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Sonos Beam Gen 2 Review

Kenn Muguna Avatar
Updated Feb 6, 2024 3:36 PM

True Score

83
86
17

Experts

90
10.9k

Consumers

Product Awards

GR Certified

Customer Favorite

Expert Rankings

With a decent 5.0 configuration, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) delivers decent Dolby Atmos and surround soundstage that will appeal to people who love movies, TV shows, and music enthusiasts. However, the bass is not very deep.

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Table of Contents

Product Snapshot

Overview

The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is a mid-range 5.0 soundbar that made its debut in 2022, offering Dolby Atmos and smart features for home theaters. It has advanced features similar to the highest-rated speakers today.

This model has built-in Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant and iOS and Android mobile apps, providing smart controls. With an optical in, HDMI ARC, and Ethernet ports, it connects easily to a wide variety of TVs. Super-low audio latency provides flawless dialogue.

Wireless connectivity options include Wi-Fi and Apple AirPlay, although it sadly does not have built-in Bluetooth. Although this unit has a good stereo soundstage and boasts a decent surround and Dolby Atmos performance, it doesn’t perform as well as higher-end models with satellite speakers.

It also lacks a dedicated subwoofer, so the bass is not very deep. With a top 89.4 dB SPL, it doesn’t get very loud. Learn more about the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) below and see how it stacks up against the most popular soundbars in the industry today.

Best For

  • PC

  • Sonos

  • Without Subwoofer

Consensus

our Verdict

Product editors love the smart features and Dolby Atmos performance of the Sonos Beam (Gen 2), endorsing it for TV shows and casual music and movie playback. Critics from Android Central were delighted by its Dolby Surround soundstage during their testing, saying it gives pretty immersive content.

Experts from PCMag love its neutral sound profile and bass and treble sliders, which makes adjusting the music profile is. However, this system doesn’t have a dedicated subwoofer, so the bass is not deep enough for some music and movie enthusiasts.

On the flip side, it has a very low audio latency, so it will cater to people who love TV dialogue. A room correction feature adjusts the settings automatically. This system also has built-in Alexa and built-in Google Assistant and comes with a mobile app for effortless management.

It has built-in Apple Airplay and Wi-Fi, but lacks support for Bluetooth.

if you need a more affordable 2.0 Soundbar, check out our Roku Streambar review.

ReasonS to Buy

  • Impressive sound profile
    • This device performs excellently for TV shows, with accurate mids that create stellar dialogue. It has a well-balanced sound profile with bass and treble adjustments and a room correction feature to enable hassle-free customization. Dolby Atmos and surround soundstage also help enhance sound for high-quality movies.

  • Great vocal clarity
    • The bar features a discrete center channel that excels in producing crisp, clear dialogue for shows, news, podcasts, and audiobooks. Additionally, it features a dialogue-enhancing feature that focuses on mids to improve performance even more.

  • Helpful smart features
    • The Sonos S2 App lets users control the bar directly from their smartphone. Additionally, it comes with built-in support for Alexa and Google Assistant for great hands-free controls

Reason to Avoid

  • Subpar surround sound performance
    • As a standalone bar, it doesn’t produce a great immersive sound. rather, it uses side-firing speakers, which detracts from accuracy and clarity. Additionally, it lacks a graphic equalizer, which makes it harder to find good adjustments for specialized sound profiles, like for gaming or surround sound.

  • Limited wireless connectivity
    • Lacks Bluetooth connection and Spotify Connect.

  • Lacks bass power
    • The soundbar lacks a dedicated subwoofer and deep bass, making it subpar for action movies with deep rumbling and music like hip-hop and EDM.

Sonos Beam Gen 2 Specs

DepthDepth3.9"
Dialogue Enhancement FeatureDialogue Enhancement FeatureYes
Equalizer Settingsn/a
HDMI ARCHDMI ARCYes
HeightHeight2.7"
Number of Audio ChannelsNumber of Audio Channels3
SubwooferSubwooferna
Surround Sound SupportedSurround Sound Supportedna
Voice AssistantVoice AssistantAmazon Alexa, Google Assistant
Wall MountableWall MountableYes
WeightWeight6.3 lbs
WidthWidth25.6"
Wireless ConnectivityWireless ConnectivityBluetooth, Wi-Fi
Wireless Subwoofer ConnectivityWireless Subwoofer Connectivityna
Works WithWorks WithAmazon Alexa, Google Assistant

All Specs

Test Results

Low End Roll Off (Hz)57.39
High End Roll Off (Hz)6,736.4
Max Volume Test (db)90.1
Latency (ms)32
THD @ 80dB0.43

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    Product Comparison

    Sonos Beam Gen 2 Review

    True Score

    83
    83
    82
    77

    Ranking

    #

    12

    /

    149

    #

    15

    /

    149

    #

    18

    /

    149

    #

    76

    /

    149

    Market Context

    The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is a mid-range 5.0 soundbar that made its debut in 2022, offering Dolby Atmos and smart features for home theaters….

    The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is a mid-range 5.0 soundbar that made its debut in 2022, offering Dolby Atmos and smart features for home theaters. It has advanced features similar to the highest-rated speakers today.

    This model has built-in Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant and iOS and Android mobile apps, providing smart controls. With an optical in, HDMI ARC, and Ethernet ports, it connects easily to a wide variety of TVs. Super-low audio latency provides flawless dialogue.

    Wireless connectivity options include Wi-Fi and Apple AirPlay, although it sadly does not have built-in Bluetooth. Although this unit has a good stereo soundstage and boasts a decent surround and Dolby Atmos performance, it doesn’t perform as well as higher-end models with satellite speakers.

    It also lacks a dedicated subwoofer, so the bass is not very deep. With a top 89.4 dB SPL, it doesn’t get very loud. Learn more about the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) below and see how it stacks up against the most popular soundbars in the industry today.

    With a 5.0.2 setup, the Sonos Arc With Sub + One SL Speakers provides better Atmos performance than the Sonos Beam (Gen 2). It also…

    With a 5.0.2 setup, the Sonos Arc With Sub + One SL Speakers provides better Atmos performance than the Sonos Beam (Gen 2). It also produces deeper extended low bass than the Sonos Beam (Gen 2). That said, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is more compact. Check out our Sonos Arc With Sub + One SL Speakers review to learn more.

    Featuring a 5.0 configuration, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) provides a better Dolby and surround soundstage than the 3.0 Sonos Beam. However, the Sonos Beam…

    Featuring a 5.0 configuration, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) provides a better Dolby and surround soundstage than the 3.0 Sonos Beam. However, the Sonos Beam has a slightly higher at 9.4 dB maximum SPL, getting louder than the Sonos Beam (Gen 2), which achieves a maximum SPL of 89.4 dB. Learn more about the 3.0 device in our Sonos Beam review now.

    With the 5.0 setup, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) has a better surround soundstage than the Bose Smart Soundbar 300, which has a 3.0 setup….

    With the 5.0 setup, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) has a better surround soundstage than the Bose Smart Soundbar 300, which has a 3.0 setup. The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) also supports Dolby Atmos, unlike the Bose Smart Soundbar 300. That said, the Bose Smart Soundbar 300 supports Bluetooth, unlike the Beam.

    Depth

    3.9"

    3.9"

    4.25"

    Dialogue Enhancement Feature

    Yes

    Yes

    Yes

    Equalizer Settings

    n/a

    n/a

    HDMI ARC

    Yes

    Yes

    Yes

    Height

    2.7"

    2.7"

    2.25"

    Number of Audio Channels

    3

    3

    3

    Subwoofer

    na

    No

    Optional (sold separately)

    Surround Sound Supported

    na

    Dolby Digital, DTS

    Dig Deeper

    Sonos Arc With Sub One Sl Speakers Review →

    Sonos Beam Review →

    Bose Smart Soundbar 300 Review →

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    Score Card

    E

    Expert Score

    86

    *.75

    We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores

    C

    Customer Score

    90

    *.25

    We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores

    True Score

    83

    Any product with a True Score above 80 is a Absolutely Fresh

    Expert Scores

    • Rtings
      101.4

      Category Trust Rating

      74
      The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is satisfactory for mixed usage. This 5.0 setup offers a… Read More

      By:

      Jake Thauvette
    • PC Mag
      51.6

      Category Trust Rating

      80
      The second-generation Sonos Beam soundbar adds Dolby Atmos support and two more audio processing channels,… Read More

      By:

      Will Greenwald
    • Tom’s Guide
      77.58

      Category Trust Rating

      80
      The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) soundbar delivers sophisticated sound in a small package. A bounty… Read More

      By:

      Kate Kozuch
    • Trusted Reviews
      57.5

      Category Trust Rating

      90
      A step up from the previous model, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) adds an extra… Read More

      By:

      David Ludlow
    • CNET
      52.25

      Category Trust Rating

      81
      All-in-one system offers astoundingly wide sound, Choice of Alexa or Google Assistant onboard, One of… Read More

      By:

      Ty Pendlebury
    • Tech Power Up
      37.05

      Category Trust Rating

      NR
      What’s even better, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 can be expanded into a more complete… Read More

      By:

      Unknown