In depth
At a glance
The second-generation Sonos Beam keeps the small footprint that made the original useful while adding Atmos decoding and HDMI eARC. It is a complete front speaker that can also join a network music system, with optional bass and rear speakers available later.
Its appeal is scale appropriate to a smaller space. A 651 mm bar is easier to accommodate than a flagship enclosure, but its Atmos processing and limited deep bass need to be judged within that compact design.
The Beam uses the same basic driver arrangement as its predecessor, with updated processing and a perforated grille replacing the older fabric covering. Five amplifiers power the active drivers; the passive radiators help the small enclosure handle bass without becoming additional powered channels.
RTINGS found clear dialogue and present vocals, with limited low bass and less output capability than larger systems.1 Those limits are most relevant to loud films and spacious rooms. For ordinary television at a moderate level, the small enclosure can be a practical advantage.
What Hi-Fi?’s comparative listening found a more refined, fuller presentation than the first Beam, while retaining clear detail and musical organization.2 That supports the newer model’s appeal, but an owner satisfied with the original should weigh the sound changes alongside the new formats instead of expecting a larger system in the same box.
RTINGS classifies the Beam Gen 2 as a 5.0 arrangement.1 Atmos decoding does not add physical ceiling-directed speakers: the bar uses its front and side output, together with processing, to create the impression of a larger space.
What Hi-Fi? heard coherent movement and useful depth from Atmos films, while distinguishing that result from convincing sound directly overhead.2 This is a sensible way to assess the feature. It can enrich the presentation without replacing speakers above or behind the listener.
Leave the ends unobstructed and sit within the intended listening area. If clearly placed effects behind the sofa are the priority, a compatible rear pair changes the physical arrangement more substantially than selecting a different processing mode.
Connect the Beam to the television’s audio-return socket and connect source devices to the TV. There is no HDMI passthrough input on the soundbar, so it uses one TV socket without adding another. Check the TV’s ability to pass the required formats from each source.
Compared with the original Beam’s ARC connection, eARC enables lossless Dolby TrueHD and multichannel PCM from a compatible television. Dolby Digital Plus Atmos can use a suitable ARC path. Standard DTS is supported, while DTS:X is not. The Sonos app identifies the format being decoded.
The included optical adapter is useful for an older television, with more limited sound formats and no Atmos. RTINGS added a May 2025 note about user reports of metallic sound with HDMI surround or Atmos playback, then said in a later follow-up that it could not reproduce the problem with several films.1 Neither statement establishes the behavior of current firmware. Listen to the intended TV sources during setup.
Speech Enhancement raises the prominence of voices, while Night Sound reduces the gap between quiet passages and loud effects. These are separate choices: one addresses dialogue emphasis, the other the demands of quieter viewing.
The television remote can handle everyday volume after setup, and the top surface provides touch controls. Settings and speaker configuration remain in the Sonos app. The Beam must be set up with the app and a Sonos account before it can play TV audio; it is not an entirely app-free television accessory.
Sonos Voice Control, Alexa and Google Assistant are documented options, although Alexa and Google Assistant cannot share the same product simultaneously. The microphone control allows voice listening to be disabled. Sonos headphone owners can also use supported TV Audio Swap for private listening.
Trueplay uses a supported iOS device to measure the room and adjust playback. Android can control the Beam, but it cannot perform this model’s tuning. The quick Android tuning available on newer Sonos products should not be assumed here.
This matters before purchase if everyone in the household uses Android. The bar still works without calibration, and bass and treble can be adjusted manually, but access to a compatible iOS device is needed to use the complete tuning feature. Tune after the bar and any extra speakers have reached their final positions.
The Beam is also a network music speaker, which gives it a purpose when the television is off. Sonos services and AirPlay 2 provide music routes, while grouping can extend playback to other compatible Sonos rooms. There is no Bluetooth music input for a visitor to use directly.
Sonos’s current support table and US product page specify 2.4 GHz router networking for this model. Ethernet is an alternative where a cable can reach the router. Keep that network requirement in mind if the home uses a separate 5 GHz-only network for media equipment.
The Gen 2 requires the current Sonos app family and cannot join an S1-only system. That is a meaningful change from the first Beam, which supports S1 as well. Owners of older Sonos equipment should check app compatibility before planning to group it all together.
A separate Sonos subwoofer can take on the bass that the compact bar cannot reproduce with the same authority. Rear speakers add actual sound sources behind the seat. Both changes increase the cost and require additional locations and power.
The current compatibility list includes Era 100 and Era 300 speakers as well as several older Sonos models.3 Match the exact pair to the supported list. Creating an ordinary music group is not the same as assigning speakers as surrounds, so use the home-theater setup process in the app.
The Beam fits smaller stands more comfortably than the long Arc models. Sonos recommends an open position near the front of a shelf, with space around the ends and access to the top controls. Check the television’s remote sensor and feet as well as the screen height.
A wall mount is a separate purchase. The HDMI cable and optical adapter are included, and the US warranty covers manufacturing defects for one year under its terms. There is little reason to buy mounting hardware before deciding whether the bar will stay on furniture.
The newer Beam Ultra adds two upward-facing drivers and Bluetooth in a wider, 750 mm enclosure. It is worth considering when physical height hardware and easier phone playback matter more than keeping the smallest footprint. Those are concrete feature differences; they do not make the Gen 2’s existing sound and connections obsolete.
Keeping a first-generation Beam is also reasonable for ordinary television and music, especially in an S1 system. The Gen 2’s stronger upgrade case is the eARC and Atmos signal path. If the television and sources cannot use those formats, the benefit becomes narrower.
The Beam Gen 2 remains a useful compact TV and music speaker, particularly when its network features fit an existing Sonos household. Its clear everyday presentation matters more than the Atmos badge. Buy with realistic expectations for deep bass and overhead effects, and settle the app, television and iOS calibration requirements first.
This is a research-based review. The Fasit has not physically tested this product.
Independent sources cited in this article.
Black standalone system, methodology 1.3; October 2023 test update, May 12, 2025 note about user reports and May 22 administrator follow-up unable to reproduce them. Later comparison edits are not current-firmware tests.
Original October 2021 white-unit listening and comparison with Beam Gen 1; body updated February 2025.
Current Beam (Gen 2) selection in Sonos’s rear-speaker compatibility menu.