1/31/2024 0 Comments Sonos beam reviewThere is also a button which you have to use in case you want to reset the connections. I just wish Sonos had added an extra HDMI port.Behind the beam are ports for power, HDMI (Arc) and Ethernet. It’s a brilliant soundbar that sounds phenomenal for its size. In short, the Beam 2 is everything the original Beam was but better. Plus, if you want to expand it further down the line you can do that, too. Sure, you can pick up a bigger-sounding system with more bombastic bass for the same money, but none offers the Beam 2’s neatness and simplicity. The flipside to this is that anyone who does have eARC won’t care at all and, if they’re also looking for a neat, elegant way of improving their TV audio, there aren’t many better solutions than the Sonos Beam 2. It means anyone with a TV older than 2019 will in effect be missing out on the Beam’s big upgrade this year and, in a world where most TVs still only come with four HDMI ports, the lack of passthrough is a pain. It doesn’t matter how much Sonos bleats about simplicity and ease of use, it just doesn’t make sense to limit key functionality by insisting on connection via a single eARC port. The Sonos Beam 2 gets lots of things right but, let’s face it, it also gets some fairly major things wrong. READ NEXT: Our guide to the best TV deals Sonos Beam 2 review: Verdict If you’re old-fashioned enough to have music files stored on a drive somewhere, you can also use the app to link to those, although you’ll have to do that via the Sonos desktop app. Most of the major names are supported and, unusually, they’re mostly fully integrated into the app. The app is also where you can add and browse your music-streaming services. Most settings are controlled via the Sonos S2 app and there’s plenty to play around with here, with a couple of sound profiles to choose from (a dialogue mode and night mode) plus a lip-sync slider, although I didn’t find that to be an issue during testing. You don’t quite get that cut-glass clarity with the Beam 2 that more expensive soundbars can exude – or the deep, visceral rumble that a dedicated subwoofer can generate – but it isn’t far off, with the sound of Max’s boots on the parched earth evoking the dry heat of the desert with terrifying realism, and the deep gravelly tones of his voice resonating with power and presence. No test clip shows off the sense of scale and sheer brute force this soundbar is capable of than the opening to Mad Max: Fury Road. At one point after cranking up the volume I had to check that I hadn’t left my “big” sound system and subwoofer switched on and connected – the Beam 2 is that impressive. It’s a wonderfully agile, powerful performer and delivers everything from simple stereo music mixes to big movie soundtracks with aplomb. This is not to understate the Sonos Beam 2’s capabilities, however. Just like before, the Beam 2 can still be expanded into a full surround-sound system by adding a Sonos sub and a pair of Sonos One speakers to form the rear satellites.Īgain, the action happens largely in front of you – there isn’t much sense of sound coming from the sides or rear – but I’ve not come across a standalone soundbar yet that can perform that feat of audio gymnastics effectively. It still supports both Alexa and Google Assistant voice control, Spotify Connect and Apple AirPlay 2 streaming via Wi-Fi, as well as Wi-Fi streaming via the Sonos App. Otherwise, the Beam 2’s features and capabilities remain unchanged. Next up is support for Amazon’s 3D Audio spatial audio and, finally, there’s now NFC for faster, more reliable setup. Where before, the beam was able to process three of these arrays, the second-generation Beam can cope with five simultaneously: the left and right front channels, the left and right surround and height channels and the centre channel. In fact, surround sound in general should be improved thanks to an upgrade to the number of audio “arrays” the Beam is now able to process. READ NEXT: Our guide to the best soundbars you can buy today So what exactly is new here and why should you consider buying a Beam 2 over the original? First on the list is support for Dolby Atmos, which means better sound quality and a more convincing surround-sound effect when that audio format is being used. Inside the chassis, the drivers and amplification are identical, and connectivity remains the same, too. Indeed, the only thing Sonos has changed is the grille, which is now made from perforated plastic instead of fabric. In passing, the Sonos Beam 2 looks exactly the same as its predecessor. £404.98 Buy now Sonos Beam 2 review: What you need to know
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |