Sonos Arc Ultra

A superb-sounding Dolby Atmos soundbar with improvements to more than just bass

After some months (if not years) of speculation, the replacement for the Sonos Arc is finally here. The Sonos Arc Ultra (aka the Sonos Arc 2) looks very much like its predecessor, but Sonos has some seriously bold claims for its new Dolby Atmos soundbar’s features and performance, saying that it features ‘breakthrough’ speaker technology and “up to double the bass” of the original Arc.

Bold claims then. But, after more than a week of comprehensive, comparative testing, we can confirm that the Arc Ultra is very impressive indeed.

The Sonos Arc Ultra, which hit shops on 29th October, is officially priced at £999. That makes the Arc Ultra £100 more expensive than the official price of the original Arc, but it’s worth mentioning that in some regions you can currently get the older model with some very large discounts as it has been discontinued and retailers are keen to shift excess stock.

There are plenty of non-Sonos rivals that should also be considered, most notably the Award-winning Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9, which is officially a fair bit more expensive (£1399) but is already available from time to time with big discounts. The Samsung HW-Q990D is a new favourite in this category, too. Again, it’s a fair bit more expensive than the Arc Ultra, at £1499, but it comes with a wireless subwoofer and wireless surrounds in the box – buy the Arc Ultra with the Sub 4 and a pair of Dolby Atmos-enabled Era 300 speakers in the so-called ‘Ultimate Immersive Set with Arc Ultra’, and the price rises to £2426.

Subtle differences

There are more affordable speakers in the Sonos range that can be used as surrounds and there’s a cheaper subwoofer, the Sub Mini, but on paper, these seem a mismatch for the Arc Ultra. We intend to test the various available combinations at a later date, but you will find our thoughts on the Ultimate Immersive Set with Arc Ultra later on in this review.