Two Years With SONOS ARC: Honest Review and Verdict

After over two years with the Sonos Arc I give you my honest review and verdict.
Links to what I talk about in this video (Affiliate):
✅ Sonos ARC - White (US) - amzn.to/3E10KhX
✅ Sonos ARC - White (🇦🇺 Australia 🇦🇺 ) - amzn.to/3w5Z1ao
✅ Sonos ARC - Black (US) - amzn.to/45hsB9w
✅ Sonos ERA 300 - White (US) - amzn.to/3qv3PUo
✅ Sonos ERA 300 - Black (US) - amzn.to/3E9NbMU
✅ Sonos SUB (Gen 3) - White - amzn.to/3KQSjJH
✅ Sonos SUB (Gen 3) - Black - amzn.to/45BcWlb
This video is NOT sponsored. Some product links are affiliate links which means if you buy something I'll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
📒 Show Notes 📒
Connect with me on Social Media:
/ lovingtechlife
Tech I mention in the Video:
Sonos Stores for your region:
✅ US: bit.ly/47fGxC0
✅ Canada (English Language): bit.ly/47Et6Lp
✅ Canada (French Language): bit.ly/3R1DK9D
✅ UK: bit.ly/49CWhjY
✅ AT - Österreich / Austrian: bit.ly/3Gnj1Y1
✅ AUS - Australia: bit.ly/3RcBrAZ
✅ BE - België Nederlandse / Belgium Dutch: bit.ly/3SRRll8
✅ BE - Belgique Français / Belgium French: bit.ly/46hkvxh
✅ DE - Deutsch / German: bit.ly/3R0uUcn
✅ DK - Danmark / Denmark: bit.ly/3G8fJr6
✅ ES - España Spain: bit.ly/3MMfhTq
✅ France: bit.ly/3MOkVo5
✅ IT - Italia / Italian: bit.ly/3sC68Wy
✅ Nederland / Netherlands: bit.ly/3sC6SuO
✅ NO - Norge / Norway: bit.ly/46dJGAZ
✅ PL - Polska / Poland: bit.ly/3SDU9T4
✅ Schweiz Deutsch / Switzerland German: bit.ly/49zhawB
✅ Suisse Français / Swiss French: bit.ly/3SKSTNX
✅ SE - Sverige / Sweden: bit.ly/47wvWTr
✅ Svizzera Italiano / Swiss Italian: bit.ly/3ukZLYg
✅ Sverige / Sweden: bit.ly/47tMwD2
✅ My LG TV - ebay.us/qorjQu
✅ HDFURY Arcana - ebay.us/o7IJ7t
✅ OREI eARC Audio Extractor - amzn.to/3NlG75q
✅ Samsung Soundbar - camzn.to/43w7Y8I
✅ LG Soundbar - amzn.to/468b8kT
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About:
🔊 Explore the world of Sonos: A revolution in home audio! 🎶
Sonos is a leading brand in the audio industry, renowned for its cutting-edge technology and exceptional sound quality. Discover a range of innovative products that will transform your listening experience.
🔊 Key Features of Sonos:
1️⃣ Multi-Room Audio: Sync your Sonos speakers throughout your home to create a seamless, immersive audio experience in every room.
2️⃣ Seamless Integration: Sonos works seamlessly with popular streaming services, voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, and other smart home devices.
3️⃣ Trueplay Tuning: Sonos utilizes advanced audio calibration technology to optimize sound quality based on your room's unique acoustics, ensuring an unparalleled listening experience.
4️⃣ Expandable Ecosystem: Start with one Sonos device and effortlessly expand your setup over time to create a customized audio system tailored to your preferences.
🔊 Key Features of the Sonos Arc:
1️⃣ Stunning Surround Sound: Enjoy a rich and immersive audio experience with Dolby Atmos technology, delivering three-dimensional sound that fills the room.
2️⃣ Sleek Design: The Sonos Arc's sleek and minimalistic design seamlessly blends with any home decor, providing an elegant addition to your entertainment setup.
3️⃣ Voice Control: Utilize voice commands with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to play music, control your smart home devices, and more, all with just your voice.
4️⃣ Seamless Integration: Connect the Sonos Arc with other Sonos speakers to create a multi-room audio setup, allowing you to enjoy synchronized music throughout your home.

[@LovingTechLife]

COMMENT below what you would recommend as Sonos Arc Alternatives. Links to what I talk about in this video (Affiliate): ✅ Sonos ARC - White (US) - amzn.to/3E10KhX ✅ Sonos ARC - White (🇦🇺 Australia 🇦🇺 ) - amzn.to/3w5Z1ao ✅ Sonos ARC - Black (US) - amzn.to/45hsB9w ✅ Sonos ERA 300 - White (US) - amzn.to/3qv3PUo ✅ Sonos ERA 300 - Black (US) - amzn.to/3E9NbMU ✅ Sonos SUB (Gen 3) - White - amzn.to/3KQSjJH ✅ Sonos SUB (Gen 3) - Black - amzn.to/45BcWlb

[@JayPatrol]

What does blueray movies sound like on the sonos arc

[@sniper007uk]

The Android restrictions on Truplay are due to the number of different microphones Sonos would need to support due to the variety of handsets available. With iPhone there are only a small handful new devices to add each year so far easier for Sonos to guarantee quality.

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey @sniper007uk! Thanks for the heads up. I later came across an article from Sonos where they explained the whole process and how they had to test every iphone as they were released because they all had different mics. Can't imagine anyone trying to keep up with all the android phones that get release every year!

[@mrgold3591]

I'm at 6 months with my Arc, dual Gen 3 subs, and Fives as rear surrounds. It replaced my Nakamichi 7.2.4 and I was never really happy with the sound quality and rear surround speaker wires. The Arc solved all my issues with outstanding sound quality, wireless placement with only a power cord, serious sub feel compared to the Nakamichi dual subs, Trueplay, and very easy to use with any media or audio source. The IKEA Symfonisk speakers are also an excellent speaker choices for whole house or added rear surrounds to the Arc/Beam soundbar. I have 4 Symfonisk bookshelf speakers to use as rear surrounds for my two Beams in my Office and Master bedroom.

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey mrgold35! Very nice setups, the IKEA speakers do look super neat. Do you think you’ll upgrade the fives for Era 300 for Atmos?

[@mrgold3591]

@@LovingTechLife Probably keep my Fives for awhile. I purchased my Arc after X-mas before I knew the specs and release dates of the Era 100/300. I've noticed my cable TV only does 5.1, I don't listen to spatial audio, and about +/- 35% of the streaming I like to watch is in Atmos format. I don't know how the Era 300 compare to the Fives with non-Atmos content? I think I will wait to see if Sonos adds Era 500 to the line-up or Sonos updates the app to add more home theater speakers to go against the Nakamichi Dragon 11.4.6 set-up or the Arc version 2 comes out.

[@LovingTechLife]

Good call! 👍🏻

[@gagesaenz3864]

@@mrgold3591 They're pretty close in non-atmos content, and IMO are definitely better for anything that's 7.1 content, as you can take advantage of those extra channels. The biggest difference is that the Era 300 has a much wider soundstage and sounds more 'natural', and you can't just pinpoint where exactly the sound is coming from. Whereas with the Fives, and my Ones before that, I could definitely tell the sound was coming from directly behind me.

[@mrgold3591]

@@gagesaenz3864 I might have to keep my eye open for some Era 300 discounted or refurbished Era 300 down the road. I have my Fives sitting 9-12 feet back and about 20 feet apart from each other behind my sofa in an open floor plan. I'm thinking Sonos might come out with Era 500 or Arc version 2 in the next few years. Hopefully, the majority of the audio content will have an Atmos option in a few years.

[@Gaming-Enthusiast]

Great job buddy congratulations on getting monetised. Massive inspiration 👌👌

[@LovingTechLife]

Thanks Dean! Appreciate the support and keep up the good work on your channel!

[@gabriellockwood7315]

Great video, thanks! I would mention the Sonos Beam Gen 2 as an alternative to the Arc. It’s what I have paired to a Sonos Sub Mini and pair of Sonos Era 300s and I love the setup! The Beam Gen 2 is Abigail half the price of the Arc is about half as long, which works better in my living room, and supports Dolby Atmos with virtualized height channels. Most comparisons of the Beam Gen 2 say that you’re getting about 80-90% of the value of an Arc with half the price. Food for thought… If we move, I might upgrade to a refurbished Arc or wait to see if they come out with a new Arc soon. Keep up the good work!

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey Gabriel!! Thanks for the feedback and the great info! It wasn’t until I had basically finished production on this video that it occurred to me about possibly mentioning the Beam gen 2 😅

[@sidesw1pe]

"The Beam Gen 2 is Abigail" Abigail?

[@edgu71eg]

Is there a new ARC series coming out in 2024?

[@RetroSalesAustralia]

Very timely video as I’ve been looking to purchase this exact setup. Thanks

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey Darren! Glad it was helpful!

[@Hermskillet89]

Are these settings same or similar for Sonos Beam Gen 2? Great video man

[@bobbubevski2719]

How does the ARC work/sound with the Sub mini? I don't like earth rumbling BASS & trying to stay away from the Gen3 due to size, I like listening to large bookshelf style speakers (balanced natural sounding Bass) and feel by placing the mini closer to a corner I can gain more Bass if required. Great review

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey Bob! Thanks for the feedback. I can’t tell you first hand what the subs are like as I have not invested in one but based on what others have mentioned about the Sub mini I think it’s the sweet spot you are looking for.

[@ednewmy]

Nice review and great that you were so happy with it after the 2 years at the time of this vid. Presumably nothing has changed in the meantime! I did notice that you seem to have the speech enhance setting on throughout the review. Do you found you needed that in order to get clear dialogue, and was it not good for dialogue without that on? Also does it not negatively affect the whole of the rest of the sound profile having that enabled? Thanks in advance!

[@terellkid1]

The reason Sonos can’t support trueplay on android is because android has 1000’s of different phones so that’s way too many variations in microphones. The calibration would be wildly inaccurate because of this. It’s literally impossible to make them usable for true play unless they spent 1000’s of years making an app optimized for each phone. iPhones on the other hand are all the same. They only have to optimize the app for whatever the current iPhones are that are still being supported by Apple. That’s only like 5-7 iPhones to worry about compared to 1000’s of android devices. So they can fine tune it for the hardware and specifically the microphones in those phones. That’s also the reason iPhones tend to outperform androids in speed tests, despite using slower hardware. Benifts of a closed platform is that the software can be FULLY coded to that specific spec and take full advantage that specific hardware as there’s only 1 spec for developers to worry about compared to the thousands of different phones running android. Off subject but this is also why consoles tend to outperform their PC equivalents. Rule of thumb is that consoles are 50% more efficient than pc’s meaning you’d have to buy hardware 50% faster than the console to match its performance.

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey @terellkid1! Yep I basically found the same answer after making the vid on a Sonos article: “And why is manual Trueplay only offered on iOS devices? It's not that it couldn't work on other phones or tablets, it's that acoustic measurements depend on reasonably well-calibrated microphones. Even iOS device models are sufficiently different from one another to require individual microphone calibration curves. We measure every new iOS device and create a Trueplay calibration curve for it. As you can imagine, this is a substantial undertaking. It's not presently feasible to do this for the enormous range of non-iOS phones, which vary too much from device to device, sometimes even depending on the carrier they're connected to, but we continue to investigate alternatives.” You’re right on the money there with the consoles. Simpler for developers on consoles, even simpler for first party developers too because if this same reason. Only have to focus on getting the most from the one or two bits of hardware from a single company.

[@PoofyisDead]

what did you have your tv set on top of to raise it over the soundbar, i currently have the same issue lol!

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey @PoofyisDead! “Lack” shelf from IKEA! Perfect Hack - Raise your LG OLED height above a Sonos Arc Soundbar kzbin.infoXBUfYaBHE_Y?feature=share

[@Li403Lo]

HI David, I still love my Logitech 5.1 surround system same as yours, mostly I watch streaming movie Netflix or Prime video. Your opinion is worth it upgrade to Sonos ARC+ Era 300 + Sub? Thank you.

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey @Li403Lo! Yeah the Logitech is still a great system but if you can afford it, the setup you outlined above would blow the Logitech away! At a very simple level I find the dialogue far easier to hear over everything else with my Arc. With a Sub you’ll get all the boominess you’re used to from your Logitech and the Era 300 would elevate the Dolby Atmos content for Prime and Netflix which the Logitech just simply doesn’t support.

[@beatboxerjonasz2]

Hey my man, do you use stand for your OLED? If so, can you tell the name of that stand? I understand, that without a stand, ARC covers a bit of a screen?

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey Johnas! It’s an ikea shelf. Here you go: Perfect Hack - Raise your LG OLED height above a Sonos Arc Soundbar kzbin.infoXBUfYaBHE_Y?feature=share

[@beatboxerjonasz2]

Yesss thank you!!!@@LovingTechLife

[@HermanAxtelius]

How would you say that the Arc handles music? Is it viable as a replacement for A pair of older B&O speakers? I've recently moved and the old speakers dosent fit in the new appartment.

[@LovingTechLife]

Hi Herman! I’ve noticed that Sonos products as a rule are designed with music in mind first. The Sonos Soundbars are no different and music is great on these, highly recommend. We use ours all the time for music. They just happen to have engineered the Arc to work well as a home theatre speaker in addition to being a great music speaker. I haven’t tried but it even supports Dolby Atmos music tracks from Apple Music.

[@AudiophileTommy]

Excellent review !!!❤ I am still on the fence and now it’s the ARC or the Beam 2

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey @AudiophileTommy! Thanks for the nice feedback! What size TV do you have?

[@AudiophileTommy]

@@LovingTechLife65 inch Sony

[@vanvinos]

superb work. thank you for the info & impressions

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey @vanvinos! Thanks for the feedback and you’re welcome 👍🏻👊🏻

[@johnwellis9971]

I enjoyed your Sonos Arc review and agree with everything you said. I've had my Arc 5.1 system since 2020 and just have one question. I bought a Samsung smart tv about the same time as the Arc and was disapointed to find that Samsung doesn't allow passthrough of DTS audio. I'm ready to buy a new HDTV that will passthrough DTS audio to the soundbar (there's not many on the market) but I found the new TCL QM8 to have all the features you could want, so since this tv does passthrough DTS, the Arc will play regular DTS from slightly older Blu-Rays correct? I don't expect the Arc to play DTS-X.

[@LovingTechLife]

Hi John! Thank you for the great feedback. Yes I can confirm the Arc will absolutely handle regular DTS 👍🏻

[@lukeymacca55]

Good video 👍 I’ve had the Arc for a month now but I find dialogue pretty poor despite a lot of reviews saying how amazing it is for dialogue. Have you had any issues with this yourself? The bar it’s great for action scenes and pretty much everything else, but the dialogue I find either tinny or hard to hear (tried voice enhancer, which kind of makes it sounds more tinny/metallic

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey Luke! out of interest what are your media sources? Media player, TV apps, streaming, live TV, physical media, stereo, Atmos?

[@lukeymacca55]

@@LovingTechLife Thanks for replying. I use an Nvidia Shield for True-HD Dolby Atmos Content, the Apple TV for Netflix etc and Sky Q for regular TV.

[@lukeymacca55]

The sound is amazing, but dialogue seems behind everything if that makes sense, and quiet tinny as opposed to full and rich

[@lukeymacca55]

Update: I got the Arc replaced by Sonos, and the new one has crystal clear dialogue. Seems the last one wasn’t right. Happy days 🎉

[@LovingTechLife]

@lukeymacca55 Boom! That's such good news!! Your experience was so different to mine you had me wondering what on earth could be causing it! lol

[@MrNickster12345]

Are you going to keep your sonos arc for a few more years? I am looking to get the the sonos ultimate immersion with arc package. I have a lot of blu rays and I know arc supports only DTS. When watching blu rays is the sound very detailed even though its not dts x/master? Thanks for the feedback if you can give me your opinion.

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey @MrNickster12345! I will absolutely be keeping the Arc for a few more years yet, can’t see any reason for changing at the moment. I would maybe consider an Arc 2 but that could be another 5 years away! Since the bitrate in physical discs is so much higher the sound really does come through very detailed regardless of the format. Let me know if you have any other questions 😀

[@MrNickster12345]

@@LovingTechLife Thank you so much! I greatly appreciate it.

[@Donavon551]

My Sonos arc blocks the lower part of my LG CX TV. Any tips for someone who isn't wall mounting?

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey JJ!! I sure do - put an IKEA “Lack” shelf underneath like I did. Perfect Hack - Raise your LG OLED height above a Sonos Arc Soundbar kzbin.infoXBUfYaBHE_Y?feature=share

[@Donavon551]

@@LovingTechLife Thank you for the simple suggestion and fix! Buying one now.

[@jhors7777]

Thank you for posting this helpful video

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey jhors! You’re welcome, glad it was helpful. 👍🏻👊🏻

[@giacintorenta7579]

Thank you for video. I see you own a PSVR2 -> any thoughts on that front?

[@LovingTechLife]

Hi Giacinto! I love the PSVR2 so far and will do future videos when I get to spend more time with it. It’s also my first VR headset so everything is new and I love how the older games have been updated to work with it.

[@iamawkn.]

I’m planning to buy this set up for my home cinema ..now I own a Logitech z990 sound system and I kinda feel it is outdated due to what you’ve also mentioned: the dialogue in movies and effects are barely heard compared with the music moments and the bass. The only reason I still love z990 is that it sounds loud and somehow feels cinematic when u hit it loud . The questions I have for you are: is the Sonos arc capable to fill a large room with the same amount of loudness as the Logitech ? Does the arc solves that ‘’dialogue and medium frequencies ‘’ issues and is the bass module as powerful as Logitech’s ? Thanks a lot!!

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey @awkn9828! I have the Z-5500 which is similar to yours(still connected to my retro setup). The arc does a waayyy better job of the mids and voice and sounds much clearer overall. Arc on its own is plenty loud but if you want the boomyness and rumble you need to add a Sub Gen 3. You can add two subs if you want to go crazy! The Enhance Dialogue feature makes a massive difference.

[@luisarsuaga7637]

​@@LovingTechLife ​I also come from an old logitech (the Z2300), and I replaced it with a Samsung soundbar, but I've always felt that Logitech sounded better. Didn't switch back, just because using the soundbar with the tv was far more convenient than the Logitech. But I miss the separation, bass and power of my old Logitech 😅. Do you think that this would happen if I switch to a Sonos Arc setup (with surrounds and sub)? What are your thoughts on the soundstage? Did you feel it got narrower?

[@harshultaneja580]

Hey man, great video in detail. I always come to sonos when deciding of buying premium soundbar. Already waited 1 year in a hope that sonos will release new soundar (better than arc) to fix some issues like no remote, no Bluetooth, no anroid true play. Also waited for other brands like sony, Samsung etc. I dont think Sony HT A7000 (latest/premium/expensive) soundbar is close to sonos. It just sound loud and only loud thud noise in the showroom testing, Thoughts? Samsung QC990 C - how is it in comparison with sonos full set up?

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey @harshultaneja580! Appreciate the feedback! 🙏🏻 In relation to the future Sonos Arc, it may be some time before a new one comes along. Based on past history they might have the Arc for about 5-7 years before replacing and it only came out in 2020! I can’t comment on the Sony but my thoughts on the Samsung are that it sounds decent but it’s not fair to compare it to the full Sonos with Era 300 rears that is twice the cost because the Sonos will sound better but you do pay for it!

[@jeffleigh3747]

Fantastic video/info my friend. Just subscribed 👍 I have, Sonos Playbar, Sub gen 3, 2 x One SL's. Tempted to change to Arc plus 2 x Era 300's Will you be reviewing the 300's? any time soon please? 💪

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey Jeff! Thanks for the great feedback. Sounds like you have a great setup there and depending on the size of your room and the media you watch you may see benifits in upgrading for the Dolby Atmos support. Unfortunately I can’t accommodate the 300’s in my room for now so I won’t be getting them at this stage.

[@BackyardBeachpool]

The arc is my best speaker I had in my life, and I had a lot speakers....haha

[@LovingTechLife]

😎

[@nrolfsen]

I’ve heard its best to run PS5 to the TV’s eARC and then run regular ARC from the Sonos to the TV (lg c2 in my case). I’m really not sure what is the better way? Care to chime in? Thanks for the review!!

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey @@nrolfsen ! I only have a single eArc port on the CX, it’s the same for C2 so… Also can’t see why the older Arc port with less capability would help in any way either.

[@benjaminsmith3915]

I thought Earc could actually carry more information on sound to be played as opposed to just plugging into any ARC port, so always plug sound bar into Earc hdmi. There is a you tube video about this subject somewhere I’m sure.

[@texasboii5539]

It’s pretty simple, since the arc doesn’t have any other HDMI passthroughs, once you plug the eARC from the arc to the TVs eARC then you’re good to go 👍🏻 Just make sure you have an HDMI 2.1 cable to take advantage of it Make sure to plug the PS5 into the tv as long as it has hdmi 2.1 so you get all the benefits

[@nrolfsen]

@@texasboii5539 thanks for the help!

[@rpiazza]

Being an older tv watcher I have the same problem a lot of viewers have,that is hearing the dialogue. I currently have a Zvox SB 500. I am somewhat happy with it,but at times,even after fine tuning it, it sounds a little tiny. Do you think the Sonos Arc would improve the dialogue part of the sound bar. That is the only part I am really interested in. My tv does have earc connectivity.

[@LovingTechLife]

Hi @rpiazza! One aspect of the Arc I’ve always been happy with is the “speech enhancement” feature. I just leave it on all the time. I never feel like it adversely affect the sound by having it on, everything still sounds great and then the speech is given a boost alongside everything else still sounding as you’d expect. I don’t have any experience with the Zvox products so I can’t compare them however.

[@cmijares79]

hi there, I have an Lg C1 TV with an ARC and I have problems to make it work with the TV remote, and the wife doesnt like using the app to adjust volume... any suggestion for help?

[@mrgold3591]

I have a LG 77C1 with my Arc. Do you have the Arc connected to the LG TV HDMI eArc port #2. I have Sound out on the TV set to HDMI (ARC) Device.

[@cmijares79]

@@mrgold3591 I do have Connected to the hdmi port and sound to the hdmi. The problem is the remote rarely Works

[@mrgold3591]

@@cmijares79 Did you have issues with the remote before connecting the Arc? I have several LG OLEDs (77C1+Arc, 48C2+Beam, 55C1+Beam v2, and 55C9+Beam). No issues before or after Sonos. I can use my Xfinity or LG remote without issue. Only other thing I can think of is the Arc blocking the IR on the bottom center of the OLED?

[@cmijares79]

@@mrgold3591 not really, the only problem is turning up or down the volume. The arc is not blocking the ir, im sure.

[@mrgold3591]

@@cmijares79 Not sure if it make a difference; but, I have SIMPLINK enabled on my OLEDs (General, Devices, HDMI Settings, & SIMPLINK (HDMI-CEC) enabled). That is for the TV to talk to external SIMPLINK enabled device like home theater (I don't know if Sonos uses SIMPLINK). Only other thing might be to updated to the latest OLED and Sonos software version. Another option after updating is to uninstall and reinstall Arc like a brand new system to see if a step might have been missed the first time.

[@thenonexistinghero]

It looks nice, but really nothing beats the Samsung HW-Q990C and Q990B for their price points (especially the B). You can get the Q990B for less than $1000 on a decent deal while a complete Sonos Arc setup (+subwoofer and 2 rear speakers) will still run you for over $2000 and is beaten out in almost every way by the Samsung device. If you really like the Arc's looks you could go for it and still get a good sound performance... but the way I see it there's really only 2 ways to go for soundbars. Either a Samsung Q990B or C for the best price/performance and the best sound on a soundbar other than... the Nakamichi Dragon, which costs about $3900 but has the best sound of any soundbar. Nothing else comes close to these.

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey @thenonexistinghero! Yeah the Samsung is definitely a good setup if you are just using for TV setup such great value. I like the Sonos for multi room sound.

[@edinger1978]

What sets the Arc apart from any other soundbar, except for the Ambeo and, perhaps, the Bose 900, is its ability to not only work well for TV and movies but also for music. So for people who, like myself, have been into hi-fi for decades, Samsung and LG and others are not really an option.

[@thenonexistinghero]

@@edinger1978 Going by the reviews... the Samsung is actually among the best options for music from a soundbar setup. I think something like JBL may be better for stereo, but the Q990B/C were usually mentioned as the best overal for music. Saw 1 review that put the Sonos Arc and Q990B on an equal level with each having different strengths for music. In which case it would depend on preference, but... point is that Samsung's definitely no slouch for music from a soundbar. Of course real avid music listeners should still avoid a soundbar altogether and instead buy 2 speakers that each cost as much as an entire Sonos Arc setup.

[@mrgold3591]

I upgraded from the Nakamichi 7.2.4 to the Sonos Arc on my LG OLED 77C1 (Arc, dual subs, Fives). I had the Beam/sub/Ones on my LG OLED 55C1 in my office and it sounded better than the Nakamichi. Ended up adding the Beam/sub/surround combo in my Master bedroom, extra Era 100 in kitchen, Beam in spare room and Sonos Roams and IKEA bookshelf speakers (18 speakers total). All Sonos purchases were made over 3 years and I was able to mix/match/upgrade/reuse every single Sonos/Ikea speaker in my entire home. The Nakamichi is in storage collecting dust and I can't use any of the individual pieces like I can with Sonos.

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey @mrgold3591 ! Incredible setup and testament to the capability and flexibility of the system. You ever tried out the IKEA picture frame speakers?

[@ramonvaldez8050]

Bose ultra 900 soundbar vs that ?

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey Ramon! Here’s the verdict I copied from a vs article which sums it up nicely/ “There's case to be made for both of these soundbars. The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 is neater and sleeker, and features a beautiful glass top. It also comes with a remote, offers some clever calibration tech and supports Bluetooth. Sound is crisp and detailed, but the the lack of sideways-firing drivers does limit the soundstage when it comes to Dolby Atmos content. The Sonos Arc might be a bit older - and a bit pricier - but it's also the better-sounding product here. Indeed, it's still the best Dolby Atmos soundbar we've heard at this particular price point. You're not just buying a soundbar, either - you're buying all the usual Sonos smarts and perks, including the ability to integrate it seamlessly into a multi-room system. If it's within budget, the Sonos Arc is the one to beat.”

[@markhamill8016]

Great vid, with the recent discounts on the arc do you think a updated arc will be released this year?

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey Mark! Based on past Sonos products we can estimate up to a 7 year lifespan for the Arc so I doubt if we’ll see something soon. The Arc was released June 2020.

[@reality1958]

It is too bad that Sonos doesn’t have capability of a true 5.2 channel system either Sonos fives as front pair, arc as a center and then your choice of Sonos rears along with subwoofer. That would be killer

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey Barbara! 5.2 is 5 surround and two Subs, and that’s technically possible. Arc + sub + two Era 300 is a 7.1.4 system so 7 surround, 1 sub and 4 upward firing for the height channels with Atmos. Hope this helps 🤷‍♂️

[@reality1958]

@@LovingTechLifeyes indeed in fact that is the exact setup I’m looking to get this week. I just wish one could get 2 Sonos fives for a left and right front pair as well!

[@LovingTechLife]

The 11 Speakers in the Arc not enough? 😅 What do you think the Fives would add to the 11 on the arc? To place the Fives further apart or something?

[@reality1958]

@@LovingTechLifewell, I’m sure it is, it’s just that the jury says that the fives are excellent and I was thinking it would be a significant addition making the Arc an excellent soundbar/center speaker and then having the fives as a legitimate right/left pair of fronts. There’s a review or two I’ve read that says the arc sounds a bit thin so I was thinking the fives would bring a fuller sound up front

[@LovingTechLife]

@reality1958 Ah I see! I can’t say I agree with the Arc sounding a bit thin but that is subjective however adding a sub gen 3 or sub mini would be in my opinion a better accompaniment to an Arc to add a fuller sound with more base. The Arc hands all those lower frequencies over to the sub and then just has to manage the mids and highs. :-)

[@Tony-l9j]

You have a retro gaming setup also? So do I. We have very similar tastes in tech. My retro gaming is via retroarch with a launchbox from end. I have 11k games

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey Tony! Yes I’m as much into retro as I am into current gaming. You can get a peek at my setup towards the end of the video below. I have a MiSTer and some consoles. I Built My Dream Productivity & Gaming Desk Setup! kzbin.info/www/bejne/m5fUi4KHo76Fo6s

[@Tony-l9j]

@@LovingTechLife that retro gaming setup is awesome. I’m envious of all those pvm’s

[@LovingTechLife]

Haha thanks! Too many for the space I have. My favourite is the big Loewe “consumer grade” TV in the middle though.

[@duck-ie1jj]

3:00 My man Enhanced audio return channel is the same as eARC

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey @duck-ie1jj! Yeah that’s what I meant at the time not sure it came out that way in the end :-)

[@billmulvihill8452]

Apple phones all use the same microphones. Android phones have different microphones from different manufacturers which prevent TruePlay from tuning efficiently.

[@LovingTechLife]

Thanks Bill! I think I found the real reason on a Sonos Tech Blog article. “And why is manual Trueplay only offered on iOS devices? It's not that it couldn't work on other phones or tablets, it's that acoustic measurements depend on reasonably well-calibrated microphones. Even iOS device models are sufficiently different from one another to require individual microphone calibration curves. We measure every new iOS device and create a Trueplay calibration curve for it. As you can imagine, this is a substantial undertaking. It's not presently feasible to do this for the enormous range of non-iOS phones, which vary too much from device to device, sometimes even depending on the carrier they're connected to, but we continue to investigate alternatives.” So it appears that once Sonos has created and released the calibration curve for the mic on your particular device.

[@meowmeow1733]

This guy is a SIMP. 9:38 ...the reason Sonos doesn't allow true play for android phones is because they don't have consistent mics across all manufactures.

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey @@meowmeow1733 ! Thanks for sharing. I did actually learn this about two weeks after making the video when Sonos themselves released an article on why they don’t use Android phone. Thanks for sharing 👍🏻

[@MajesticFella]

Timecodes?

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey @coeboycoeboy! You suggesting I should put timecodes on the video to be able to jump to different sections?

[@sillym3xican]

Why did you advertise the ps5 for pcm audio it also has dolby atmos just like the Xbox also feel sorry for the people who have to make their wife happy /: it's nice being single and Makin yourself happy!

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey @sillym3xican! The PS5 is only just now getting Dolby Atmos support and even then it's only in Beta software! so not officially available. This is awesome news however so looking forward to that! I did make 2 videos where you ould use Dolby Atmos for Disney plus and Blu ray discs which is all we had until the new beta update recently. I remember the days of being single too and as good as they were I still enjoy life better with my beautiful family :-)

[@tezcrifice5216]

„User friendly Sonos app“ made me piss myself from laughing, the app is easy to use yes….if it works right…..but it doesn’t xD If connected to my arc system and I try to regulate the volume it just doesn’t do it right. So it happend that I was turning the volume pretty up high to get blasted away (what was nice for me but for longer duration not so great for my neighbors) just so that I can’t regulate it down via app. The software is just terrible, you can’t make it that the arc is a center speaker and the era300 gets used as side speaker for whatever reason. When you use the era300 as surround sound as support for the arc ( which is the only option you have when you want to use everything at once) the rear speaker on the era300 just gets turned off so the sound is only on the sides and top, and it’s fucking quit as hell. You could think „hey just max all settings in the Equalizer“ still shit quit as hell. Just a support for the arc. Don’t get me wrong it’s sounds still great but why make such stupid limitations?? I’m sure they can give us better software options than what we have right now. It’s just crazy to me how the software ruins the hardware so much in this case. And there is so much more than what I just wrote.

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey Tezcrifice! Thanks for sharing your experience, good for others to be aware of. In my case however I have had zero issues at all with volume I can adjust it precisely and always have. My biggest frustration with Sonos right now is the app update from version 16.1 to 80 from a week ago. It’s missing important features from 16.1 and we can’t switch back! Apparently they are adding the missing features over time but in the mean time we just have to live with it. If anyone is reading this and haven’t already updated to version 80 DON’T. Stick with 16.1 until they fix 80 properly.

[@robertbuckley3480]

I can alter the height channels on the Sony and still no atmos, waist of money

[@induction7895]

Thank you Ben Stoke's cousin.

[@LovingTechLife]

😀

[@robertbuckley3480]

Trash trash dolby atmos never works, 11 drivers and still dont up fire, i got a Sony with 12 drivers and atmos dont work, save your money, why you think people are selling them when bought, look it up

[@edwardbigham7713]

PSA! Sonos does not repair products out of warranty! You have to buy new. They will give you a 30% discount. My $400 Move will cost me $300 to replace it. I have over $4,000 of Sonos that is now basically Junk! No one can repair Sonos.

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey @edwardbigham7713 ! How come all your Sonos gear is junk after just the Move had issues?

[@edwardbigham7713]

The rest is still working for now. But the problem is that if something goes wrong you have to buy new and can’t get repaired. It’s like having a car and you get a flat and you are forced to get a new car instead of repairing it. I love my system. I hate that it cannot be fixed. Sonos should be honest and tell you that before you buy. I would have went with another company had I known.

[@LovingTechLife]

That’s a bummer, so it basically became a problem because it’s outside of warranty yeah?

[@edwardbigham7713]

I don’t want Sonia to fix or replace any components after warranty. I just want to get it repaired by someone. To repair it might only be $100. If it would cost over $250 to repair it I would most likely just replace it. I don’t want something for nothing. Just the ability to fix it.

[@MrRustyjackson]

I get it's upsetting to have something that failed and you can't get it fixed. I think the reality today is the actual cost of repairs even if Sonos allowed would quickly bump up against replacement cost. You are hoping it could be fixed for $100 but I can't imagine in todays world that could happen. Figure a part for $50 then you've got labor to diagnose and repair for $50? Pretty much impossible. That's why there are no electronic repair shops anymore. @@edwardbigham7713

[@robertbuckley3480]

Dolby atmos only works with ceiling speakers, talk crap on here just to buy make money, I got sony ht-st5000 soundbar cost more than that soundbar and can not get dolby atmos and its setup right,

[@LovingTechLife]

Hey Robert, thanks for your feedback. I looked up the bar you have and it doesn’t get a good rating for Atmos performance. Have you read this? www.rtings.com/soundbar/reviews/sony/ht-st5000

[@robertbuckley3480]

@@LovingTechLife yer atmos can not here just normal sound, I tried few things on the height and dont make any difference, i not come across anything that plays right in dolby atmos