Sonos beam review8/1/2023 ![]() ![]() That doesn’t mean that it has scrimped on design quality. ![]() But Sonos is also one of the only speakers to support both Google Assistant and Siri. We nearly slipped there and called it the Alexa mic, as that's what it currently is. Above this is the ability to turn the speaker mic on and off. The setup is simple: a four dot square on the left for volume down, the same on the right for up and a play/pause button in the middle. The controls on the top are touch sensitive and look identical to the Sonos One. It’s a slick-looking device, taking its design cues from both the Sonos One and the Sonos Play:5. In fact, it’s 60% smaller (and that can be said of the price, too) but has the addition of HDMI connectivity-something the Sonos PlayBar sorely lacked. Measuring 650 x 100 x 68.5mm, it’s much smaller than its super-sized sibling, the PlayBar, which you can find out more about in our Sonos PlayBar review. The Sonos Beam soundbar will happily sit in front of a 32-inch set up or a 40-inch plus TV-we should know, as we tested it on both variants. Take a look at our Sony HT-MT300 Soundbar review to see how it compares, which retailed for $300 / £250 / AU$434. The Sonos Beam was competitively priced at the time it launched, a little more expensive than similar entry-level soundbars from Sony. Or for a smaller and cheaper alternative from Sonos, check out our Sonos Ray review, which costs $279 / £279 / AU$399. Now there are plenty more Sonos soundbar devices on the market, including the Sonos Beam (Gen 2), which launched at a higher price than the original Beam at $399 / £339 / AU$599. The Sonos Beam was considered the entry-level soundbar of the product line-up and came after five Sonos speakers and four home theater audio setups from the company. Although it might be available for a little cheaper today from some third-party retailers. When it first launched in 2018, the Sonos Beam was cost $399 / £399 / AU$599. Sonos Beam review: availability and price But if you want to find out more about the original Beam, read on for our full Sonos Beam review below. Or our best surround sound system guide if you want an even more immersive listening experience. Nothing intimidates this small bar of music.Check out our best soundbars guide for our pick of the top TV-enhancing devices you can buy today. For the Beam everything is just another song, because it does the basics so well. But then the Beam is versatile and the switch from Shubha Mudgal’s Itne Kareeb to Doja Cat’s Woman is seamless. Even when a more contemporary Prateek Kuhad is playing the beam is a pleasure for the ears, and your mind. The Beam is like the perfect speaker for a Jagjit Singh or to get my weekly fix of Rabindra Sangeet. The vocals cut through the room in an almost ethereal whiff. ![]() The Sonos Beam carries forward this legacy with a clear, natural high-fidelity audio signature that’s very enjoyable. Sonos has always had a very different and unique audio profile that has endeared it to millions of users. Now let’s come to the music, the best part of this device. ![]() And this is the better option because nothing interrupts the music. On the Sonos app, I linked my Spotify and Audible too. So to play music - since I could not set up the voice commands - I was streaming music from Apple Music via the Sonos app, or just using AirPlay direct from the Apple Music app. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/ Express image) The Sonos Beam also has a very minimalist design with just a play/pause button flanked by volume controls. Wi-Fi on the other hand just beams the music and you can do that literally from anywhere as long as you are on the same network. There are a few reasons for this, but for music lovers the Bluetooth connectivity can be irritating as it will come with all the sounds on the phone. One thing to note is that the Sonos as a company is not very keen on Wi-Fi. For the TV, I just had to use the Arc connect using an HDMI cable to link the devices. There is a lot more you can do, but that will be a bit complicated for regular users. It sets up the new device to the Wi-Fi, then plugs all your music accounts like Apple Music and Spotify to the speaker, also helps you decide the quality of compression if needed. The Sonos app takes care of all your needs. On top of the soundbar, there is a mic sign to indicate that you can control the device with voice if needed - using the Sonos app you can set it up with either Alexa or Google Assistant, though both services don’t seem to be available in India at the moment. There is also a button which you have to use in case you want to reset the connections. Behind the beam are ports for power, HDMI (Arc) and Ethernet. ![]()
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