Sonos announced in early May that the Arc soundbar, its first Dolby Atmos-capable product, would arrive on June 10. Created with the help of “Oscar-winning mixing engineers,” Sonos said, the product has a listed price of $799.
Now, the first reviews of the product are in.
The Verge calls the Arc “an immersive soundbar that home theater enthusiasts can love” and “perhaps the biggest flex of the company’s design, engineering, and technology advancements that we’ve seen yet.” The review cautions, however, that the soundbar is only likely to work with newer TVs, from 2017 or later.
Gizmodo’s review calls the Sonos Arc “an $800 Dolby Atmos Soundbar That’s Actually a Good Deal.” The review praises the soundbar because it “does a decent job on its own. Easy setup. Low profile. Good sound quality,” while also calling it too expensive.
“If you’re stuck in a smaller living space, or want that home theater feel without all the extra speakers, then the $800 Arc is a decent bargain—if you want Dolby Atmos,” the Gizmodo reviewer said. “But if you don’t particularly care about Atmos, or just want something better than your TV’s native speakers, there are cheaper soundbars like the $180 Roku Smart Soundbar, and Vizio’s super-cheap $70 soundbar.”
Engadget calls the Sonos Arc “an upgrade worth the wait” from the previous Playbar product.
“Dolby Atmos support makes the company’s flagship soundbar more immersive—if you have the TV to accommodate it,” the review said. “The single HDMI jack will be a disappointment to many looking for all the detail and directional audio Atmos offers without having to sacrifice a port or having to upgrade to a more recent TV. Still, Arc works well as both a soundbar and a speaker, and the device will fit in nicely with recent Sonos gear you might already have for a multiroom setup.”
Stephen Silver, a technology writer for The National Interest, is a journalist, essayist and film critic, who is also a contributor to Philly Voice, Philadelphia Weekly, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Living Life Fearless, Backstage magazine, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenSilver.