The eras don't work like that they're more like bi poles. For proper surround sound with multiple speakers you want directional only speakers not spatial ones. Using more than 2 would probably be a mess. Though no reason they couldn't do it with 1s.
I upgraded to the Ultra for a few weeks now. If you already have an Apple TV4K with Apple’s new AI Dialogue enhancement and the Sonos Sub, the only difference is the Ultra’s top end. On the original ARC, turn up treble to 4-6. No difference in Height or Mids. No great stereo image like Sony Quad.
Thanks for your comment. I currently have Sonos Arc + Era 300 surrounds + dual sub (Gen 3 + Gen 2) in medium room (20sqm). I mainly watch Atmos movies via Apple TV 4K or 3D audio games on PS5. Would it worth upgrading to Ultra at the cost of losing one sub? Are front heigh effects materially improved?
Have both, well the q990C and the Arc Ultra, sub, and 300’s and the Sony quad. The arc is a better system, however, if you can get the Q990C for under a $1k, and if money is important to u, absolutely go for the Q990C/D. With Sonos u can split up the system if that’s important to u. You cant do that with the Samsung. For what samsung gives you for under $1k is really amazing, and i dont even like samsung s a company. Sonos is more like if Apple made a sound bar, thats the feeling u get. It’s a good feelings. the Quad is good for systems that you cant put a sound bar. The quad is amazing, but u need a subwoofer and that brings the price to over $3k. You will be very happy with any of these systems.
Amazing review! I upgraded from Arc with Sub Gen 3 and 2 SL as surrounds to Arc Ultra with Sub 4 with 2 Era 300s as surrounds. Happy with the upgrades! Sound is wider, open, bass is so strong and punchy!
I just got the Arc Ultra + Sub Mini + Era 100's for my 12 x 12 foot room and it sounds amazing to me Not thinking i will do Gen 4 sub or the Era 300's in the future but hey who knows am very happy with the way it sounds now great review well done cheers from Canada
Congrats, I do however feel that the sub mini works best with Sonos Beam. For Sonos Arc Ultra you deff would want to pair it with the bigger sub. Era 100's should be just fine for the setup.
Absolutely love ALL your reviews. Currently have the Sonos Arc Ultra, 2 Era 300s & Sub 4 and its incredible! I shifted from the whole Bose Smart Ultra Setup with Bass Module 700 & two 700 rear speakers and I can confidently say Sonos > Bose 100%!
Interesting, I found that Sonos was better for movies but when I listened to music the bose was just better clarity and crisp imo. I had the 900 and 700 sub. What are your thoughts?
@@neverenoughtech no no I’m not disagreeing with you at all, I think it depends on what you like hearing to be honest! The review was great and informative. I’ve just been around Bose my whole life but after moving out I’m looking to purchase a premium soundbar and there’s so many videos out there.
Sonos is my only tech that I love and hate at the same time..... The app's poor reliability (still safely on 16.1) & not supporting the >dual< sub gen 2 & 3 combo is keeping me from the Ultra upgrade. And fear of having to putter around with it for hours to get it working is also a turnoff, Sonos should make it easier to just add the ultra to the existing system without all the drama... I am considering upping the rear One's to Era 300's from what you suggest but the apps reliability issues are still keeping me on the fence.... I really don't want to break what's working fine as of now. Always the best reviews, thank you again sir!
I needed this review to validate my upgrade from the Arc1 to Arc Ultra. I feel better now. Also, I found your recording from the Arc to Arc Ultra really on point. It did a good enough job representing the real world difference even though we're hearing it through a compressed RUclips video. I did not fully agree on speech from the center channel being the same as the Arc1, but I could not make a direct comparison myself due to having sold my Arc1 a week before the Arc Ultra arrived.
Excellent review as always! Just upgraded my Arc (dual Gen 3 subs+Fives+LG OLED 77C1) to the Arc Ultra. Move v1 Arc into master bedrooms to replace Beam Gen 1 (Gen 3 sub+symfonisk+LG OLED 65C4). Noticed an improvement with dialogue and the Arc Ultra sounds louder at the same volume levels. Not ready to give up my Fives just yet; but, willing to do so if Sonos comes out with Era 500s down the road.
I’ve probably watched the opening 20 minutes of 6 Underground 50 times. Great for testing out the system. The opening fight sequence in Deadpool and Wolverine certainly packs a punch as well! Awesome review as always.
Excellent review you really show the difference with the ear test and breakdown of the original arc. I honestly never liked the arc. To me dialogue sounded muddy, and music was terrible sounding. The arc ultra looks like a fantastic upgrade. The tweeters facing everywhere was the right thing to do to give more immersive sound. I'm very tempted to ditch my current set up for this system now.
I own arc ultra x2 subs gen 3 and x2 era 300 And I’m watching this review just because I want to support this channel, Btw I bought the era 300s because of you and I didn’t regret it, you are doing an amazing job when it come to reviews and also you have a nice sense of humour 😎 See you around !
Hey buddy, been following you from the start. Thank you for the unbiased great reviews! you put in a lot of effort in your videos and i hope your channel grows .
Can’t wait for the comparisons. Tried the ultra and didn’t really find it better than the Bravia theater bar 9 (maybe a little wider in soundstage and louder at lower volumes). Decided to get the RS5s just to see how it compared to the Ultras 9.1.4 spec and the RS5s really brought the Sony system together for me.
No se ingles. Pero me interesa mucho tu canal, se ve interesante tener la intención de hacer pruebas honestas!!! Ojalá y pudieras hacer un pequeño resumen en comentarios para poderlo traducir y entender los trucos de las marcas! Gracias y saludos a todos!!!
My go-to test for bass is the opening scene in Tenet. My Sonos Arc without sub had distortius maximus. It would be interesting how the Ultra performs with that scene.
are you able to test out the system again? era 300 inward tweeter is not firing. it is routing information to the top channel. it is affecting me and many others. reddit has a post about it within the sonos reddit group. test tones is the easiest way to locate the bug and hear it. movies of course are also affected. stereo works fine - seems to be home theater use.
Have both. I would look at this from a standpoint of what system would you want in your room or which system makes the most sense for your room. E.g. if you cant use a sound bar some reason then the Quad is your best option. Both systems are great. They are different yes, but you will enjoy either system. The only way to really understand all the differences and nuances is to try it out in your own room
Cannot wait to see you compare the HT-A9 set with the Arc Ultra set. I have the HT-A9 with the SW5, then for “pure music”, I bought 2 Era 300 with the Sub Gen 3. I am tempted to add the Arc Ultra, if this can be better Atmos system for movies. I love my HT-A9 because it provides a wider sound stage. But Sonos offers true Atmos speakers instead of those phantom ones provided by the HT-A9.
I enjoyed the review, and as an ex arc owner I share all the downsides you mentioned, like the 300s in the back stealing the show. I was never fond of the arc and the whole system, I started with the One SL and sub 3 and I was really unimpressed, then the era 300 came out and I liked where the things were going. I don't think the ultra is going to be a huge step in that direction, although I bought it. Good thing is that sonos products retain a good chunk of their value over time.
Thanks !! Well the day before Thanksgiving and before Black Friday !! Actually the Samsung and Sony Quad are under promotion !! Waiting for the compairison video !!
I was waiting for this review before buying, but decided to pull the trigger early and upgrade. Current setup is Ultra, G3 Sub and two 300s. Love the review, but disagree about speech. With the OG Arc for cinematic shows/movies, I was constantly turning the sound up and down to hear dialog, even with the speech enhancement turned on. I don’t use the speech enhancement on the Ultra and can keep the sound constant and hear dialog clearly. For me, that alone was worth the upgrade and everything else; better Atmos, better bass, better compliment to 300s is a bonus.
I have a Sony TV with eArc. EQ set to preference. I use setup above primarily for movie watching, so not a fan of artificial speech adjustment that dampens the background sounds rather than enhance actual speech. It loses the cinematic effect. Problem with OG Arc is I couldn’t hear anything with more cinematic audio movies, but that doesn’t seem to be an issue for me now with the Ultra.
Might have to upgrade i hate turning up to hear voice then down because action scenes to loud .. like crazy loud since I listen at high volumes due to my bad hearing loss .
Great vid man, thanks alot ! I am thinking of going into Sonos setup, starting with 2x Era 100's and one Sonos Mini Sub and at some point get the sound bar also. any thoughts ? Or should i just get the sonos arc ultra and add a mini sub, but this considerably way more expensive.
Hi Daniel. Love your channel and videos. I picked up the Ultra and paired it with my Era 300s and Gen 3 sub and just love it. My question for you. Will you be testing the super cool set up consisting of two subs, four Era 300s paired with the Ultra? Inquiring minds want to know.
Thanks for great review again and from your review I will switch to arc ultra from the arc. Sonos also should give you kick back for helping them sell their products.
I’m here for the dialog. The major problem with most sound bars…I don’t care how great the Atmos or surrounds are. Nothing worse than hearing amazing sound and not hearing the actors speak What bar is the king of dialog?
How does the Arc ultra standalone bar fairs with the Bose 900/ultra bar standalone in Clarity and Atmos effects.? Base would be definitely better on the arc ultra.
@ I do have a bose 900 bar without the sub. I can it will ace in clarity and dialogue only to the arc ultra... Bose always does dialogue perfectly. Sonos definitely has better base, better surround and atmos
It doesn't. The Quad is on another level, heck even the Sony A9 will give you a much richer sound for movies, both the Quad and A9 have up firing speakers which the Arc/Ultra does not. Both the A9 and Quad will give you support for high end consoles 4k 120 fps VRR and ALLM and even 8K 60 fps if you got a tv that supports it. You also get support for IMAX, DTS X Dolby Atmos and anything else that movies support on a UHD player. Sonos can't compete with that.
I gotta say DTS-X is overrated in terms of necessity. Should it be available on Sonos? Probably. 99.9% of films don’t even have it. Most people watching physical media also probably have a dedicated AVR setup over Sony quads or Sonos.
My impression, actually comparing the quads to the ultra, is that Sonos is the better system EVEN though the quads are very good. As are the Samsung Q995D. Either system will make you feel satisfaied BUT of all of those, if they were priced the same, I would prefer the Ultra with Era 300:s.
Quad system v Arc Ulta era 300 system. Which one is the best??? I am planning on gifting it to my Dad, but I'm undecisive on which to buy. Someone HELP!
Bonjour , j’ai la Playbar sonos . Je voudrais la garder et acheter les Era 100. Mais apparemment ce n’est pas possible ( compatible) . Pourtant l’application est toujours compatible avec la Playbar . Que se passera t’il quand j’installerai les Era dans mon système. L’application les refusera car il y la Playbar d’installer ? Ou il les configurera mais ne elle ne pourras fonctionner en même temps que la Playbar ? Je comprends pas à quel moment ça va bloquer ..
I purchased the “unsanctioned” arc + 4 era 300s + 2 sub gen 3s after seeing your video months back. I’m curious, how does the new wider arc ultra compete with the “unsanctioned” setup using studio paired era 300s to further widen the soundstage?
Sooo do you stick with your stance about going with an Ultra rather than the Og Arc as a new buyer? I bought both with the original Arc at the $200 off price. Needing help to decide which one to keep as it's a $300 difference! Leaning towards the Ultra
Thank you for the amazing review. I currently have Sonos Arc + Era 300 surrounds + dual sub (Gen 3 + Gen 2) in medium room (20sqm). I mainly watch Atmos movies via Apple TV 4K or 3D audio games on PS5. Would it worth upgrading to Ultra at the cost of losing one sub? Are front heigh effects materially improved?
Are you losing a sub because you’re selling the whole thing? You can pair a G2. Yes the front height is improved. Hard for me to say if losing a sub is worth it … I’m spoiled and don’t like to compromise - but if atmos and gaming are your main things - ultra is gonna make that better
@@neverenoughtech @ I am losing a sub because the Ultra supports dual sub only in the following combinations: 2 Gen 4, 2 Gen 3 or Gen 4 + Gen 3. Were you able to connect your Gen 3 + Gen 1 to your Ultra? Thank you
This lack of sub retro compatibility should probably be highlighted in your review. It makes a difference for users that currently have the best system.
I know you are going to do a video, but I have to ask, our buddy AR just released a review and went overboard with joy about the setup. My question, do you believe that the arc setup with the 300’s with the sub 4 completely destroy the 990D? AR says so and added that “it ain’t even close”. Being that Sonos sent him the gear free to review, I’m wondering if he’s gloating to secure future free products from Sonos to review. Thanks
I have a Samsung S95D tv and really don’t know if I should get arc or arc ultra or even something else. You recommend this as the best for its price or does something attract for lower price?
Great Review! A quick question. I have a setup of 4 Amazon Echo Studios and an 2 Echo Subs as a setup to watch movies and I’m thinking of switching to the Arc Ultra, 2 Era 300 and a Gen 4 sub. Will the difference be night and day between the two?
Why would Sonos lie about the Subwoofers weight? Could that have been a misprint? I just picked up the Sub 4 today, and Daniel is 100% correct, it weighs more than Sonos is saying it is….
@@neverenoughtechyou are probably correct. Sonos really should state this correctly. They have to know that there’s tons of RUclipsrs that are picking everything apart, in a good way. We want to know what the differences are between these new products and the older generation.
Do you think that “illegal “Sonos with 4 Era plus 2 sub gen 3 and Arc witch you review while ago will sound better that arc ultra with 2 sub gen4 and 2 Era surround?
I have Arc + 300s + Sub Gen 3, and I have been on the fence to upgrade. Some say the 3d bubble is better, and others say there is little to no difference. How can that perception vary so much? If the bubble is better, I will upgrade. Can a few people weigh in here?
The arc is basically a glorified centre channel like every soudbar ever. Granted, it has improvements, but is still a directional wall of sound coning from an localised source.They have the speakers in the range to make a decent surround setup era 100s or 300s allowing a more traditional configuration with the space between each speaker- and I'd be entirely happy with a beam-sized centre with the sound motion tech with eras configured to do some height callibration if satelites aren't possible. I just wish the Sony HT A9 was popular enough to challenge the silly prospect of soundbars that somehow clings on to relevance.
if you had to choose between samsung q99d or sonos beam 2, two era 100 and a mini sub which system would you choose? We have the option to buy the sonos set from a family member for the same price as the samsung q99d sale price in my country. Which should i choose if i both want to watch movies and listen to music on it?
Sure. But I hold the disclaimer that it’s unsanctioned so controlling it (tuning it) - coherence - will not be as seamless as if it was legal. But - it’ll put on a show
The dragon is pretty terrible if you watch objective reviews of it. That said the mid bass response on show here is also terrible so 🤷. This is flat above though so it's probably capable of producing sound properly but I've no idea if it has a flat option in the app or forces this onto you.
@@paulc5389 there's literally one review out there by Andrew Robinson that's critical of the Dragon. You choose to call his review objective because you needed to convince yourself whatever system you have is better or you can't afford the Dragon. The Dragon's low point are the 8'' subs, but you can easily replace it with SVS and it blows everything out of the water.
You can do a ‘illegal+’ setup where you have a maxed arc system with 2 (300s,fives) and a multiroomed/grouped however you want to call it. Two more fives/300s (up front) with a paired sub - so three subs but it would not be one system it would be two but in previous experiments it still largely works - gives a reasonable insight into what Sonos may be able to support natively in the future
I am just waiting for another iteration of the Sony Quad or for Sonos to enable a similar setup. That would prompt me to get rid of my traditional receiver setup.
This changes based on room. Do the onboard tuning and feel from there (not many levers). If you like a little more height presence you would pull up height 2-4 clicks. For balance you would more likely reduce bass than have it above 0
Hmm dont have any soundbar at all, im debating whether the sounos arc ultra will be enough by itself or should i pair it with base mini? or will that have zero impact since arc ultra already has decent base and base mini will be useless? I just think that gen 4 is a bit of an overkill for my apartment
I would never buy the mini unless I was budget constrained and unable to save the difference in a reasonable amount of time. The proper sub plays lower. It's capable of producing sounds the mini isn't. Just because it's also capable of playing louder doesn't mean you have to. You can always turn it down. But even the ultra on its own will be far better than your TVs speakers. You can always add the sub later if you want to and decide if you're happy without it first. Your neighbours might prefer the latter.
@@paulc5389 Yeh but i live in an apartment, i think the sub mini would be more than enough probably too loud to play at max anyway, so it might be just a waste to spend double on a gen 4. Yeah it will probably sound a tiny bit better but probably not double the price. Also as a sidenote wondering if you can connect 2 sub minis lol or will it not work
@Noobmaster-sd1qm you don't buy better subs for more volume you buy them for lower frequency output. The only caveat being if you think your neighbours would notice it more and you're intentionally going for worse for their benefit.
@@paulc5389 I understand, but for me the question is: Is Arc ultra good enough on its own since its got some new base built in - or will be better with a sub mini, worth to spend £300 on it?
I would go Sonos for the centre channel, more customisation, likely longer update support and product life. The quad does better separation (its stereo performance is weak though) has dts but costs more once you add its sub.
@@shemsureshot thank you for the analysis I was curious because I can hear and feel the quad system in the Sony quad in the local Sony shop / Walmart but not the sonos
@neverenoughtech - Could you please compare between these setup how the sound graphs performs. A ~2 year old system System 1 Front Arc + 2 Fives + 2 sub gen 3 Rear 2 Era 300 vs System 2 Front Arc Ultra + 2 Sub gen 4 Rear 2 Era 300 Appreciate your work!
I wish I could add 2 Moves/Move 2's as side speakers. Am I the only one? They connect to WiFi, I don't see why this would be a capability to give more of a bubble.
I'm just trying to find streamable dolby atmos on prime videos. I bought a sonos beam gen2 onsale but i can only find Dolby 5.1 content on prime so far. I think i may need to start buying discs again if i want atmos
Do you have the premium sub for prime? I believe they made Dolby part of it as well as no adverts. I know you don't get Dolby Vision without it but not sure if that applies to Atmos too.
@@neverenoughtech our TV is the LG C3 and it has an ARC/eARC HDMI port that I've connected to the Sonos Beam. I've enabled ARC and eARC in the TVs webOS and set it to "passthrough" to the Beam. I'm streaming using the WebOS of the LG C3. We pay for the $120 USD, or whatever the yearly subscription fee is, for Prime. But i didn't see Atmos in any video descriptions when looking at new movies or shows in Prime Video. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, or it if there just isn't any content with Atmos. My Sonos app on my phone shows 5.1 or sometimes PCM depending on the content being played (shown where the volume slider appears in the app). But I've yet to see Atmos appear when i examine the phone app.
First time owner of a Sonos legal setup, ultra,300 and 1 sub. I absolutely love it. I came from a JBL 5.1 surround. There is no way back from this. Still wondering if a second sub is worth it. Love your vids!
I have the same set up, ultra arc and 2 eras 300, plus the sub 4 But what’s interesting is that when I turn the sub off I don’t notice a difference, I might have been good just with it it
Oh Man U killed it! No one does reviews as detailed and fun all at the same time! Thank you ❤
That was the aim. Glad it landed. Appreciate the feedback!
yes, we like it thorough these days and it's nice to have nerdy channels out there :) for us geeks out here
Sonos needs allow 5 x 3 Era 300s for the ultimate surround package.
I know I’d add 2 more 300s if they allowed it
It can't handle that, the code doesn't allow it. People can't even get two to connect...
Dream on.
I’d like to see them utilize 4 Era 300’s similarly to what Sony does with the Theater Quad system!
@@jezza6575I have a pair of 300’s and a pair of 100’s group with a sub mini connected by AirPlay. It’s stereo but you get decent height effects.
The eras don't work like that they're more like bi poles. For proper surround sound with multiple speakers you want directional only speakers not spatial ones. Using more than 2 would probably be a mess. Though no reason they couldn't do it with 1s.
yessssss.. was eagerly waiting for this comparison by you specifically..love your insight and dry humor.. ;)
Happy to send it out to you! The video and I were getting tired of each other.
I upgraded to the Ultra for a few weeks now. If you already have an Apple TV4K with Apple’s new AI Dialogue enhancement and the Sonos Sub, the only difference is the Ultra’s top end. On the original ARC, turn up treble to 4-6. No difference in Height or Mids. No great stereo image like Sony Quad.
Thanks for your comment. I currently have Sonos Arc + Era 300 surrounds + dual sub (Gen 3 + Gen 2) in medium room (20sqm). I mainly watch Atmos movies via Apple TV 4K or 3D audio games on PS5. Would it worth upgrading to Ultra at the cost of losing one sub? Are front heigh effects materially improved?
Your channel needs an upgrade to 40+k. Let's do it. Great review, keep them coming
What a good idea. What this guy said …
Would love a comparison against the Sony Quad and Samsung Q990D
Have both, well the q990C and the Arc Ultra, sub, and 300’s and the Sony quad. The arc is a better system, however, if you can get the Q990C for under a $1k, and if money is important to u, absolutely go for the Q990C/D. With Sonos u can split up the system if that’s important to u. You cant do that with the Samsung. For what samsung gives you for under $1k is really amazing, and i dont even like samsung s a company. Sonos is more like if Apple made a sound bar, thats the feeling u get. It’s a good feelings. the Quad is good for systems that you cant put a sound bar. The quad is amazing, but u need a subwoofer and that brings the price to over $3k. You will be very happy with any of these systems.
Amazing review! I upgraded from Arc with Sub Gen 3 and 2 SL as surrounds to Arc Ultra with Sub 4 with 2 Era 300s as surrounds. Happy with the upgrades! Sound is wider, open, bass is so strong and punchy!
This review is better than the actual Sonos Arc Ultra!
I just got the Arc Ultra + Sub Mini + Era 100's for my 12 x 12 foot room and it sounds amazing to me Not thinking i will do Gen 4 sub or the Era 300's in the future but hey who knows am very happy with the way it sounds now great review well done cheers from Canada
Congrats, I do however feel that the sub mini works best with Sonos Beam. For Sonos Arc Ultra you deff would want to pair it with the bigger sub. Era 100's should be just fine for the setup.
I have the sub mini with my arc in a pretty large living room,, and it sounds excellent!
@bobwalters9151 don't doubt that, but can be better 😏. Both are great subs.
Peter Pee (sound engineer) reviewed the Arc Ultra + Sub Mini and he loved the combo.
ruclips.net/video/q2oW-je1mK8/видео.htmlsi=N8aCXlQthKLxVn3y
Enjoy what you have now. In a room like that, 100s are probably better anyway just so the 300s don’t take over the soundstage.
I've been waiting for you to make this video.
Ive also been waiting … glad it happened!
I tried to tell my wife the new sonos arc ultra was for my RUclips channel but I got destroyed 😂
At least to tried man.😂
Absolutely love ALL your reviews. Currently have the Sonos Arc Ultra, 2 Era 300s & Sub 4 and its incredible! I shifted from the whole Bose Smart Ultra Setup with Bass Module 700 & two 700 rear speakers and I can confidently say Sonos > Bose 100%!
Interesting, I found that Sonos was better for movies but when I listened to music the bose was just better clarity and crisp imo. I had the 900 and 700 sub. What are your thoughts?
The commenter two floors down disagrees with you. I’ll never make everyone happy. I’ll throw my official take in the ring in video form
@@neverenoughtech no no I’m not disagreeing with you at all, I think it depends on what you like hearing to be honest! The review was great and informative. I’ve just been around Bose my whole life but after moving out I’m looking to purchase a premium soundbar and there’s so many videos out there.
Using the Arc Ultra I was able to finally understand the dialogue in the movie Tenet.
I still have no idea what the movie is about though...
Worst movie ever made
What a killer in depth review that didn't bore me. Nice Job!
Sonos is my only tech that I love and hate at the same time.....
The app's poor reliability (still safely on 16.1) & not supporting the >dual< sub gen 2 & 3 combo is keeping me from the Ultra upgrade. And fear of having to putter around with it for hours to get it working is also a turnoff, Sonos should make it easier to just add the ultra to the existing system without all the drama...
I am considering upping the rear One's to Era 300's from what you suggest but the apps reliability issues are still keeping me on the fence.... I really don't want to break what's working fine as of now.
Always the best reviews, thank you again sir!
I get it. May be worth waiting until you are ready to part sell the more seasoned components
I needed this review to validate my upgrade from the Arc1 to Arc Ultra. I feel better now. Also, I found your recording from the Arc to Arc Ultra really on point. It did a good enough job representing the real world difference even though we're hearing it through a compressed RUclips video. I did not fully agree on speech from the center channel being the same as the Arc1, but I could not make a direct comparison myself due to having sold my Arc1 a week before the Arc Ultra arrived.
Curious. Where did you sell your ORG Arc and for how much if I may ask. Thanks
@@davelennon5214 same question
Excellent review as always! Just upgraded my Arc (dual Gen 3 subs+Fives+LG OLED 77C1) to the Arc Ultra. Move v1 Arc into master bedrooms to replace Beam Gen 1 (Gen 3 sub+symfonisk+LG OLED 65C4). Noticed an improvement with dialogue and the Arc Ultra sounds louder at the same volume levels. Not ready to give up my Fives just yet; but, willing to do so if Sonos comes out with Era 500s down the road.
I’ve probably watched the opening 20 minutes of 6 Underground 50 times. Great for testing out the system. The opening fight sequence in Deadpool and Wolverine certainly packs a punch as well! Awesome review as always.
🙂
Amen brother. Just picked up a Sonos Arc Ultra, Sub 4, and 300's.... wow brother, this an amazing system. Praise the lord
@@michael-4k4000 I have the same system mate and completely agree 😬
Super review! Only thing I found odd is that I found the dialog far better than the arc out of the box without any additional settings.
God bless you 🙏
That’s the truth
Might come down to his room acoustics.
Thanks!
Many 🙏
Excellent review you really show the difference with the ear test and breakdown of the original arc. I honestly never liked the arc. To me dialogue sounded muddy, and music was terrible sounding. The arc ultra looks like a fantastic upgrade. The tweeters facing everywhere was the right thing to do to give more immersive sound. I'm very tempted to ditch my current set up for this system now.
Went from only a Beam Gen 2 to an Arc Ultra and now got the Sub mini with 2 300s for rears on Black Friday and have been blown away!
The reviews are really useful but I enjoy the humour too
Appreciate it
I own arc ultra x2 subs gen 3 and x2 era 300
And I’m watching this review just because I want to support this channel,
Btw I bought the era 300s because of you and I didn’t regret it, you are doing an amazing job when it come to reviews and also you have a nice sense of humour 😎
See you around !
Appreciate the feedback!
Hey buddy, been following you from the start. Thank you for the unbiased great reviews! you put in a lot of effort in your videos and i hope your channel grows .
I have the Arc with a Sub and 2 Era 100s, so I'd be very curious to see how that stacks up against the Arc Ultra, in a similar setup!
Not sure if I missed it but for anyone wondering, The ultra is also compatible with the ARC's HDMI to optical adapter as well.
Can’t wait for the comparisons. Tried the ultra and didn’t really find it better than the Bravia theater bar 9 (maybe a little wider in soundstage and louder at lower volumes).
Decided to get the RS5s just to see how it compared to the Ultras 9.1.4 spec and the RS5s really brought the Sony system together for me.
Great review Daniel. I upgraded to the arc. It finally has that balance where the 300s don’t take the stage.
I want to know how this compares to the Sony Bravia Quads
No se ingles. Pero me interesa mucho tu canal, se ve interesante tener la intención de hacer pruebas honestas!!! Ojalá y pudieras hacer un pequeño resumen en comentarios para poderlo traducir y entender los trucos de las marcas! Gracias y saludos a todos!!!
My go-to test for bass is the opening scene in Tenet. My Sonos Arc without sub had distortius maximus. It would be interesting how the Ultra performs with that scene.
Sonoisseur! Philosonosian! This is hilarious... and so true. Had to share with my wife and daughter. You got a new subscriber.
🙂
are you able to test out the system again? era 300 inward tweeter is not firing. it is routing information to the top channel. it is affecting me and many others. reddit has a post about it within the sonos reddit group.
test tones is the easiest way to locate the bug and hear it. movies of course are also affected. stereo works fine - seems to be home theater use.
Great review! I think I'll stick with the Arc. Perhaps I'll get the Ultra 2 in 4 or 5 years.
You have a level of patience with which I am unfamiliar
I just bought a sub mini and it rocks with my 1 year old of arc.
Daniel
you are the man! I was waiting for a review like this. 👍🏻
First video of your I have watched and it was your dry sense of humour that made me subscribe! makes you very likeable!
🙂
@@neverenoughtech Daniel is a likeable guy!
Sony Quad with Sub and Sonos Arc Ultra with Sub 4 and Era300 as surrounds, which one is better in your opinion.?
Id like this opinion as well!
Have both. I would look at this from a standpoint of what system would you want in your room or which system makes the most sense for your room. E.g. if you cant use a sound bar some reason then the Quad is your best option. Both systems are great. They are different yes, but you will enjoy either system. The only way to really understand all the differences and nuances is to try it out in your own room
@@michael-4k4000 I currently have Sonos but can't just buy Quads for trying it out way too expensive lol
@@rampyrs you can return it.
Cannot wait to see you compare the HT-A9 set with the Arc Ultra set.
I have the HT-A9 with the SW5, then for “pure music”, I bought 2 Era 300 with the Sub Gen 3. I am tempted to add the Arc Ultra, if this can be better Atmos system for movies.
I love my HT-A9 because it provides a wider sound stage. But Sonos offers true Atmos speakers instead of those phantom ones provided by the HT-A9.
What do you mean by true atmos speakers? Both systems use upfiring speakers for atmos
@ Oh sorry my bad, I mixed up. I should have just said phantom speakers. Anyways, I wonder if the Sonos set can beat the HT-A9 set for movies.
I enjoyed the review, and as an ex arc owner I share all the downsides you mentioned, like the 300s in the back stealing the show. I was never fond of the arc and the whole system, I started with the One SL and sub 3 and I was really unimpressed, then the era 300 came out and I liked where the things were going. I don't think the ultra is going to be a huge step in that direction, although I bought it. Good thing is that sonos products retain a good chunk of their value over time.
Finally - an honest review. Subbed
Thanks !! Well the day before Thanksgiving and before Black Friday !! Actually the Samsung and Sony Quad are under promotion !! Waiting for the compairison video !!
Great video, Now the question - If I have an arc, can't I just use enhance dialoged under Apple TV Ios 18.1 Have you tried that to see what happens?
I’ll address in next video
I have tried it and the Soundstage is wider and bigger! Surround effects too besides Dialogue
I was waiting for this review before buying, but decided to pull the trigger early and upgrade. Current setup is Ultra, G3 Sub and two 300s. Love the review, but disagree about speech. With the OG Arc for cinematic shows/movies, I was constantly turning the sound up and down to hear dialog, even with the speech enhancement turned on. I don’t use the speech enhancement on the Ultra and can keep the sound constant and hear dialog clearly. For me, that alone was worth the upgrade and everything else; better Atmos, better bass, better compliment to 300s is a bonus.
Eq settings? Tuning? I use it with ATV4K and Samsung eARC tv
I have a Sony TV with eArc. EQ set to preference. I use setup above primarily for movie watching, so not a fan of artificial speech adjustment that dampens the background sounds rather than enhance actual speech. It loses the cinematic effect. Problem with OG Arc is I couldn’t hear anything with more cinematic audio movies, but that doesn’t seem to be an issue for me now with the Ultra.
Might have to upgrade i hate turning up to hear voice then down because action scenes to loud .. like crazy loud since I listen at high volumes due to my bad hearing loss .
Great vid man, thanks alot ! I am thinking of going into Sonos setup, starting with 2x Era 100's and one Sonos Mini Sub and at some point get the sound bar also. any thoughts ? Or should i just get the sonos arc ultra and add a mini sub, but this considerably way more expensive.
Hi Daniel. Love your channel and videos. I picked up the Ultra and paired it with my Era 300s and Gen 3 sub and just love it. My question for you. Will you be testing the super cool set up consisting of two subs, four Era 300s paired with the Ultra? Inquiring minds want to know.
Every time someone asks it makes it more likely :-)
Well.........@neverenoughtech lol... wait for it wait for it....
Been waiting for this video, the only review that matter! Best on RUclips 👍👍
Great review, thanks Daniel 👍🏼💙
Many thanks!
Thanks for great review again and from your review I will switch to arc ultra from the arc. Sonos also should give you kick back for helping them sell their products.
I’m here for the dialog. The major problem with most sound bars…I don’t care how great the Atmos or surrounds are. Nothing worse than hearing amazing sound and not hearing the actors speak
What bar is the king of dialog?
As of now the ultra
@d1nicoya which ultra? Bose or Sonos…
Probably still the Nakamichi Dragon. AMT Tweeters are more resolving and capture all the air and sibilance in the human voice.
@ Sonos
Go for sennheiser
Are Sonos intentionally going for a dipole/ bipole effect with the 300’s when used as surrounds or is this a technical issue?
Yeah I had always assumed this was the case and it was entirely intentional. If so maybe they need to make that clearer to people.
How does the Arc ultra standalone bar fairs with the Bose 900/ultra bar standalone in Clarity and Atmos effects.? Base would be definitely better on the arc ultra.
My guess Bose better dialog and Sonos wider sound
@ I do have a bose 900 bar without the sub. I can it will ace in clarity and dialogue only to the arc ultra... Bose always does dialogue perfectly.
Sonos definitely has better base, better surround and atmos
Sonos fixxed the dialog part @@frienduro24
Keep 👀
@@neverenoughtech sorry i didn't get it..can u explain
How dose this compare to the Sony Bravia quad with a sub. For atmos ?( movie watching )
It doesn't. The Quad is on another level, heck even the Sony A9 will give you a much richer sound for movies, both the Quad and A9 have up firing speakers which the Arc/Ultra does not.
Both the A9 and Quad will give you support for high end consoles 4k 120 fps VRR and ALLM and even 8K 60 fps if you got a tv that supports it. You also get support for IMAX, DTS X Dolby Atmos and anything else that movies support on a UHD player.
Sonos can't compete with that.
I gotta say DTS-X is overrated in terms of necessity. Should it be available on Sonos? Probably. 99.9% of films don’t even have it. Most people watching physical media also probably have a dedicated AVR setup over Sony quads or Sonos.
My impression, actually comparing the quads to the ultra, is that Sonos is the better system EVEN though the quads are very good. As are the Samsung Q995D.
Either system will make you feel satisfaied BUT of all of those, if they were priced the same, I would prefer the Ultra with Era 300:s.
@@Justmeandmy20cents It does have up firing speaker, what do you mean?
Quad system v Arc Ulta era 300 system. Which one is the best??? I am planning on gifting it to my Dad, but I'm undecisive on which to buy. Someone HELP!
Bonjour , j’ai la Playbar sonos . Je voudrais la garder et acheter les Era 100. Mais apparemment ce n’est pas possible ( compatible) . Pourtant l’application est toujours compatible avec la Playbar . Que se passera t’il quand j’installerai les Era dans mon système. L’application les refusera car il y la Playbar d’installer ? Ou il les configurera mais ne elle ne pourras fonctionner en même temps que la Playbar ? Je comprends pas à quel moment ça va bloquer ..
Great video! What are your thoughts on Sonos Arc Ultra versus Samsung Q990D?
I purchased the “unsanctioned” arc + 4 era 300s + 2 sub gen 3s after seeing your video months back.
I’m curious, how does the new wider arc ultra compete with the “unsanctioned” setup using studio paired era 300s to further widen the soundstage?
Probably next year I’ll revisit with new knowledge and an additional sub paired to the front 300s
Sooo do you stick with your stance about going with an Ultra rather than the Og Arc as a new buyer? I bought both with the original Arc at the $200 off price. Needing help to decide which one to keep as it's a $300 difference! Leaning towards the Ultra
Yeah go Ultra if buying new
Hi after the comparison of the sonos arc ultra does it sound better than bose ultra
Thank you for the amazing review. I currently have Sonos Arc + Era 300 surrounds + dual sub (Gen 3 + Gen 2) in medium room (20sqm). I mainly watch Atmos movies via Apple TV 4K or 3D audio games on PS5. Would it worth upgrading to Ultra at the cost of losing one sub? Are front heigh effects materially improved?
Are you losing a sub because you’re selling the whole thing? You can pair a G2. Yes the front height is improved. Hard for me to say if losing a sub is worth it … I’m spoiled and don’t like to compromise - but if atmos and gaming are your main things - ultra is gonna make that better
@@neverenoughtech @ I am losing a sub because the Ultra supports dual sub only in the following combinations: 2 Gen 4, 2 Gen 3 or Gen 4 + Gen 3. Were you able to connect your Gen 3 + Gen 1 to your Ultra? Thank you
This lack of sub retro compatibility should probably be highlighted in your review. It makes a difference for users that currently have the best system.
I know you are going to do a video, but I have to ask, our buddy AR just released a review and went overboard with joy about the setup. My question, do you believe that the arc setup with the 300’s with the sub 4 completely destroy the 990D? AR says so and added that “it ain’t even close”. Being that Sonos sent him the gear free to review, I’m wondering if he’s gloating to secure future free products from Sonos to review. Thanks
Tsk tsk tsk … I can’t give it all away in comments … sorry. Appreciate the interest
I have a Samsung S95D tv and really don’t know if I should get arc or arc ultra or even something else. You recommend this as the best for its price or does something attract for lower price?
Great Review! A quick question. I have a setup of 4 Amazon Echo Studios and an 2 Echo Subs as a setup to watch movies and I’m thinking of switching to the Arc Ultra, 2 Era 300 and a Gen 4 sub. Will the difference be night and day between the two?
Can you please review JBL bar 1000
fantastic review
Thank you! Cheers!
Why would Sonos lie about the Subwoofers weight? Could that have been a misprint? I just picked up the Sub 4 today, and Daniel is 100% correct, it weighs more than Sonos is saying it is….
They offer conflicting information all over the place - maybe it’s the package weight
@@neverenoughtechthat’s my thought too. Often they quote the packaged weight in a box.
@@neverenoughtechyou are probably correct. Sonos really should state this correctly. They have to know that there’s tons of RUclipsrs that are picking everything apart, in a good way. We want to know what the differences are between these new products and the older generation.
Which sub from Sony Samsung or Sonos is best in case of punchiness and clarity o bass?
Been waiting on this 🎉❤
Do you think that “illegal “Sonos with 4 Era plus 2 sub gen 3 and Arc witch you review while ago will sound better that arc ultra with 2 sub gen4 and 2 Era surround?
I have Arc + 300s + Sub Gen 3, and I have been on the fence to upgrade. Some say the 3d bubble is better, and others say there is little to no difference. How can that perception vary so much? If the bubble is better, I will upgrade. Can a few people weigh in here?
The arc is basically a glorified centre channel like every soudbar ever. Granted, it has improvements, but is still a directional wall of sound coning from an localised source.They have the speakers in the range to make a decent surround setup era 100s or 300s allowing a more traditional configuration with the space between each speaker- and I'd be entirely happy with a beam-sized centre with the sound motion tech with eras configured to do some height callibration if satelites aren't possible. I just wish the Sony HT A9 was popular enough to challenge the silly prospect of soundbars that somehow clings on to relevance.
Love the video. Quick question
Would you recommend two sub minis or one sub with the arc ultra?
I have one sub mini so far.
Thanks
If you want deeper reg sub … if you want to more evenly distribute bass the two minis
Sub minis can’t be paired
@@CrankSick Got the Sub Gen 4
Omg it’s amazing 🤩
Great video...will hold off upgrading for the moment..need to save more money first 😅
I just bought arc ultra, everything works fine, but Hbo Max. The sound from hbo max is very low. Is there a way to improve it. Loudness is on.
if you had to choose between samsung q99d or sonos beam 2, two era 100 and a mini sub which system would you choose? We have the option to buy the sonos set from a family member for the same price as the samsung q99d sale price in my country. Which should i choose if i both want to watch movies and listen to music on it?
sonos
How does this compare to the Q990D setup?
Next video … big comparo
Whenever I see candy or colorful rain in NET vids, I know it's gonna be good
Would you recommend 4 300's with the Ultra Arc , as you did with the arc?
Sure. But I hold the disclaimer that it’s unsanctioned so controlling it (tuning it) - coherence - will not be as seamless as if it was legal. But - it’ll put on a show
@@neverenoughtech - Much appreciated. I can't wait👍👍👍 👍
How does the Ultra compare to the Dragon?
The dragon is pretty terrible if you watch objective reviews of it. That said the mid bass response on show here is also terrible so 🤷. This is flat above though so it's probably capable of producing sound properly but I've no idea if it has a flat option in the app or forces this onto you.
Look for a video
@@paulc5389 there's literally one review out there by Andrew Robinson that's critical of the Dragon. You choose to call his review objective because you needed to convince yourself whatever system you have is better or you can't afford the Dragon. The Dragon's low point are the 8'' subs, but you can easily replace it with SVS and it blows everything out of the water.
Proper review. Thank you.
Can I connect 4 Subs and 4 speakers now 4 Era 300s or 4 Fives?
You can do a ‘illegal+’ setup where you have a maxed arc system with 2 (300s,fives) and a multiroomed/grouped however you want to call it. Two more fives/300s (up front) with a paired sub - so three subs but it would not be one system it would be two but in previous experiments it still largely works - gives a reasonable insight into what Sonos may be able to support natively in the future
@@neverenoughtech
DO YOU MEAN I SHOULD PAIR 2 SOUND BARS? If yes, I will pair two sound bards using 2 subs, 2 fives or 300s and set it to mutiroom?
I am just waiting for another iteration of the Sony Quad or for Sonos to enable a similar setup. That would prompt me to get rid of my traditional receiver setup.
Recommended EQ and Tuning?
This changes based on room. Do the onboard tuning and feel from there (not many levers). If you like a little more height presence you would pull up height 2-4 clicks. For balance you would more likely reduce bass than have it above 0
i have sonos arc with sub gen3 and two of era's 300. Is it worth upgrading to ultra?
Same setup as mine ,but not going to upgrade
How you think the sonos ultra compairs to samsung flag ship soundbar system?
I am working on my big comparo video. I will answer explain myself there
Been waiting for your review since arc ultra came out. Want to comment now before I even watch it 😂
Went on vacation and had to play catchup on real work … slowed me down but at least got it out before Thanksgiving/Black Friday
This will be the fastest growing video in views on RUclips today. 😄 As it should be.
Sony Quad is a benchmark.❤
However Q990D is the best setup for top range TV(Samsung in primis)/costs/films/sync/gaming input. 👋🏻
Hmm dont have any soundbar at all, im debating whether the sounos arc ultra will be enough by itself or should i pair it with base mini? or will that have zero impact since arc ultra already has decent base and base mini will be useless?
I just think that gen 4 is a bit of an overkill for my apartment
I would never buy the mini unless I was budget constrained and unable to save the difference in a reasonable amount of time.
The proper sub plays lower. It's capable of producing sounds the mini isn't. Just because it's also capable of playing louder doesn't mean you have to. You can always turn it down.
But even the ultra on its own will be far better than your TVs speakers. You can always add the sub later if you want to and decide if you're happy without it first. Your neighbours might prefer the latter.
Buy soundbar - return or add depending on performance
@@paulc5389 Yeh but i live in an apartment, i think the sub mini would be more than enough probably too loud to play at max anyway, so it might be just a waste to spend double on a gen 4. Yeah it will probably sound a tiny bit better but probably not double the price.
Also as a sidenote wondering if you can connect 2 sub minis lol or will it not work
@Noobmaster-sd1qm you don't buy better subs for more volume you buy them for lower frequency output. The only caveat being if you think your neighbours would notice it more and you're intentionally going for worse for their benefit.
@@paulc5389 I understand, but for me the question is:
Is Arc ultra good enough on its own since its got some new base built in - or will be better with a sub mini, worth to spend £300 on it?
This or the quad ??
I second that . Buying something this black Friday
I would go Sonos for the centre channel, more customisation, likely longer update support and product life. The quad does better separation (its stereo performance is weak though) has dts but costs more once you add its sub.
Interested to know as well.
@@shemsureshot me tooo
@@shemsureshot thank you for the analysis I was curious because I can hear and feel the quad system in the Sony quad in the local Sony shop / Walmart but not the sonos
When you mentioned Google assistant my ERA-300s decided to explain to me exactly what Google assistant is. Maybe I should turn off voice control.
I’m glad your Era 300s are such big fans of my video … good listeners
@@neverenoughtech I wouldn't call them fans. They just listen for anything they can reply to. My Nakamichi Dragon is a big fan of yours though. 🤪
"It's really closer to 3 and a half" LMFAO
Have been able to get Atmos top sound reflection from the sealing
@neverenoughtech - Could you please compare between these setup how the sound graphs performs. A ~2 year old system
System 1
Front Arc + 2 Fives + 2 sub gen 3
Rear 2 Era 300
vs
System 2
Front Arc Ultra + 2 Sub gen 4
Rear 2 Era 300
Appreciate your work!
I wish I could add 2 Moves/Move 2's as side speakers. Am I the only one? They connect to WiFi, I don't see why this would be a capability to give more of a bubble.
Any stamps?
I put prepared them but forgot to paste. I’ll fix later
@ great video btw
I'm just trying to find streamable dolby atmos on prime videos. I bought a sonos beam gen2 onsale but i can only find Dolby 5.1 content on prime so far. I think i may need to start buying discs again if i want atmos
Do you have the premium sub for prime? I believe they made Dolby part of it as well as no adverts. I know you don't get Dolby Vision without it but not sure if that applies to Atmos too.
Does your TV have eARC. What streamer are you using?
@@neverenoughtech our TV is the LG C3 and it has an ARC/eARC HDMI port that I've connected to the Sonos Beam. I've enabled ARC and eARC in the TVs webOS and set it to "passthrough" to the Beam.
I'm streaming using the WebOS of the LG C3.
We pay for the $120 USD, or whatever the yearly subscription fee is, for Prime. But i didn't see Atmos in any video descriptions when looking at new movies or shows in Prime Video. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, or it if there just isn't any content with Atmos.
My Sonos app on my phone shows 5.1 or sometimes PCM depending on the content being played (shown where the volume slider appears in the app). But I've yet to see Atmos appear when i examine the phone app.
28:03 “since you are not gonna chill” damn how did you know
I suffer from a chill deficiency - I suspect I’m not alone
First time owner of a Sonos legal setup, ultra,300 and 1 sub. I absolutely love it. I came from a JBL 5.1 surround. There is no way back from this. Still wondering if a second sub is worth it.
Love your vids!
Worth trying out … if it doesn’t add enough … return
Even though I love this set, dialogue is still a pain in the ass in movies and surround which is LOUD AF😅
I have the Ultra with 2 Era 300s in a small living room, sounds incredible. No need for a sub, neighbors would kill me. 😂
I have the same set up, ultra arc and 2 eras 300, plus the sub 4
But what’s interesting is that when I turn the sub off I don’t notice a difference,
I might have been good just with it it
@@antoniosaavedra1097between the ultra and the 300s there’s more than enough bass but I’m sure yours sounds great.
lovely exposé
More proof that my reviews are cool - I can use to convince my wife