Testing EVERY Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Surround Sound Setup

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Got a Sonos Beam want to add to your setup? In this video, we outline and test all of the current subwoofer and rear surround options you can pair with the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) to help you choose the correct setup for your space and budget.
Interested in the Sonos Arc? Check out this video - • Testing EVERY Sonos Ar...
READ MORE ABOUT THE BEAM (GEN 2): www.smarthomesounds.co.uk/blo...
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:47 Need to Knows
1:42 Beam Lowdown
3:31 Sub Options
6:10 Sub Sound Test
8:35 Rear Options
12:47 Rear Sound Test
15:57 Which is Right For You?
• Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Low... 👉 Beam Lowdown
• Sonos SUB Mini Review ... 👉 Sub Mini Review
• Sonos Sub Gen 3 Review... 👉 Sub Gen 3 Review
• Sonos One SL: How it's... 👉 One SL Vs One Gen 2
• Sonos Era 100 Review: ... 👉 Era 100 Review
• Sonos Era 300 Review: ... 👉 Era 300 Review
• Sonos Five Hands-On Re... 👉 Sonos Five Review
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[@evan]

I have the beam 2, sub mini, and 2 era 300’s and the Atmos experience when watching tv is unmatched. I really love how great the surround is when gaming (coming from never having rears before) and shows like Dark that are mixed in Atmos make rewatching it a whole different experience. Atmos music is hella cool but I still think we’re years behind that becoming more of a thing. Not enough music I like mixed in Atmos

[@rachyl7356]

Thanks so much for sharing your experience! We currently have a Beam G2 & Symfonisk bookshelf rears in our main living space. The setup was originally purchased for our bedroom but I wondered how a soundbar system would work in that space (vs the receiver setup we had) and, “borrowed” it for a weekend to try. Well, 9 months later, we’re still using it. :) I’ve been planning to upgrade to a larger soundbar setup but was disappointed by the Q990b both due to the disconnects issue we had and the hollow mids in our space. I kinda hate purchasing an Arc that’s now 3 years old and given the amount of performance upgrade between the Beam G1 & G2, I’m looking forward to the eventual Arc Gen2 release. So, I’ve been thinking that in the meantime, I could go ahead and do the Era 300s as rears and then eventually swap the Beam G2 for an Arc in a year or so (hoping we see Gen2 next year?). Not that many people have this setup and it’s great to hear that you’re loving the experience. Does the Sub Mini really bring out the mids in the Beam G2 like I’ve heard? Even though it’s hard to hear the subtle differences in the sound files, it sounded like even dialogue was clearer, fuller, and had more impact when adding the Sub Mini. Have you tried it with and without? Do the Era 300s help with the bass at all? I’ve heard very good things about their bass performance, especially for the size. We live in an apartment with neighbors all around including above and below so on the fence as to whether we’ll get the benefits from the Sub Mini. Any added info would be super helpful. Thanks again!

[@Darkii1589]

I have the same setup as yours expect for era 300, I m thinking of upgrading to era 300 but i would like to know if the sound feels unbalance if i use era 300 with beam to watch atmos movies and music as the beam dont have upfiring speakers, do you feel the lack of front overhead sound ?

[@rootedrotor525]

Maybe a dumb ? - but do you use your setup for music too? Or disconnect the 300's? thanks

[@ramonholland1165]

What is your surround speaker level setup?

[@Kaniac47]

I have the beam 2, sub-mini, and 2 era 300s setup in my bedroom and it's fantastic. The 300's really are amazing. I entered the Sonos ecosystem earlier this year when I was looking for a soundbar for the 43" tv in my bedroom. After some research, I decided to go with Sonos, and the beam was a perfect option for my bedroom and tv because of its size. Then I added a sub-mini, followed by the two 300's. I also bought two 100s that I have as a stereo pair and I use them as Bluetooth speakers for my computer, but I group those in with the other speakers for music and movies for some extra effect. Started out with a beam in March and just a few short months later in July and I fully immersed myself in the Sonos ecosystem. I also have gotten a lot of great info from your channel, so kudos to you guys for great content.

[@bradleyjdee]

Awesome video as usual! Informative, to the point, and also relevant for the everyday person! FYI: There are some of us patiently waiting on that ARC home cinema video upload!

[@nicholasmottola3802]

I have the beam 2, sub mini, and era 100s for rears the set up has honestly made an amazing experience

[@andrewhs96]

Would this be too loud for an apartment? I got the same setup and haven't unboxed it yet. I'm still on the fence

[@BearsIn3D]

About to order my rears and will have the same setup as you, love the beam gen 2 and sub mini so far, didn't need the arc or bigger sub at all. Saved all the money to buy the rears.

[@markp4949]

@@andrewhs96also want to know this. Did you go ahead and unbox?

[@markp4949]

@@andrewhs96also depends on how much you want to crank it up I suppose and how thin the walls to your neighbours are…two era 100’s up loud would be upsetting alone I would imagine

[@andrewhs96]

@@markp4949 I ended up returning the sub. The setup as-is is great. A sub would definitely put the icing on the cake though. My one neighbor works a lot and her dogs bark all day and the other side probably wouldn’t hear it because there’s a room in between my living room and their apartment wall, so I’m considering going for the sub.

[@Ghostrider1717x]

Great Review! Thank you

[@user-vt9qn6yq5r]

Just purchased the beam gen 2 yesterday with 125 pounds off at argos, (374 pounds) been wanting too start this setup, so glad i did. Impressive sound out of a small soundbar, Had many in the past lg , samsung and the like, was quite amazed. More noticeable sounds i hadnt noticed before Will be adding the sub mini and era 100s. I have a medium sized room.

[@lx1576]

i have the beam 2 and added a couple of old play:1 speakers as surrounds. they paired effortlessly. recently added a sub mini to the mix and it absolutely rivals my previous sony av receiver/5.1 speaker set (too bulky, too many wires).

[@brentwright1962]

I have beam 2 with sub mini and symfonicks frames as rear surrounds Frame speakers put out great bass and got a great sale on them Everyone is surprised when they hear sound from behind them from what they thought were pictures

[@Eddie-yc5yd]

Already owned Sonos gen 2 sub. And I bought the beam 2 with sub mini. When I switched the subs, it was a huge difference. The bass is a lot more pronounced. And you feel it instead of just hearing it. It's in a medium size bedroom.

[@MitchR-nk6yp]

I would love to see a video on home cinema speaker setup value/mid/premium recommendations for the flagship TVs of the year, ie. LG G3 & Sony A95L. Especially given both of these act as a centre channel in the right set ups. Personally I’m considering the G3 and interested in value/mid recommendations for a setup that works well with this TV, taking advantage of using the TV as a centre channel.

[@jasonblair4057]

I have the beam, sub mini and two ones and enjoy it very much. But I picked up an arc as there is currently a 20% off sale. I wanted the 300’s but the sale did not include those as a standalone pair. But those are the next goal. I will move the beam to the bedroom for now.

[@JorgeSolana]

This is exactly what i needed!!!! Amazing and thank you soooo much for the complete comparison :D

[@smarthomesounds]

Glad it was helpful!

[@NizarNoor]

My setup is Beam (Gen 2), Sub (Gen 3), and 2 × One SLs. I wish the Sub mini was available when I purchased my setup, I would've saved my money! I live in a small apartment so I don't think I will need to upgrade anything for a while. My current is already pretty sweet, watching movies are a delight and playing video games is such an immersive experience.

[@jasperverkroost]

I have exactly the same combination, but only started to really appreciate my Sub Gen. 3 when I placed it on a foam platform (I bought the Auralex Subdude II). Now the sound doesn't leak to my wooded floor below anymore and the bass is so much cleaner it's almost as if I got a whole new subwoofer. I am baffled by the fact that no one ever talks about this small investment ($80) to make your subwoofer really shine.

[@WaydeChristie]

I have an Arc and two Fives as surrounds. I don’t have the Fives as rears though - I placed them at the front of the room in line with the Arc. That way I can listen to spatial audio music in a more standard stereo setup. I want a fuller, wider sound stage, but I don’t need to hear music surrounding me. It’s the best of both worlds for a user like me who mainly wants their system for listening to music.

[@hawkinsmitch]

Great video compared to the rest on this subject. Just added Sub Mini to Beam Gen 2 and now considering Era 100 to complete the setup.

[@pauroot3]

Hey mate. Would be great if you could add some dimensions of the room that you are referring to as small, medium, or large room. Eg, will a 3m x 3m considered a small room and that the Ones are enough?👌🏼

[@causey1956]

Find your videos very informative!

[@mrgold3591]

I have the Arc, dual Gen 3 subs, and Fives are rear surrounds for my LG OLED 77C1. Purchased everything after X-mas before I knew about the release date of the Era 100/300s. Noticed my cable provider only has 5.1 audio, I don't listen to spatial audio, and about 30%-35% of streaming content I watch is in Atmos. Don't know how the Fives compare to the Era 300 for regular 5.1? So far, extremely impressed and satisfied with my current set-up. I can wait to see if Sonos improves the app to add more speakers (compete with the Nakamichi Dragon 11.4.6), update the Arc to a version 2, or maybe come out with Era 500 speakers in a few months/years. Maybe by then, +75% of content will be in Atmos.

[@a-non1403]

I have a Vizio 75 fairly new with the ARC connection and the Sonos Beam 2, along wkth the Sub Mini ehic is pretty damn good. Now, for sime reason I don't seem to be getting the surround affect to the left and right. Am i missing a setting in the app or TV. Atmos along with spacial has all been setup bit just not getting the sound experience expected. Dont get me wrong, ot sounds great, but essential instructions are missing as far as TV settings, Roku settings, etc. Any comments?

[@Birmingham_racing]

I don't have sonos anymore but when I had my beam 1 with gen 3 sub it was overkill

[@Clockworks_16]

what do you think is the best sounds settings for beam gen 2 with the sub mini now with 15.5

[@rd4k04]

What's the recommendation on Sonos one placement as surrounds. I see a lot of people angling them towards the front of the room but I'm tempted to angle them on each side of the couch directly towards me

[@Midman1972]

I hear the era100 being close enough to the era300 to not bother with anything beyond the 100’s. I just got a pair of 100’s, but their final role TBD. Perhaps they will live with my arc.

[@redmondohanlon5987]

I have the bean and 2 x Era 100s. Ideally I would mount on the wall 7 feet behind the couch. Will this significantly negatively affect the sound? Also around 6 feet high would be ideal height

[@Hamish.]

Can you do a comparison of the beam plus era 300 and arc plus 100?

[@rustyrocks69]

I just bought the beam 2 / sub mini / 2x play 1's based off a sound test at a store... Went ebay and amazon whole setup for £800.... I have watched all your vidoes since the pirchase 🤣

[@jellocubez7]

Thank you for your comparison! Theres a great black friday sale, so I bought my parents a beam + 2 100s because my mom always complains how loud my dad sets the TV since he cant hear any voices in their cavernous living room. Maybe next year they'll get a sub for full surround, haha.

[@mrgold3591]

I have the same system and a Roam. I sometimes add the Roam to the group and lower the sound level for the soundbar for night time viewing. You can also put the Roam next to either parent if one wants clearer dialogue or louder sound (Roam is also perfect if you want to listen to the TV news in the kitchen prepping a meal).

[@mohamedahmed1023]

I have the beam 2, sub mini, and ones in my parent's place (traditional higher end home theatre at mine) to watch movies while there. But if I were to upgrade, I would upgrade the beam to the Arc first before upgrading the rears. Afterwards, I would upgrade to the Era 300. But I was hoping for Era 300s that could act as L & R and even Era 100 that had upfiring capabilities. I feel like there are obvious enthusiast options that everyone asks for that Sonos doesn't ever get round to launching.

[@mrgold3591]

Exactly! Sonos could very easily make it possible to add additional speakers for L/R front, side speakers, Atmos (in ceiling, mount near ceiling, or tilt an Era 100 45 degrees up to bounce of ceiling), or additional rear surrounds to compete with the Nakamichi Dragon 11.4.6.

[@morris5984]

Just got the pair era 100s to go with my beam at Costco. They’re $376 due to the recent Sonos promotion combined with the Costco member discount.

[@Nanoscot]

I'm looking at getting the Sonos beam gen 2 . But people are saying it only runs on 2.5 WiFi so if you have a mesh network it's useless because you had to change the sidd ?

[@heibaimao]

Are there long cable available for the sonos era 300?

[@taranveersingh5926]

Could you also comment on using Sonos Beam Gen 2 with the Ikea Symfonisk Picture Frame in collaboration with Sonos. 🙂

[@Eddie-yc5yd]

Just bought the beam 2, mini sub. And already had to play ones for the rear. I swapped out the mini sub for the larger second generation sub. That made a huge difference. One day, I would like to have the era 300. To give a more realistic Dobly atmos sound. Which is lacking on the beam 2.

[@emcken2133]

I currently have the sub mini. In what way did the gen 2 sub improve the sound quality?

[@patriciacristobal6977]

One question, for everyone, Arc or Bean gen 2 + sub mini, for music & movies. Many thanks.

[@Ricky310Rick]

So I'm a bit odd. I got the beam and then added an era 300. Just one lol. I placed it behind my dining table because I wanted to hear more vocals when watching the TV from the dining room. My question is, does this pairing work as a surround sound or is the connection just a simple connection, i.e. the two speakers are playing the same sound not really interacting amongst themselves? In the end, I love it because I can hear the vocals better. But when I'm in the living room, I wish the era 300 were behind the couch. I'm thinking of either (a) adding a subwoofer, or (b) replacing the beam with the arc, or (c) adding another 300. What should I do? I value bass and vocals. Not really the bangs and booms of action movies. I prefer listening to music and getting in my feels more than watching action movies. I value yalls input

[@1977macross]

I just bought a Beam gen 2 and a Mini Sub. But ended up only able to connect my TV using Optical cable instead of HDMI Arc which my TV does not has any. Is there anything i could do to get the Dob Atmos quality sound? Or will it help if i use a HDMI splitter instead of an optical connection ? Please advice? 😊

[@user-kp6bl3rh9g]

What size is the TV shown in the tests?

[@user-bh7wz5zf1q]

Привет. А попробуй к стандартному beam 2 + sub mini + 2 one, добавить две era 100 справа и слева от beam 2 и включить все это в Dolby atmos. Интересно как это скажется на обьем

[@lf2334]

I bought a Bean Gen 2 and can't tell a difference between it and the old Vizio sound bar I had. I plugged it in expecting amazing sound, and to my ear it just sounds the same. Not sure if I'm doing something wrong or not.

[@joaopedromestre9607]

As a new Beam Gen 2 owner, I’m starting my Sonos setup. A Sub Mini is probably my next purchase, but regarding the rear’s I’m still undecided between the Era 100 or the Era 300. Is it possible to configure the 300 as a stereo/Atmos pair for those music listening moments and as a rear surround pair with the Beam + Mini for an Atmos home cinema system?

[@rootedrotor525]

I don't believe so - not w/o breaking the connection. Which really sucks. My hangup exactly.

[@RufusPJones]

I just added a beam, and 2 era 100. Besides having a cracking/static coming from my 100’s it won’t let me use the trueplay option. Keeps saying, not able to use trueplay at this time try again later. Anyone else have these issues?

[@Michael-uf1hz]

Can I wifi pair a sonos move to a direct wired beam to my tv?

[@VoyageursHK]

Hi, can I ask where you got your wood panels in the back of your screen? Many thanks!

[@gordonpatterson8615]

There are many wallpapers identical to that panelling

[@n14llward62]

For a room 4.1 x 4.3 mtrs I’m looking at beam with EITHER the sub mini OR 2 x era 100 for rears or else Bose smart soundbar 600 & base 500. Not looking at using for anything other than tv/movies/gaming. Any advice

[@mrgold3591]

I have a Beam Gen 2, Gen 3 Sub, & One SLs (upgraded from Symfonisk bookshelf rears) as rears for LG OLED 55C1 in a 4.3 x 8 mtrs room. I started with the Beam+rears for around a year. Adding the sub made a HUGE differences compared to rear surrounds only. The sub took the Beam to another level by taking the bass duties away from the Beam. The Beam was able to shine more with the mids, treble, and dialogue. Pretty much any rears will do like new/used Symfonisk, One SLs, or Era 100. I've heard zero difference when I upgraded from my Symfonisk to One SLs in surround duties (reason why I'm not going to upgrade the rears to Era 100). Probably wait until I can find a good pair of used Era 300 first if I ever want to replace the rear One SLs.

[@mackoi.10.5]

Can you do SONOS ARC home cinema set up as well!? Thank youbin advance

[@smarthomesounds]

Coming very soon 👍

[@mackoi.10.5]

Thanks in advance and more power to your channel boss

[@Thefootynutritionist]

Thanks for the video. The vocals coming through on my beams connected to Samsung frame are awful. I almost can’t hear half the time, yet sound effects sound good. Any ideas what might be wrong?

[@4rounder312]

Question. How do yoy switch (2) era 100's from rear surround to stereo music?

[@mrgold3591]

You have to break the Era 100 from the home theater group if you want to use them as a stereo pair alone. I would keep them in the home theater group with the Arc/Beam and change the rear Era 100 from "Ambient" to "Full" in the Sonos App on the smartphone. You get the rear Era 100 in stereo and get the Arc/Beam and subs added to the party.

[@macaulaygreenwood7375]

If you could answer this it would be much appreciated.. I’ve got a setup of the Arc and a pair of 300’s as surrounds, is it worth getting the sun mini or would the rest of the setup smother it? I can’t really get the Gen 3 sub cos I share a wall

[@Solidariity]

In a previous video I believe they said something like "too much arc for the mini" or "arc is asking for more"

[@bobwalters9151]

I have your set up with the arc and the 300s...and the sub mini works great with this set up! I have my sub set to +1 in a large size room and it's plenty of tight bass! nothing drowns it out. hope this helps

[@macaulaygreenwood7375]

@@bobwalters9151 helps massively mate thank you

[@macaulaygreenwood7375]

@@Solidariity I remember seeing that video and that’s what’s been putting me off getting a mini

[@mrgold3591]

The advantages with the Gen 3 sub are you can place it anywhere in the room, lay it on its side, slide under your primary sitting position, or add a second sub down the road. I would go for the sub mini if you have future plans to add Sonos to spare room later and upgrade the main TV room to a Gen 3 (or Gen 4 sub) down the road.

[@Boombasticlove]

CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHAT MUSIC IS IT @ 7:00 MINS

[@nemerix75]

Hi, I've beam 2 and 1 Five. I can't add Five as sorround of beam 2! Can I add it? when I try to connect to beam 2 room the Five as sorround it doen't found Five in wifi but it's is connect. Someone can help me?

[@mrgold3591]

I don't think you can add one Five (or any single Sonos speaker) alone as rear surrounds because it has to be in pairs. You can add an individual speaker just like you would for whole house audio in the Sonos app. You will just using the whole house audio feature on your smartphone; but, move the speaker into the same room. The one Five would not be part of the soundbar home theater group doing rear surrounds duties, can't Trueplay it all together, and you can't control the volume of the single Five with TV remote. The single Five will sound like a center channel or L/R stereo duties if you have other Sonos/IKEA Symfonisk in stand alone already linked in pairs. Depending on where you place the single Five, it can have issues and sound muddy, echo-ish, or not balanced on certain audio inputs not being part of the soundbar theater group.

[@MacronageChain]

So for an apartment (with neighbours), sonos beam gen 2 on its own is enough? or adding a sub is acceptable? Also, are there any discounts for Jan? Currently do not own any setup. TV: LG C3 EVO

[@andyalias]

Im with the same TV, Ive been looking at the Beam Gen 2 and Sub Mini, but also torn to Samsung Q930C, or Q990C if funds stretch. Watching reviews of these made me sway towards the Q930C. Still haven't pulled the trigger yet, prices in general seem a bit high

[@MacronageChain]

@@andyalias heard the sub and gen 2 beam connected. Even just for low volume the quality of the music is incredible. But I would wait for the next sale.

[@audie-cashstack-uk4881]

I'm in a flat 😂😂😂 I have gen 2 a sub gen 3 and 2 1s rears full 5.1.2 atmos lol nabours my small living g room is a full cinema sound experience

[@ottawacanadaottawacanada647]

I have beam 2 +mini= era 100s

[@Solidariity]

Saaaaame 😍

[@Birmingham_racing]

How's it sound?

[@carlocauton3678]

you mini sub mini?

[@Boombasticlove]

bro what music is that ? testing music

[@MrDexterSr]

Rocking just beam in my bedroom, has anyone added the sub mini to their beam yet? If so what had been your experience?

[@mrgold3591]

I have a Beam Gen 1 with Symfonisk rear speakers for several years on my bedroom LG OLED 55C9. Recently added the Gen 3 Sub after X-mas and that really takes it to the next level. The sub mini would have worked also for my space. Adding the sub seems to increase the sound quality of the Beam and rear surrounds because the sub takes all the low bass frequencies. The Beam/surrounds can then concentrate on mids/highs/dialogue for improved sound quality and clarity. Sonos does have a 45 day return policy if you wanted to try before you buy.

[@isaacescoto7939]

Just got the er300 pair and beam gen 2 and can not figure out why I can't pair them in surround. Only my ones

[@SirMopy]

unlink the 300s from stereo

[@emcken2133]

What is the sound like with the Beam 2 and 300s?

[@93ChayZ]

Just picked up Beam+Mini+Era100’s and it’s quite amazing in a med bedroom, I will move it from my (gaming room) to our Master Bed which is larger and see how it sounds Im sure it will be great, no need for the Sub Gen 3 in anything other than a Living room. We got an Arc+SubGen3+Era300’s coming in a few days, the 77” LG OLED just arrived as well 🤓🔥 SO HYPED to be fully IMMERSED by Oppenheimer. (saw in REAL IMAX Pacific Science Center Seattle)

[@adi5124768]

May I ask how big is your med bedroom? I have a 20 square meters bedroom and still contemplating of whether the beam, mini and 100 would be a great option..

[@milekFPS]

What is the name of test video?

[@markp4949]

£1247 for beam and x2 Era 300’s or £1281 for beam and mini sub. Thoughts?

[@audie-cashstack-uk4881]

Era 300s

[@user-rp3ww3er7d]

Is it worthy just to buy the sonos beam 2?

[@mrgold3591]

I went with the Beam because of the flexibility of mix/matching speakers, sound quality, ease of use, and small size to hang attached under a wall mount or under a TV on a stand. I added a Beam Gen 1 to hang under a LG OLED 55C9 and added Symfonisk bookshelf speakers on either side of bed in master bedroom. This Beam Gen 1 was originally in another room with Gen 3 sub and One SLs. I upgraded to the updated Beam Gen 2 and moved the old Gen 1 Beam to master bedroom. It would have been difficult to break-up and mix/match other soundbar systems and have years of use with always having a component upgrade path.

[@user-tx5kc6kc7f]

can you compere sonos beam gen 2 + sub mini to the bose 600 + bass module 500 ?

[@unclebrew9536]

Bose doesn’t come close.I have both

[@wansbram]

12:51 13:35

[@manukahoney9725]

I think the sound too high and too sharp.

[@1977macross]

j

[@DeepDishPizza]

The Beam 2 is just lacking. I bought a Samsung soundbar and the sound is way beyond the beam.

[@Punisher-1]

Which Samsung soundbar did you get?

[@DeepDishPizza]

@@Punisher-1 The 990c I got it for only $400 brand new with my work discount.