And if you’re willing to spend double, you can get much larger, beefier Atmos soundbars like Sonos’ own Arc or alternatives from Sony and Bose. At its price, the Beam is more expensive than entry-level soundbars from Vizio and the like. And because it’s equipped with more processing power and eARC, the new model supports immersive Dolby Atmos audio.īut the target customer for the Beam hasn’t changed one bit: this is a soundbar for people who want to upgrade their TV’s lousy built-in audio - with the enticing side benefit of native integration with Sonos’ multiroom audio system. Sonos has touched up the appearance by switching from a fabric covering on the first Beam to the company’s signature perforated plastic with finely drilled holes running along the entire front of the soundbar. The speaker drivers inside the unit are completely unchanged. The new Beam, available October 5th and now slightly more expensive at $449, is the same compact size as the 2018 original. From the moment Sonos announced the second-generation Beam soundbar, it was evident that this sequel is more refresh than reinvention.
