#SONOS SOUND BAR DRIVERS#
#SONOS SOUND BAR UPGRADE#

#SONOS SOUND BAR UPGRADE#

There will also be a forthcoming upgrade to add support for Amazon Music Ultra HD audio (for both the Beam Gen 2 and other Sonos models), which will give access to lossless 24-bit/48kHz tracks as well as Dolby Atmos Music. Having wi-fi means you can also stream to the Beam Gen 2 from a handheld device using Apple AirPlay 2, and Spotify Connect is built-in too. You’ll also need it if you wish to connect it to other Sonos products to build a surround system. While you can control the volume from your TV remote, the app is where you’ll find access to Trueplay (Sonos’ relatively involved room calibration technology) a 2-band EQ as well as confirmation of which audio codec you're currently receiving. This means that you’ll need the Sonos S2 app to get the most out of your purchase and get it online. Not that many soundbars at this price point come with networking capabilities, but this being a Sonos product, the Beam Gen 2’s ability to integrate into a wireless multiroom system is fundamental to its design.

Our test sample is white and in our rather grey test room the bright cables draw a bit of attention to themselves, but those with lighter spaces inclined to wall mounting might better appreciate this detail. New for the Beam Gen 2 is a matching of this cove to the finish of the soundbar (matte black or matte white) and the inclusion of colour-complementary HDMI and power cords. Housed at the rear in the ‘cable cove’ are sockets for power, ethernet and HDMI eARC as well as a connect/reset push button. On the top surface are the same touch-sensitive buttons, LEDs and far-field mics for voice control of Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant as on the original Beam. Or there’s Sony’s HT-G700 (£399 / $598 / AU$899), which also has a virtual Atmos effect but is much bigger and, like the Eclair, lacks network connectivity.

#SONOS SOUND BAR DRIVERS#

There’s LG’s offering, the bijou but sonically lacklustre Eclair, which has upward drivers but is even more pricey at £700 / $700 / AU$1000. Other compact Dolby Atmos soundbars in this bracket are thin on the ground. If you want to use Beam Gen 2 in a larger surround system it can be expanded through the addition of two One SL rear speakers (£358 / $358 / AU$538) and, if required, a Sub (£699 / $699 / AU$999).

The new Beam is still the cheapest Sonos soundbar in the company's two-strong soundbar line-up, priced significantly lower than the Arc, which currently costs £899 / $899 / AU$1499. But that difference is very much in line with the company’s recent increase in the prices across many of its products. Priced at £449 /$449 / AU$699, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 is slightly more expensive than the original Beam, which launched at £399 / $399 / AU$599.

Sonos sound bar