When it comes to home audio systems, Sonos is a household name. The brand has been synonymous with high-quality sound and sleek designs for years. Among their product lineup, the Sonos Beam and Sonos Arc are two popular options that have gained widespread attention. Both soundbars are designed to provide an immersive audio experience, but the question remains: Is the Sonos Arc louder than the Beam?
Understanding the Sonos Beam and Arc
Before we dive into the volume comparison, it’s essential to understand the unique features and capabilities of each soundbar.
Sonos Beam
The Sonos Beam is a compact, affordable soundbar designed for smaller rooms and apartments. It’s perfect for those who want a discreet, easy-to-use audio system that still packs a punch. The Beam measures 25.6 inches in length, 2.7 inches in height, and 3.9 inches in depth, making it an ideal choice for compact spaces. It’s also incredibly light, weighing just 6.2 pounds.
The Beam boasts three Class-D digital amplifiers, one tweeter, and four full-range woofers. This combination provides a balanced sound with clear highs and decent bass. The soundbar also supports multi-room audio, allowing you to connect it to other Sonos speakers and create a seamless audio experience throughout your home.
Sonos Arc
The Sonos Arc, on the other hand, is a premium soundbar designed for larger rooms and homes. It’s a behemoth of a speaker, measuring 45 inches in length, 4.5 inches in height, and 5.6 inches in depth. The Arc weighs a substantial 13.8 pounds, but its size and weight are a testament to its powerful sound capabilities.
The Arc features 11 Class-D digital amplifiers, three tweeters, and eight woofers. This configuration provides an incredibly detailed and immersive sound experience, with crystal-clear highs and rumbling bass. The Arc also supports Dolby Atmos and multi-dimensional sound, making it an excellent choice for home theaters and cinematic experiences.
Volume Comparison: Sonos Arc vs. Sonos Beam
Now that we’ve explored the features of each soundbar, let’s delve into the main event: volume comparison.
Sonos Beam’s Volume Capabilities
The Sonos Beam is designed for smaller spaces, and its volume capabilities reflect that. The soundbar can produce a maximum volume of around 85 decibels (dB). While this is respectable for its size, it may not be loud enough for larger rooms or parties.
To put this in perspective, 85 dB is equivalent to the sound of a vacuum cleaner or a blender. It’s loud enough to fill a small to medium-sized room, but it may struggle to overcome background noise or provide an immersive audio experience in larger spaces.
Sonos Arc’s Volume Capabilities
The Sonos Arc, on the other hand, is a powerhouse of a soundbar. It can produce a maximum volume of around 105 dB, making it significantly louder than the Beam. This increased volume capacity is thanks to its larger size, more powerful amplifiers, and additional woofers.
To put this in perspective, 105 dB is equivalent to the sound of a chainsaw or a lawnmower. It’s loud enough to fill a large room or even an outdoor space, making it an excellent choice for parties, movie nights, or gaming sessions.
Real-World Volume Comparison
But how do these volume levels translate in real-world scenarios? To test this, let’s consider a few examples:
- Watching a movie in a small living room (10 feet x 12 feet): The Sonos Beam would be sufficient, providing a clear and immersive audio experience at moderate volumes (around 70-80 dB). The Sonos Arc would be overkill in this scenario, producing more volume than necessary and potentially causing distortion.
- Hosting a party in a medium-sized living room (15 feet x 20 feet): The Sonos Arc would be a better choice, providing enough volume to overcome background noise and fill the room with music or dialogue. The Sonos Beam might struggle to keep up, requiring higher volumes that could lead to distortion and decreased sound quality.
- Creating a home theater experience in a large room (20 feet x 30 feet): The Sonos Arc is the clear winner here, providing enough volume and power to create an immersive, cinematic experience. The Sonos Beam would likely be overwhelmed, failing to produce enough volume to fill the room.
Additional Factors Affecting Volume
While the Sonos Arc is generally louder than the Beam, there are other factors to consider when evaluating volume capabilities.
Room Acoustics and Size
Room size, shape, and acoustics play a significant role in how loud a soundbar appears. A smaller room with soft furnishings and minimal echo will produce a more intimate, immersive sound, while a larger room with hardwood floors and high ceilings will require more volume to achieve the same effect.
Content Type and Quality
The type and quality of content you’re playing also impact volume perception. For example, a well-mastered movie or TV show with dynamic sound design will likely require more volume than a podcast or low-quality MP3. Additionally, some music genres, like classical or jazz, may not require the same level of volume as others, like electronic dance music or rock.
Soundbar Placement and Orientation
Lastly, the placement and orientation of your soundbar can affect its volume capabilities. For example, placing the soundbar in a corner or against a wall can amplify its sound, while placing it in an open area may require more volume to achieve the same effect.
Conclusion: Which Soundbar is Right for You?
The Sonos Arc is undeniably louder than the Sonos Beam, making it a better choice for larger rooms, parties, or home theaters. However, the Beam is still an excellent option for smaller spaces, offering a compact, affordable, and easy-to-use audio solution.
When choosing between these two soundbars, consider the following factors:
- Room size and acoustics
- Content type and quality
- Soundbar placement and orientation
- Budget and design preferences
Ultimately, the Sonos Arc is the better choice for those who need a more powerful, immersive audio experience, while the Sonos Beam is perfect for those who want a compact, easy-to-use soundbar for smaller spaces.
| Feature | Sonos Beam | Sonos Arc |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum Volume (dB) | 85 | 105 |
| Size (inches) | 25.6 x 2.7 x 3.9 | 45 x 4.5 x 5.6 |
| Weight (pounds) | 6.2 | 13.8 |
| Amplifiers | 3 Class-D digital | 11 Class-D digital |
| Woofers | 4 full-range | 8 woofers |
By considering these factors and features, you’ll be able to make an informed decision about which Sonos soundbar is right for you. Remember, the right soundbar can elevate your audio experience, but it’s essential to choose the one that fits your unique needs and preferences.
What is the main difference between the Sonos Arc and the Sonos Beam?
The main difference between the Sonos Arc and the Sonos Beam is their design and functionality. The Sonos Arc is a larger, more premium soundbar that is designed to provide a more immersive audio experience, while the Sonos Beam is a smaller, more compact soundbar that is designed to be more versatile and easy to place in any room. The Arc has a more powerful amplifier and more drivers, which allows it to produce a more detailed and dynamic sound.
In terms of design, the Arc has a sleeker, more modern look, with a longer and more curved shape that is designed to fit seamlessly under larger TVs. The Beam, on the other hand, has a more compact and rectangular design that makes it easy to place on a shelf or TV stand. Additionally, the Arc has more advanced features such as Dolby Atmos support and eARC compatibility, which are not available on the Beam.
Which soundbar is better suited for a small room?
The Sonos Beam is better suited for small rooms due to its compact size and versatility. It is designed to be easy to place in any room, and its smaller size makes it a great option for smaller spaces. The Beam is also more affordable than the Arc, which makes it a more accessible option for those on a budget.
Additionally, the Beam’s compact size and lightweight design make it easy to move around and place in different rooms, which makes it a great option for those who want a soundbar that can be easily moved from room to room. In contrast, the Arc is larger and more powerful, which makes it better suited for larger rooms and those who want a more immersive audio experience.
Can I use the Sonos Arc or Beam as a surround sound system?
Yes, both the Sonos Arc and Beam can be used as part of a surround sound system. The Arc has built-in Dolby Atmos support, which allows it to create an immersive 3D sound field, while the Beam can be paired with other Sonos speakers to create a surround sound system.
To create a surround sound system with the Arc, you can pair it with two Sonos Ones or other compatible speakers, which act as rear surrounds. The Arc will then use its Dolby Atmos processing to create a more immersive audio experience. To create a surround sound system with the Beam, you can pair it with two Sonos Ones or other compatible speakers, which will act as rear surrounds.
Which soundbar has better dialogue clarity?
Both the Sonos Arc and Beam are known for their excellent dialogue clarity, but the Arc has a slight edge in this department. The Arc’s more powerful amplifier and additional drivers allow it to produce a more detailed and nuanced sound, which makes dialogue sound more clear and crisp.
Additionally, the Arc’s Trueplay tuning feature, which uses audio pulses to automatically adjust the soundbar’s settings to your room’s acoustics, helps to further improve dialogue clarity. The Beam also has Trueplay tuning, but its smaller size and less powerful amplifier mean that it doesn’t quite match the Arc’s level of dialogue clarity.
Can I use the Sonos Arc or Beam with my TV’s built-in voice assistant?
Yes, both the Sonos Arc and Beam are compatible with popular TV voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. You can use your TV’s built-in voice assistant to control the soundbar, adjust the volume, and more.
However, the Arc takes voice control to the next level with its built-in microphone array, which allows it to use voice commands directly. This means that you can use voice commands to control the Arc, even when the TV is off. The Beam does not have a built-in microphone array, so it relies on the TV’s built-in voice assistant for voice control.
Which soundbar is more expensive?
The Sonos Arc is more expensive than the Sonos Beam. The Arc typically retails for around $800, while the Beam typically retails for around $400. This is because the Arc has more advanced features, such as Dolby Atmos support and eARC compatibility, which drive up the cost.
Additionally, the Arc’s more powerful amplifier and additional drivers make it a more premium product, which also contributes to its higher price point. However, for those who want a more immersive audio experience and advanced features, the Arc’s higher price may be worth it.
Can I use the Sonos Arc or Beam with my music streaming services?
Yes, both the Sonos Arc and Beam are compatible with popular music streaming services such as Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon Music. You can use the Sonos app to access your music library and play your favorite songs and playlists.
Additionally, both soundbars support features such as multi-room audio, which allows you to play the same music in multiple rooms, and voice control, which allows you to use voice commands to control your music playback. The Arc’s more advanced features, such as Dolby Atmos support, also make it a great option for those who want to listen to immersive audio music formats.