Sonos’ original Beam wowed with just how much home theater audio it packed into its tiny footprint, and now the Beam (Gen 2) is adding Dolby Atmos to the mix. A little more expensive at $449, and a lot smarter inside, this new Beam sees Sonos double-down on targeting an audience that wants surround...

Dolby Atmos support adds extra sense of audio height, Wider, more immersive soundstage, Easy setup and minimal footprint in your room, Sonos' multi-room support still can't be beat

$449 price tag makes it an expensive soundbar, Falls short of the full Dolby Atmos experience, No Bluetooth or auto Trueplay tuning

“Dolby Atmos adds a splash of 3D fun to an already excellent soundbar.”

The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is an impressive piece of equipment. It’s got a compact, understated design, offers a range of smart features, and improves on the original Beam in some meaningful ways. If you have the original Beam, it’s probably not worth upgrading unless you really want Dolby Atmos.

Since its debut in 2018, the $399 Sonos Beam has been one of the best small-sized soundbars you can buy, thanks to its great sound, compact and elegant design, easy integration with Sonos’ whole-home sound platform, and its ability to double as an Alexa or Google Assistant smart speaker. But over the past few years, Dolby Atmos — the 3D surround sound format that makes movies and music much more immersive — has become very popular, helped in no small part due to adoption by streaming giants like Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and both Apple TV+ and Apple Music. This means that most new soundbars, including Sonos’ $799 Arc flagship soundbar, are now Atmos-compatible, and the second-gen Beam is no exception. The new Sonos Beam is more expensive at $449. So the questions are whether existing Beam owners should even think about upgrading, and what prospective Beam newcomers can expect from it. First things first: Before you read this hands-on review, check out our review of the orig...

Easy setup; Immersive, room-filling sound; Sleek design; AirPlay 2;

No HDMI inputs; Requires compatible TV for Dolby Atmos;

A brilliant standalone soundbar that sounds wonderful but is sorely lacking in physical connectivity

Atmos improves sound quality; Phenomenal audio; Neat and compact;

Atmos requires eARC; Not much height effect; No DTS:X support;

A brilliant standalone soundbar that sounds wonderful but is sorely lacking in physical connectivity

Atmos improves sound quality; Phenomenal audio; Neat and compact;

Atmos requires eARC; Not much height effect; No DTS:X support;

The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is a great upgrade compared to the original soundbar, coming with Dolby Atmos support, HDMI eARC compatibility, and a refreshed design. Although we weren’t entirely convinced by the virtual Atmos on offer, this soundbar sounds fantastic and fits small spaces perfectly, while...

Wide soundstage, HDMI eARC support, Hi-res audio compatibility, Compact design, Easily upgradeable

Slightly more expensive than the original, No upfiring tweeters, TruePlay only works with iOS devices

Just like the original, the Beam Gen 2 is an awesome product that's worth the $450 price tag. Sonos’ streamlined app and Wi-Fi integration, the clean design, and the Beam’s excellent acoustic performance (Atmos or not) each play their part to create a real symphony of a soundbar.

Excellent sound and features, Respectable virtual Dolby Atmos, Elegant design

So-so overhead audio, No spare HDMI input, Still no Trueplay for Android

With the addition of Dolby Atmos, the second-generation Beam sounds far more immersive than before..