Expert review of the SONOS Beam
Sonos Beam
- You can use the integrated Google Assistant to control the soundbar with your voice.
- You'll get high sound quality because of the high quality rating.
- Add the soundbar to the Sonos multi-room system and stream music throughout the house.
- The soundbar doesn't have a subwoofer that produces deep bass for a room-filling sound.
First impression
Compact and stylish
Just like other Sonos products, the Beam comes in a handy box. The soundbar is packed in a cover and the cables are neatly built into a cardboard package. I think this is packaging done right. When you take the Beam out of the box, you soon notice that the bar is fairly light. With speakers running around the design and its rounded corners, the Beam looks sleek and compact.
Installation
Ready in no time
Installing the Beam is done in no time. I installed the soundbar in my bedroom. The TV in my living room is old and doesn't have an optical or HDMI ARC connector. I advise you to check this before you purchase a soundbar. After I connected the soundbar to my TV, I followed the steps in the Sonos app to further complete the installation. It's important to have a properly working WiFi connection during the installation.
The app
Easy to use
I controlled the Beam via the app while watching series. The app is simple and well-organized. You can adjust the volume or pause your series or music. In the app, you see 2 icons: a moon and a conversation cloud. When you click the moon, the night mode function starts. The volume goes down and the bass is less present. If you click on the cloud, the speech enhancement function starts. Conversations are placed in the foreground and come into their own better.
Sound
Mini movie theater
I'm surprised by the sound that comes from this small soundbar. The sound fills the space. Conversations are clearly audible and sound effects are noticeable. I watched a piece of the Luke Cage action series. The sound with the effects really gives you a true cinema experience, and any speech scenes seem to take place in your bedroom. After this, I played various music tracks via Spotify. Songs that feature solo singing came out sounding best. The words are very clearly audible.
Connectivity and Google Assistant
Create a wireless multi-room setup
The nice thing about the HDMI ARC cable is that you only need 1 cable for image and sound and you only have to use 1 remote control. Increasing or decreasing the volume and pausing sound isn't only possible via the app. Do you already own Sonos speakers? If so, connect them wirelessly to the Beam for surround sound. I can operate the soundbar with my voice via the integrated Google Assistant. All I have to say is "turn up the volume," and the volume increases. Via AirPlay, I streamed music from Spotify to the beam or to my other Sonos devices in the house.
Conclusion
Small with a big impact
The Sonos Beam has a compact size, but that does not affect its performance. The sound remains spatial and both vocals and speech and sound effects are excellent. Installation and operation via the app is easy. Because of its size, the soundbar is suitable for a small to medium-sized space. Do you want to place it in the living room and make even more of the sound? If so, you will have to add rear speakers and possibly a Sub to the sound setup.
