Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
By Sonos · Soundbars · Desk & Streaming Setup · More from Sonos
- Compact Dolby Atmos soundbar
- HDMI eARC and Ethernet ports
- WiFi and Apple AirPlay 2
- Trueplay tuning, TV remote sync
- 25.6 x 2.3 x 3.9 inches, 6.2 pounds
Price not listed
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Summary
A compact Dolby Atmos soundbar for TVs around 55 inches and smaller, with five Class-D amplifiers driving four elliptical midwoofers, one center tweeter and three passive radiators. Check two things before buying: there are no upfiring drivers, so Atmos height effects are processed rather than physical, and deep bass needs a Sonos Sub that costs more than the bar itself.
Strengths
- Wide, room-filling sound for a bar this small, with clear vocals from the retuned center channel.
- Dolby Atmos processing is precise and immersive even without rear speakers.
- Trueplay tuning is reliable, though it needs an iOS device.
- On-board choice of Alexa or Google Assistant, plus Sonos Voice Control.
- Strong music streaming with dozens of services, Spotify Connect and AirPlay 2.
- Compact enough to sit under a 55-inch TV without blocking it.
Weaknesses
- No upfiring or angled drivers, so Atmos height effects are simulated, not physical.
- Deep bass is thin without a Sonos Sub that costs nearly twice the bar.
- PCMag measured the bass drum flirting with distortion at maximum volume.
- No Bluetooth and no remote control in the box.
- Trueplay tuning requires an iOS device; Android is not supported.
- Alexa and Google Assistant cannot be used on the same product.
Verified specifications
| Model | Sonos Beam (Gen 2), sold in black and white matte finishes. |
|---|---|
| Amplifiers | five Class-D digital amplifiers. |
| Drivers | one center tweeter, four elliptical midwoofers and three passive radiators. |
| Microphones | far-field array with beamforming and multi-channel echo cancellation. |
| Audio formats | Dolby Atmos (via Dolby Digital Plus, and via Dolby TrueHD over HDMI eARC), Stereo PCM, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, Multichannel PCM and DTS Digital Surround. |
| HDMI | eARC/ARC port, with a 4.9 ft (1.5 m) HDMI cable and an optical audio adapter in the box. |
| Ethernet | 10/100 port. |
| Wi-Fi | Sonos specifies 2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n; 5 GHz networks need 2.4 GHz enabled or a hardwired Sonos product. |
| Voice | Sonos Voice Control, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant; Alexa and Google Assistant cannot both run on one product. |
| AirPlay 2 | works with Apple devices on iOS 11.4 and higher. |
| CPU | quad-core 1.4 GHz A-53, which Sonos says is 40% faster than Gen 1. |
| Power | 100-240V 50/60 Hz internal supply; 6 ft (2 m) power cable included. |
| Trueplay | room tuning from an iOS device microphone; an iOS device is required. |
| Dimensions | 2.68 × 25.63 × 3.94 in (68 × 651 × 100 mm); 6.35 lbs (2.88 kg). |
Full research notes and sources
Sound and Atmos
The Beam (Gen 2) keeps the Gen 1 driver layout — four elliptical midwoofers (two forward-firing, two angled), one center tweeter and three passive radiators — with a faster quad-core processor that Sonos says adds two extra audio paths for virtual surround. Reviewers describe a wide sound field for a bar its size, with Atmos precise and immersive even without rear speakers. The catch is the missing upfiring drivers: height effects are processed, not bounced off your ceiling, and PCMag notes Sonos positions the larger Arc for real height channels. CNET scored it 8.1/10 and praised its wide sound field and music ecosystem. PCMag rated it Excellent, though it found the bar cannot match systems that carry a subwoofer.
Setup, Wi-Fi and Trueplay
Setup is quick through NFC pairing and the Sonos app. Sonos’s own spec lists Wi-Fi as 2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n only, and says 5 GHz networks need 2.4 GHz enabled or a Sonos product hardwired; Tom’s Guide’s spec sheet instead lists dual-band 2.4 and 5 GHz, so check your router before buying. Trueplay room tuning works only from an iOS device microphone. PCMag hit Wi-Fi hiccups during setup and a difficult Google Assistant pairing that needed support.
What it costs to add on
The bar itself lists at $499 on Sonos’s US store, and review-era pricing was $449 at launch. Sonos sells a Beam wall mount for $49 and a Sanus TV mount for $79.99. The bigger outlay is bass: a Sonos Sub runs $749-800, and a Beam with a Sub and two One SL rears came to about $1,600 in CNET’s tally. Sonos One SL surrounds are $199 each, and the IKEA Symfonisk pair is $198.
Is it worth it?
At $499 the Beam (Gen 2) competes on compact size, the Sonos multi-room ecosystem, voice assistants and app polish rather than measured lab dominance. Tom’s Guide rates it the better fit for 55-inch-and-smaller TVs. Recent retailer listings showed $479 at Best Buy and $499 at Walmart. If compactness, smart features and Sonos integration matter most, it is a strong small-TV bar; if you want deep bass, budget for the Sub.
Which model this is
This page covers the Sonos Beam (Gen 2), the second-generation compact soundbar released in October 2021 in black and white. Don’t confuse it with the original Beam (Gen 1), the Sonos Ray, the larger Sonos Arc, or the newer Beam Ultra. The Amazon listing for this model is ASIN B09GPYL7BJ.
Sources
Manufacturer:
Independent reviews:
Owner reports:
- No owner-forum threads were captured for this model.
