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14:07 the best argument in favor of Sonos in my opinion. I now have a Sonos Arc + 2 Ones as surrounds. Now I can upgrade to 2 Era 300 as rears and keep the 2 Ones for other rooms. That's great and something you can't do with any other brand!
I picked up Sony Quads with SW5 this week based on you review. I heard the Ultra right before my purchase at my neighbors house, while both are fantastic. My back living room wall is a main walkway from our front door so having the quads wall mounted vs. era 300s was a no brainer for my room. We are absolutely loving the set up! From sound to aesthetics.
I bought the Nakamichi Dragon as soon as it launched because every RUclipsr was saying things like, “The Dragon is unmatched, it’s the best, it’s on another level.” But now, they all seem to be backtracking, which makes it hard for me to trust them anymore.
I have always been sceptical towards sonos, but having heard a Arc + Sub recently, I am blown away. I ALWAYS find some time to listen to some music on it, because it is that good.
Another great review! Thank you. I’m a 17 year Sonos customer and have been a very dedicated beta user for most of that time. I just finished a 2 week A/B test with the arc vs ultra. In all the rooms we tested it in, we noticed the original arc’s front l/r left channels to give much better width. The ultra’s l/r channels sounded like they were only coming from the bar directly not reflecting. The height on both is meh. If anything they both just seem messy in the height (used in treated and non treated rooms). The one thing going unnoticed is arc ultra has neutered older Sonos surrounds. When using the original arc the sound from test channels transition seamlessly between channels. You could hear a smooth transition. The ultra using , fives, ones, and the IKEA lamps would not transition, it combines l/r surrounds and rear l/r into the same channels so you get no transitions, instead a harsh jump from speaker to speaker. Only the 100/300 transition channels with the ultra like all other Sonos speakers do with the original arc. It was so bad that we thought we might have a unit with hardware issue.so we called in for support. In the past their multi tiered support team would work until it was corrected, fixed or replaced. I’m this case we were simply told it was working fine by the initial support team member then asked to give them a good score in a customer service survey. The final deal breaker and what’s transitioning me away from supporting Sonos anymore after nearly 2 decades of loyalty, is they have removed SonosNet from new devises. A dedicated network over larger houses, (ours property includes a separate bulding with a studio). With SonosNet it’s like having a private track for your Porsche instead of having to drive in it bumper to bumper traffic. Being forced onto your wifi means the devices are now competing with in some cases hundreds of other devices. They don’t recommend not so the offer support when using a mesh router system. When you have connectivity issues the support team now defaults to blaming your wifi. In our property we had 24 speakers running. Often all I’m unison. Since having to switch to wifi we have not, in the last 16 months, be able to get all zones to play together. When we remove the eras and go back to SonosNet using the boost we have zero connectives issues. In the years working with Sonos there have been rocky chapters but what’s difference now if the lack care and concern from Sonos as a company culture. In the past there was a dedicated team of engineers that would work with the more complicated issues to fix issue and ensure they would not happen again to other future users. There was a culture of wanting to improve and perfect the entire Sonos experience. Since the ipo the transition in culture has become remarkably disappointing. This latest app failures could have been prevented if they would have used the thousands of dedicated registered and eager beta testers. Instead it was open up to a handful of them less than a month before launch and instead of listening to the overwhelming beta feedback they decided to ignore it cancel the beta and go live. Nothing shines a light in the state of the company more than that decision. Thanks again for the great review guys. I hope my notes help broaden some perspective for those needed it. Happy Thanksgiving to our American friends. 🍻
This was the video I needed. I'm so impressed with your channel, and have been following your advice on upgrading my systems. The culmination for Sonos up to this point can be seen across. your general videos and expert observations. Thanks for taking the time to make these!
I have 20 Sonos pieces and don't have issues with the app like other had experienced (oldest Beam 1, newest Arc Ultra). Worse thing that happened was being away from home for several weeks and some speakers fell asleep and didn't wake up in the app. Power reset at each speaker woke everything up (only happened once in 4 years). Having an on/off button on the speakers would have been quicker instead of crawling around for the power cords.
Great review. I updated from the Arc to the Ultra w/ 2 subs and Era 300s and it just keeps surprising me. The sound is wide, crisp, dynamic, and enveloping. The full kit isn't cheap, but the quality and aesthetics really do outperform any other home theater system in the same price range. Even stereo playback with the immersive set doesn't feel like its struggling to match my dedicated stereo setup.
I am prob. Going for the same set up but would you suggest it for a 98 inch tv? I am concerned the sound field will feel smaller than the image itself.
I’ve been saying that entry-level traditional home theater systems will be overtaken by soundbars, especially after the launch of the Era300. You simply can’t beat the simplicity and revolutionary technologies that soundbar systems offer. When you factor in the cost of installation, running wires, and professional tuning, traditional systems can easily end up costing more to outperform Sonos.
Sonos just has so many little things that I love. That app thing was rough for sure. But it seems okay now. The simplicity of setup and use are huge pluses. And I cannot stress enough the Apple Music being native is the single biggest reason that I continue to buy their products. Have a great week love what you are doing!
The arc ultra is actually a nice upgrade from the arc. I didn't think it would be, but I got it 15% off and I think it's definitely worth it. It's a entirely different speaker than the original, everything sounds different, the front atmos is massively improved and voices are super clear.
I’ve had Sonos for a few years now. Honestly I’ve had very very limited issues since day one. The one issue I had turned out to be at my end (WiFi) but even that never affected the products at all. Just commenting for some balance.
Just setup another 6 channels on my theater system. It took three days of work with a drop ceiling. I can see why these systems are popular. It's a pain to setup a proper theater. I can't imagine anything sounding better though.
If you are wondering why Bose bought McIntosh, you are probably looking at the answer right here. Wait for the review on the new McIntosh soundbar, coming soon! My guess would be soundbars are outselling home theater 10 to 1. And I have nothing against soundbars, I have a basic Yamaha soundbar with a sub upstairs and I have no complaints with the sound. In fact it did make me wonder if home theater really is worth all the trouble. I'm old school though, so I like tinkering with all the home theater gear. But for most people, I think this is what the large majority will be choosing from now on. I mean if you do most of your music listening on ear buds or phones, you are not going to mind the sound of a soundbar in the least.
Thanks for your hard work on this review. I can tell your experience with this product excites you. In my home this type of a setup will be instrumental over a traditional home theater.
I really like the design and the fact that you can buy components later but the lack of DTS-X support really bugs me. At this price it is inexcusable. I still listen to physical media so for me it's a must.
Same! So I've been looking at other options LG S95TR since I'm pairing with an LG OLED. Have you had any luck finding a high end sound bar you like supporting DTS?
@Mikobu360 for me the Sennheiser Ambeo is a good contender but the lack of physical surrounds is a problem. And although not a soundbar but the Sony theatre Quad is kind of interesting but way too expensive. So i am hoping Samsung will bring out a way better looking home audio product in 2025 and not the Q990E or something😄.
I have an open floor plan home getting framed in 2 weeks and have been watching numerous Nakamichi Dragon reviews, I was fixing to pull the trigger on the 12” sub model. Now, after seeing this review and your review on the Dragon, I am second guessing!
After investing 25 years into my home theater. Im burnt out! All the hype of atmos up to 11.2 with huge speakers, etc. And feel like it wasn't worth all the work. Just because something is coded in Atmos doesn't mean the film did a great job! You can have the equipment, but if there isn't a ton coded to fully push the limits of your gear. Why have it!? To save someone years of tone chasing. Bigger doesn't mean better! That being said.... part of me feels if i added 1.21 gigawatts of power i could hit 88 mph sending me back to Oct 26 1985.
Great review Andrew. I just can’t get over the limitations of physics a bar system would have compared to traditional. I can however see that these limitations are also kind of an advantage. You won’t fuss over placement, cabling, aesthetics etc with a sound bar system, you’re more likely to plug n play and not stress. I can see that attraction.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews And when the control app works, the ease of set-up, daily use and flexibility is hard to ignore. I’ve mentioned numerous times that I have two adult children heavily invested in the whole home Sonos ecosystem - one of them even use Sonos in a restaurant- and it absolutely worked wonders for them, until this year’s “issues”.
@@ClemFandango72 it’s about setting expectations. They’re claiming all those channels but they’re all packed into a 1.1 physical system. So it’s mono plus and very room dependent. I like them for a lot of people but also worry that we’re not exposing people to actual good front soundstage.
@ I own a couple soundbars (Sonus Playbars), and I think I’m like 95% of people who own one. Which is we bought it to assist with vocals/dialogue issues that we experience with rear facing speakers from panel TVs. We didn’t buy it to replace a home theater. I’m sure there’s plenty of people in that camp too but I gotta assume the majority are like me.
@@ClemFandango72 those are the majority in the more budget range. But the people buying these higher end bars are getting sucked into the marketing behind them. 5.1, 7.1, 9.1, 11.1 channels! They see 11.1 channels and think they’re getting a home theater experience. I run into it all the time. For someone without a reference this is home theater to them. And that’s just sad really. Especially when a powered stereo monitor is almost as convenient and performs better for less money.
@andrewrobinsonreviews sorry did not mean to be short with the comment. I appreciate your honest reviews on AV based on testing and knowledge. Having Sonos gear in my house already and looking for solutions for my basement, I was waiting for the Ultra and your review to make a decision. Thank you for the videos, and Happy Holidays!
No HDMI input at all and not supporting for full spectrum of DTS just blows my mind. I know DTS is less important for most buyers but at Flagship prices, it’s just maddening they wouldn’t go those few extra TINY steps to be a legitimate contender to other options out there.. I’ve always wanted to try out the Sonos for my living room, but without HDMI and DTS it’s a nonstarter for me.
If you have a newer model TV with eARC, you don't really need an extra HDMI port on the sound bar. And you can set your Blu-ray player to convert DTS to lossless multichannel PCM which still sounds great.
@ ya the stupid LG c2 won’t pass through DTS which is mute since the soundbar doesn’t support full DTS anyways. As for my Blu-ray converting in PCM audio as opposed to bitstream, you’re downmixing the audio and entire point of DTS X. All of which I’m not going to do with one of the most expensive soundbars out there. I also utilize the HDMI passthrough on my Samsung to give me additional HDMI port so I can utilize two consoles along with my Blu-ray , cable box and Apple TV.
Excellent Review 👍🏼 I can definitely see myself getting this system when I go from my dedicated theater to a more simplistic theater experience without giving up much..
I served on a Sonos advisory board in Seattle Washington last month. I can confirm…. Sonos IS listening to dealers and customers as well. They have demonstrated to me they have heard the criticisms of their app debacle and continue to not only fix the issues of the past but are also charting a new course. I have historically felt Sonos is chasing the low to mid fidelity market. From what I saw and heard at my recent meeting they are now and will be knocking on the door of their higher priced competitors very soon. So excited to see where Sonos is heading.
@@SENCORE_ISF That’s all well and good but what happens in 5 years when Sonos decides that my $2,000 system is obsolete and shuts down support on its app? With no Bluetooth I’m not going to be able to stream my music directly to it. My blu-ray collection might as well be garbage because there’s no DTS support. I agree that if all you do is stream content with Dolby Atmos/DD+ and listen to Spotify then this will be fine for you…for a couple of years. No thanks from Texas.
@@jamesphillips4599 Sonos does not support DTS HD formats, if that Is a dealbreaker when considering purchasing a Sonos system, I get it, I understand completely. The obsolescence statement I find super interesting. Would be interested to hear your thoughts after you read this….. Sonos in my experience is far and away your best bet bar none regarding any technological advancements and preventing your products from becoming obsolete. Sonos has consistently offered firmware updates to products to enhance their feature sets. This alone has increased the lifespan of their products. Customers should be extremely happy being back in the day if you purchased a receiver in 1998, you were almost assured of feeling some envy in 1999 when the new receiver came out with a feature or two yours did not possess and could not be updated to. Sonos has essentially offered their clients free product upgrades. Personally and as a dealer I love this. Now the most important and I find the most interesting aspect of your comment. Definitely let me know your thoughts. Sonos has never shutdown a product, in fact they have done the opposite. They have allowed their older products to continue to live on in the form of the S1 app. You still have all of the features your products had at purchase, nothing has been removed or taken offline. I find this extraordinary. Sonos maintains the S1 app and as I understand will do so indefinitely. It is not the fault of Sonos that a product sold ten years prior cannot support a new technology but what is extraordinary is that they have allowed all older products to operate unchanged from their last tech update. Could you imagine holding other companies to this standard? Imagine going to your local Porsche dealer ten years after you purchased your car and saying…. “I’m never going to buy a new car from you because my older car cannot be upgraded to a hybrid EV??” Great question hope this lends some perspective. If though you feel I’m missing something in my interpretation, please LMK. Cheers
When I upgraded my system earlier this year. The Sonos system with the eras were an option before I went Bose. However the size of the eras were far too large to fit behind my couch (against a wall). Where the small but very mighty Bose 700s fit and sound excellent. It’s so awesome that we have choices in this area to make our hobby work.
I enjoy my Bose 700s as well. Unfortunately they are not as effective as they could be and lack any kind of spacial audio support. I love my Bose system, but can't help to be frustrated about the future of its Home speaker and Soundbar line. Their speakers are years old and so are its accessories. In that competitive environment, that's not enough to be successful in the long-term.
@@arno8460The Eras are better, there’s no doubt about that. The Bose 700s are fine for what they are and placed near listening position, they do their job. Nonetheless my criticism still stands and I don’t get, why Bose hasn’t adressed this lack of Atmos support in their home speaker and accessory line.
Great review! I love the flexibility. In my case, I want less boxes, not more. I would totally replace my current soundbar and conservative sub for just a soundbar 😊 If someone else wants lots of bass and rear speakers, they also can. Everybody wins! Oh and everything goes through my tv so one HDMI port is enough for me.
Man, I recently bought the Q990D. Caught a great deal on it for $1000. But I also have 2 Era 300’s, a sub mini, and have a 30% off code for Sonos and am tempted to get the Ultra and sell the Samsung….worth it?
@@Erikforehand ughh definitely what are you even thinking about since you already heave the 300’s and the sub. If you are still on the free return window send the Samsung one back
@@Erikforehand its best you sell it now since the upgrade will come really soon and you will lose even more money by selling if you wait or if you got the money you can just move the samsung system to a different room
It’s definitely worth it mate. I switched from the q990b to the ultra with dual subs and era 300s. Insane upgrade. Thunderous crystal clear sounds all around with the Sonos set up. Big upgrade from my old Sonos arc setup as well.
Hey, any chance that’s a coupon code that’s still in effect and you could share it?! I’d love a 30% discount code xD debating getting the entire system myself and price is a consideration
I have the (Arc 1, 2 Era300, 2x Sub Gen 3), I was very disappointed when i found out no DTS:X. I waited and waited and still no support. I wanted to get the Arc Ultra, but I might end up going with Sony or Samsung instead now. Good review though. Thanks
awesome video Andrew I have the ARC ULTRA + Sub Mini + ERA 100's in my 12 x 12 foot room with 7.5 foot ceiling and the sound is friggin amazing i have been a sonos owner for 8 years and have never had an issue as with customer service if i had a question was answered almost immediatley ( lucky i guess so it seems ) might down the road add the ERA 300's and one or two Sub 4's but i am extremely happy with what i have thx again for the review Andrew cheers from Canada
I was waiting on this review from you (and also from Caleb Denison at Digital Trends) as wifey gave the green light on this purchase. However, I was on the fence between Sonos and Sony Quad. Now I’m 100% team Sonos after your review! Thanks as always for your entertaining, thoughtful and informative reviews!
I Hope in the Next live stream or unplugged episode you two give us a more deep dive into the arc ultra vs bravia theatre quad comparison. Thanks for your great work much appreciated ❤
@@mffm069 i would like to hear about that comparison, I'm still thinking which one 🤔 I'm going to get, I'm already have a full Sonos surround sound system
I'll never understand why higher end soundbars aren't made so you can detach the left and right drivers so you can place them properly. Seems such an obvious simple improvement that would make imaging much better.
lol that defeats the whole purpose of what a soundbar is for. At that point it basically becomes a 2 channel setup. You might as well go with a real 2 channel setup.
@Prometheus1979 it would be 3 channel and you'd be free to leave them attached and use it as a single bar. But people who want the sides actually at the sides could do so. Stereo imaging was the only complaint Andrew had of this system. Doesn't seem an unreasonable feature at this price point.
I really just want a powered Left/Right/Center channel system with HDMI to come out at some point. In my mind it seems obvious, but maybe I'm one of only like 5 people who would buy one 😅
@@paulc5389Sony have that concept with the portable Sony HT A7x, it doesnt have any home media system feature basics like Dolby, DTS, heck theres not even any cable digital/ analog input option tho so who knows? Maybe that concept can become one for future home use. Basically the soundbar can be a home for the L/R satellite with a pin connector and each sattelites have battery in it/ plug if you want to permanently put them would be good
That’s what I meant to say a 3channel. I forgot about the center since I switched from theater setup to a 2 channel. I get what you saying but like I said it kind of defeats the purpose of a soundbar.
Another great review. Very impressive that this level of performance is available with the simplicity of an all in one system solution and is available at this price level versus building out a traditional home theater system. It seems like we're approaching the point where only those seeking very high level performance need to invest in such a traditional home theater system. The vast majority will be completely satisfied with a system such as the Sonos. Enjoy the last of the holiday weekend.
So glad to see you get into this vise brand. Definitely a level upgrade from a LCA. You are correct the Total Vise has 95% in 1 package of everything you need vs the other brands that you have to purchase adapters and accessories separately. I got mine about 6 months ago. Couldn’t be happier. Just wish it was lighter. Thing is built like a beast.
Here's my review: I was dissatisfied with the Sonos arc ultra so much that I ended up returning it. It severely lacks in midrange prowess and center stage. It is hard to hear the dialog -- which is why they added a "voice enhancement" button. Instead of using software, they should have increased the size and volume of the center drivers and made the bar a bit larger to accommodate. Also their tweeters have much to be desired. The bar sounds bright and tinny. On a positive note, the Atmos and simulated surround sound are excellent, but not enough to compensate for lack of overall sound quality. To be sure, Arc Ultra will likely sound good to the average consumer but audiophiles will pass on it.
What size room where you in, how far were you seated from it and at what height was it positioned relative to your seated ear height? Curious, because I want to see if I can aurally recreate (in simulation of course) your situation to see if the proposed response of any loudspeaker in the same position would follow the trends you're describing.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews hi. Smaller room. 14x14. It was about 12 feet away and the arc was positioned about 30 inches off ground. There are many complaints about this sound bar from other reviewers. I ended up returning it and purchased the ambeo plus. it sounds great and is much better musically and for theater. I’m very happy with that purchase! Have you heard or reviewed the sennheiser ambeo? BTW - great job on making this video!
Good work Andrew, I wonder if your testing in a larger room the Sonos setup has more room to breathe so to speak, I know you didn’t like the mini with the arc but in a smaller room it’s very impressive
I can’t agree with you more about this new arc. I absolutely love it paired with era 300s and only need one gen 4 sub. I had tried the Nakamichi but after 3 weeks I couldn’t get it anywhere that sounded to my liking and this setup is so much better than the dragon. I might add another sub down the road but for now this is outstanding for me!! It really outshines the old arc as well as the eras didn’t mesh with the arc the way they do with the ultra. Awesome review and 25hz is pretty damn impressive.
Good review, glad to see things are going better for Sonos. I have the Beam and was waitung for the new Arc reviews to come out before deciding to move forward. I have the old Sonos 1's for my surrounds. Will be interested to see how they perform with the Arc Ultra and how the Atmos works with them.
If I were in the market for a premium sound bar setup, I would seriously consider the Sonos system based on your overall review impressions. I'm glad to see that an American speaker company can compete with the best from all over the world. Their speakers really do sound fantastic.
Pairing a stereo pair of Era 300’s with a sub up front along with the full Sonos surround systems is Dramatically better than not having them paired. I have been doing it everyday for 18 months and it is a HUGE improvement if you want to be Inside the movie instead of just watching it. People really should try it, you won’t go back on movie night.
Explain in depth plz ... so don't add era as surrounds pair and group and use as stereo pair in front paired with a sub so I have 2 subs use one with arc other paired to 300s paired as stereo and grouped to arc in main living space?
How’s the audio delay these days? Last time I tried this I had a hell of a time dialing in the offset, seems like it varied per content/codec almost and the echos weren’t worth it for dialogue.
I have very little audio sync issues at all. The only pain is the volume for the tv remote doesn’t control the front era 300’s pair, but it is completely worth it for movies. It is basically the Sony quad system made of 4 Era 300’s, soundbar and 2 subs. I love it.
My setup is as follows: soundbar with 2 era 300’s as rear surrounds and sub in rear of room. I also have another pair of era 300’s and a sub in the front of the room. I group the front era 300’s and sub with the other full surround system using the app. It makes the front sound stage seem about 12 feet wider vs the soundbar alone. The vocals are also much more clear and full. It feels like a big bubble of sound and you are sitting inside it.
You thought you were ruffling feathers with your Bravia 9 review, now you're telling everyone Sonos can out perform traditional home theatre systems (to a price point), sometimes I think you just like to see the world burn. Lack of connectivity continues to kill Sonos for me, my living room setup still utilises an older Sony Bravia that only supports 2.0 passthrough, Sonos wouldn't allow me to get 5.1 from my Apple TV 4K let alone anything more immersive. The Samsung Q990C in that space isn't going anywhere for the time being, it's still plenty simple enough to hook up without compromising on performance.
Great review as always! I own the original Arc, plus era3’s, plus 2 gen 3’s with the 95” sony you recommended. I feel like that combo is better than a previous $60k high end audio/surround. That said, for music, i use a 2 channel system that bests it. I love your reviews - and have made me very happy when i’ve followed your recommendations! Appreciate you and Kristi so much! BTW, recently visited Montreal, and in the Four Seasons hotel, they had B&O’s in every room. Made me very happy!
You're one of the best reviewers, keep doing what you're doing. If I had the Arc + gen 3 + One SL, and I could do one upgrade (In a studio about 600 square feet but concrete building so no sound issues), would you recommend me upgrade to the ultra first or the 300s? Appreciate you and hope you had a great Thanksgiving!
@@pepejota38 the reason they didn’t include DTS is because only a small majority of the people who have a smart TV use DTS compared to Dolby Atmos (according to Sonos data that is) so they made a decision to not include it
Of course it was provided by Sonos. They rekindled their relationship with them hence how long it took their original review of the arc to come out. Sonos is lacking sales big time, so of course it was always going to be a glowing review.
@sethwestscoot9810 Your assertion is false. Brands sending products for evaluation has no bearing on a review’s outcome. Please read our FTC disclosures in the description of our reviews if you’re ever curious about how we do things on this channel, or before you start claiming things that aren’t true.
A few years ago, I tested a few different setups and ended up with the original Arc + sub + Era 300s and it is fantastic. Especially Atmos. When I win the lottery, I’ll upgrade.
For the price, I can’t get past the awful Sonos app experience; the constant speaker disconnects and failure to re-pair without resetting the router, and the horrendous audio lag with an Xbox on shooting and driving games. That’s what a surround should be good for. And it isn’t. For the money that should have been sorted by now. And as a result I could never justify upgrading from my beam and Sonos ones, which in themselves I’ve debated selling. Doesn’t matter how good they sound if they are reliant on an app and spotty self WiFi
Spotty wifi is such an easy fix with comcast gigabyte internet and asus aimesh network. That was what i went to school for. Eventhough now i work in economics. So def get yourself 3 Asus AX routers one ax6000 and two ax 3000 and run one or the AX as an advanced point. You can hardwire everything and no drop out. That's how i fixed my dads old Sony a90j with his fklipsch 5.1. Now no issues. But if you don't know how you may have to task rabbit it at extra cost. But i will say 10 years removed from network administration and asus aimesh network even with my hardware firewall was rather simplistic and intuitive. Watch some youtube videos on setting it up i promise you will be so much happier. Hard lining fixes everything.
It delivers- UNTIL the app issues, inept tech support, vanishing products from your system, Alexa conflicts, and you spend two days getting them to reconnect- but other than that, it delivers. Once you go Sonos, you’ll NEVER go back to Sonos.
Had Sonos, sold everything. Now I have an old school system again, amplifier, 2 very large speakers, a Rel subwoofer, and a bluesound. Works like a charm, en much much better sound quality!!
@MrGettemTV i had some weirdness using it for music but eventually it corrected itself. The audo in Sonos ARC is frigging amazing no matter were I stand in a very large room.. still don't really know how they'd that
Other than the sub, quad + sw5 much better: - no buggy app - stereo separation - DTS X support - more aesthetically pleasing - acoustic centre sync with sony tv
Can Sennheiser PLEASE be developing surround speakers finally to go along with their AMBEO line? The nerve of that company to boast that surrounds aren’t necessary with their advanced room correction tech got old a LONG time ago. They would be in the conversation with Samsung, Sonos, and Sony if they just added the complete immersive audio experience. And I would be singing their praises if they put wired subwoofer support into ALL their bars, and not just the AMBEO Max. To be able to use whatever sub I want with a soundbar system is the option I always want on hand, and the AMBEO Max is STILL the only soundbar that offers that luxury. 🎉
Incorrect, the Ambeo plus also has a sub out port for a wired subwoofer and also supports up to 4 wireless Sennheiser subwoofers. The mini only supports Sennheisers wireless subwoofers.
@@ealanosborne Haha, still love your reviews mate but certainly agree on the rear speakers, especially when they offer 4 wireless subs on their two sisters bars. Hopefully 2025 will be the year they pull their finger out! Klipsch Flexus 300 will be the next one to look out for anyway. That will have a sub out port and also have Dirac live available alongside a large soundbar and rear speakers. :)
Sonos arc Ultra is a great product, unfortunately I have to returned, I installed in a small room with a Pair of era 100, was so great at some point, but because of this sound bar has more tweeters, it feels that improve the clarity and atmos effects, but also that feels little bit harsh in some scenes and was cutting my ears, highly recommended for medium to large room size. So I went for a traditional system, after watching the great review here of the Marantz Cinema 70s I picked this Avr+ Focal Dome Flax and sounds amazing in small rooms!!
Curious why would you need more? The earc is coming from your TV or Receiver where all the connections are needed and routing all of the audio. I don't personally find it an issue, but on the original arc no bluetooth is definitely a pain. Glad they added that.
Having been a Sonos customer for a long time and being screwed by them twice, I don't see how you should trust them again. Do you think that you will get 10 years out of this system? I can't say I believe that to be the case. If you want the rocking sound, I get it but just know going in, this company is not to be trusted!
@@alb-mk2mt they killed off the vast majority of speakers a few years back until there was such an uproar that they gave them the S1 app so they would still work but not integrate or function with new products. Then with the app problems, we went months without functioning products. They are by all accounts a dysfunctional company and have had a huge hit in reputation and revenue due to the app issues. This will put them in a precious position as a public company and will force them to screw over their customers yet again. After having Sonos speakers in every room, along with the Arc, I sold off the home theater piece and purchased a Q990D and I am very happy with the purchase and having a system that doesn't need an app to function. They are not the beloved company they once were.
@@dipandvelcro I’’ve had Sonos gear now for well over 10 years and it’s been flawless. No problems whatsoever. I’m sorry your experience hasn’t been the same. I am completely unaffected by app-gate since I have never used the app other than for setup. I simply cast my music to whichever speaker I want and it works. AirPlay and Bluetooth are both horribly flaky in comparison so I don’t see there being any real competition.
Hey guys, I have an interesting scenario. Current setup is: Yamaha RX-V6A Klipsch RP-6000F Klipsch RP-50C I didn't really buy this to get into the "hobby". I love high quality sound (for my budget). Primary use 70% movie/tv, 30% music. I'm starting to wonder if I made the right choice. The RP-50C was a spur of the moment purchase because I was struggling with speech and it was cheap, but probably not a great match to the 6000Fs. I'm wondering whether the RX-V6A is getting the most out of the 6000Fs. We have a midsize room and the next items to purchase are probably a sub and ceiling speakers for rears. We have limited options for placing speakers behind us. But now I'm wondering if I should just simplify things and go Arc Ultra and Sub 4 and find somewhere for Era 300s (or don't get them). Alternately, could go Sony Theartre Quad and SW5. Rears for the Quad may be more flexible for placement? Will the sound quality of the Quad or Arc Ultra equal/beat the sound of my current setup? Will it be lacking for music? So confused.
I will never buy another Sonos product ever again, I've owned about $3,000 worth of Sonos gear and I got rid of all of it. Terrible support and bad software that just gets abandoned eventually. I like it when my speakers last a long time and don't just become bricks because Sonos Corporation has decided to render them inoperable. Good thing they'll give you a discount on buying a new one... Sonos is disposable tech, garbo. Buy literally anything else and it will be better.
Anything that isn’t a true AVR system with passive speakers is disposable tech Garbo lol. This isn’t Sonos exclusive. Every single soundbar or Sonos alternative falls into this category. With that said, you know this going into it. It’s a weird expectation to expect these products to last forever. Sonos deserves the criticism they have received, but if you’re buying into this expecting a buy it for life product, that’s simply ignroance on your own end.
@@fonkenful sure, but you can upgrade AVRs at a cheaper price than replacing whole systems. The speakers are what we are talking about here. Regardless, nothing should be expected to be buy it for life in tech. Weird expectation to have.
I think the fight is over now isn't it? At least I think the court case is done, and Google are reintroducing pairing to their products now so I presume they won - but yeah, Sonos seem to be holding a grudge.
I find it incredibly hard to believe you'd need to sspend 5k to build a comparable or better home theater system In fact I think you could build a better system for the price of the bar alone Love you and your reviews but seems a bit exagerative or people pleasy/bootlicky to sonos now that youre in their good graces The arc and ultra sound great but no, they dont compete with even entry level home theater builds at the 1.5k range let alone up to the 5k range lol Ive run a basic jamo s series build with a svs pb1000 and a basic receiever (which today would prob cost you tital 1.25k on sale) side by side with a sonos and it definitely blows out the arc even with the bells and whistle eras and subs. I havent heard it with 2 subs or side by side with an ultra but at that point youre spending like 3.5k and i still dont imagine it sounding better aside from maybe in the atmos spacial effects Spending 2.5-3.5k on a HT system you can imagine the disbaragement grows And thats just for movies, on music is an even larger difference as you mention the bars tend to lose sound stage which is so important for like 99.99% of what people listen to
@@owenernst7768 There is an eArc HDMI on the soundbar for the eArc HDMI port on the TV. You need eArc to get full Atmos from the TV (only Dolby 5.1 with Arc HDMI/Optical from TV). My LG OLEDs has four 2.1 HDMI ports and I use those for Blu-ray, PlayStation, Xfinity cable box, Sonos, etc.... Important to set the TV eArc HDMI port to bitstream or pass through and not PCM/ Auto.
I actually ended up selling my arc for $500 and got the ultra with a 15% discount direct from Sonos for having older products. I had a pair of Sonos 5s strictly for music listening and when I compared stereo listening to my new full Ultra + 300s + dual sub gen 3s, in full music listening modes, they were pretty similar so I ended up selling my pair of 5s. Ended up with a net positive $$ by a few hundred for upgrading lol.
Sonos has to be the most overhyped brand on earth. I was so dissapointed with my Sonos ARC, SUB and Era 300's....then got the Samsung Q990C system and the experience was just night and day. Zero tweaking, zero fiddling, everything just worked instantly and sounded fantastic with the Samsung; I cann't say the same for Sonos. Setup was far from easy with Sono, effortless with Samsung. To say I was surprised by my experience was an understatement. So glad I switched. That was a few months ago and I'm still in honeymoon phase.
I'm not sure what's wrong with your Sonos. I recently upgraded from the 990D to the Arc Ultra Ultimate set. In front of Sonos, the 990D's sound quality is very plastic and mudd.
Today I have installed, Arc and a Sub at our 12 seated meeting room. I now fully understand what people have experienced. If any meaningful discussion about Sonos wireless system is to be made, it must be in the installation process. We should passionately discourage people from buying their product, unless they change themselves in a more acceptable way.
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14:07 the best argument in favor of Sonos in my opinion. I now have a Sonos Arc + 2 Ones as surrounds. Now I can upgrade to 2 Era 300 as rears and keep the 2 Ones for other rooms. That's great and something you can't do with any other brand!
Just grabbed the arc ultra with 2 era 300s and the gen 4 sub for Black Friday.. absolutely blown away and can’t get enough of this setup!!
You lucky SOB
@@nathan.montanez how much did it cost you for this setup
Agreed. I’m running the ultra with dual gen 3 subs and the era 300s. Insane 🤯🔊⚡️
I picked up Sony Quads with SW5 this week based on you review. I heard the Ultra right before my purchase at my neighbors house, while both are fantastic. My back living room wall is a main walkway from our front door so having the quads wall mounted vs. era 300s was a no brainer for my room. We are absolutely loving the set up! From sound to aesthetics.
That's great to hear - glad you found the right setup for your room!
I bought the Nakamichi Dragon as soon as it launched because every RUclipsr was saying things like, “The Dragon is unmatched, it’s the best, it’s on another level.” But now, they all seem to be backtracking, which makes it hard for me to trust them anymore.
Lol😂😂
Not a single soul said dragon was a great investment
😂
You can't say that about us.
Soundbars in general suck if you’re coming from a 5.1.
I have always been sceptical towards sonos, but having heard a Arc + Sub recently, I am blown away. I ALWAYS find some time to listen to some music on it, because it is that good.
Another great review! Thank you.
I’m a 17 year Sonos customer and have been a very dedicated beta user for most of that time. I just finished a 2 week A/B test with the arc vs ultra. In all the rooms we tested it in, we noticed the original arc’s front l/r left channels to give much better width. The ultra’s l/r channels sounded like they were only coming from the bar directly not reflecting. The height on both is meh. If anything they both just seem messy in the height (used in treated and non treated rooms). The one thing going unnoticed is arc ultra has neutered older Sonos surrounds. When using the original arc the sound from test channels transition seamlessly between channels. You could hear a smooth transition. The ultra using , fives, ones, and the IKEA lamps would not transition, it combines l/r surrounds and rear l/r into the same channels so you get no transitions, instead a harsh jump from speaker to speaker. Only the 100/300 transition channels with the ultra like all other Sonos speakers do with the original arc. It was so bad that we thought we might have a unit with hardware issue.so we called in for support. In the past their multi tiered support team would work until it was corrected, fixed or replaced. I’m this case we were simply told it was working fine by the initial support team member then asked to give them a good score in a customer service survey.
The final deal breaker and what’s transitioning me away from supporting Sonos anymore after nearly 2 decades of loyalty, is they have removed SonosNet from new devises. A dedicated network over larger houses, (ours property includes a separate bulding with a studio). With SonosNet it’s like having a private track for your Porsche instead of having to drive in it bumper to bumper traffic. Being forced onto your wifi means the devices are now competing with in some cases hundreds of other devices. They don’t recommend not so the offer support when using a mesh router system. When you have connectivity issues the support team now defaults to blaming your wifi. In our property we had 24 speakers running. Often all I’m unison. Since having to switch to wifi we have not, in the last 16 months, be able to get all zones to play together. When we remove the eras and go back to SonosNet using the boost we have zero connectives issues.
In the years working with Sonos there have been rocky chapters but what’s difference now if the lack care and concern from Sonos as a company culture. In the past there was a dedicated team of engineers that would work with the more complicated issues to fix issue and ensure they would not happen again to other future users. There was a culture of wanting to improve and perfect the entire Sonos experience. Since the ipo the transition in culture has become remarkably disappointing. This latest app failures could have been prevented if they would have used the thousands of dedicated registered and eager beta testers. Instead it was open up to a handful of them less than a month before launch and instead of listening to the overwhelming beta feedback they decided to ignore it cancel the beta and go live. Nothing shines a light in the state of the company more than that decision.
Thanks again for the great review guys. I hope my notes help broaden some perspective for those needed it.
Happy Thanksgiving to our American friends. 🍻
This was the video I needed. I'm so impressed with your channel, and have been following your advice on upgrading my systems. The culmination for Sonos up to this point can be seen across. your general videos and expert observations. Thanks for taking the time to make these!
Thank you for the kind comment, Ryan! I'm so happy to know that the videos have been helpful!
I have one. I love it. No issues with the app. Thanks for the review I watched to confirm I made good choices!
I have 20 Sonos pieces and don't have issues with the app like other had experienced (oldest Beam 1, newest Arc Ultra). Worse thing that happened was being away from home for several weeks and some speakers fell asleep and didn't wake up in the app. Power reset at each speaker woke everything up (only happened once in 4 years). Having an on/off button on the speakers would have been quicker instead of crawling around for the power cords.
Great review. I updated from the Arc to the Ultra w/ 2 subs and Era 300s and it just keeps surprising me. The sound is wide, crisp, dynamic, and enveloping. The full kit isn't cheap, but the quality and aesthetics really do outperform any other home theater system in the same price range. Even stereo playback with the immersive set doesn't feel like its struggling to match my dedicated stereo setup.
I am prob. Going for the same set up but would you suggest it for a 98 inch tv? I am concerned the sound field will feel smaller than the image itself.
We have the same Sonos arc ultra, two 300s and two gen 4 subs in our bedroom and damn! Insanely good for movies and music.
The GOAT is dethroned! Thanks for getting this out just in time for Cyber Monday.
Oof. Nakamichi wishing Andrew would forget the Dragon exists. 😂😂
I remember when Sonos didn’t send you the Arc when you had requested for it. Glad to see things have changed.
I’ve been saying that entry-level traditional home theater systems will be overtaken by soundbars, especially after the launch of the Era300. You simply can’t beat the simplicity and revolutionary technologies that soundbar systems offer. When you factor in the cost of installation, running wires, and professional tuning, traditional systems can easily end up costing more to outperform Sonos.
Sonos just has so many little things that I love. That app thing was rough for sure. But it seems okay now. The simplicity of setup and use are huge pluses. And I cannot stress enough the Apple Music being native is the single biggest reason that I continue to buy their products. Have a great week love what you are doing!
I really think Sonos has rebounded nicely, and the user experience inside the App is now, more or less, how it's always been, which is great!
The arc ultra is actually a nice upgrade from the arc. I didn't think it would be, but I got it 15% off and I think it's definitely worth it. It's a entirely different speaker than the original, everything sounds different, the front atmos is massively improved and voices are super clear.
Thank you for sharing your experience!
Thank You Andrew for your great description on the Arc system, You have put me on the right track for my purchase.
I’ve had Sonos for a few years now. Honestly I’ve had very very limited issues since day one. The one issue I had turned out to be at my end (WiFi) but even that never affected the products at all. Just commenting for some balance.
I appreciate that. It's good to have a well-rounded perspective.
Just setup another 6 channels on my theater system. It took three days of work with a drop ceiling. I can see why these systems are popular. It's a pain to setup a proper theater. I can't imagine anything sounding better though.
If you are wondering why Bose bought McIntosh, you are probably looking at the answer right here. Wait for the review on the new McIntosh soundbar, coming soon!
My guess would be soundbars are outselling home theater 10 to 1. And I have nothing against soundbars, I have a basic Yamaha soundbar with a sub upstairs and I have no complaints with the sound. In fact it did make me wonder if home theater really is worth all the trouble. I'm old school though, so I like tinkering with all the home theater gear. But for most people, I think this is what the large majority will be choosing from now on.
I mean if you do most of your music listening on ear buds or phones, you are not going to mind the sound of a soundbar in the least.
Thanks!
Thank you 🙏
I'm looking forward to watching this one and see how you two "ruffle the apple cart" this time! :-) Happy post-Thanksgiving!
I never intend to upset anyone; nevertheless, it always seems to happen. Enjoy the video!
@@andrewrobinsonreviews and now you know I do indeed watch the end of your videos!
Heck yeah! I hope Kristi is preparing a new saying for the next unplugged episode 😂
Right on. Happy Sunday! Greetings
Enjoy Max!
Best review I’ve watched all year. Congrats
That's so kind of you.
Thanks for your hard work on this review. I can tell your experience with this product excites you. In my home this type of a setup will be instrumental over a traditional home theater.
I really like the design and the fact that you can buy components later but the lack of DTS-X support really bugs me. At this price it is inexcusable. I still listen to physical media so for me it's a must.
Same! So I've been looking at other options LG S95TR since I'm pairing with an LG OLED. Have you had any luck finding a high end sound bar you like supporting DTS?
@Mikobu360 for me the Sennheiser Ambeo is a good contender but the lack of physical surrounds is a problem. And although not a soundbar but the Sony theatre Quad is kind of interesting but way too expensive. So i am hoping Samsung will bring out a way better looking home audio product in 2025 and not the Q990E or something😄.
I have an open floor plan home getting framed in 2 weeks and have been watching numerous Nakamichi Dragon reviews, I was fixing to pull the trigger on the 12” sub model. Now, after seeing this review and your review on the Dragon, I am second guessing!
After investing 25 years into my home theater. Im burnt out! All the hype of atmos up to 11.2 with huge speakers, etc.
And feel like it wasn't worth all the work. Just because something is coded in Atmos doesn't mean the film did a great job! You can have the equipment, but if there isn't a ton coded to fully push the limits of your gear. Why have it!?
To save someone years of tone chasing. Bigger doesn't mean better!
That being said.... part of me feels if i added 1.21 gigawatts of power i could hit 88 mph sending me back to Oct 26 1985.
Happy Sunday. As always excellent review! Now heading to Best Buy before sales end. Thank you.
Just got dad set up with an arc ultra and 2 subs. He is smitten. 😊
So glad he's enjoying it!
Your Dad is LUCKY
Wish we could add eras 300s to the front right and left. Would be a crazy complete setup
Great review Andrew. I just can’t get over the limitations of physics a bar system would have compared to traditional. I can however see that these limitations are also kind of an advantage. You won’t fuss over placement, cabling, aesthetics etc with a sound bar system, you’re more likely to plug n play and not stress. I can see that attraction.
Soundbars typically are low on stress, clutter, and space while maximizing the experience with a lower buy-in.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews And when the control app works, the ease of set-up, daily use and flexibility is hard to ignore. I’ve mentioned numerous times that I have two adult children heavily invested in the whole home Sonos ecosystem - one of them even use Sonos in a restaurant- and it absolutely worked wonders for them, until this year’s “issues”.
@@ClemFandango72 it’s about setting expectations. They’re claiming all those channels but they’re all packed into a 1.1 physical system. So it’s mono plus and very room dependent. I like them for a lot of people but also worry that we’re not exposing people to actual good front soundstage.
@ I own a couple soundbars (Sonus Playbars), and I think I’m like 95% of people who own one. Which is we bought it to assist with vocals/dialogue issues that we experience with rear facing speakers from panel TVs. We didn’t buy it to replace a home theater. I’m sure there’s plenty of people in that camp too but I gotta assume the majority are like me.
@@ClemFandango72 those are the majority in the more budget range. But the people buying these higher end bars are getting sucked into the marketing behind them. 5.1, 7.1, 9.1, 11.1 channels! They see 11.1 channels and think they’re getting a home theater experience. I run into it all the time. For someone without a reference this is home theater to them. And that’s just sad really. Especially when a powered stereo monitor is almost as convenient and performs better for less money.
I was waiting for your review on this. Thanks
Glad you didn't have to wait too long.
@andrewrobinsonreviews sorry did not mean to be short with the comment. I appreciate your honest reviews on AV based on testing and knowledge. Having Sonos gear in my house already and looking for solutions for my basement, I was waiting for the Ultra and your review to make a decision. Thank you for the videos, and Happy Holidays!
No HDMI input at all and not supporting for full spectrum of DTS just blows my mind. I know DTS is less important for most buyers but at Flagship prices, it’s just maddening they wouldn’t go those few extra TINY steps to be a legitimate contender to other options out there.. I’ve always wanted to try out the Sonos for my living room, but without HDMI and DTS it’s a nonstarter for me.
Then you are limiting yourselves not seeing the forest for the trees
If you have a newer model TV with eARC, you don't really need an extra HDMI port on the sound bar. And you can set your Blu-ray player to convert DTS to lossless multichannel PCM which still sounds great.
@ ya the stupid LG c2 won’t pass through DTS which is mute since the soundbar doesn’t support full DTS anyways. As for my Blu-ray converting in PCM audio as opposed to bitstream, you’re downmixing the audio and entire point of DTS X. All of which I’m not going to do with one of the most expensive soundbars out there. I also utilize the HDMI passthrough on my Samsung to give me additional HDMI port so I can utilize two consoles along with my Blu-ray , cable box and Apple TV.
Excellent Review 👍🏼 I can definitely see myself getting this system when I go from my dedicated theater to a more simplistic theater experience without giving up much..
I served on a Sonos advisory board in Seattle Washington last month. I can confirm….
Sonos IS listening to dealers and customers as well. They have demonstrated to me they have heard the criticisms of their app debacle and continue to not only fix the issues of the past but are also charting a new course. I have historically felt Sonos is chasing the low to mid fidelity market. From what I saw and heard at my recent meeting they are now and will be knocking on the door of their higher priced competitors very soon.
So excited to see where Sonos is heading.
@@SENCORE_ISF That’s all well and good but what happens in 5 years when Sonos decides that my $2,000 system is obsolete and shuts down support on its app? With no Bluetooth I’m not going to be able to stream my music directly to it. My blu-ray collection might as well be garbage because there’s no DTS support. I agree that if all you do is stream content with Dolby Atmos/DD+ and listen to Spotify then this will be fine for you…for a couple of years. No thanks from Texas.
@@jamesphillips4599
Sonos does not support DTS HD formats, if that Is a dealbreaker when considering purchasing a Sonos system, I get it, I understand completely.
The obsolescence statement I find super interesting.
Would be interested to hear your thoughts after you read this…..
Sonos in my experience is far and away your best bet bar none regarding any technological advancements and preventing your products from becoming obsolete.
Sonos has consistently offered firmware updates to products to enhance their feature sets. This alone has increased the lifespan of their products. Customers should be extremely happy being back in the day if you purchased a receiver in 1998, you were almost assured of feeling some envy in 1999 when the new receiver came out with a feature or two yours did not possess and could not be updated to. Sonos has essentially offered their clients free product upgrades. Personally and as a dealer I love this.
Now the most important and I find the most interesting aspect of your comment.
Definitely let me know your thoughts.
Sonos has never shutdown a product, in fact they have done the opposite. They have allowed their older products to continue to live on in the form of the S1 app. You still have all of the features your products had at purchase, nothing has been removed or taken offline. I find this extraordinary. Sonos maintains the S1 app and as I understand will do so indefinitely. It is not the fault of Sonos that a product sold ten years prior cannot support a new technology but what is extraordinary is that they have allowed all older products to operate unchanged from their last tech update. Could you imagine holding other companies to this standard? Imagine going to your local Porsche dealer ten years after you purchased your car and saying…. “I’m never going to buy a new car from you because my older car cannot be upgraded to a hybrid EV??”
Great question hope this lends some perspective. If though you feel I’m missing something in my interpretation, please LMK.
Cheers
@@SENCORE_ISF period
@@jamesphillips4599totally agree!
When I upgraded my system earlier this year. The Sonos system with the eras were an option before I went Bose. However the size of the eras were far too large to fit behind my couch (against a wall). Where the small but very mighty Bose 700s fit and sound excellent. It’s so awesome that we have choices in this area to make our hobby work.
I enjoy my Bose 700s as well. Unfortunately they are not as effective as they could be and lack any kind of spacial audio support. I love my Bose system, but can't help to be frustrated about the future of its Home speaker and Soundbar line. Their speakers are years old and so are its accessories. In that competitive environment, that's not enough to be successful in the long-term.
This is really apples and pears, the Bose 700's cannot compete with a full Sonos setup. There's also a reason the Era's are larger.
@@arno8460The Eras are better, there’s no doubt about that. The Bose 700s are fine for what they are and placed near listening position, they do their job. Nonetheless my criticism still stands and I don’t get, why Bose hasn’t adressed this lack of Atmos support in their home speaker and accessory line.
Great review! I love the flexibility. In my case, I want less boxes, not more. I would totally replace my current soundbar and conservative sub for just a soundbar 😊 If someone else wants lots of bass and rear speakers, they also can. Everybody wins! Oh and everything goes through my tv so one HDMI port is enough for me.
@@JeffHeon me too. One HDMI works for me, I run all thru my TV
Just bought an ultra arc and a sub 4 after seeing your review. thanks!
Man, I recently bought the Q990D. Caught a great deal on it for $1000. But I also have 2 Era 300’s, a sub mini, and have a 30% off code for Sonos and am tempted to get the Ultra and sell the Samsung….worth it?
@@Erikforehand ughh definitely what are you even thinking about since you already heave the 300’s and the sub. If you are still on the free return window send the Samsung one back
@@MLTAKOSi bought thr Samsung back in July. I knew the arc ultra was coming. Should have been more patient…
@@Erikforehand its best you sell it now since the upgrade will come really soon and you will lose even more money by selling if you wait or if you got the money you can just move the samsung system to a different room
It’s definitely worth it mate. I switched from the q990b to the ultra with dual subs and era 300s. Insane upgrade. Thunderous crystal clear sounds all around with the Sonos set up. Big upgrade from my old Sonos arc setup as well.
Hey, any chance that’s a coupon code that’s still in effect and you could share it?! I’d love a 30% discount code xD debating getting the entire system myself and price is a consideration
Great Sunday everyone!!!
I have the (Arc 1, 2 Era300, 2x Sub Gen 3), I was very disappointed when i found out no DTS:X. I waited and waited and still no support. I wanted to get the Arc Ultra, but I might end up going with Sony or Samsung instead now. Good review though. Thanks
awesome video Andrew I have the ARC ULTRA + Sub Mini + ERA 100's in my 12 x 12 foot room with 7.5 foot ceiling and the sound is friggin amazing i have been a sonos owner for 8 years and have never had an issue as with customer service if i had a question was answered almost immediatley ( lucky i guess so it seems ) might down the road add the ERA 300's and one or two Sub 4's but i am extremely happy with what i have thx again for the review Andrew cheers from Canada
I was waiting on this review from you (and also from Caleb Denison at Digital Trends) as wifey gave the green light on this purchase. However, I was on the fence between Sonos and Sony Quad. Now I’m 100% team Sonos after your review! Thanks as always for your entertaining, thoughtful and informative reviews!
I'm glad you found the review helpful!
I Hope in the Next live stream or unplugged episode you two give us a more deep dive into the arc ultra vs bravia theatre quad comparison. Thanks for your great work much appreciated ❤
@@mffm069 i would like to hear about that comparison, I'm still thinking which one 🤔 I'm going to get, I'm already have a full Sonos surround sound system
We do in today's Unplugged: ruclips.net/video/Bxb-qeGYEww/видео.htmlfeature=shared
I'll never understand why higher end soundbars aren't made so you can detach the left and right drivers so you can place them properly. Seems such an obvious simple improvement that would make imaging much better.
lol that defeats the whole purpose of what a soundbar is for. At that point it basically becomes a 2 channel setup. You might as well go with a real 2 channel setup.
@Prometheus1979 it would be 3 channel and you'd be free to leave them attached and use it as a single bar. But people who want the sides actually at the sides could do so. Stereo imaging was the only complaint Andrew had of this system. Doesn't seem an unreasonable feature at this price point.
I really just want a powered Left/Right/Center channel system with HDMI to come out at some point. In my mind it seems obvious, but maybe I'm one of only like 5 people who would buy one 😅
@@paulc5389Sony have that concept with the portable Sony HT A7x, it doesnt have any home media system feature basics like Dolby, DTS, heck theres not even any cable digital/ analog input option tho so who knows? Maybe that concept can become one for future home use.
Basically the soundbar can be a home for the L/R satellite with a pin connector and each sattelites have battery in it/ plug if you want to permanently put them would be good
That’s what I meant to say a 3channel. I forgot about the center since I switched from theater setup to a 2 channel. I get what you saying but like I said it kind of defeats the purpose of a soundbar.
Thank you for this brother Andrew…was seriously awaiting it…
From DUBAI with ❤
Appreciate you tuning into the video! We hope it was helpful and worth the wait.
@ god bless you brother Andrew..
Another great review. Very impressive that this level of performance is available with the simplicity of an all in one system solution and is available at this price level versus building out a traditional home theater system. It seems like we're approaching the point where only those seeking very high level performance need to invest in such a traditional home theater system. The vast majority will be completely satisfied with a system such as the Sonos. Enjoy the last of the holiday weekend.
Thank you, and I think you and I are on the same page when it comes to how the home theater hobby has changed and is likely to be split going forward.
First time watching one of your videos - this was exactly the kind of review I was looking for. Thank you
Glad it was helpful!
Same, this was exactly the review I was looking for.
So glad to see you get into this vise brand. Definitely a level upgrade from a LCA.
You are correct the Total Vise has 95% in 1 package of everything you need vs the other brands that you have to purchase adapters and accessories separately.
I got mine about 6 months ago. Couldn’t be happier. Just wish it was lighter. Thing is built like a beast.
Sonos Arc Ultra + Sub Gen 4 VS B&O Beosound Stage?
@@nirsasi2856 I got the stage. It’s sounds better. And looks better.
Stage sounds good but can't be expanded. That may change.
Dang - you and other reviewers have me seriously considering this.
Here's my review: I was dissatisfied with the Sonos arc ultra so much that I ended up returning it. It severely lacks in midrange prowess and center stage. It is hard to hear the dialog -- which is why they added a "voice enhancement" button. Instead of using software, they should have increased the size and volume of the center drivers and made the bar a bit larger to accommodate. Also their tweeters have much to be desired. The bar sounds bright and tinny. On a positive note, the Atmos and simulated surround sound are excellent, but not enough to compensate for lack of overall sound quality.
To be sure, Arc Ultra will likely sound good to the average consumer but audiophiles will pass on it.
What size room where you in, how far were you seated from it and at what height was it positioned relative to your seated ear height? Curious, because I want to see if I can aurally recreate (in simulation of course) your situation to see if the proposed response of any loudspeaker in the same position would follow the trends you're describing.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews hi. Smaller room. 14x14. It was about 12 feet away and the arc was positioned about 30 inches off ground.
There are many complaints about this sound bar from other reviewers. I ended up returning it and purchased the ambeo plus. it sounds great and is much better musically and for theater.
I’m very happy with that purchase!
Have you heard or reviewed the sennheiser ambeo?
BTW - great job on making this video!
Good work Andrew, I wonder if your testing in a larger room the Sonos setup has more room to breathe so to speak, I know you didn’t like the mini with the arc but in a smaller room it’s very impressive
I can’t agree with you more about this new arc. I absolutely love it paired with era 300s and only need one gen 4 sub. I had tried the Nakamichi but after 3 weeks I couldn’t get it anywhere that sounded to my liking and this setup is so much better than the dragon. I might add another sub down the road but for now this is outstanding for me!! It really outshines the old arc as well as the eras didn’t mesh with the arc the way they do with the ultra. Awesome review and 25hz is pretty damn impressive.
Good review, glad to see things are going better for Sonos. I have the Beam and was waitung for the new Arc reviews to come out before deciding to move forward. I have the old Sonos 1's for my surrounds. Will be interested to see how they perform with the Arc Ultra and how the Atmos works with them.
So the 990D is still the one to beat in bang for your buck.
They upgrade it every year, so prices just go silly. People in the UK were getting it for £500 a few weeks ago 😂
Agreed, but I’ve never heard Atmos work so damn well and Sonos has something special here as long as they keep fixing the app.
If I were in the market for a premium sound bar setup, I would seriously consider the Sonos system based on your overall review impressions. I'm glad to see that an American speaker company can compete with the best from all over the world. Their speakers really do sound fantastic.
Pairing a stereo pair of Era 300’s with a sub up front along with the full Sonos surround systems is Dramatically better than not having them paired. I have been doing it everyday for 18 months and it is a HUGE improvement if you want to be Inside the movie instead of just watching it. People really should try it, you won’t go back on movie night.
Explain in depth plz ... so don't add era as surrounds pair and group and use as stereo pair in front paired with a sub so I have 2 subs use one with arc other paired to 300s paired as stereo and grouped to arc in main living space?
How’s the audio delay these days? Last time I tried this I had a hell of a time dialing in the offset, seems like it varied per content/codec almost and the echos weren’t worth it for dialogue.
I have very little audio sync issues at all. The only pain is the volume for the tv remote doesn’t control the front era 300’s pair, but it is completely worth it for movies. It is basically the Sony quad system made of 4 Era 300’s, soundbar and 2 subs. I love it.
My setup is as follows: soundbar with 2 era 300’s as rear surrounds and sub in rear of room. I also have another pair of era 300’s and a sub in the front of the room. I group the front era 300’s and sub with the other full surround system using the app. It makes the front sound stage seem about 12 feet wider vs the soundbar alone. The vocals are also much more clear and full. It feels like a big bubble of sound and you are sitting inside it.
Awesome video! I been waiting for you to put this one out. Thanks for the content as always and as you said before the EOY,😊.
My pleasure!
You thought you were ruffling feathers with your Bravia 9 review, now you're telling everyone Sonos can out perform traditional home theatre systems (to a price point), sometimes I think you just like to see the world burn. Lack of connectivity continues to kill Sonos for me, my living room setup still utilises an older Sony Bravia that only supports 2.0 passthrough, Sonos wouldn't allow me to get 5.1 from my Apple TV 4K let alone anything more immersive. The Samsung Q990C in that space isn't going anywhere for the time being, it's still plenty simple enough to hook up without compromising on performance.
Good morning! Happy rivalry weekend to you all.
Hook 'em! I love how Manning entered the game and one-play, one-score 😂
Great review as always! I own the original Arc, plus era3’s, plus 2 gen 3’s with the 95” sony you recommended. I feel like that combo is better than a previous $60k high end audio/surround. That said, for music, i use a 2 channel system that bests it. I love your reviews - and have made me very happy when i’ve followed your recommendations! Appreciate you and Kristi so much! BTW, recently visited Montreal, and in the Four Seasons hotel, they had B&O’s in every room. Made me very happy!
You're one of the best reviewers, keep doing what you're doing. If I had the Arc + gen 3 + One SL, and I could do one upgrade (In a studio about 600 square feet but concrete building so no sound issues), would you recommend me upgrade to the ultra first or the 300s? Appreciate you and hope you had a great Thanksgiving!
I would get a pair of 300s to mate with the ARC for a better, more immersive surround/Atmos experience since you already own a sub.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Appreciate yall. Thank you!
no dts, no hdmi pass in 2024. Thats very bad for the sonos price
@@pepejota38 the reason they didn’t include DTS is because only a small majority of the people who have a smart TV use DTS compared to Dolby Atmos (according to Sonos data that is) so they made a decision to not include it
Good review... Sonos really did it with this one... It`s freaking expensive but gosh, it sounds pristine...
Did Sonos provide the Arc Ultra or did you purchase it yourself?
Of course it was provided by Sonos. They rekindled their relationship with them hence how long it took their original review of the arc to come out. Sonos is lacking sales big time, so of course it was always going to be a glowing review.
@sethwestscoot9810 Your assertion is false. Brands sending products for evaluation has no bearing on a review’s outcome. Please read our FTC disclosures in the description of our reviews if you’re ever curious about how we do things on this channel, or before you start claiming things that aren’t true.
Have the ultra with 300s and dual gen3 subs. Its fantastic! 🤌
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Not even pulling punches on Nakamichi anymore. Awesome.
Damn it! Right after I invested in the Samsung 990D, this thing gets announced! Thanks for the great review as always.
You still have a GREAT soundbar system and one that is a greater value overall.
A few years ago, I tested a few different setups and ended up with the original Arc + sub + Era 300s and it is fantastic. Especially Atmos. When I win the lottery, I’ll upgrade.
The price difference is extreme, but how do you think it stacks up against B&O Theatre?
900 to 1000 extreme?
@ the theatre is 10 grand for just the soundbar alone
Thank you for finally answering the question of Bravia Quad vs Sonos Arc Ultra full system vs Q990d.
3 years have gone fast
Tell me about it.
@@andrewrobinsonreviewshaha
Awesome this is posted!!!
Hope you enjoyed it!
For the price, I can’t get past the awful Sonos app experience; the constant speaker disconnects and failure to re-pair without resetting the router, and the horrendous audio lag with an Xbox on shooting and driving games. That’s what a surround should be good for. And it isn’t. For the money that should have been sorted by now. And as a result I could never justify upgrading from my beam and Sonos ones, which in themselves I’ve debated selling. Doesn’t matter how good they sound if they are reliant on an app and spotty self WiFi
Spotty wifi is such an easy fix with comcast gigabyte internet and asus aimesh network. That was what i went to school for. Eventhough now i work in economics. So def get yourself 3 Asus AX routers one ax6000 and two ax 3000 and run one or the AX as an advanced point. You can hardwire everything and no drop out. That's how i fixed my dads old Sony a90j with his fklipsch 5.1. Now no issues. But if you don't know how you may have to task rabbit it at extra cost. But i will say 10 years removed from network administration and asus aimesh network even with my hardware firewall was rather simplistic and intuitive. Watch some youtube videos on setting it up i promise you will be so much happier. Hard lining fixes everything.
Great review my man
Thank you.
It delivers- UNTIL the app issues, inept tech support, vanishing products from your system, Alexa conflicts, and you spend two days getting them to reconnect- but other than that, it delivers. Once you go Sonos, you’ll NEVER go back to Sonos.
Had Sonos, sold everything.
Now I have an old school system again, amplifier, 2 very large speakers, a Rel subwoofer, and a bluesound.
Works like a charm, en much much better sound quality!!
Yet every review video they recommend it like its worth its price
I never have any issues with my system. 2yrs strong 💪🏾 it’s mainly about your WiFi connection honestly.
@MrGettemTV i had some weirdness using it for music but eventually it corrected itself.
The audo in Sonos ARC is frigging amazing no matter were I stand in a very large room.. still don't really know how they'd that
Just sold my Sonos. The app update knocked two speakers out. Countless wasted hours later I was ready to throw it into the bin.
Is it better than the theatre + beolab 28s?
No.
How does the bar compare to the theatre? Or the stage for that matter.
Other than the sub, quad + sw5 much better:
- no buggy app
- stereo separation
- DTS X support
- more aesthetically pleasing
- acoustic centre sync with sony tv
Aaaaah so you had it on the roster!Tuning in now!
No three year wait this time 😂
@@andrewrobinsonreviewsexactly!!! Great review Andrew! Appreciate you giving us great content
Can Sennheiser PLEASE be developing surround speakers finally to go along with their AMBEO line? The nerve of that company to boast that surrounds aren’t necessary with their advanced room correction tech got old a LONG time ago.
They would be in the conversation with Samsung, Sonos, and Sony if they just added the complete immersive audio experience.
And I would be singing their praises if they put wired subwoofer support into ALL their bars, and not just the AMBEO Max. To be able to use whatever sub I want with a soundbar system is the option I always want on hand, and the AMBEO Max is STILL the only soundbar that offers that luxury. 🎉
Incorrect, the Ambeo plus also has a sub out port for a wired subwoofer and also supports up to 4 wireless Sennheiser subwoofers. The mini only supports Sennheisers wireless subwoofers.
@ “Umm, actually…” 😁
@@ealanosborne Haha, still love your reviews mate but certainly agree on the rear speakers, especially when they offer 4 wireless subs on their two sisters bars. Hopefully 2025 will be the year they pull their finger out!
Klipsch Flexus 300 will be the next one to look out for anyway. That will have a sub out port and also have Dirac live available alongside a large soundbar and rear speakers. :)
@@S1mmz Very true! Klipsch has been so-so with soundbar systems, but Flexus is promising with the list of features! 🎉
Sonos arc Ultra is a great product, unfortunately I have to returned, I installed in a small room with a Pair of era 100, was so great at some point, but because of this sound bar has more tweeters, it feels that improve the clarity and atmos effects, but also that feels little bit harsh in some scenes and was cutting my ears, highly recommended for medium to large room size. So I went for a traditional system, after watching the great review here of the Marantz Cinema 70s I picked this Avr+ Focal Dome Flax and sounds amazing in small rooms!!
1 hdmi port is a no-go for me. Such a dumb decision by Sonos to not offer more inputs.
I'm curious about your opinion on this, is it an issue of not wanting to rely on eARC?
Works for me.
Curious why would you need more? The earc is coming from your TV or Receiver where all the connections are needed and routing all of the audio. I don't personally find it an issue, but on the original arc no bluetooth is definitely a pain. Glad they added that.
Hi Andrew, how would Arc Ultra compare to Beosound Theatre sound wise?
Having been a Sonos customer for a long time and being screwed by them twice, I don't see how you should trust them again. Do you think that you will get 10 years out of this system? I can't say I believe that to be the case. If you want the rocking sound, I get it but just know going in, this company is not to be trusted!
@@dipandvelcro what happened to you? I thought they were really trustworthy
@@alb-mk2mt they killed off the vast majority of speakers a few years back until there was such an uproar that they gave them the S1 app so they would still work but not integrate or function with new products. Then with the app problems, we went months without functioning products. They are by all accounts a dysfunctional company and have had a huge hit in reputation and revenue due to the app issues. This will put them in a precious position as a public company and will force them to screw over their customers yet again. After having Sonos speakers in every room, along with the Arc, I sold off the home theater piece and purchased a Q990D and I am very happy with the purchase and having a system that doesn't need an app to function. They are not the beloved company they once were.
Glad you're happy with Samsung. Qq: why spend time and word vomit here?
@@dipandvelcro I’’ve had Sonos gear now for well over 10 years and it’s been flawless. No problems whatsoever. I’m sorry your experience hasn’t been the same. I am completely unaffected by app-gate since I have never used the app other than for setup. I simply cast my music to whichever speaker I want and it works. AirPlay and Bluetooth are both horribly flaky in comparison so I don’t see there being any real competition.
Hey guys,
I have an interesting scenario.
Current setup is:
Yamaha RX-V6A
Klipsch RP-6000F
Klipsch RP-50C
I didn't really buy this to get into the "hobby". I love high quality sound (for my budget).
Primary use 70% movie/tv, 30% music.
I'm starting to wonder if I made the right choice.
The RP-50C was a spur of the moment purchase because I was struggling with speech and it was cheap, but probably not a great match to the 6000Fs.
I'm wondering whether the RX-V6A is getting the most out of the 6000Fs.
We have a midsize room and the next items to purchase are probably a sub and ceiling speakers for rears. We have limited options for placing speakers behind us.
But now I'm wondering if I should just simplify things and go Arc Ultra and Sub 4 and find somewhere for Era 300s (or don't get them). Alternately, could go Sony Theartre Quad and SW5. Rears for the Quad may be more flexible for placement?
Will the sound quality of the Quad or Arc Ultra equal/beat the sound of my current setup? Will it be lacking for music? So confused.
No it wont, 99.9% of the time Soundbars are not a good investment of your time and money. Your setup is much better and also upgradeable!
I will never buy another Sonos product ever again, I've owned about $3,000 worth of Sonos gear and I got rid of all of it. Terrible support and bad software that just gets abandoned eventually. I like it when my speakers last a long time and don't just become bricks because Sonos Corporation has decided to render them inoperable. Good thing they'll give you a discount on buying a new one... Sonos is disposable tech, garbo. Buy literally anything else and it will be better.
Anything that isn’t a true AVR system with passive speakers is disposable tech Garbo lol. This isn’t Sonos exclusive. Every single soundbar or Sonos alternative falls into this category.
With that said, you know this going into it. It’s a weird expectation to expect these products to last forever. Sonos deserves the criticism they have received, but if you’re buying into this expecting a buy it for life product, that’s simply ignroance on your own end.
Apple’s HomePods have been getting support for years since it launched. I love mine. Music and movies sound amazing.
@@Darkk_SageSo, changes in processing codes has never affected surround receivers or processors?
@@fonkenful sure, but you can upgrade AVRs at a cheaper price than replacing whole systems. The speakers are what we are talking about here. Regardless, nothing should be expected to be buy it for life in tech. Weird expectation to have.
Buy restored vintage, problem solved. My Marantz 2235b and Polk Monitor 10B blow away any soundbar.
So glad you made the right comparisons !!
Sonos & Google are fighting; Google Assistant is not available on newer Sonos products.
I think the fight is over now isn't it? At least I think the court case is done, and Google are reintroducing pairing to their products now so I presume they won - but yeah, Sonos seem to be holding a grudge.
Since almost a week it is not possible to connect Sonos to Google.
I am happy with this beast! I am planning on changing from a Samsung tv to Benq TK710 eARC projector hope works smooth
I find it incredibly hard to believe you'd need to sspend 5k to build a comparable or better home theater system
In fact I think you could build a better system for the price of the bar alone
Love you and your reviews but seems a bit exagerative or people pleasy/bootlicky to sonos now that youre in their good graces
The arc and ultra sound great but no, they dont compete with even entry level home theater builds at the 1.5k range let alone up to the 5k range lol
Ive run a basic jamo s series build with a svs pb1000 and a basic receiever (which today would prob cost you tital 1.25k on sale) side by side with a sonos and it definitely blows out the arc even with the bells and whistle eras and subs. I havent heard it with 2 subs or side by side with an ultra but at that point youre spending like 3.5k and i still dont imagine it sounding better aside from maybe in the atmos spacial effects
Spending 2.5-3.5k on a HT system you can imagine the disbaragement grows
And thats just for movies, on music is an even larger difference as you mention the bars tend to lose sound stage which is so important for like 99.99% of what people listen to
Nope
You are absolutely right. That 5k figure is outlandish. No system beats the laws of physics.
a bit correction, DTS is indeed supported, just not the higher end of DTS-HD and DTS-X unfortunately
Still no DTS-HD or X Support and no HDMI in port make it a pass for me
HDMI in it has right?
@@owenernst7768 There is an eArc HDMI on the soundbar for the eArc HDMI port on the TV. You need eArc to get full Atmos from the TV (only Dolby 5.1 with Arc HDMI/Optical from TV). My LG OLEDs has four 2.1 HDMI ports and I use those for Blu-ray, PlayStation, Xfinity cable box, Sonos, etc.... Important to set the TV eArc HDMI port to bitstream or pass through and not PCM/ Auto.
@@mrgold3591 you can't get lossless sound from your tv in 2024...
@@rafars2246 Why Would you not? Just use Plex or something similar.
I actually ended up selling my arc for $500 and got the ultra with a 15% discount direct from Sonos for having older products. I had a pair of Sonos 5s strictly for music listening and when I compared stereo listening to my new full Ultra + 300s + dual sub gen 3s, in full music listening modes, they were pretty similar so I ended up selling my pair of 5s. Ended up with a net positive $$ by a few hundred for upgrading lol.
Side note, I’m listening through both airplay 2 and Bluetooth to get the music source.
Sonos has to be the most overhyped brand on earth. I was so dissapointed with my Sonos ARC, SUB and Era 300's....then got the Samsung Q990C system and the experience was just night and day. Zero tweaking, zero fiddling, everything just worked instantly and sounded fantastic with the Samsung; I cann't say the same for Sonos. Setup was far from easy with Sono, effortless with Samsung. To say I was surprised by my experience was an understatement. So glad I switched. That was a few months ago and I'm still in honeymoon phase.
I strongly disagree.
I'm not sure what's wrong with your Sonos. I recently upgraded from the 990D to the Arc Ultra Ultimate set. In front of Sonos, the 990D's sound quality is very plastic and mudd.
Mrs. Samsung is that you? 😅
Today I have installed, Arc and a Sub at our 12 seated meeting room.
I now fully understand what people have experienced.
If any meaningful discussion about Sonos wireless system is to be made, it must be in the installation process.
We should passionately discourage people from buying their product, unless they change themselves in a more acceptable way.
I hate the Sonos app (have Arc and 2x Eras) I just use apple airplay now. Sonos hates my Eero mesh network!
@@MrJaydalufa My Move 2 hates the Eero network too. When i turn it on the first 1-2 minutes the music stutters.
I have eero mesh and never had a problem.
@@PedroRodriguez-fg3zn Yep. Me too. All good.
I have Eero and no issues. Maybe you too far? Do a speed test right next to the Eras.
Bose Ultra vs Sonos ARC Ultra on dialog only?