Sonos Arc Ultra Review: Insane 9.1.4 Spatial Audio 🤯

[@MakeSomething]

I'm a subwoofer guy and I can honestly say the Sonos Arc does not need a subwoofer. If you want to save money I suggest getting only the soundbar first and then deciding if you need the sub.

[@kevincrawford637]

I originally bought both and returned the sub!

[@mrgold3591]

I started with the Arc with dual subs and Fives. The dual subs do a pretty good job filling the Great room space with high ceilings. Subs are not needed if you mostly watch non-action shows, reality TV, dialogue heavy dramas, news, or sports. Recently upgraded to the Arc Ultra and noticed an improvement with dialogue compared to the Arc. I had no problems with dialogue with my v1 Arc on my LG OLED.

[@Zuudloarn]

And what about hifi music? Still don't need sub?

[@mrgold3591]

@@Zuudloarn I lean toward pop and R&B and like what the sub can add to hear and feel the bass.

[@MakeSomething]

@@Zuudloarn I play music through mine all the time. Mostly indie, garage rock type stuff and it's great. If you want to feel it in your chest then I would suggest a sub.

[@MrCoords]

The sound tech in this soundbar was designed by two dutch youngsters that just sold their tech to Sonos for $100m! They gave a demo on TV last night & what they designed it nothing short of sensational.

[@GermanGonzalez]

I've been wanting to get the arc for a while glad I waited for the latest version. I think it's finally time to pull the trigger on this.

[@smartinussen]

But what about the Arc Ultra Max down the line ?

[@CypressRacing]

Great review, I've had mine for a week and agree, it's simply insane and my best audio gear purchase in over 20 years.

[@AdamW77]

Enjoyed this video. I had the same issue with the tv being a bit low. I found an excellent solution that was to buy 2/3 lack shelves from Ikea. $6 each and they are compact enough to fit under the tv all the way along and raise it the perfect level so it’s a few mm above the arc.

[@BackyardSmokeMasterBBQ]

I appreciate that you suggested that we try the Arc Ultra without the subwoofer first. That took a lot of pressure off and I went ahead and ordered the soundbar by itself. Thanks!

[@mrbill4256]

Thanks for the review, I am leaning towards picking up the Ultra. I have the Arc + Sub 3 + 2x Era 300 and the Dialogue is not very good, so this would be a welcome change. Disappointed that it still doesn't do DTS-HD or DTS:X, but it's a minor gripe.

[@kentucky4696]

cant lie sonos pushed my buttons with the app update so I'm not being bias here...I had the old arc and I upgraded just because all the good reviews I read....sonos is back in the game with this bar. I don't think they are a bar that's on this level atm. paired with my x2 sub gen3's an x2 Era300s it made movies feel crazy immersive and cinematic. dialogue, bass and soundstage has improved significantly.

[@SwallCloud]

how would you compare them to the samsung 995D?

[@omCi]

Great review as always. Do you mind sharing what TV stand this is? I really like it. Thank you.

[@dikbenzo839]

You stole my question😂

[@NONANON_MUSIC]

Would also really like to know. This stand is really nice. Please let us know.

[@omCi]

One time I use the Google lense and it fails me miserably.

[@jasondavid4375]

Mine was a lemon. Volume level would go up to max randomly during movies. Happened numerous times. Beyond that my ultra would emit a two tone digital noise randomly all day and night. Spent hours online with support service only to be told it’s faulty and needs to be replaced. I also bought two era 300’s and Sub Gen 4. I will say that the ultra is very good on its own. It produces very decent bass. I’m considering keeping the Ultra on its own and adding surrounds at a later date. The era 300’s are amazing on their own but lose way too much functionality when used as surrounds.

[@GOLFADDICT65]

would you recommend having the ERA 100's as rears for the ARC ULTRA ? and the Mini Sub ? I ordered the BEAM 2 + Mini Sub + ERA 100's if the Beam does not meet my expectations i will get the ARC ULTRA the room is a man cave thats about 12 x 12 feet with a 7.5 foot ceiling your thoughts ?

[@davejones4799]

​@GOLFADDICT65 era 100 a pair are perfect for what you want, they sound amazing

[@patrick_z21p]

@@GOLFADDICT65i have almost identical setup but with one sl as surround speaker. Can you please update me if you buy the arc ultra and tell me how it pairs with the sub mini🙏

[@GOLFADDICT65]

@@patrick_z21p ok i will

[@victorblanco4499]

Dude, on a side note- that white entertainment center is awesome! Where’d ya get it ?

[@moony9013]

Dope 👍 When I have my own place I’m getting this for sure

[@pumaguy211]

Currently on a trial with trying to find the right audio solution for my space. I initially attempted a trial with the Sennheiser plus and after a week picked up the Ambeo Max for a great price and have 60 days to try it out. Reviews on the Sonos seem overwhelming positive and wonder if anyone can speak to how it compares to the Ambeo Max. Only drawback I have seen in no additional hdmi outputs but may be able to find a work around for that.

[@Joseph-sy8ep]

Ambeo max is better as a stand alone sound bar But with sonos you can add surrounds and up to two subwoofer. Sonos with surrounds and subwoofer will out shine ambeo max

[@adamr4198]

Thoughts on this vs 2 HomePods. I know this has more features. Does it sound twice as good?

[@kangvik]

This^^

[@Fran_ku]

Same question here

[@Joseph-sy8ep]

Offcourse, This will sound twice better, Down the track you could add surround speakers and up to two subwoofers

[@Rigue2021]

I upgraded to the Ultra / Sub Gen 4 to go with ERA 200’s. It sounds amazing. I don’t care for True Play as I have Living Open Concept. Currently selling my ARC $350 Sub Gen 2 $209

[@Dr.Doolitle]

Wow arc für 350 Dollar is a Little Bit to much 😂

[@pghcraig]

I have been debating upgrading my ARC and this was very helpful. The old Arc can replace my Beam.

[@mrgold3591]

I did the same with Arc Ultra replacing my v1 Arc, v1 Arc replaced Beam Gen 1 in master bedroom, and Beam Gen 1 into a room with TV without a soundbar.

[@omCi]

Can someone please tell me where I can pick up this tv entertainment stand? Can’t find it anywhere.

[@abkhrsyh]

How is it compare to Ambeo Max?

[@donpablo2]

Have Ultra for a week. Nice upgrade with previous Arc. Like better sound especially with Sub 3 and two Eras 100

[@csmyrski7490]

What stand is that and where can I get one? Thanks

[@Josh-Way]

Yeah that TV stand is awesome!! I second where can I get one?

[@NONANON_MUSIC]

Please let us know - would totally love to get this.

[@ruialex314]

2 subs is not for power it’s to feel bass all over the room evenly

[@mrgold3591]

Yup! I noticed the bass was more evenly spread around the room and it didn't feel from one direction with a single sub.

[@BoomerPlusUltra]

Came here for this comment.

[@josephkim007]

In terms of surround sound/sound stage, would this be better or something like the Sony Bravia theater quads? Which one would be better for voice dialogue? Which one would be better for playing games or listening to music?

[@Aoelx]

This would be an interesting comparison!

[@davidb9531]

The quad has dts so it's gonna be much better and creates a full surround bubble

[@josephkim007]

If I get this and a pair of era 300/100s, I’m very curious on how the Atmos and surround sound. Performance will be like compared to the Sony.

[@mcateer09]

Great review as always but please please please consider changing to a matt TV, that glare is unbearable

[@macrumors]

My entire studio is filled with windows lol hard to avoid

[@Tattednerd23]

they need to allow 4 era 300s i have arc ultra gen 4 sub and 2 era 300s and its amazing

[@NONANON_MUSIC]

Please let us know what this TV table/stand is - would really like to get one for myself - thank you!

[@shimonleonov]

Hi , i have a old sonos playbase + 2 rear sonos play 1 for Surround . the arc ultra dosent work with rear play 1, so is it worth to buy sonos ultra arc and And give up with the rear speakers for now and buy only the ultra arc at this moment or to stay with the old Surround system ?

[@Hishamomran]

Stupid question, what movie was that when you were showing the sounds quality? 😅

[@austinrhodes6307]

Rebel Moon on Netflix

[@bobstacy4]

I have it and it sounds great

[@justinbrowns1945]

Still no two hdmi ports....Why why why. It is all ready over inflated by price. Canada 999 for arc, ultra arc 1300... I can buy the entire Samsung 990D on black Friday for like 1300 and have two hdmi ports.

[@randyfhorvath]

Do these types of soundbars sound good if there is a wall about a foot away from the end of one side? I always worry that sound coming out of it will hit that wall, bounce off it, and sound strange. I also have high cathedral ceilings….its a 50’s house so…

[@GOLFADDICT65]

will the ARC ULTRA sound even better with a SUB MINI and the ERA 100's ? would i even notice the difference ? i already ordered and received the sub Mini and ERA 100's my room is approx. 12 x 12 feet with 7.5 foot ceiling i got the BEAM 2 but changed my mind and wanna upgrade to the ARC ULTRA .... BEAM 2 is still in the box please let me know what you think thx also i intend to add the ERA 300's down the road possibly hoping the 100's will do in my room for now cheers from Canada another question should i not even open the Sub Mini box and just send it back and order the GEN 4 Sub ? i am not a bass head so as long as the mini adds some i would be fine i think not sure what to do

[@phtru]

I’m having JBL 9.1 with the same 5.1.4 setup. Does it make any huge differences on the upgrade to Sonos Arc Ultra? For current JBL it too much bass and small dialogue for me and my apartment

[@mrgold3591]

Upgraded my Arc to the Arc Ultra. Big improvement in dialogue over my original Arc and Beam Gen 2. Sometimes, the v1 Arc, Beam, or Ray can have issues with dialogue depending on the TV. I had zero issues with my LG OLEDs with C9 Arc HDMI or C1/C2/C4 eArc HDMI ports (set to bitstream/pass through on TV, not Auto/PCM). The stand alone 9.1.4 Arc Ultra is an improvement with more TVs with dialogue and the sound gets better/fuller as you add sub(s) and surrounds at any time.

[@TannerHladek]

Were you able to test Spatial Audio via Airplay + Apple Music?

[@barrywilson2409]

At this time, Sonos only allows Atmos play through their app or if you have an Apple TV it will play directly into it over an eARC HDMI . Great unit I love it.

[@TannerHladek]

@@barrywilson2409 Gotcha! Was unsure if Spatial Airplay would automatically work post iOS 18 launch... I will be eagerly awaiting this

[@ישראלאבייב-ק9כ]

Want to enter the world of Sonos and are debating what to go for budget-wise: beam 2 + sub mini + era100 or just arc ultra? In terms of price, the whole set comes out like Arc Ultra alone

[@micha-ix1iy]

Arc Ultra. Nice thing with Sonos is that you can always mix and match and expand later down the line. Thats why i would recommend starting with Ultra and maybe later add more if you want/can afford

[@t.h.9897]

Finneas ❤ This is my Atmos go-to track as well

[@fandibus]

Lack of lossless DTS and a single HDMI port are deal breakers.

[@christiank.8035]

on this review, you said Sonos reached out. So, is this a sponsored video? thanks.

[@vjarvelainen]

That's how every established reviewer gets their review units. The company reaches out. Nothing to do with a sponsored video.

[@macrumors]

Not sponsored one bit. Just using the unit for review is all. I still buy all of my Sonos stuff myself

[@charley2070]

Did they fix the Software?

[@derekhowe2765]

I have an older TV has an ARC HDMI but not eARC. I really want an arc ultra how would it perform?

[@mrgold3591]

You won't get the 9.1.4 Atmos audio bubble with just HDMI Arc. No Atmos might not make a big difference if you lean more towards news, sports, dialogue heavy drama/sitcoms, etc... You can still get Atmos/Spatial audio if you listen to music with the Arc Ultra.

[@Instegone]

Loss of Google Assistsnt is a shame.

[@jonsatvoutdoorchannel6686]

How do the Era 300's compare to dual Sonos Fives? I've heard the 5's are better overall for sound quality. I'm the guy with the original Arc plus 2 sub gen 3's and 2 Sonos Fives lol

[@mrgold3591]

I have the Arc Ultra, dual gen 3 subs, and Fives. I noticed only about 25% of the content I watch is in Atmos and the rest is in 5.1 or stereo. The Fives are better than the Era 300s in stereo/5.1 content; but, the Era 300 work better for Atmos/spatial audio. Both the Arc and Era 300 depends on walls and ceilings for the Atmos effect. The fives are a laser beam of sound and doesn't need wall/ceiling to maximize the effect. I don't listen to spatial audio and having Era 300 would be wasted on news, sports, dialogue heavy drama/sitcom shows I watch 70% of the time (my cable TV only comes in 5.1 and Netflix is getting more Atmos). I'm good for now and waiting to see if Sonos brings out an Era 500 in a few years.

[@504cool]

@@mrgold3591well you’d be surprised man. On many of those same shows with the exception of the news you hear more environmental ambience than you would before. Say If the characters are in a police interrogation room you’d hear the hmmm of the lights overhead. Or if a character is sitting in a diner and there’s a car passing outside you could hear it from going left to right. I was coming from ones mind you, but that was the major difference I heard with the Era 300’s. I’m very satisfied with them for my setup.

[@mrgold3591]

@@504cool I'm really waiting to see if Sonos comes out with Era 500 in a few years. I would even replace my Fives with Era 300s if Sonos allows us to add 4 of them to the Arc/sub(s) to Trueplay together (getting close to the 11.4.6 Nakamichi Dragon range).

[@Jam24711]

Sonos Arc Ultra or Samsung Q990D?

[@frankmunz4262]

I returned the Samsung. Hugely overhyped.

[@d1nicoya]

@@frankmunz4262 why? is the sound not good on the 990d?

[@DaIndian123]

What tv stand is that?

[@henson2k]

Any good Black Friday deals around? BTW manual recommends 10 cm between top of the soundbar and bottom of the TV screen

[@imthedude5678]

Assume for Black Friday. Sonos will want to lower price possibly more than the usual Black Friday deals to force the sale of the gen 1 arc. Would think the gen 1 will soon not be available. Can’t imagine the ultra being price reduced so soon after intro. But maybe.

[@henson2k]

@ gen 1 is already 20% off

[@AndrewBrunton-xx4mo]

Would you get this over the Dragon? Honestly? Some say the Atmos is better. I just don’t know. Love this perhaps with 3 era 300s. Also it seems so limited with only one HDMI.

[@mrgold3591]

I had a Nakamichi 7.2.4 on my LG OLED 77C1. I had to use the soundbar remote to adjust the sound depending on stereo/5.1/Atmos audio input, had to use flashdrive for firmware updates, I had wires to rear surround from dual subs (limited my sub/surround placements), and I couldn't upgrade speakers components. Sonos is easier to use, minutes to iphone optimize with advance Trueplay, component upgrade options depending on budget and audio needs, easy internet software updates, Ray/Beam/Arc for different room sizes, portable speakers with Roam/Move, whole house audio with Sonos/IKEA speakers, and I just need the TV remote or iphone Airplay 98% of the time to use Sonos.

[@yahzeeskellington]

No DTS-X support and apparently neither LPCM 5.1. That’s a big pass if you can only use it for streaming. I need a soundbar that supports my physical media and Nintendo Switch

[@Towarddev]

Does the q990d have lpcm 5.1? You know it by any chance?

[@angelicoflores]

How is this compared to Samsung Q990D?

[@x-ray3431]

Insane

[@nmrtr2530]

I'm having a dilemma on if I should upgrade my beam and get the Arc ultra or the Arc on sale on base for $599. The more I think about it, I don't think the Arc Ultra is a $400 upgrade.

[@victornunez7]

oh, but it is

[@mrgold3591]

The Arc Ultra is an upgrade over the v1 Arc or Beam in stand alone mode. Once you start to add in sub(s) and rear surround can narrow the gap a bit depending on the room size. I went for the Arc Ultra, dual sub, and Fives in an extra large room. I have a Beam, sub, and One SLs in a room 1/3 the size (my office). Both seem to work perfectly working with LG OLED TVs.

[@giz54]

can this be used for PC?

[@mrgold3591]

Does your TV have HDMI video card? I have dual monitors on my Dell computer and have and have several HDMIs with one from PC to LG OLED for a 3rd extended screen as needed (computer desk near TV). I can use the TV in regular internet streaming/Xfinity cable TV mode or switch the input to the PC and sound out the Sonos soundbar.

[@augustogalindo8687]

Does anyone have a Samsung Q990C or Q990D and has been able to compare it? Is it the 2X+ price worth it?

[@Cometer]

You want value. Go Q990D. You really care about sound quality. You have an amazing new big TV you want to pair with the best surround audio. You watch movies and listen to music a lot or even if you don't do it a lot, when you do, you really want to get the best experience. Best bass, best soundstage, detail retrieval. That can handle music (within the limits of a soundbar system) better than the competition. You go Sonos. It's not worth 2X+ price . It's just about getting the best sound. In my case I returned the Q990D. The reason is that my quality threshold has gone higher as I got spoiled with mid-range audiophile audio. When I switched to the Q990D I noticed that the bass seemed muddy. The soundstage too small. Music was not that good. The Atmos effect was pretty good but it still didn't make it feel like something is flying overhead and lacked detail. It was pretty much the same as my older home theater system and I expected an actual upgrade. Something I could really notice. Samsung did a good job. Their soundbar is mid range but since they provide a mid range sub and rear speakers in one package it makes up for it's flaws providing a good value proposition for most people. But when my wife asked if I was happy with the Q990D I really felt like I expected more out of it. I tweaked it as best as possible, but something was/is missing for me. The thing is each Sonos component is much better than the individual components of the Q990D. So, investment wise, if you want the ultimate system, you end up investing on Sonos. If sound quality is not a priority for you. If you rather save money for something else, then the Q990D is what you need. And sounds great for most people. IT really does. My decision to switch to the Sonos is purely emotional. I really care about the audio experience. Listening to as much details as possible. Feeling truly immersed and surprised with what I hear. The rational choice for price conscious people is the Q990D. The option for movie and music lovers that repeat a song or part of a movie over and over again just to capture minor details, is a Sonos system. It's not 2x better sound quality but that 30% better sound quality makes all the difference to some people.

[@AndrewBrunton-xx4mo]

@@CometerWould you consider the Dragon? Some say it’s better? Also what do you connect to the ARC with only one HDMI? Or do you use the HDMI from the TV and send it all back to the ARC? My main device is the Apple TV. Just curious how it is best to connect this thing. Thank you.

[@Cometer]

@@AndrewBrunton-xx4mo Heard good things about the Dragon but didn’t consider. My.main goals were . Decent sound quality, simplicity, good integration.. Trueplay tunes the audio to your room and such. For instance. The Dragon requires manual tuning much like many traditional AV systems. As for connection. You connect the soundbar to the HDMI port marked as eARD in your tv . You connect a device to another HDMi in your TV. Device audio gets automatically rooted through HDMI eARC to your soundbar.

[@klondt]

Sold!

[@PrinceOfHavendale]

Am I missing something? I bought the Ultra and returned it. It sounded average unless you cranked the volume up to near max. AND YOU DO NEED A SUB, that’s not an option. If this is an upgrade over the regular arc then god bless the regular arc. I suggest comparing it to Bose Ultra or any of the 990 series.

[@Tattednerd23]

get your ears check

[@tdwp909]

"cranked the volume up to near max" yea your shit is fucked up or you're listening to some really outdated shit on your arc. I can't turn up past 30 on Atmos otherwise wife is yelling it's too loud

[@Tattednerd23]

@tdwp909 that's facts fr

[@Kyle-gq7tk]

Yeah, you’re missing the kickback and free device Dan got from promoting this. Sonos is huge in the influencer game.

[@PrinceOfHavendale]

I have a 990c, Bose ultra and a hta3000, I think I can make a fair comparison and figure out the price vs sound value. I bought the arc ultra hoping to replace the Bose since I already have 2 era 100s. The arc ultra is not better than the Bose or 990, not even close (hta3000 is trash). The 990 and Bose have a way wider sound stage and has more detail and bass at every volume level. Those are the facts.

[@EddieGarciaVQ]

HDMI 2.1 passthrough?

[@mrgold3591]

Nope, I have LG OLED with multiple 2.1 HDMI to connect and use as an HDMI hub. Pretty much the same as getting the current iPhone and you are forced to get a more expensive data/text/hotspot plan.

[@RonniWest]

Ad a guy who just ordered the LG G4, with a fiancé that doesn’t give two fucks about tv or sound. What do I tell her to convince her that spending 50% of the TV on the sound?

[@mrgold3591]

You have free 30 day return with Sonos. I would just "do-it" and slowly add additional speakers down the road for sub, surrounds, and/or whole house audio. My spouse loves Sonos because of the ease of use. She only needs the TV remote or airplay to watch TV or play music.

[@jpjameson]

I could not be more disappointed with this device. It fails to recognize atmos from an AppleTV. How did these jokers not put an extra HDMI on the device at this price range?

[@MrZizaro]

I'm not happy at all with my current ARC. Dialogues are impossible... so is it any better in there ultra? Music sounds outstanding, but movie dialogues are just unacceptable in the ARC.

[@mrgold3591]

I have the v1 Arc with dual subs and Fives on LG OLED 77C1. I had to set the eArc HDMI to bitstream (pass through maybe for other TVs) and not Auto or PCM. Auto/PCM means the TV will process the sound and send to soundbar. Sometimes the Auto/PCM might send 2 channel stereo or Dolby 5.1 and the soundbar can't do the 9.1.4 processing with missing data/channels. I have 5 Sonos soundbars on LG OLEDs and zero issues with dialogue. The 5th soundbar is the Arc Ultra and noticed an improvement with dialogue over the Arc v1.

[@MrZizaro]

@@mrgold3591 Thank you for the detailed response! Apparently a lot of people are having issues with the dialogues on Sonos ARC, but it could also be an issue with the settings. I'll play around with it.

[@halcooper6059]

​@@mrgold3591 how do you verify this tv setting change allowed the sonos system to produce 9.4.1 sound?

[@pgreenx]

1:19 seems too big - blocks the bottom of the TV frame/border

[@aidanfletcher8103]

depends on the tv. some tvs are higher up

[@davidb9531]

No dts = throw out your physical media or forget this bar

[@mrgold3591]

I haven't used physical media for movies since 2020. Everything downloaded or streamed over the internet. Sonos works for me.

[@MrMctijn]

This is a sponsored review. This should be more visible. I have both and the Ultra is better than the first Arc, but that's not a big achievement. It's still not great for music.

[@macrumors]

If it was sponsored i would say sponsored

[@dilliams]

Why buy this when you can get the Samsung Q990D. Way better.

[@AndrewBrunton-xx4mo]

Is the 990D better than this when paired with the Era 300s?

[@jazzybeat28]

You can just get AirPods Pro and you will be just fine. No need to bother your neighbors and you will hear even more.

[@504cool]

Said the neighbor lol

[@norbsi]

Sonos is and will be crap and sound like crap!

[@jasondavid4375]

Mine was a lemon. Volume level would go up to max randomly during movies. Happened numerous times. Beyond that my ultra would emit a two tone digital noise randomly all day and night. Spent hours online with support service only to be told it’s faulty and needs to be replaced. I also bought two era 300’s and Sub Gen 4. I will say that the ultra is very good on its own. It produces very decent bass. I’m considering keeping the Ultra on its own and adding surrounds at a later date. The era 300’s are amazing on their own but lose way too much functionality when used as surrounds.