If you go by the larger range umbrella, it’s easy to think of the Sonos Beam. a soundbar. Something that will connect to your TV, and that’s about it. Nevertheless, it is too much. Indeed, the Sonos Beam is a versatile piece of talent that’s certainly a top-notch soundbar, but it’s also your smart speaker, an AirPlay speaker for your Apple iPhone and iPad, a Bluetooth speaker for your phone and PC, and more if you’re looking for a smart phone. There are more Sonos speakers at home, adding to the multi-room arsenal as well. It is much more than a tech gadget. And wait. You can also build the Sonos Beam into a surround sound setup and add a wireless subwoofer to the mix. Received Rs 43,999? Stop reading this review, order one now and maybe start saving to add more to this setup later.
First things first, how well does it work with the TV? Whichever way you look at it, it’s not a huge soundbar. Which makes the resulting performance talent even more appreciable. At 2.7-inches in height, it will slide under a lot of TVs and even if it doesn’t, like in the case of my OnePlus TV U1, it sits in front of it but there’s still enough height difference for the OnePlus logo . Peep from behind it and there are no obstacles in front of the screen. You can connect it to your TV via optical audio or HDMI ARC—the latter is the route I took. Setup using the Sonos app on the phone is pretty intuitive—a good thing, otherwise some of the goodies can feel overwhelmed. The Beam connects to your home Wi-Fi network and the app takes you through the final step which is making sure the TV remote controls the volume through the Sonos Beam and not the TV.
This is where you’ll be prompted to install something called Sonos TruePlay. It’s sound tuning software that lets you move around your room by waving your iPhone or Android phone while it maps out the layout and where you usually sit in the room. The results aren’t tangible in the sense that you don’t see numbers on a spreadsheet, but I did turn it on and off while watching a movie and the promises made by TruePlay are no joke – it really does make a difference where you sit. There’s a definite improvement in how much detail you hear and the width of the sound with this toggle.
I used it in a large L-shaped hall with TV which is a combination of the living and dining room and this compact soundbar (mind you, soundbar with no add-ons) made it easy to light up the room while watching movies or football matches filled. The sound signature is certainly upbeat, but the Sonos Beam makes sure it starts off on a similar level. You have the EQ toggle in the app and for most large rooms with great use of this soundbar for movies or TV shows or sports or music, you may want to dial it up or down according to the amount of bass you want. It packs a pretty punch in itself when it comes to low frequencies. You have the option of audio equalization, which, to be honest, I didn’t notice much difference—though some jerky volume changes are still filtered out. And you also have something called dialogue enhancement, which would be good for a TV show.
The Sonos Beam’s party piece isn’t the legacy the Sonos brand has with audio hardware. Neither does it seem to have the potential to deliver so much brilliance in a compact size. This is versatility. Your TV’s power and Sonos Beam are ready. Say “Hey Alexa” and you can make calls to play music from Amazon Music and Apple Music, among other services. Say “Ok Google,” and that’s exactly the path you’re going to take with YouTube Music and Spotify streaming. You have an Apple iPhone or iPad? Open Apple Music, play any track you want to listen to and select Sonos Beam to wirelessly stream from the listed AirPlay devices. By the way, this is AirPlay 2 standard.
The Last Word: Calling the Sonos Beam Expensive Is an Allusion
If you are thinking that Rs 43,999 Sonos Beam is expensive then it is not so. The thing is, it’s not just a soundbar like you might be imagining. You have the Sony HT-X8500 which costs around Rs 31,000 and doesn’t have any of the goodies that the Sonos Beam brings along with powerful sound. And then there’s the Bose Soundbar 300, which doesn’t have any of the value-adds of the Sonos Beam, yet costs around Rs 44,000. Yes, the Sonos Beam is an entry point to the premium audio experience in the Sonos line-up, but it’s not limited to just the money you spend. It’s probably the ideal balance between size and power for most modern apartments, while also ticking off the checklist for a smart speaker or Bluetooth speaker you might have to buy extra. And an Apple HomePod, if you want to use AirPlay extensively. saving your money. Who would have thought about it?
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