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The Sonos Beam has been a strong soundbar option for average-sized living rooms ever since it debuted in 2018. The Gen 2 added Dolby Atmos to the mix three years later, but it did so via clever virtualisation rather than actual speakers firing at the ceiling. Ever since, Sonos fans have been asking for the real thing to be housed within the Beam’s signature compact form factor.
The new AUD$1,099 Beam Ultra is the answer to their prayers, and it’s more than a Beam with an added tweeter or two. Sonos has bumped the driver count from five to nine, redesigned the centre channel, added Bluetooth and a USB-C port, and launched the whole package alongside its new audio operating system, Sonos 27.
This isn’t a replacement for the Beam (Gen 2), which remains available, but rather a more premium option, sitting between that model (RRP AUD$799) and the Arc Ultra (AUD$1,799). It’s also one of the more interesting soundbars on the market.
The 30-Second Sonos Beam Ultra Verdict
The Sonos Beam Ultra is a feature-packed and powerful soundbar that delivers a level of audio quality well beyond its compact dimensions. With the simultaneous arrival of the new Sonos 27 platform, there’s never been a better time to join the Sonos ecosystem. The Beam Ultra is a premium but still accessible way to do precisely that.
Pros:
- Big, detailed sound with convincing overhead effects
- Bass that doesn’t need a subwoofer in small-to-medium rooms
- Redesigned centre channel and AI Speech Enhancement make dialogue clearer
- Sonos 27 turns the bar into part of a smarter whole-home system
- Portable Play or Move 2 speakers can double as surrounds
- Understated and stylish design with easy setup
Cons:
- No DTS:X support and no HDMI passthrough
- Slightly larger than previous Beams, so old wall mounts won’t fit
- Some headline Sonos 27 features are still to come, and others need newer Sonos hardware
Introducing Sonos 27
Let’s start with the part that might be less headline-grabbing but is actually key to what makes the Beam Ultra (and the rest of the Sonos ecosystem) such a strong performer.
Launched at the same time as the Beam Ultra and the Ace Ultra headphones, Sonos’ devices now work together at the system level. A new capability called Sonos Fabric lets compatible speakers find one another and organise themselves based on where they sit, whether that’s a stereo pair, a home theatre or a room group. In practice, you can shift audio from room to room, or from the soundbar to a pair of Ace Ultra headphones, so you can keep listening to the TV without bothering anyone else (family, housemates, neighbours, etc.).
The whole thing is very snazzy and works seamlessly. As an example of this ability to adapt to changing needs, I was able to take a pair of Play speakers I use as standalones for music, move them into my living room and have them act as satellite speakers to create surround sound. The upgrade to my home-conema experience was immediate and considerable. Sadly, this room-to-room approach isn’t available on all Sonos gear, so older equipment like the Playbar won’t join your Sonos 27 family. But Sonos deserves credit for making it largely backwards compatible.
Finally, Sonos 27 also lays the groundwork for conversational voice control and AI assistant support, too, if you’re into that sort of thing. Much of that feature set isn’t live yet, but it’s only a matter of time — we’re talking months rather than years. Personally, it’s not something I particularly care for, so I don’t feel its absence. Worth noting nonetheless.
Design and Setup
In typical Sonos fashion, the Beam Ultra comes in black or white with a matte finish, and the latter looked sharp under my TV. At 75 cm wide and weighing in at 2.88 kg, it’s a touch longer than the Beam (Gen 2) but still compact. The top now carries perforated grilles for the new upfiring drivers, and touch controls run around a raised edge.
Setup is still Sonos’ signature party trick. Simply plug in the HDMI eARC cable, connect to Wi-Fi through the app, and you’re done. The back also has a USB-C port, which takes optional adapters for optical, line-in, or Ethernet. Bluetooth 5.3 is new for the Beam family, which makes life easier if you have guests who want to play their own playlists (the nerve!). There’s no remote in the box, so your TV remote or smartphone handles volume.
Clearer, Taller Sound
To put it plainly, the Sonos Beam Ultra’s nine drivers in a 7.1.2 arrangement sound terrific and mean it could pass for a soundbar priced a few hundred bucks more than the one here. Upfiring drivers deliver real height, so overhead effects like helicopters and planes authentically travel above the screen rather than plateauing at soundbar level. It won’t fool you into thinking there’s a speaker in the ceiling, but for a bar this size, it’s impressively convincing.
The redesigned centre channel is a sleeper upgrade. Dialogue is crystal clear, even when voices overlap with loud effects. If you need more help, Sonos’ AI-powered Speech Enhancement now has four levels, and it never feels like a gimmick. Bass is also a pleasant surprise. Explosions feel weighty without turning boomy or muddying dialogue. Everyone loves a subwoofer, but in smaller rooms it may be unnecessary. If you want more, by all means add one, but I’d buy surrounds first.
The Beam Ultra is also stronger when it comes to music than you’d expect from a TV soundbar. Vocals and instruments stay organised, and the bass is generous yet disciplined. It will make for a great core of a multi-room setup for your next at-home rave.
There are a few features Sonos is holding out on, but at this price point, it would be churlish to complain. That said, there’s no DTS:X here, and there’s still no HDMI passthrough, which matters if your TV is short on ports. As far as gripes go, Sonos has done well to keep them so limited.
Sonos Beam Ultra Final Verdict
The Beam Ultra is the compact soundbar Sonos devotees have been waiting for. It delivers what the Gen 2 couldn’t (wouldn’t?): real height, more weight, clearer dialogue, and enhanced connectivity in a bar that still fits comfortably under your TV. The Arc Ultra remains the more authoritative option for large living rooms, but smaller spaces simply don’t need that much. Given that apartment living is becoming ever more the norm, this is a smart move from Sonos.
At AUD$1,099, it’s an investment, and the Beam (Gen 2) remains a brilliant bar if you don’t care about overhead effects, but you are getting more than your money’s worth here. Plus, if you’re planning ahead and looking to build a wider Sonos speaker network, the Beam Ultra and Sonos 27 will make an iron-strong core for that system.
NOTE: The author of this article, Rob Edwards, was given access to the Sonos Beam Ultra, Sonos Play, and Sonos Ace Ultra for the purposes of this review. All reviews remain independent and objective. Sonos was not shown this review before publishing, and we received no money for posting the review. For more information on how we test products, view our editorial guidelines here.
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