Our verdict
The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is for someone tired of turning the volume up to follow TV dialogue. It has four elliptical mid-woofers, a centre tweeter and three passive radiators (drivers that reinforce bass without their own amplifier). What Hi-Fi found the tweeter gave crisp, clear dialogue. It supports Dolby Atmos, a format that adds height and movement to sound, but it does this with processing, so nothing comes from behind you. One HDMI eARC port carries sound from the TV, and Wi-Fi and AirPlay 2 handle music. It has no Bluetooth. The black model was £429 at Amazon UK on 24 September 2026, up from the £349 we recorded in July. A subwoofer and rear speakers can be added later, at extra cost.
Buy it if
- Dialogue clarity is your main problem
- You need a small soundbar
- You already use Sonos speakers
Skip it if
- You want deep cinema bass without buying a subwoofer
- You expect real rear-surround effects
- Your TV lacks HDMI ARC or eARC and you want the simplest setup
How it would fit your home
Everyday television
Clearer speech from the centre tweeter and control through the TV remote make this the strongest fit.
Small living-room films
Four mid-woofers and Atmos processing give width and a sense of movement without extra boxes.
Large-room cinema
A system with a subwoofer and physical rear speakers will be more convincing, though the total cost rises.
The details, in plain English
Television and dialogue
What Hi-Fi says the centre tweeter produces crisp, clear dialogue. That matters day to day more than a dramatic demo soundtrack. Night and speech-enhancement modes help in shared homes. The Beam connects by one HDMI eARC (enhanced Audio Return Channel) port, a cable that carries sound from the TV to the bar and lets compatible TVs use their own remote for volume. Older TVs may only have ARC.
Films and Atmos
The Beam supports Dolby Atmos in both Dolby Digital Plus and TrueHD forms. What Hi-Fi noted tangible motion, depth and space across the sound field. The bar creates height with processing, so sounds do not come from behind the sofa. It does not support DTS:X. That is a fair compromise for small rooms, but it is not a replacement for a full surround system.
Bass and build
The bar has four elliptical mid-woofers, one centre tweeter, five Class D amplifiers and three passive radiators. Passive radiators add low-end weight without needing their own power. What Hi-Fi found it handled bass-heavy scenes such as crashing waves well for its size. It is about 7cm high, 65cm wide and 10cm deep and weighs 2.8kg. Truly deep bass still needs a separate subwoofer.
Music and expansion
The Beam has Wi-Fi, Ethernet and AirPlay 2, and works with Alexa and Google Assistant voice control. It has no Bluetooth. What Hi-Fi found music sounded sparkling and well defined. You can add a Sonos Sub Mini and compatible rear speakers later. That flexibility is useful, but the finished system can cost more than an all-in-one package from Samsung.
Strengths and drawbacks
What it does well
- Centre tweeter for speech: What Hi-Fi found dialogue crisp and clear
- Four mid-woofers, five amplifiers and three passive radiators in a bar about 65cm wide: wide, room-filling sound
- Dolby Atmos support, with What Hi-Fi noting convincing motion, depth and space
- One HDMI eARC port: sends sound from the TV and lets compatible TVs control volume with their own remote
- Wi-Fi and AirPlay 2 for music, with the Sonos app; a Sub Mini and rear speakers can be added later
What to watch out for
- No separate subwoofer, so deep bass is limited unless you add a Sonos Sub Mini
- Atmos height is simulated by processing and cannot match real rear speakers
- No DTS:X support and no Bluetooth
- Adding Sonos surrounds and a subwoofer becomes expensive
- One HDMI eARC port and no extra HDMI inputs
Bose offers similarly compact premium bars, while Samsung and LG often bundle a subwoofer for less. Sonos wins on dialogue, app quality, music support and gradual expansion rather than maximum bass per pound.
Alternatives we have reviewed
| Product | Our verdict | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
 Sonos Beam (Gen 2) (this one) | A very good compact soundbar for clearer dialogue and music, best bought at a lower price and with realistic expectations of bass and rear effects. | £449RRP · black, RRP recorded 12 Oct 2026 | Check price |
 Samsung HW-Q600F | A well-matched soundbar for a fuller, wider TV sound with real bass, if you do not need rear speakers or smart-speaker extras. | £349Standard retail package, Price recorded 1 Aug 2026 | Check price |
 Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 HT-A7100 | A good pick for clear dialogue and room-filling Dolby Atmos from one bar, provided you accept thin bass unless you add Sony's separate subwoofer. | £699RRP, RRP recorded 12 Oct 2026 | Check price |
 Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar | A good choice if you want wider, more cinematic TV sound from one bar with no rear speakers, provided your room and TV placement suit it | £899.95RRP, RRP recorded 12 Oct 2026 | Check price |
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Where our findings come from
Research-based review: we did not test this soundbar. Specifications and listening findings come from What Hi-Fi's review, and Sonos UK's product page was used to identify the model. Comments on sound quality are What Hi-Fi's, not our own. The original value score used the £349 price recorded in July, so compare today's exact-model price and alternatives before deciding.