and consideration. Imagine late-night gaming sessions or catching up on a show while your family sleeps. With a quick tap in the Sonos app or a button press on the headphones, the audio seamlessly transitions from the soundbar to your personal headphones. This feature means you don’t have to compromise on your entertainment experience or worry about waking someone up. It’s a thoughtful addition that enhances the overall utility of the Sonos ecosystem, providing a truly personal listening option without complicated re-pairing or switching inputs.
Vibrant Bass, Crystal Clear Dialogue, and a Panoramic Soundstage
At the core of any soundbar is its ability to produce high-quality sound. The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) truly excels here, delivering vibrant bass, crystal clear dialogue, and a surprisingly panoramic soundstage for its compact size. The sound profile is natural and well-balanced, avoiding the “muddy” or “over-engineered” feel that can plague lesser soundbars. Dialogue in movies and TV shows is rendered with exceptional clarity, ensuring you never miss a whispered line, even during intense action sequences. This is a critical factor for enjoying storytelling.
The bass, while not earth-shattering like a dedicated subwoofer, is punchy and rich, adding impact to explosions and depth to music. What’s impressive is how well the bass performs even at lower volumes, maintaining a sense of fullness without becoming boomy. When it comes to the panoramic soundstage, the Beam (Gen 2) manages to project sound far beyond its physical dimensions, creating a wide and immersive sonic landscape that fills the room. This makes films feel grander and music more enveloping.
These elements combine to solve the most fundamental problems of poor TV audio: indistinct dialogue and a lack of dynamic range. The Beam (Gen 2) ensures that both the quietest whispers and the loudest crescendos are reproduced with fidelity and impact, making every piece of entertainment more enjoyable and engaging. It reminds you that good sound isn’t just about loudness, but about clarity, detail, and emotional resonance.
Compact Size, Uncompromising Performance
One of the most appealing aspects of the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is its “compact” form factor. Measuring 68 x 651 x 100 mm and weighing 2.88 kg, it’s designed to fit discreetly under most modern televisions without being obtrusive. Its sleek, minimalist aesthetic blends seamlessly into any decor, offering a sophisticated look without drawing undue attention.
The importance of its compact size cannot be overstated, especially for those living in smaller spaces or who simply prefer a clean, uncluttered entertainment area. It solves the problem of having to compromise on audio quality due to space constraints. Despite its modest dimensions, the Beam (Gen 2) delivers a sound quality that defies its size, providing powerful, room-filling audio that rivals much larger setups. This means you get premium sound without sacrificing valuable living space or introducing visual clutter. It’s a testament to Sonos’ engineering that they’ve managed to pack so much audio prowess into such a refined and unobtrusive package.
Real-World Impressions: Voices from Other Users
Having scoured various online forums and reviews, it’s clear that the overwhelmingly positive sentiment towards the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is well-founded. Many users echo my own experience, praising the incredibly easy setup process, especially when integrating with existing Sonos speakers like the Era 100s. The sound quality is consistently highlighted as excellent for both movies and music, with its digital signal processing creating a surprisingly immersive, pseudo-surround effect from stereo sources. Users are particularly impressed with the clarity of dialogue and the rich, punchy bass, often finding that they don’t feel the immediate need for a separate subwoofer. While a few noted minor calibration quirks or the lack of Bluetooth, overall satisfaction remains extremely high, with many becoming “Sonos converts” due to the seamless app control and adaptable Trueplay technology.
Final Thoughts: Is the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Right for You?
Ultimately, the problem the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) solves is the pervasive issue of mediocre TV audio, a complication that drains the enjoyment from your favourite shows, movies, and music. Without a dedicated sound solution, you’re missing out on the full emotional impact and detail intended by creators.
The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) stands out as a superb choice for several compelling reasons:
1. Exceptional Audio Immersion: With Dolby Atmos and advanced DSP, it delivers a genuinely enveloping sound experience that defies its compact size, making everything from blockbuster movies to simple podcasts deeply engaging.
2. Unmatched Versatility and Control: It’s not just for TV; its Wi-Fi streaming, AirPlay 2, and voice control capabilities transform it into a powerful, convenient hub for all your audio needs, seamlessly integrated into your smart home.
3. Effortless Setup and Expandability: From its simple two-cable installation to its smart Trueplay tuning and easy expansion within the Sonos ecosystem, it’s designed for hassle-free enjoyment and future-proofing your audio setup.
If you’re ready to elevate your home entertainment with crystal-clear dialogue, vibrant bass, and immersive sound, this smart soundbar is an outstanding investment. Click here to check out the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) and transform your audio experience!