Sonos Beam (Gen 2)

The value pick for most living rooms — compact, clear, room-filling sound with virtual Atmos, Trueplay, and the same Sonos upgrade path at half the Arc Ultra's price. Sized for 43–55 inch TVs and small-to-medium rooms.

The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is the right soundbar for most living rooms at around $500. It's a compact bar sized for 43–55 inch TVs that renders Dolby Atmos height cues through psychoacoustic processing rather than physical up-firing drivers — no real overhead throw, but a wide, clear, room-filling sound that dwarfs any TV's built-in speakers. It carries the full Sonos toolkit: Trueplay tuning, excellent speech enhancement, AirPlay 2, and the same upgrade path to add a Sub Mini and surrounds. In small-to-medium rooms its size is a feature. The single eARC port and virtual-only Atmos are the limits, but as a half-price entry into the Sonos ecosystem it's the smart buy.

▶ Video review

Sonos Beam Gen 2 Long Term Review: Worth It In 2024?