When the Sonos Beam Ultra was announced earlier this month, there were mixed emotions from the What Hi-Fi? Team.
On one hand, we had been waiting for Sonos’s next soundbar entry since the five-star Arc Ultra hit the shelves back in 2024. But, with the bar positioned directly between the Award-winning Arc Ultra (£999 / $999 / AU$1799) and the Sonos Beam Gen 2 (£449 / $449 / AU$649) with a price tag of £699 / $699 / AU$1099, the new model had some big expectations to meet.
The Beam Ultra has nine drivers in total – four more than the Beam Gen 2. It also features two up-firing drivers, which the previous Beam entry was lacking, resulting in a 7.1.2-channel configuration.
After days of testing the Beam Ultra in our test room, we are happy to report that the soundbar fits in excellently with its five-star siblings. Here are three things we liked about Sonos’s latest home cinema family member, and two that we would change.
Convincing Dolby Atmos effects
First off, the Beam Ultra’s added up-firing drivers deliver the upgrade we wanted over the Beam Gen 2. We are greeted with a three-dimensional sound experience that makes for a huge upgrade over our TV’s built-in speakers.
As a helicopter flies into the sky when we watch No Time To Die, the overhead effects go much higher than our tv screen. There’s a brilliant sense of space and depth, lending each scene cinematic scale.
It does not quite reach the expansiveness of the more expensive Sonos Arc Ultra, but that is to be expected considering its higher price tag and longer build.
The helicopter is also well-placed, as we can close our eyes and still get a strong sense of where the vehicle is. By soundbar standards, this all results in the most convincing Atmos effects at this price.
Tight bass
The Sonos Beam Ultra’s bass is refined and adds to the soundbar's impact. When we listen to Rosalia’s Divinise, the punchy lower frequencies give the track a strong foundation without overpowering the rest of the sound.
The bass track flutters with a series of quick beats, and the soundbar delivers these with a clean leading edge on each note which drives the song’s energy forward.
It’s the same experience with films, as we find when watching Bumblebee. When the titular transformer lands on earth in a flurry of flames, the Beam Ultra offers up muscular deep notes which add to the sense of impact.
It isn’t the deepest bass we have heard at this level, but the Beam Ultra’s tight, well-balanced lower frequencies more than makes up for it.
Could do better at forward projection
Although we were hugely impressed by the soundbar’s detailed and punchy audio quality, we did note one small issue.
Unlike some rivals we have tested, the Beam Ultra doesn’t push sound out into the room and towards the listening position quite as much as we would like. That can make certain elements, most notably voices, sound a little less direct and engaging than they otherwise might.
And this is quite different from the Beam Gen 2, which offers a somewhat direct sound. That could be because the older model features only forward-facing drivers, while some of the sound is being directed upwards with the Beam Ultra’s up–firing drivers. Despite that issue, the bar still delivers a spacious sound that is hard to beat at this price.
No HDMI passthrough
As well as sound performance, the soundbar’s build needs to be taken into account.
The Beam Ultra has the same physical connections as the rest of Sonos's soundbar entries. That means it has one HDMI eARC port, but no dedicated HDMI inputs. That’s a shame for those who are running out of HDMI sockets on their TV, especially for gamers with high-spec devices.
There is a USB-C port alongside the HDMI connection, as well. This works in conjunction with the optional Line-In Adapter, which features a 3.5mm auxiliary input, via which you can connect pretty much any audio source, such as a turntable or CD player.
You can also opt for Sonos’s Combo Adapter, which features both the 3.5mm input and an ethernet socket for wired networking.
Clean, compact design
The new model is slightly thinner and longer than the Beam Gen 2, so it will sit nicely in front of your TV screen. It certainly doesn’t block the screen on the 55-inch TV in our test room, and should look just as at home with a 65-inch or 43-inch TV.
There is also the option to wall mount if that suits your set-up better. It weighs 2.8 kg, which is the same as the Beam Gen 2, meaning it should be simple to position.
The matte finish of the bar is quite stylish as well, coming in either black or white colour options.
If you're looking for a soundbar to deliver convincing Dolby Atmos effects and tight bass in a sleek all-in-one package, the Sonos Beam Ultra should be at the top of your list.
MORE:
Check out the best Dolby Atmos soundbars
These are the best TVs on the market
And here is our review of the Sonos Beam Gen 2
