For years I've been wanting to have a home theater system. I've been listening to movies through my TV audio for far too long. I did HOURS upon HOURS of research before finally deciding on Sonos mainly due to the high ratings and the fact that the Sonos Arc was tested and listened to by academy award winning sound engineer, Chris Jenkins, who listened to the Sonos Arc himself and was very happy with the results.
Now, before I continue I should add that your TV needs to be fairly new in order to work with Sonos Arc. I myself recently purchased a Samsung TU8000 which supports Dolby Atmos and eArc connection. If your TV only has Arc connection, it will still work, but not in the same manner as it would with eArc. In other words:
Sonos eArc to TV Arc = Arc Connection
Sonos eArc to TV eArc = eArc Connection
What's the difference? To put it simply, Arc stands for Audio Return Channel. eArc stands for ENHANCED Audio Return Channel. That means it can handle more advanced audio formats and higher audio quality, such as Dolby Atmos in this case. Now, if you do not have EITHER Arc or eArc on your TV, they also have an HDMI to optical adapter which comes in the box. Again, eArc on your TV is the BEST for audio, but Sonos is providing you with more than one option in case your TV is older.
With that said, lets move on...
The Sonos Arc by itself (without any speakers or subwoofers) sounds wonderful on its own! I actually questioned if I really needed a subwoofer or rear speakers because it sound excellent just by itself in my opinion. It has plenty of bass when listening to music or watching a movie. The audio is crystal clear. The voices are clear as well.
However, I had already ordered the rear speakers which arrived in the mail a few days later. I connected them as well to the Arc and tested a few movies that support Dolby Atmos such as Star Wars and Zootopia. I must say I am extremely happy with this setup! The sound isn't as "jumpy" as other surround systems I've heard in the past (I'm talking years ago). For instance, if a train passes and you hear it go from the front to the rear speakers, it is smooth!! It doesn't just jump to the back speaker. It does it in a way that sounds realistic, similar to a high end movie theater. I love this! Star Wars sounds absolutely amazing as well! If you really want to test the sound of Atmos, I highly recommend the pod racing scene from Star Wars episode 1. I know, I know, it's not everyones favorite film. I'm just saying the Atmos surround sound within that scene is just a wonderful way to test out your new system. You will be amazed!
Now, not all movies support Atmos. I've tested Dolby Digital audio, such as Harry Potter, and was pleasantly surprised as well. In order to change from Atmos to other audio formats, such as Dolby Digital, you need to do it from your TV settings. Sonos does not have a setting for it. Your TV will though. I did it with my Samsung TU8000 and simply turned off "Atmos" in settings which automatically switched it to Dolby Digital. The surround sound came on immediately once I did this.
DTS:X is unfortunately NOT supported, which is a downside but because it supports other formats I let this slide. Harry Potter, for example, despite NOT being in Atmos still sounds wonderful in Dolby Digital.
As for voice commands you have 2 options: Google or Alexa. I chose Alexa because that is what I have always had in my home. It is easy to play music using Amazon Music. The sound is excellent, especially songs with a lot of bass. In fact, the bass is so good that I cancelled my Subwoofer that I was planning to get. I MAY change my mind later, but for right now the bass on the Arc alone is so good that I just don't really feel I need the Subwoofer right now.
Overall, I am very happy with my new home theater system. It offers great and more realistic surround sound compared to home theater systems I've listened to in the past. The setup is easy using the new Sonos App. I love the fact that it is so easy to switch from Amazon Music, to watching a movie or TV. It is aesthetically pleasing to the eye and the black blends in nicely to my black TV stand. Highly recommended!!!!
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Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2020
Now that I have been using this sound bar for a few weeks, I am totally in love and glad I took the leap. I was mainly looking for a capable home theater system with wireless rear surrounds. I knew the beam would not cut it, so initially I bought a Playbar, a Sub, and two Ones. However, the sound from my Sony 5.1 home theater system was better, with a major limitation of the Playbar being that the voices were not clear (my family complained about this, too). Seeing the Arc had just come out and having read several reviews, I decided to return the Playbar and get an Arc instead. Actually, with the 5.1 Surround Set bundle deal on Amazon at the time, a brand new Arc, pair of Ones, and new gen Sub were cheaper (1459.66) than I could get the same setup with a Playbar. Price aside, this time the Sonos has sound that actually delivers -- the voices sound great during television and movies, music sounds great, and the fidelity is amazing.Pros- Better sound than other sound bars - I don’t think any sound better- Great sound to be had that is less expensive than a traditional home theater setup with a receiver and high end speakers- Small footprint- Easy setup- ARC/eARC means that your TV remote will seamlessly work to control the volume (as long as your TV supports it) without annoying setup or workarounds- Crystal-clear, well-balanced sound- Better center with clearer voices/dialogue compared to the Playbar and other sound bars- Slightly lower profile and wider than the Playbar, so less intrusive on the TV and wider sound field- Better design that has done away with fabric covers and just looks and feels elegant- Wireless surround that actually works when paired with Ones- Adequate bass even when not paired with a Sub- Simple enough to operate that my family will actually use it rather than set the sound back to the TV sound- Intelligent use of speakers when not in Atmos mode- Immersive music playback as a bonus when paired with Ones- HDMI to optical adapter included in case you need it- Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant built in- Sonos app is well designed and usefulCons- Price- Sound is not as good as can be had with an AV receiver with high quality speakers- Cannot use any of your existing speakers without a pricey Sonos Amp- Your TV should ideally support eARC (only a con if your current TV does not, which many do not!) for optimal Dolby Atmos support- If you need the optical setup, the configuration is Sonos HDMI port>short HDMI cable>short male optical adapter, and if that is not long enough to reach your sound input, you'll have to be creative- If your TV remote is not IR-based (e.g. you have a Samsung One Remote), you cannot use the Sonos app to set it up and you'll have to find work-arounds- Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant built in (if you are not into your home having mics)
Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2020
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