Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Compact Smart Soundbar Review: The Small Soundbar with a Huge Cinematic Punch

Let’s be honest. You’ve just invested in a stunning, razor-thin 4K television. The picture is breathtaking, with colours so vibrant they leap off the screen. You settle in for a blockbuster movie night, the opening scene builds with dramatic tension, and then… the dialogue comes through sounding like it was recorded in a tin can. The epic explosions have all the impact of a dropped book. This is the unfortunate reality of modern television design. As screens have become thinner, the space for decent built-in speakers has all but vanished, leaving us with an audio experience that is utterly disconnected from the visual spectacle. For years, my own living room suffered from this audio-visual mismatch, forcing me to constantly adjust the volume—up for the whispers, then scrambling to turn it down for the action sequences. It’s a frustrating dance that completely pulls you out of the immersive world the filmmakers intended. A soundbar is the clear solution, but navigating the market of complex setups, endless wires, and confusing acronyms can be a daunting task in itself.

What to Consider Before Buying a Smart Soundbar

A smart soundbar is more than just an item; it’s a key solution for transforming your living space into a genuine home entertainment hub. It addresses the fundamental flaw of modern TVs by providing rich, dynamic, and clear audio that matches the quality of the picture. The primary benefits extend beyond just louder sound; they are about clarity, immersion, and convenience. A quality soundbar brings dialogue to the forefront, ensuring you catch every whispered word. It creates a wide, encompassing soundstage that makes movies feel more cinematic and music more alive. With smart features, it also becomes the central audio device for your home, seamlessly streaming playlists, podcasts, and radio with simple voice commands or a tap on an app, even when the TV is off.

The ideal customer for a product like the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Compact Smart Soundbar is someone who values a blend of high-quality audio, minimalist design, and effortless usability. They likely live in an apartment or have a small-to-medium-sized living room or bedroom where a massive, multi-component surround sound system would be overkill and visually intrusive. This user wants a cinematic experience without the clutter of wires and the complexity of a traditional AV receiver. Conversely, this type of compact soundbar might not be suitable for those with very large, open-plan living spaces who demand the thunderous, room-shaking power of a high-end, dedicated 7.1.4 component system. Hardcore audiophiles who prefer to fine-tune every aspect of their setup with separate amplifiers and passive speakers may also want to look elsewhere.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Dimensions & Space: Measure your TV stand or the wall space below your television. A key advantage of a compact soundbar is its ability to fit into tighter spaces without obstructing the screen. The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is specifically designed to be unobtrusive, making it a perfect match for TVs from 32 inches up to 55 inches, where a larger bar like the Sonos Arc might look out of place or simply not fit.
• Connectivity & Performance: Modern soundbars require modern connections. Look for an HDMI eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) port. This is the gold standard, allowing your TV to send high-resolution audio formats like Dolby Atmos directly to the soundbar with a single cable, and also lets you control the soundbar’s volume with your existing TV remote. Beyond that, consider its smart capabilities—does it support WiFi for stable, high-quality music streaming, or does it rely solely on lower-quality Bluetooth?
• Sound Format Support: Not all sound is created equal. For a truly immersive, cinematic experience, support for 3D audio formats like Dolby Atmos is a game-changer. This technology creates a virtual bubble of sound, with effects that feel like they are coming from above and all around you, not just from the front. A soundbar that can process these advanced formats offers a significant leap in performance over one that only handles standard stereo or 5.1 surround sound.
• Ecosystem & Expandability: Think about your future needs. A standalone soundbar is great, but what if you later decide you want more bass or true surround sound? A soundbar that is part of a wider ecosystem, like Sonos, offers a modular approach. You can start with just the bar and later add a wireless subwoofer or a pair of wireless rear speakers to build a full home cinema system over time, without ever running new wires across your room.

Keeping these factors in mind, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Compact Smart Soundbar stands out in several areas, particularly for its balance of compact size and powerful, immersive performance. You can explore its detailed specifications here.

While the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Compact Smart Soundbar is an excellent choice, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:

First Impressions and Key Features: Unboxing the Sonos Beam (Gen 2)

From the moment the courier delivered the box, the Sonos experience began. The packaging is minimalist, smart, and eco-conscious, a detail we always appreciate. One user review we saw noted that there’s no need for additional external packaging, and we can confirm the manufacturer’s box is robust and perfectly designed to protect its contents. Inside, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Compact Smart Soundbar is snugly wrapped in a soft cloth sleeve. Lifting it out, the first thing we noticed was its surprising density. At 2.8kg, it feels solid and premium, with no creaks or flex in the chassis. Its compact dimensions (65.1 cm wide) make it immediately apparent why so many users choose it over its larger sibling, the Sonos Arc—it’s just so much more versatile for smaller media units and setups.

The design is a masterclass in understated elegance. Our review unit was the black model, featuring a precision-perforated polycarbonate grille that wraps around the front and sides. This is a subtle but significant upgrade from the fabric grille of the first generation, as it’s easier to clean and feels more durable. On top, you’ll find capacitive touch controls for play/pause, volume, and microphone mute, but honestly, you’ll rarely touch them. The beauty of the Sonos ecosystem is control via the app, your TV remote, or your voice. The setup promises to be disarmingly simple, with just two cables included in the box: one for power and one high-speed HDMI cable. This minimalist approach is a core part of its appeal, promising to banish the cable clutter that plagues so many home entertainment systems.

Performance Analysis: How the Beam (Gen 2) Punches Far Above Its Weight

A compact soundbar often involves compromise. Usually, you sacrifice audio width, immersion, and bass performance for a smaller footprint. After spending weeks testing the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Compact Smart Soundbar with everything from explosive action films and dialogue-heavy dramas to a wide range of musical genres, we can confidently say that it redefines what’s possible in this form factor. It doesn’t just get louder than your TV speakers; it fundamentally transforms the listening experience through clever acoustic design and powerful software processing.

The Setup Experience: From Box to Breathtaking Sound in Minutes

Sonos has built its reputation on user-friendliness, and the Beam (Gen 2) is a testament to this philosophy. The entire process, from unboxing to playing our first Dolby Atmos movie trailer, took less than ten minutes. As one user aptly put it, “Just connect the HDMI to your TV and the power cable to the socket. Installed in a few minutes all ready to go.” Our experience mirrored this perfectly. We plugged the included HDMI cable into the eARC port on our test TV and connected the power cord. We then opened the Sonos S2 app, which immediately detected the new speaker. A quick tap of our phone to the NFC tag on the soundbar securely added it to our existing Sonos system, and the app then guided us through the final steps, including connecting to our WiFi network and checking for software updates.

The crucial final step, and one that should not be skipped, is Trueplay tuning. This Sonos-exclusive feature uses the microphone on an iPhone or iPad to analyse the acoustics of your room—how sound reflects off walls, furniture, and ceilings—and then fine-tunes the soundbar’s EQ for optimal performance in that specific space. The process is quick and a bit quirky (you walk around the room slowly waving your phone for about a minute), but the results are anything but a gimmick. Before Trueplay, the sound was excellent. After Trueplay, it was spectacular. The soundstage opened up, bass became tighter and more defined, and the virtual surround effects were noticeably more precise. While we had a flawless setup, it’s fair to acknowledge that some users have reported difficulties with the app. As one reviewer noted, their app failed to register the device, a frustrating experience that renders the product unusable. This highlights the double-edged sword of a software-centric device: when it works, it’s magic; when it doesn’t, it’s a roadblock. However, in our extensive testing across multiple devices, the app was stable and intuitive.

Dolby Atmos and the Virtual Soundstage: Cinema in a Compact Form

The headline feature of the Gen 2 Beam is its support for Dolby Atmos, and this is where the magic truly happens. Internally, the soundbar uses five Class-D digital amplifiers powering four elliptical midwoofers and a single centre tweeter. But it’s the advanced processing that creates the illusion of a much larger system. Two of the five speaker arrays are dedicated to reproducing surround and height channels. When watching a film with an Atmos soundtrack, like *Dune*, the results were staggering for a single, small bar. The sound of ornithopters flying overhead wasn’t just a vague directional cue; it had a clear sense of elevation and movement. The vast, whispering desert landscapes of Arrakis felt genuinely expansive, with sound effects placed far to the left and right of the physical device.

To be clear, this is a virtualised 3D audio experience. It doesn’t replicate the pinpoint precision of having dedicated physical speakers mounted in your ceiling. However, the psychoacoustic processing is so effective that it creates a tangible ‘bubble’ of sound that extends far beyond the confines of the bar itself, providing a level of immersion that non-Atmos soundbars simply cannot match. This is what truly elevates the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Compact Smart Soundbar from a simple TV speaker replacement to a legitimate home cinema component. The experience is so transformative that we believe it alone justifies the price of admission. If you’re ready to bring this cinematic sound into your own living room, you will not be disappointed.

Crystal Clear Dialogue and Surprising Musicality

While the Atmos effects are the star of the show, an equally important—and often overlooked—job of a soundbar is making dialogue intelligible. This is an area where the Beam (Gen 2) excels brilliantly. Thanks to its dedicated centre tweeter, voices are anchored to the screen and rendered with pristine clarity. We re-watched several notoriously hard-to-hear scenes from Christopher Nolan films and found we could follow the conversations perfectly without needing to enable subtitles. This was a point echoed by a user who upgraded from the original Beam, stating, “The new speaker configuration has now made it much easier to follow what is being said.” The Sonos app also includes a Speech Enhancement feature, which further boosts vocal frequencies, making it an outstanding choice for anyone who struggles to hear dialogue in modern movies and TV shows.

As a music speaker, the Beam (Gen 2) is equally capable. Streaming over WiFi from services like Spotify and Apple Music, the sound is rich, balanced, and room-filling. Bass is present and punchy, providing a solid foundation for rock and electronic tracks without becoming boomy or overpowering the midrange. Vocals and acoustic instruments sound natural and detailed. While it won’t satisfy those looking for earth-shaking sub-bass—for that, you’ll want to add the Sonos Sub Mini—we found the standalone performance to be more than adequate for everyday music listening, easily outperforming most standalone smart speakers in its price range.

The Sonos Ecosystem: A Soundbar That Grows With You

One of the most compelling reasons to invest in the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Compact Smart Soundbar is that it’s not just a product; it’s a gateway into a world-class audio ecosystem. Your investment is protected because the system is modular and expandable. As many users do, you can start with just the soundbar. Later, if you find yourself craving more low-end impact, you can wirelessly add a Sonos Sub or Sub Mini to the system. The pairing is handled seamlessly in the app, and the system automatically adjusts the crossover, freeing the Beam from handling the lowest frequencies and allowing it to focus on mids and highs, resulting in an even clearer and more dynamic overall sound. If you want to progress to a full, cinematic surround sound experience, you can add a pair of Sonos One SL or Era 100 speakers as wireless rear channels. This step-by-step upgrade path allows you to build a powerful home theatre system over time, as your budget and needs evolve, all without the mess of running speaker wire.

What Other Users Are Saying

Across the board, the sentiment for the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Compact Smart Soundbar is overwhelmingly positive, with users frequently praising its ability to deliver sound that feels much larger than its physical size. One customer perfectly summed up a common purchasing decision: “I was also contemplating the Sonos Arc and Sub but the size of it (too long for my stand basically) decided the issue for me and I opted for the Beam (gen 2) and Sub Mini… I have no regrets.” This highlights the Beam’s key role in the market for those with space constraints. Another user, who bought it to solve the specific problem of poor TV audio in a bedroom, was thrilled with the result, noting, “For its size the sound is brilliant! Absolute clarity of dialogue, well balanced mid, crisp but not harsh highs, and a warm bass end.”

However, the feedback isn’t without its criticisms. The most significant recurring issue appears to be software-related. One frustrated user reported, “I should have listened the countless complaints online regarding the Sonos app, it failed to registered and find my Sonos Beam gen 2!” This is a critical point, as the app is not optional but essential for setup and advanced features. Another valid point of feedback relates to setting realistic expectations for room size. As one reviewer candidly stated, it’s “the best soundbar ever for the bedroom… But this certainly not powerful enough for the living room.” This aligns with our findings that the Beam is at its best in small to medium-sized spaces.

How Does the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Compare to the Competition?

The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Compact Smart Soundbar occupies a premium space in the compact soundbar market. While it excels in smart features and audio processing, different users have different priorities, and several alternatives offer compelling features at various price points.

1. Sony HT-S40R 5.1ch Soundbar with Wireless Rear Speakers

For those who prioritize a true, discrete surround sound experience out of the box, the Sony HT-S40R presents a strong argument. Unlike the Beam’s virtualized surround, this package includes a three-channel soundbar, a dedicated wireless subwoofer, and two wireless rear speakers, delivering a genuine 5.1 channel setup. With a total power output of 600W, it’s capable of producing a more powerful and impactful sound, especially in the low-end, than the standalone Beam. The trade-off is a lack of Dolby Atmos support and the smart, multi-room ecosystem that defines Sonos. This Sony system is the ideal choice for movie lovers on a budget who want the immersive thrill of dedicated rear speakers and are less concerned with music streaming quality and smart home integration.

2. CREATIVE Stage 2.1 Under-Monitor Soundbar with Subwoofer

Positioned as a highly affordable, versatile option, the CREATIVE Stage 2.1 is aimed at users looking for a significant but budget-conscious upgrade for their TV or PC monitor. Its main advantage is value; for a fraction of the price of the Beam, you get a soundbar and a separate, wired subwoofer that provides a notable bass boost. It offers a wealth of connectivity options, including Bluetooth, Optical, and AUX-in, making it a jack-of-all-trades. However, it exists in a different performance class entirely. It lacks any smart features, WiFi connectivity, or advanced audio format support like Dolby Atmos. This is the perfect alternative for a smaller room, a desktop computer setup, or for someone whose primary goal is to simply get clearer, fuller sound than their TV provides without breaking the bank.

3. groov e Soundbar 50 Bluetooth Speaker

The groov-e Soundbar 50 represents the entry-level tier of soundbar solutions. It is a straightforward, all-in-one unit designed to offer a basic audio enhancement over flat-panel TV speakers. With 50W of power and multiple inputs including Bluetooth and Optical, it covers the essentials. Its primary appeal is its simplicity and extremely low price point. However, when compared to the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Compact Smart Soundbar, the differences are night and day. The groov-e lacks the audio processing, driver quality, virtual surround capabilities, and smart ecosystem of the Sonos. It is a functional upgrade for those on the tightest of budgets, but it does not deliver a cinematic or high-fidelity audio experience. It’s a choice for basic utility over premium performance.

Our Final Verdict: Is the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) the Right Soundbar For You?

After extensive testing, we can confidently declare that the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Compact Smart Soundbar is a triumph of audio engineering and intelligent design. It sets a new standard for what a compact soundbar can achieve, delivering a sound experience that is immersive, detailed, and far larger than its physical dimensions would suggest. Its implementation of Dolby Atmos is remarkably effective, creating a genuine sense of height and space that transforms movie night. Coupled with its class-leading dialogue clarity and seamless integration into the brilliant Sonos multi-room ecosystem, it presents an incredibly compelling package.

This soundbar is the perfect choice for anyone with a small to medium-sized living room, bedroom, or den who demands premium audio without the clutter and complexity of a traditional component system. It is for the discerning user who values sophisticated design, effortless setup, and the flexibility to expand their system over time. While it may not be powerful enough for cavernous rooms and lacks the subterranean bass of a dedicated subwoofer on its own, its performance within its intended environment is nearly flawless. It’s a premium product with a premium price, but the quality of the experience absolutely justifies the investment.

If you’ve decided the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Compact Smart Soundbar is the right fit for your home, you can check its current price and purchase it here.