Voice control Works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Sound format support Dolby Atmos DP / Dolby Atmos True HD / Dolby Digital / Multichannel PCM/ Dolby Multichannel PCM / stereo PCM Whether it’s a chirping bird, a car or a voice, there’s remarkable consistency across the complete soundfield, and seamless handover between drivers, which we have to say doesn’t always happen when a Dolby Atmos soundbar has upward drivers to contend with. The Beam Gen 2 projects the changing sonic perspective incredibly well, with accuracy and clarity. In the opening of Roma, in Atmos, the sound design often leads the camera beyond the extremities of the image before the camera pans to catch up with it. The soundstage is expansive and we try pairing the new Beam both with larger 55-inch and 65-inch screens, as well as a more modest 43-incher, and it enhances the cinematic scale and viewing experience for all three. When listening to Atmos films with the Beam Gen 2 there's tangible motion, depth and space, which heightens the drama and sense of immersion. Atmos allows a film’s production mixers to place sounds and music as discrete objects within a soundfield, and having the ability to decode it means that users can watch movies with a more compelling soundtrack, whether it be a sedate drama or a car-flipping blockbuster. Decoding for DTS digital surround will be added to this and other Sonos products at a later date but this sadly won’t extend to DTS:X.ĭolby Atmos is really the headline feature of the Beam Gen 2, so can Sonos achieve overhead sound without any height drivers? Well, genuine overhead sounds are perhaps a stretch too far, but there’s more to Dolby Atmos than aeroplanes and helicopters, and the Beam Gen 2 handles the format better than any similarly priced soundbar. In terms of audio formats, the Beam Gen 2 supports stereo PCM, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos (both the Digital+ and TrueHD versions), multichannel PCM and Dolby Multichannel PCM. There will also be a forthcoming upgrade to add support for Amazon Music Ultra HD audio (for both the Beam Gen 2 and other Sonos models), which will give access to lossless 24-bit/48kHz tracks as well as Dolby Atmos Music. Having wi-fi means you can also stream to the Beam Gen 2 from a handheld device using Apple AirPlay 2, and Spotify Connect is built-in too. You’ll also need it if you wish to connect it to other Sonos products to build a surround system. While you can control the volume from your TV remote, the app is where you’ll find access to Trueplay (Sonos’ relatively involved room calibration technology) a 2-band EQ as well as confirmation of which audio codec you're currently receiving. This means that you’ll need the Sonos S2 app to get the most out of your purchase and get it online. Not that many soundbars at this price point come with networking capabilities, but this being a Sonos product, the Beam Gen 2’s ability to integrate into a wireless multiroom system is fundamental to its design. Our test sample is white and in our rather grey test room the bright cables draw a bit of attention to themselves, but those with lighter spaces inclined to wall mounting might better appreciate this detail. New for the Beam Gen 2 is a matching of this cove to the finish of the soundbar (matte black or matte white) and the inclusion of colour-complementary HDMI and power cords. Housed at the rear in the ‘cable cove’ are sockets for power, ethernet and HDMI eARC as well as a connect/reset push button. On the top surface are the same touch-sensitive buttons, LEDs and far-field mics for voice control of Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant as on the original Beam. Or there’s Sony’s HT-G700 (£399 / $598 / AU$899), which also has a virtual Atmos effect but is much bigger and, like the Eclair, lacks network connectivity. There’s LG’s offering, the bijou but sonically lacklustre Eclair, which has upward drivers but is even more pricey at £700 / $700 / AU$1000. Other compact Dolby Atmos soundbars in this bracket are thin on the ground. If you want to use Beam Gen 2 in a larger surround system it can be expanded through the addition of two One SL rear speakers (£358 / $358 / AU$538) and, if required, a Sub (£699 / $699 / AU$999). Often available at around a 10% discount, the new Beam is the middle product in Sonos' three-strong soundbar line-up, priced significantly lower than the Arc, which currently costs £899 / $899 / AU$1499, and just above the Ray £279 / $279 / AU$399. But that difference is very much in line with the company’s increase in the prices across many of its products stemming from the COVID pandemic. Costing £449 /$449 / AU$699, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 launched at a slightly more expensive price than the original Beam, which was originally £399 / $399 / AU$599.
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