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Just put my Arc ultra and i absolutely confirm everything this review said, you can clearly tell it’s a better bar and better fit for the era 300, it’s definitely more than 100 dollars worth it (that’s the price difference it seems compared to the original arc ) couldn’t test the 2 subs as my sub 2 is no longer compatible with a dual sub setup…but I feel like I don’t need both subs as much probably? Anyways nice and enjoyable review 👍🏻
Thinking of upgrading I already have a buyer for my current arc but is it really that much worth spending the extra 500 would you say ? Is it night and day with the dialogue and clarity ? Thank you in advance
Depends on how much you can sell your Arc for. If you already have the Arc with no sub, you should add a sub first. That would probably be a better use of money.
@alexmonroy6863 I haven't used arc before..but I got the arc ultra today and I don't think it's anything special. I tried is side by side with my old samsung Q950T and I feel like it's not worth the extra cost. I'm thinking of returning it. Bcos they only appealing thing about it is the sleek design.
I tested both Ultra vs Old Arc intensively the last 24 hours and I would sign off on saying you get about 20%-30% more bass, but anyone saying you get double or you don’t need a sub anymore cannot be serious. It’s good you guys tested also music, would be good though you test a shelf model not a Sonos provided one with Sonos recommended music. Also would be good to know on which software you are testing on as they update it almost daily at the moment
We actually used a full production model picked at random from our supply. And we used the software from last week and actually tested it with today's update as well. Had no issues whatsoever yet. That's a good point on mentioning those. Thanks for the feedback!
@@maribogukunfor me I have difficulties to sense much of a difference in the dialogue quality, but I never had issues with the arc in the first place. When I put dialogue improvement to „high“ it however sounded weird IMO, kind of pitched up some other noise as well in the movie which was annoying. Apparently there are some movies with sandstorm and dialogue which might be worth testing with…on Music there is a slight improvement noticeable, the Ultra sounds a bit more „richer“ but side by side comparison with 2 eras 300 in stereo the Ultra still looses big time. Maybe the atmos bubble is a bit more noticeable but if people tell you it’s like you don’t need rears anymore they just lie…On the heights i didn’t notice any difference. Hardware like in direct comparison it’s much leaner than the Arc, that is a positive one as it’s less dominant on the shelf or wall.
I have the original ARC/Sub in my family room system. It has performed flawlessly for over 3years now. Might be time to move that one to the bedroom and pick up the new one.
It could be a great upgrade! If you get the chance to listen to one, you can decide if it's worth it for you. We found it definitely had slightly better low end and cleaner dialogue in movies. Plus, the atmos effects were so well positioned. Hope you enjoy if you decide to upgrade!
Got my arc ultra a few weeks ago and just got my sub 4 in yesterday. If you want that feel movie theater effect you absolutely need a sub to pair with it. I tested a couple scenes with the sub on and off and the difference is night and day.
We have the original Sonos arc, the 300s, and two gen3 subwoofers. The Arc ultra arrives today and I should have it set up before end of day. It’s going to sound amazing.
@@MarkN-k7cbecause I am listening to it now and watching movies with my wife. So clear. There was one issue during setup but 90% of the setup was smooth and easy.
@@padgettga i’m putting my review together tomorrow, but the base is easily 30% better than the original. It’s the first time that a center channel can keep up with the era 300s on the side. The two subs were just thumping and I was listening to some Imagine Dragons and some Bruno Mars tonight. We were also trying to find some really good content for Atmos but ran out of time listening to music. We’re gonna go through more of the Atmos content tomorrow. Definitely worth the upgrade.
@ Man the opening sequence of 6 Underground, approx the first 3 minutes. Super awesome! Basically the whole movie is just awesome to test your home theatre system. I enjoyed it so much!
Is the separation of left and right? Better than q990D and close to the stereo separation of Sony quads? I am aiming for the quads but too expensive, If the soundstage is better than a q990d then I will consider the Sonos Arc Ultra + 300 + Sub3.
We would say it's very similar to the Samsung. Not quite the amount of separation as the Quads. But the era 300's surrounds are much better than the Samsung surrounds.
Go for the samsung, you will save alot of money and you will have a beast in the hse. The sonos cost alot but offer jusr similar performance. I haven't added sub to my arc ultra and 2 era 300s but I still feel like my old samsung gves me nearly same result and cost 4 times less than the sonos ultimate set up.
@@Baros4444 Already have the Samsung’s but was thinking for an upgrade cause the soundstage is a bit narrow when playing music that is why I am saving up big time for the quads, best of both worlds, good in movies and decent in music with true stereo separation.
I watched the review but I'm still left with the question: When used in the ultimate setup (Arc + Sub + Era 300s), how much do you notice the upgrade from the Arc to the Ultra? Is it as significant as the upgrade from Sonos One Rears to Era 300s?
I have exactly the setup you're asking about. The upgrade to the Era 300s was a much bigger difference than Arc to Ultra. I'd say on Atmos content with the full setup is about 10-20% better. It's not mind-blowing.
Boy meets world seems to have a good take on that. We'd probably agree that if you already have a sub and 300's as surrounds, the upgrade is less impressive. It will give you a bit better spatial effects and maybe some better imaging up front but not enough to completely wow you in that setup. Where it really sounds much better is with nothing added. Just arc vs ultra. Then the ultra, to us, is a clear winner.
I would like to now if the Ultra has better Bass output then the Sonos Playbar? How does it compare to the Sennheiser Ambeo Plus? And it is really worth 1000$?
We think that it is worth the money. To us, it'll probably be better than the Playbar. The Ambeo Plus has a more "full" sound to us but is twice the price.
Curious with the added bass from the new soundbar if anyone has thoughts on placing the sub in the rear with the surround speakers if you’re going with the full surround set up of speakers.
Sub placement can absolutely affect the sound but if you calibrate it, you can probably get away with that setup. We'd recommend trying a few different locations to see what sounds best in your room.
Sonos ARC Ultra 10/29/24 My setup 1. Living room is an open concept living room 2. Arc Ultra / 2 ERA 100’s / Gen Sub 3 The Arc Ultra right out the box it sounded very mellow acoustic very surreal no need to increase volumes. Once EQ was adjusted to personal preference just amazing sound quality. Once again I will say that I have an open living room concept (not like most videos on RUclips most if not all of you are in closed room). True Play - no need for it as for the open room concept. Future wishing - Sonos once you allow the users of the ERA 300’s to activate the center speaker while in TV surtound sound usuage you will have a good portion of Sonos users maybe considering to purchase the ERA 300. Why! Easy for open concept living spaces it will allow to fill the void if not being able to bounce sounds of walls for the illusion. Special shout out to the main RUclips who post and bring the original thoughts on Sonos products. Much Respect ✌️
The thing you are missing without the ERA 300 is the height channel. Depending on positioning, I agree the center channel being enabled would be an improvement Sonos needs to consider.
The KEF separates are far better. But that is an apples to oranges comparison. Soundbars and convenient and simple, separates are not but sound much better. Thanks for watching
I don't know anybody who owns the original Arc, but numerous people who own the Sonos Beam Gen 1 & Gen 2. Is it well-worth the upgrade, jumping from the Beam to the Arc Ultra?
My Samsung has ARC HDMI however the audio decoder is WIN10 Pro 5.1. (Dolby but not Dolby Atmos) Monster IDX 5 ft /8k /48 Gb cable. Is this sufficient for the Ultra or am I screwing the pooch from my TV’s older audio capabilities? Just uninstalled and sold my Bose CineMate SR1 system from 2008! A lot has changed since optical was king
If it is DTS-HD 2.0 your Blu-ray player should transcode it to stereo PCM. If it is DTS - HD 5.1 or 7.1, your Blu-ray player should transcode it to multichannel PCM 7.1. You will be able to tell on the Sonos app if you are getting that. You do need eArc on your TV to get this proper surround though from lossless Blu-ray. From my experience, the surround sound at multichannel PCM 7.1 sounds pretty much the same as DTS-HD. It is still a lossless codec after all. The problem is if you play DTS:X, you will lose the “X” object based component. But it still sounds pretty good if you can live with that. TrueHD Dolby Atmos with two connected Era 300 rear speakers is pretty phenomenal and is really the highlight of this system.
Thanks Dan Just a question: if I set up the player to put out PCM than I have to switch every time depending on the movie DTS to PCM Dolby to not PCM right?
My ub820 player makes DTSHD/X to multichannel pcm. It does not sound good AT ALL. Volume is inconsistent and at volume 70 it sounds like it’s at 40. Super bad implementation sonos does for multichannel PCM. It’s actually quite ridiculous.
The whole setup is very similar. It might depend on what would fit your room best. The Spatial Audio is great on the Quad, but Sonos has better rear and a fuller overall sound.
It's very similar in performance but a different sound. The Sonos system will sound more full but the Quad will have more separation and Spatial Audio will be a bit better.
@@AudioAdvice But I heard a lot of RUclips reviewers or regular users say that it is not about room size it is about sound balance and they say that for example Sub mini or Era 100 speakers sound not quite at the same level as Sonos Arc or Ultra, very often Sonos Arc sound overpower Sub mini or Era 100. they say long story short pair Sonos Arc with Era 300 and Sub 3 or 4 and pair Sonos Beam Gen 2 with sub-mini and Era 100. Now I do not understand this is more marketing and that these kinds of reviews are paid reviews and they are trying to direct you to think that if you buy Sonos Arc you have to have sub 3 or 4 and Era 300, or sound disbalance that they are talking about is a real thing. What do you think?
Arc Ultra, two 300s on stands, Gen 3 sub. My tv room is small with carpet, two fluffy couches, and loft style sloped ceiling. Any thoughts to try to let everything breathe a bit for better sound?
Yes, we would probably go with Sonos over the Samsung. They are both great options, but a lot of us on the team enjoy the Sonos setup. If you are able to audition both, it could be a good idea. We've just always felt the Samsung bars have a more harsh sound.
@@AudioAdvice instead of harsh...I find it bright rather 😃. Pop music are feel so good on the samung, nonetheless my overall go to for music is the sonos 5 in stereo
Hey! I currently har the Sonos Arc and I’ve been considering to buy a sub mini in addition. Since the Ultra has come out with the biggest upgrade being it’s bass, I got somewhat unsure of buying a sub or just upgrading to an arc ultra. As of now I believe the most sensible understanding is that the ultra cant beat the sub mini’s bass. But, what do you think? Is it better to buy a sub mini for improved bass rather than selling the arc and buying the ultra?
Great question. The sub mini will be a great upgrade and probably make more of an impact for the price than buying the new Ultra. If you can, go for the sub 3 or 4 and that will really improve the setup even more. If you struggle with dialogue in movies, then upgrading to the ultra might be worth it for you.
The v2 Arc provide improved bass you can feel. The sub mini or Gen 3/4 subs provides bass you can hear and feel. The Sonos sub can reach much lower frequencies for that rumble you might be missing with the v1/v2 Arc alone. The v1 Arc and Beam would move those bass frequencies to the sub and the soundbar would be free to concentrate on mids/highs for more clarity. I imagine the v2 Arc does the same and the sound will noticeably improve with a sub(s) and rear surrounds.
I have 3 hdmi devices connected to my nakamichi shokwafe and I can't wait to upgrade it but what can I even do for easy hdmi switching ? Is there a solution?
I just ordered the Beam 2 + sub mini + ERA 100's so you recommend this set up ? my room is only 12x14 feet with 7.5 foot ceilings will this set up be enough or should i go with the ARC ULTRA I watch alot of sports and news and movies thx cheers from Canada
QUESTION : should a person upgrade the HDMI cable or is the one included good enough ? Is there an ultimate HDMI cable that will make things even better ? I am obviously not a techy....lol thx for your review cheers from Canada
cables out of the box are garbage, I always upgrade my component cables, including powercords. You don't have to spend alot of our weak Trudeau bucks, Audioquest has some good EArc cables that won't break the bank....cheers...
Question is can you add front as surround sound ? not as stereo like the ARC does.... imagine arc ultra 2 era 300s upfront (as surrounds) 2 in rear and 2 subs
Different. Samsung is a great soundbar for the price. We've always felt they sounded a bit more harsh than Sonos. A full Sonos setup with era 300 surrounds sounds better to us because the rear speakers are better than the Samsungs. Sonos also has great dialogue clarity.
What happens to the sound motion internal woofer when.. you already have the gen 3 sub connected... Or if you're running two subs.. will it just be an additional sub?
I enjoyed the review. However, I watched several other reviews and they’ve had a different takes. From from subtle differences to maybe not worth an upgrade… Will continue to watch other reviews, before pulling the trigger. But appreciate the recommendation on the subwoofer, Gen 4.
Glad you enjoyed the video. We've only seen a few other videos come out so far and not many people have them yet. We think it'll come down to what you're looking for in a soundbar. For a lot of people, the Arc is a fantastic soundbar that they will not need to make any upgrades to. But if you're really fanatical like a lot of our team, the upgrades will stand out even more. We really enjoyed the Ultra and think they did a great job with it.
@ Agree, this is gonna be my first new soundbar since I bought my Bose 300 many years ago. Debating between the Sonos Arc Ultra and the Samsung Q990D. I appreciate channels like this because they help me make my decision, based on facts. So far I’m leaning towards the Sonos, but I want to get a little bit more detail before I pull the trigger. I appreciate the feedback and look forward to the future content!
@@Baros4444 Money is not really the concern. Just really want the best that currently available and is an all around a good option, when it comes to a great soundbar. 😊
@@COR0NAD0if money is not a factor then definitely go with the ultra 2 era 300s for rear and a sub either gen3 or 4 trust me you won’t regret it ! I just upgraded today and the difference is not much but for me the clearer dialogue and crisp audio was the it factor and made it worth it for me even my wife noticed the difference and honestly the arc ultra compliments the 300s so good with the gen1 it felt like my 300s were a bit more powerful then the arc but not anymore everything sounds even
Does it make sense for me to upgrade my pretty basic soundbar from Costco when I have a large cathedral ceiling and open kitchen next to the living room? I have an 85” Frame tv and the soundbar does the job for more sound. It’s just not the greatest sound. Thanks
Even if you have a large ceiling like that, upgrading to a nicer soundbar will still give you better sound. For a large room, you may want to consider a receiver and box speakers to fill out the room better. We'd recommend you call or chat with our experts at audioadvice.com to see if they can help give you some good options.
Sonos has a 30 day return policy. I would order v2 Arc, dual Gen 4 subs, and Era 300 for rear surrounds and test, test, & test. I have the v1 Arc, dual Gen 3 subs, and Fives as rear surrounds in a great room 20 feet X 50 feet X 10 foot ceilings and zero issues filling that space with sound.
The Sonos Arc and Sub combo provide very accurate sound. The bass on the sub is very tight and goes deep. We do not consider it boomy at all. Hope this helps
Hey awesome video, I was thinking of getting the sony quad, but reconsidering after watching this, I have a a95l 65". can you go more into why you think the sonos package is better.
You got a killer TV! The quad would be a very natural pairing with that but you should definitely add a subwoofer to it. The main thing we found with the Quad vs Sonos setup was that Sonos just sounded a bit more fuller in sound whereas the Quads sounded great and had a better spatial presence. The imaging is also better in the quad because the speakers up front are physically separated. That said, the vocal clarity was better with Sonos. Quads will give you a bit more flexibility in placement but for both, we'd recommended getting as close as possible to the ideal positions. If Sony let you add a center speaker to the Quad system, it would bring it over the top. You can always call or chat with our team at audioadvice.com and they could discuss what would work best for you and your room.
Nice, detailed review. 👌I'm looking to update my aging KD-55X9305C with a 65" Bravia 9 and, as my old TV had the speaker setup, adding a soundbar. The obvious choice was the Theatre 9, but that was before the Ultra was announced. I haven't seen any other channels with one, so will you be doing a comparison between those 2? I have to say, the Sound Motion intrigues me.
New subscriber. Need advice please, my samsung tv volume is going, sounds awful when I increase volume. Was told adding a simple sound bar would save me from buying a new tv if it's just a volume issue. Is that true? What's a less expensive one to buy? Don't really want to spend a lot.
I have the v1 Arc, dual subs, and Fives as surrounds on a LG OLED 77C1. I had to set the eArc HDMI to bitstream/pass thru instead of PCM/Auto. This allowed the soundbar to process the raw sound instead of the TV. Zero issue with loud and clear dialogue with cable/streaming services in stereo, 5.1, or Atmos content. Made a huge difference in dialogue. Did the same for my Beam v1 and v2 in other rooms with dialogue on 55C9 and 55C1 OLEDs.
@@fergalno1 Might be a TV thing if you don't have an LG OLED? Dialogue is loud and clear with my Arc and Beams with Xfinity cable, Dolby 5.1 or Atmos audio from AppleTV, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Netflix, Max, Disney+, RUclips, etc...
@ it’s not a TV thing mate I’ve got the same 77” LG C1 and know my audio, this is a secondary system to my dedicated theatre comprising of 7.2.4 You must be one of the lucky one’s as most people know the dialogue is lacking on the Arc.
That's interesting. You should definitely feel and hear a difference. The sub had a pretty big impact in our setup. You may try resetting and starting from the beginning to see if it is properly connected.
Had the same… only at the very low frequencies you can notice the Sub.. I made many tests with Sub on and sub off… the new arc ultra has already a very prominent bass in my opinion… thinking about selling the sub and buying 300er 😂
Forget Atmos and forget soundbars if you want more than better tv sound. Just go for Sonos Amp with some decent floorstanding speakers, add some Era 100 rear speakers and a Sub 3. You'll have a great Dolby Digital+ system for movies but also important (for me); You will have a great HiFi audio system for music no soundbar will even get close to. You just need some big frontspeakers for decent and well balanced music🤷♂️
Very true! We mentioned towards the end that a setup like that will be the best bet. Some people just want the ease of use of a soundbar. But if you get an amp or AVR, you'll get better sound most of the time.
In our testing, it worked great. We've never had an issue with gaming and the sound effects in games can really come alive with the Arc and the Arc Ultra too
A dedicated AVR is most likely going to be better sounding. But you will need to run wires everywhere and have atmos topper speakers or in ceiling speakers for Dolby Atmos. So it's a much more involved setup.
@@AudioAdvice Thanks. I currently have a 2.1 with large Emotiva towers in the living room, 80music-20cinema. Wondering if this would be a valid upgrade, since so much music is in Atmos nowadays.
I've spent about 3hrs with the ultra today trying to convince myself not to return it. The dialogue is very clear..The true motion thing was exaggerated, I have never used the arc b4 but if this is twice the arc bass then the original arc bass was terrible. I kept switching between the arc ultra and my samsung Q950T(2020) soundbar. Overall I feel like sonos is charging too much for what it offers. I could turn the volume to 50% on the arc but i hav never even tried 25% on my samsung because my neighbors wl be very angry. Maybe my experience may change once I add a subwoofer. I have just the ultra and the 2 era 300s. The era 300s in stereo was what convinced me to buy the arc because it's really impressive so it made me raise my hopes for the arc ultra.
Nice commercial 😂 If you already have a sub with your Arc, don't upgrade to Ultra. If you don't, just buy a sub mini for the upgrade amount of money (at least 400 dollar). Arc+sub will definitely sound better than just the Arc Ultra.
Thanks for the feedback. We are a dealer of Sonos but we did do testing and tried to provide a fair overview of the product for someone who wants to learn about it. We would tend to agree with what you said. Adding a sub, like we said in the video, is the first upgrade you should make most of the time.
Good speakers but so expensive when you compare them with their competition. Whole Sonos system would cost me 4600 AUD while Sony system with Bravia 9 , subwoofer Sw5 and 2 Rs5 would cost me 2950 AUD. So Sonos is like 50% more expensive.
Is it illegal for a RUclips channel to play some music while reviewing anything stereo?!! Damn. It’s like reviewing a sports car but never driving it for the people to see!!! This is not ok
Not paid. We are a dealer that sells them though and Sonos did provide a full production unit for us to review for full transparency. However, we did feel it performed well and would have otherwise stated any other downfalls if we had them. There are a lot of great competitors that we also sell that we'd be happy to recommend if it didn't perform well. That said, we do appreciate your feedback. We also enjoy Peter Pee's videos and respect his opinion so we are excited to see his thoughts. Cheers!
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Just put my Arc ultra and i absolutely confirm everything this review said, you can clearly tell it’s a better bar and better fit for the era 300, it’s definitely more than 100 dollars worth it (that’s the price difference it seems compared to the original arc ) couldn’t test the 2 subs as my sub 2 is no longer compatible with a dual sub setup…but I feel like I don’t need both subs as much probably? Anyways nice and enjoyable review 👍🏻
Thanks! Yes, you are right!
Thinking of upgrading I already have a buyer for my current arc but is it really that much worth spending the extra 500 would you say ? Is it night and day with the dialogue and clarity ? Thank you in advance
Depends on how much you can sell your Arc for. If you already have the Arc with no sub, you should add a sub first. That would probably be a better use of money.
@alexmonroy6863 I haven't used arc before..but I got the arc ultra today and I don't think it's anything special. I tried is side by side with my old samsung Q950T and I feel like it's not worth the extra cost. I'm thinking of returning it. Bcos they only appealing thing about it is the sleek design.
@@AudioAdvicehow are the height effects and bass alone on soundbar
I tested both Ultra vs Old Arc intensively the last 24 hours and I would sign off on saying you get about 20%-30% more bass, but anyone saying you get double or you don’t need a sub anymore cannot be serious. It’s good you guys tested also music, would be good though you test a shelf model not a Sonos provided one with Sonos recommended music. Also would be good to know on which software you are testing on as they update it almost daily at the moment
We actually used a full production model picked at random from our supply. And we used the software from last week and actually tested it with today's update as well. Had no issues whatsoever yet. That's a good point on mentioning those. Thanks for the feedback!
Original arc had worse bass then beam gen 2
What about other aspect aside form bass
@@maribogukunfor me I have difficulties to sense much of a difference in the dialogue quality, but I never had issues with the arc in the first place. When I put dialogue improvement to „high“ it however sounded weird IMO, kind of pitched up some other noise as well in the movie which was annoying. Apparently there are some movies with sandstorm and dialogue which might be worth testing with…on Music there is a slight improvement noticeable, the Ultra sounds a bit more „richer“ but side by side comparison with 2 eras 300 in stereo the Ultra still looses big time. Maybe the atmos bubble is a bit more noticeable but if people tell you it’s like you don’t need rears anymore they just lie…On the heights i didn’t notice any difference. Hardware like in direct comparison it’s much leaner than the Arc, that is a positive one as it’s less dominant on the shelf or wall.
I have the original ARC/Sub in my family room system. It has performed flawlessly for over 3years now. Might be time to move that one to the bedroom and pick up the new one.
It could be a great upgrade! If you get the chance to listen to one, you can decide if it's worth it for you. We found it definitely had slightly better low end and cleaner dialogue in movies. Plus, the atmos effects were so well positioned. Hope you enjoy if you decide to upgrade!
The fact Sonos still does not support DTS-X after all those years is holding me back of buying it. Just because i use physical media a lot.
Interesting point. Thanks for sharing.
Can your player convert to LPCM?
@@robblankenstein6825 sucks
@robblankenstein6825 yes (from Ps5) what are the best settings then when playing 4k blu rays to the soundbar?
@ Sorry, don’t know about gaming consoles. I use a Panasonic 4k bluray player.
Besides the little hiccup with the app, Sonos continues to impress!
Totally agree!
"hiccup"
A big hiccup I reckon.
Got my arc ultra a few weeks ago and just got my sub 4 in yesterday. If you want that feel movie theater effect you absolutely need a sub to pair with it. I tested a couple scenes with the sub on and off and the difference is night and day.
We would totally agree, thanks for sharing!
Looks promising! Hoping Sonos can continue to put customer experience first with the app.
Absolutely! Us too!
Please they add DTS-HD support!
Good feedback!
Giving a great and honest review just earned you another subscriber! Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it! 😊
We have the original Sonos arc, the 300s, and two gen3 subwoofers. The Arc ultra arrives today and I should have it set up before end of day. It’s going to sound amazing.
How the hell do you know.
@@MarkN-k7cbecause I am listening to it now and watching movies with my wife. So clear. There was one issue during setup but 90% of the setup was smooth and easy.
Atmos? Height effects? Bass?
@@padgettga i’m putting my review together tomorrow, but the base is easily 30% better than the original. It’s the first time that a center channel can keep up with the era 300s on the side. The two subs were just thumping and I was listening to some Imagine Dragons and some Bruno Mars tonight. We were also trying to find some really good content for Atmos but ran out of time listening to music. We’re gonna go through more of the Atmos content tomorrow. Definitely worth the upgrade.
Let us know what you think!
So excited for these!! Great review
Thanks, we think you'll love it!
I'm excited to hear the sound motion technology in this new version of the Arc soundbar.
It's pretty darn good. Hope you enjoy!
I really wish Sonos and Google could resolve their issues and bring back Google Assist.
Us too. We know many people who use Google assistant and would love to see it back.
Yeah, unfortunately this is a dealbreaker for me on any new Sonos speakers 😢 just too many smart home gadgets!
Awesome video getting my ultra today
Hope you enjoy and consider ordering from us!
6 Underground is the perfect movie to test your home theatre system.
Love that as a test movie!
Blade Runner 2049 4k UHD is the ultimate tester 😅
True!
Can you pls
Post the scenes and times for testing :)
@ Man the opening sequence of 6 Underground, approx the first 3 minutes. Super awesome! Basically the whole movie is just awesome to test your home theatre system. I enjoyed it so much!
Curious how this compares to the Ambeo Max which is what I’m using at the moment.
Ambeo Max has a bit more fuller sound to us. But when you add the sub and surrounds to the Sonos, it's much better of an overall experience.
Is the separation of left and right? Better than q990D and close to the stereo separation of Sony quads? I am aiming for the quads but too expensive, If the soundstage is better than a q990d then I will consider the Sonos Arc Ultra + 300 + Sub3.
We would say it's very similar to the Samsung. Not quite the amount of separation as the Quads. But the era 300's surrounds are much better than the Samsung surrounds.
@ if the soundstage is similar to the Samsung then I would just aim for the quads than to upgrade to the Sonos. Thanks for that info.
Cheers
Go for the samsung, you will save alot of money and you will have a beast in the hse. The sonos cost alot but offer jusr similar performance. I haven't added sub to my arc ultra and 2 era 300s but I still feel like my old samsung gves me nearly same result and cost 4 times less than the sonos ultimate set up.
@@Baros4444 Already have the Samsung’s but was thinking for an upgrade cause the soundstage is a bit narrow when playing music that is why I am saving up big time for the quads, best of both worlds, good in movies and decent in music with true stereo separation.
I watched the review but I'm still left with the question: When used in the ultimate setup (Arc + Sub + Era 300s), how much do you notice the upgrade from the Arc to the Ultra? Is it as significant as the upgrade from Sonos One Rears to Era 300s?
I have exactly the setup you're asking about. The upgrade to the Era 300s was a much bigger difference than Arc to Ultra. I'd say on Atmos content with the full setup is about 10-20% better. It's not mind-blowing.
Boy meets world seems to have a good take on that. We'd probably agree that if you already have a sub and 300's as surrounds, the upgrade is less impressive. It will give you a bit better spatial effects and maybe some better imaging up front but not enough to completely wow you in that setup. Where it really sounds much better is with nothing added. Just arc vs ultra. Then the ultra, to us, is a clear winner.
It feels like the Arc Ultra has more pcu power the send more data/sound to the Era300 making them even beter and more rich of sound.
I would like to now if the Ultra has better Bass output then the Sonos Playbar?
How does it compare to the Sennheiser Ambeo Plus?
And it is really worth 1000$?
We think that it is worth the money. To us, it'll probably be better than the Playbar. The Ambeo Plus has a more "full" sound to us but is twice the price.
That true motion was exaggerated. The bass doesnt exist for me, maybe i had too much expectations from the ultra.
@@Baros4444 Thanks for your comment.
So I can stay with my good old Bose Cinemate 130!
Exciting!!! Can’t wait to hear it!!
We think you'll enjoy!
Curious with the added bass from the new soundbar if anyone has thoughts on placing the sub in the rear with the surround speakers if you’re going with the full surround set up of speakers.
Sub placement can absolutely affect the sound but if you calibrate it, you can probably get away with that setup. We'd recommend trying a few different locations to see what sounds best in your room.
Sonos ARC Ultra 10/29/24
My setup
1. Living room is an open concept living room
2. Arc Ultra / 2 ERA 100’s / Gen Sub 3
The Arc Ultra right out the box it sounded very mellow acoustic very surreal no need to increase volumes. Once EQ was adjusted to personal preference just amazing sound quality.
Once again I will say that I have an open living room concept (not like most videos on RUclips most if not all of you are in closed room).
True Play - no need for it as for the open room concept.
Future wishing - Sonos once you allow the users of the ERA 300’s to activate the center speaker while in TV surtound sound usuage you will have a good portion of Sonos users maybe considering to purchase the ERA 300. Why! Easy for open concept living spaces it will allow to fill the void if not being able to bounce sounds of walls for the illusion.
Special shout out to the main RUclips who post and bring the original thoughts on Sonos products. Much Respect
✌️
Thanks for sharing your setup! Some good suggestions you have too. Cheers!
The thing you are missing without the ERA 300 is the height channel. Depending on positioning, I agree the center channel being enabled would be an improvement Sonos needs to consider.
Is this the version that Costco sells?
Cosco appears to have the older Arc. Thanks for watching
Would be interested to see how this compares to standing speaker set up like the R11 meta towers and rears
The KEF separates are far better. But that is an apples to oranges comparison. Soundbars and convenient and simple, separates are not but sound much better. Thanks for watching
Are there any true reviews out there that is not a sponsored commercial?
Very thorough, thanks for the detailed info!
Glad you liked it!
I don't know anybody who owns the original Arc, but numerous people who own the Sonos Beam Gen 1 & Gen 2. Is it well-worth the upgrade, jumping from the Beam to the Arc Ultra?
Yes, the Arc Ultra is a huge jump from the Beam. Thanks for watching
Should I get original Arc + Sub or Arc Ultra only? The two option would cost around the same in the place I live.
Arc and Sub if they are the same price, no contest.
Will a Gen1 sub still work with this?
Yes but only 1 sub at a time. You can do dual subs with Gen 3 and 4.
I found music to be subpar with the Arc. Is there a substantial improvement with the Ultra?
I am using Sub Gen2 . I got ultra with era 300 surrounds. Will the sound going to be much better with Sub4?
My Samsung has ARC HDMI however the audio decoder is WIN10 Pro 5.1. (Dolby but not Dolby Atmos) Monster IDX 5 ft /8k /48 Gb cable.
Is this sufficient for the Ultra or am I screwing the pooch from my TV’s older audio capabilities?
Just uninstalled and sold my Bose CineMate SR1 system from 2008! A lot has changed since optical was king
What will the arc encode if I play 4K Blu-ray with DTS sound? Will it downgrade to stereo?
If it is DTS-HD 2.0 your Blu-ray player should transcode it to stereo PCM. If it is DTS - HD 5.1 or 7.1, your Blu-ray player should transcode it to multichannel PCM 7.1. You will be able to tell on the Sonos app if you are getting that. You do need eArc on your TV to get this proper surround though from lossless Blu-ray. From my experience, the surround sound at multichannel PCM 7.1 sounds pretty much the same as DTS-HD. It is still a lossless codec after all. The problem is if you play DTS:X, you will lose the “X” object based component. But it still sounds pretty good if you can live with that. TrueHD Dolby Atmos with two connected Era 300 rear speakers is pretty phenomenal and is really the highlight of this system.
Thanks Dan
Just a question: if I set up the player to put out PCM than I have to switch every time depending on the movie DTS to PCM Dolby to not PCM right?
My ub820 player makes DTSHD/X to multichannel pcm. It does not sound good AT ALL. Volume is inconsistent and at volume 70 it sounds like it’s at 40.
Super bad implementation sonos does for multichannel PCM. It’s actually quite ridiculous.
The real question is, we know the best previous soundbar, so how does this compare to the sennheiser ambeo???
How does this compare with Sony theatre quad?
The whole setup is very similar. It might depend on what would fit your room best. The Spatial Audio is great on the Quad, but Sonos has better rear and a fuller overall sound.
Can you tell how sonos arc ultra, sub and 2 era 300 compare with sony theatre quad with sub sw5?
It's very similar in performance but a different sound. The Sonos system will sound more full but the Quad will have more separation and Spatial Audio will be a bit better.
is it necessary to pair with Era 300 speakers? for medium size living room can you pair with Sub Gen 3 and Era 100 rear speakers?
Yes, that will give a good performance for a medium sized room. Era 300's aren't totally needed unless you have a very large room.
@@AudioAdvice But I heard a lot of RUclips reviewers or regular users say that it is not about room size it is about sound balance and they say that for example Sub mini or Era 100 speakers sound not quite at the same level as Sonos Arc or Ultra, very often Sonos Arc sound overpower Sub mini or Era 100. they say long story short pair Sonos Arc with Era 300 and Sub 3 or 4 and pair Sonos Beam Gen 2 with sub-mini and Era 100. Now I do not understand this is more marketing and that these kinds of reviews are paid reviews and they are trying to direct you to think that if you buy Sonos Arc you have to have sub 3 or 4 and Era 300, or sound disbalance that they are talking about is a real thing. What do you think?
Arc Ultra, two 300s on stands, Gen 3 sub. My tv room is small with carpet, two fluffy couches, and loft style sloped ceiling. Any thoughts to try to let everything breathe a bit for better sound?
I am having the same issue. The bass is very unstable and seems off at times. I thought it was just me
Have you done the full trueplay in the app and calibrated it? You may want to try adjusting the bass in the app as well
Do you recommend sonos arc ultra with sub gun 4 for music? Sonos is more recommended than Samsung q990d?
Yes, we would probably go with Sonos over the Samsung. They are both great options, but a lot of us on the team enjoy the Sonos setup. If you are able to audition both, it could be a good idea. We've just always felt the Samsung bars have a more harsh sound.
@@AudioAdvice instead of harsh...I find it bright rather 😃. Pop music are feel so good on the samung, nonetheless my overall go to for music is the sonos 5 in stereo
Hey! I currently har the Sonos Arc and I’ve been considering to buy a sub mini in addition. Since the Ultra has come out with the biggest upgrade being it’s bass, I got somewhat unsure of buying a sub or just upgrading to an arc ultra. As of now I believe the most sensible understanding is that the ultra cant beat the sub mini’s bass. But, what do you think? Is it better to buy a sub mini for improved bass rather than selling the arc and buying the ultra?
Great question. The sub mini will be a great upgrade and probably make more of an impact for the price than buying the new Ultra. If you can, go for the sub 3 or 4 and that will really improve the setup even more. If you struggle with dialogue in movies, then upgrading to the ultra might be worth it for you.
@ Thank you for your answer🤩
The v2 Arc provide improved bass you can feel. The sub mini or Gen 3/4 subs provides bass you can hear and feel. The Sonos sub can reach much lower frequencies for that rumble you might be missing with the v1/v2 Arc alone. The v1 Arc and Beam would move those bass frequencies to the sub and the soundbar would be free to concentrate on mids/highs for more clarity. I imagine the v2 Arc does the same and the sound will noticeably improve with a sub(s) and rear surrounds.
I have 3 hdmi devices connected to my nakamichi shokwafe and I can't wait to upgrade it but what can I even do for easy hdmi switching ? Is there a solution?
You'd have to plug everything into your TV's HDMI and use your TV remote to switch inputs. Then connect the bar via HDMI eARC to the TV.
@@AudioAdviceI have a projector 😭
I just ordered the Beam 2 + sub mini + ERA 100's so you recommend this set up ? my room is only 12x14 feet with 7.5 foot ceilings will this set up be enough or should i go with the ARC ULTRA I watch alot of sports and news and movies thx cheers from Canada
That sounds like a good setup! The arc ultra won't be needed if you have a small room. If you want better atmos effects, then go with the ultra.
@@AudioAdvice thank you very much for your response ill see how it sounds if its not quite it i will get the ARC ULTRA and then put my BEAM 2 upstairs
QUESTION : should a person upgrade the HDMI cable or is the one included good enough ? Is there an ultimate HDMI cable that will make things even better ? I am obviously not a techy....lol thx for your review cheers from Canada
cables out of the box are garbage, I always upgrade my component cables, including powercords. You don't have to spend alot of our weak Trudeau bucks, Audioquest has some good EArc cables that won't break the bank....cheers...
There are some better ones like the AQ ones mentioned below, but you need a decent system to hear the difference. Thanks for watching
Question is can you add front as surround sound ? not as stereo like the ARC does.... imagine arc ultra 2 era 300s upfront (as surrounds) 2 in rear and 2 subs
No, we wish you could though.
@AudioAdvice damn yes we do
@@AudioAdviceman these companies are stupid, like why is this not an option? Everybody is thinking the same thing
Is it better than samsung Q990D ?
Different. Samsung is a great soundbar for the price. We've always felt they sounded a bit more harsh than Sonos. A full Sonos setup with era 300 surrounds sounds better to us because the rear speakers are better than the Samsungs. Sonos also has great dialogue clarity.
Samsung is a joke.
What happens to the sound motion internal woofer when.. you already have the gen 3 sub connected... Or if you're running two subs.. will it just be an additional sub?
Great question. The crossovers change and the deep bass is removed from the bar allowing it to handle the midbass and midrange better.
I enjoyed the review. However, I watched several other reviews and they’ve had a different takes. From from subtle differences to maybe not worth an upgrade… Will continue to watch other reviews, before pulling the trigger. But appreciate the recommendation on the subwoofer, Gen 4.
Glad you enjoyed the video. We've only seen a few other videos come out so far and not many people have them yet. We think it'll come down to what you're looking for in a soundbar. For a lot of people, the Arc is a fantastic soundbar that they will not need to make any upgrades to. But if you're really fanatical like a lot of our team, the upgrades will stand out even more. We really enjoyed the Ultra and think they did a great job with it.
@ Agree, this is gonna be my first new soundbar since I bought my Bose 300 many years ago. Debating between the Sonos Arc Ultra and the Samsung Q990D. I appreciate channels like this because they help me make my decision, based on facts. So far I’m leaning towards the Sonos, but I want to get a little bit more detail before I pull the trigger. I appreciate the feedback and look forward to the future content!
@@COR0NAD0 go for the samsung if you really want value for your money.
@@Baros4444 Money is not really the concern. Just really want the best that currently available and is an all around a good option, when it comes to a great soundbar. 😊
@@COR0NAD0if money is not a factor then definitely go with the ultra 2 era 300s for rear and a sub either gen3 or 4 trust me you won’t regret it ! I just upgraded today and the difference is not much but for me the clearer dialogue and crisp audio was the it factor and made it worth it for me even my wife noticed the difference and honestly the arc ultra compliments the 300s so good with the gen1 it felt like my 300s were a bit more powerful then the arc but not anymore everything sounds even
Is it still worth to upgrade if I have a setup of arc gen1 x2 era 300 and 2xsub?
Becauces the subs already have the bass. But please let me know
how would you compare them to the samsung 995D? (With both having surround + sub)
Please reach out to our team at www.audioadvice.com to discuss soundbars for your system. Thanks for watching
This is twice the price of the Samsung. M sure this will be better than the Samsung but just by a small margin
very cool, cant wait to see it in action
Hope you enjoy! Thanks for watching
Hi, May I know, whether SVS SB2000 Pro Sub-Woofer can integrate/connect with Sonos Arc Ultra Soundbar?
Does it make sense for me to upgrade my pretty basic soundbar from Costco when I have a large cathedral ceiling and open kitchen next to the living room? I have an 85” Frame tv and the soundbar does the job for more sound. It’s just not the greatest sound. Thanks
Even if you have a large ceiling like that, upgrading to a nicer soundbar will still give you better sound. For a large room, you may want to consider a receiver and box speakers to fill out the room better. We'd recommend you call or chat with our experts at audioadvice.com to see if they can help give you some good options.
Sonos has a 30 day return policy. I would order v2 Arc, dual Gen 4 subs, and Era 300 for rear surrounds and test, test, & test. I have the v1 Arc, dual Gen 3 subs, and Fives as rear surrounds in a great room 20 feet X 50 feet X 10 foot ceilings and zero issues filling that space with sound.
Hi audio advice do u all think that the new sonos arc ultra and gen 4 sub gets louder and more boom than bose smart ultra and their bass module 700
The Sonos Arc and Sub combo provide very accurate sound. The bass on the sub is very tight and goes deep. We do not consider it boomy at all. Hope this helps
Is it better than bose bass module 700
Some say bose sub has better bass response more powerful
Hey awesome video, I was thinking of getting the sony quad, but reconsidering after watching this, I have a a95l 65". can you go more into why you think the sonos package is better.
You got a killer TV! The quad would be a very natural pairing with that but you should definitely add a subwoofer to it. The main thing we found with the Quad vs Sonos setup was that Sonos just sounded a bit more fuller in sound whereas the Quads sounded great and had a better spatial presence. The imaging is also better in the quad because the speakers up front are physically separated. That said, the vocal clarity was better with Sonos. Quads will give you a bit more flexibility in placement but for both, we'd recommended getting as close as possible to the ideal positions. If Sony let you add a center speaker to the Quad system, it would bring it over the top. You can always call or chat with our team at audioadvice.com and they could discuss what would work best for you and your room.
Nice, detailed review. 👌I'm looking to update my aging KD-55X9305C with a 65" Bravia 9 and, as my old TV had the speaker setup, adding a soundbar. The obvious choice was the Theatre 9, but that was before the Ultra was announced. I haven't seen any other channels with one, so will you be doing a comparison between those 2? I have to say, the Sound Motion intrigues me.
New subscriber. Need advice please, my samsung tv volume is going, sounds awful when I increase volume. Was told adding a simple sound bar would save me from buying a new tv if it's just a volume issue. Is that true? What's a less expensive one to buy? Don't really want to spend a lot.
Yes, that will absolutely help! Starting with something like this would be great: www.audioadvice.com/products/2-1-soundbar-with-wireless-subwoofer
I had to end the video when he said the original arc had crystal clear dialogue.
The biggest issue with the original arc was the poor dialogue.
I have the v1 Arc, dual subs, and Fives as surrounds on a LG OLED 77C1. I had to set the eArc HDMI to bitstream/pass thru instead of PCM/Auto. This allowed the soundbar to process the raw sound instead of the TV. Zero issue with loud and clear dialogue with cable/streaming services in stereo, 5.1, or Atmos content. Made a huge difference in dialogue. Did the same for my Beam v1 and v2 in other rooms with dialogue on 55C9 and 55C1 OLEDs.
@ Same setup I had minus 1 sub. The dialogue was lacking and is c classic shortfall of the arc hence why Sonos have tried harder on the ultra.
@@fergalno1 Might be a TV thing if you don't have an LG OLED? Dialogue is loud and clear with my Arc and Beams with Xfinity cable, Dolby 5.1 or Atmos audio from AppleTV, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Netflix, Max, Disney+, RUclips, etc...
@ it’s not a TV thing mate I’ve got the same 77” LG C1 and know my audio, this is a secondary system to my dedicated theatre comprising of 7.2.4
You must be one of the lucky one’s as most people know the dialogue is lacking on the Arc.
After setting up the arc ultra and sub 4 I don't hear any difference in bass while switching the sub on/off. Anyone knows why?
That's interesting. You should definitely feel and hear a difference. The sub had a pretty big impact in our setup. You may try resetting and starting from the beginning to see if it is properly connected.
Had the same… only at the very low frequencies you can notice the Sub.. I made many tests with Sub on and sub off… the new arc ultra has already a very prominent bass in my opinion… thinking about selling the sub and buying 300er 😂
Forget Atmos and forget soundbars if you want more than better tv sound. Just go for Sonos Amp with some decent floorstanding speakers, add some Era 100 rear speakers and a Sub 3. You'll have a great Dolby Digital+ system for movies but also important (for me); You will have a great HiFi audio system for music no soundbar will even get close to.
You just need some big frontspeakers for decent and well balanced music🤷♂️
Very true! We mentioned towards the end that a setup like that will be the best bet. Some people just want the ease of use of a soundbar. But if you get an amp or AVR, you'll get better sound most of the time.
I’m curious how well Sonos works with gaming. Anyone use it for that? Thanks
In our testing, it worked great. We've never had an issue with gaming and the sound effects in games can really come alive with the Arc and the Arc Ultra too
@ thank you for the response much appreciated
The real questions is how does this compare to a mid range 5.1.4 dedicated AVR system in the same price range $2500 ish.
A dedicated AVR is most likely going to be better sounding. But you will need to run wires everywhere and have atmos topper speakers or in ceiling speakers for Dolby Atmos. So it's a much more involved setup.
@@AudioAdvice Thanks. I currently have a 2.1 with large Emotiva towers in the living room, 80music-20cinema. Wondering if this would be a valid upgrade, since so much music is in Atmos nowadays.
Probably not. If you are used to big towers, these will not sound as full and and not worth it just for atmos in our opinion.
I upgraded to the Ultra and still kept my sub 3. I’ve lost the bass now and this seems to be a known issue now. It sounds so unbalanced.
Sorry to hear about this. Hopefully they will have a fix soon.
Google has been removed !?
Yes
I've spent about 3hrs with the ultra today trying to convince myself not to return it. The dialogue is very clear..The true motion thing was exaggerated, I have never used the arc b4 but if this is twice the arc bass then the original arc bass was terrible. I kept switching between the arc ultra and my samsung Q950T(2020) soundbar. Overall I feel like sonos is charging too much for what it offers. I could turn the volume to 50% on the arc but i hav never even tried 25% on my samsung because my neighbors wl be very angry. Maybe my experience may change once I add a subwoofer. I have just the ultra and the 2 era 300s. The era 300s in stereo was what convinced me to buy the arc because it's really impressive so it made me raise my hopes for the arc ultra.
So I can finally watch tenet without Subtitles?
Sure can!
Nice commercial 😂 If you already have a sub with your Arc, don't upgrade to Ultra. If you don't, just buy a sub mini for the upgrade amount of money (at least 400 dollar). Arc+sub will definitely sound better than just the Arc Ultra.
Thanks for the feedback. We are a dealer of Sonos but we did do testing and tried to provide a fair overview of the product for someone who wants to learn about it. We would tend to agree with what you said. Adding a sub, like we said in the video, is the first upgrade you should make most of the time.
Good speakers but so expensive when you compare them with their competition. Whole Sonos system would cost me 4600 AUD while Sony system with Bravia 9 , subwoofer Sw5 and 2 Rs5 would cost me 2950 AUD. So Sonos is like 50% more expensive.
Yes that's a very fair point. And those Sony products are pretty darn good.
Fix the app
the app is a disaster, never by this product
How can i trust ur review when u have product links in your description? THUMBS DOWN
Is it illegal for a RUclips channel to play some music while reviewing anything stereo?!! Damn. It’s like reviewing a sports car but never driving it for the people to see!!! This is not ok
Yes, they ding you if you use copywrited music and their bots catch it
Solid hardware. Poor software. Sonos owner for the past 14 years. They downgraded their app abilities.
Shame the app is absolute trash. Sonos products are great for the price.
Seems they are updating the app a lot lately. It will only get better. Great hardware though!
No dts, blah blah blah blah...
Yep, not yet :/
@@AudioAdvice and only one hdmi port. These people are crazy.
This reeks of a paid advertisement. I'll wait for peter pee before i decide
Not paid. We are a dealer that sells them though and Sonos did provide a full production unit for us to review for full transparency. However, we did feel it performed well and would have otherwise stated any other downfalls if we had them. There are a lot of great competitors that we also sell that we'd be happy to recommend if it didn't perform well. That said, we do appreciate your feedback. We also enjoy Peter Pee's videos and respect his opinion so we are excited to see his thoughts. Cheers!