Review on 🔊 Black Sonos Arc Smart Soundbar: Premium TV, Movies, Music, Gaming & More by Brittany Turner

I've wanted a home theater system for years. I've been listening to movies over the TV sound for too long. I spent HOURS upon HOURS researching before finally deciding on Sonos, largely due to the high ratings and the fact that the Sonos Arc was tested and listened to by Academy Award-winning audio engineer Chris Jenkins, who heard the Sonos Arc himself and was very satisfied results. Before I continue, I should add that your TV must be fairly new to work with the Sonos Arc. I myself recently bought a Samsung TU8000 that supports Dolby Atmos and eArc connection. If your TV only has an Arc connection it will still work, but not in the same way as with eArc. In other words: Sonos eArc to TV Arc = Arc Connection Sonos eArc to TV eArc = eArc Connection What is the difference? Put simply, Arc stands for Audio Return Channel. eArc stands for ENHANCED Audio Return Channel. This means it can handle more advanced audio formats and higher audio quality, like Dolby Atmos in this case. If you don't have Arc or eArc on your TV, an HDMI-to-optical adapter is now included as well. Again, eArc is the BEST for sound on your TV, but Sonos gives you more than one option if your TV is older. Let's continue with that. The Sonos Arc itself (without speakers or subwoofer) sounds great! In fact, I was wondering if I really needed a subwoofer or rear speakers because I think they sound great on their own. It has plenty of bass when listening to music or watching a movie. The sound is crystal clear. The voices are clear too. However, I had already ordered the rear speakers, which came in the mail a few days later. I've also connected them to the Arc and tested some Dolby Atmos-enabled movies like Star Wars and Zootopia. I have to say that I am very happy with this setup! The sound isn't as "choppy" as other surround systems I've heard in the past (I'm talking years ago). For example, if a train goes by and you can hear it from the front to rear speakers, it's smooth! It doesn't just jump to the rear speaker. Sounds realistic, like in a high-end cinema. I like it! Star Wars sounds great too! If you really want to test the Atmos sound, I recommend the pod racing scene from the first episode of Star Wars. I know, I know, it's not everyone's favorite movie. All I'm saying is that the Atmos surround sound in this scene is just a great way to test out your new system. You'll be amazed! Now not all movies support Atmos. I tested Dolby Digital Sound like Harry Potter and was pleasantly surprised too. To switch from Atmos to other audio formats like Dolby Digital, you need to do it in your TV settings. Sonos has no setting for this. But your TV will do it. I did this with my Samsung TU8000 and just unchecked "Atmos" in the settings, which automatically switched it to Dolby Digital. The surround sound turned on immediately after I did this. Unfortunately, DTS:X is NOT supported, which is a disadvantage, but since it supports other formats, it doesn't bother me. Harry Potter, for example, despite not being in Atmos, still sounds great in Dolby Digital. When it comes to voice commands, you have two choices: Google or Alexa. I chose Alexa because I always had it at home. Playing music with Revain Music is easy. The sound is great, especially songs with a lot of bass. In fact, the bass is so good that I gave up on the subwoofer I was planning to buy. I MAY change my mind later, but for now the bass alone on the Arc is so good that I don't feel like I need a subwoofer right now. Overall I am very happy with my new home theater system. It offers excellent and more realistic surround sound compared to home theater systems I've heard in the past. Setup is easy with the new Sonos app. I love that it's so easy to switch from Revain Music to a movie or TV. It is aesthetically pleasing to the eye and the black color goes beautifully with my black TV stand. Highly recommended!