Sonos Beam: The Ultimate Soundbar for Small Spaces?
The Sonos Beam is a compact soundbar that has gained popularity for its sleek design, user-friendly interface, and impressive sound quality. However, one question that lingers in the minds of potential buyers is: Does Sonos Beam get loud enough? In this article, we’ll delve into the world of Sonos Beam, exploring its capabilities, limitations, and whether it’s powerful enough to fill your room with rich, immersive sound.
The Sonos Beam: A Compact Powerhouse
Measuring only 25.6 inches wide and 3.9 inches tall, the Sonos Beam is a compact soundbar designed specifically for small to medium-sized rooms. Despite its diminutive size, the Beam packs a punch, thanks to its five Class-D digital amplifiers, four full-range woofers, one tweeter, and three passive radiators. This configuration allows the Beam to produce a surprising amount of sound, making it an excellent choice for apartments, bedrooms, or home offices.
Sound Quality: Clear and Detailed
The Sonos Beam’s sound quality is nothing short of impressive. With a frequency response range of 50 Hz to 20 kHz, it can produce a wide range of sounds, from deep bass notes to crisp highs. The soundbar’s ability to reproduce clear and detailed audio is thanks to its proprietary Trueplay technology, which calibrates the sound to the room’s acoustics. This results in a more balanced and immersive listening experience.
Dialogue Enhancement and Night Mode
One of the Beam’s standout features is its dialogue enhancement technology, which amplifies and clarifies vocals in TV shows and movies. This is particularly useful for those who struggle to hear dialogue over background noise. Additionally, the Beam’s Night Mode reduces the soundbar’s overall volume while maintaining dialogue clarity, making it perfect for late-night viewing sessions.
Volume Performance: How Loud is the Sonos Beam?
Now, onto the million-dollar question: Does the Sonos Beam get loud enough? The answer lies in understanding the soundbar’s volume capabilities and how they relate to real-world usage scenarios.
Maximum Volume: 100 dB
The Sonos Beam is capable of producing a maximum volume of 100 decibels (dB), which is relatively loud, especially considering its compact size. To put this into perspective, 100 dB is equivalent to the sound of a blender or a lawnmower at a distance of 10 feet.
Real-World Volume Performance
In practice, the Sonos Beam’s volume performance is more than sufficient for small to medium-sized rooms. It can easily fill a room with a volume of around 85 dB, which is roughly the same as a normal conversation between two people. However, when pushed to its limits, the Beam can struggle to maintain clarity at extremely high volumes.
| Volume Level | Room Size | Sound Quality |
|---|---|---|
| Low (60 dB) | Small room (100 sq. ft.) | Clear and detailed |
| Medium (80 dB) | Medium room (200 sq. ft.) | Rich and immersive |
| High (95 dB) | Large room (400 sq. ft.) | Slightly distorted |
As you can see from the table above, the Sonos Beam’s volume performance is largely dependent on the room size. While it excels in small and medium-sized rooms, it may struggle to maintain sound quality in larger spaces.
Comparison to Other Soundbars
To better understand the Sonos Beam’s volume performance, let’s compare it to other soundbars in its class.
Sonos Beam vs. Bose Home Speaker 500
The Bose Home Speaker 500 is a compact soundbar similar to the Sonos Beam. While it produces a slightly higher maximum volume (105 dB), its sound quality is not as clear and detailed as the Beam’s. The Beam’s Trueplay technology and dialogue enhancement features give it an edge over the Bose Home Speaker 500.
Sonos Beam vs. Yamaha YAS-209
The Yamaha YAS-209 is a slightly larger soundbar that produces a higher maximum volume (110 dB). However, its sound quality is not as refined as the Beam’s, and it lacks the same level of dialogue enhancement.
Conclusion: Is the Sonos Beam Loud Enough?
In conclusion, the Sonos Beam is an excellent choice for small to medium-sized rooms, producing rich, immersive sound and impressive volume performance. While it may not be the loudest soundbar on the market, its clarity and detail make up for its relatively lower maximum volume.
For small rooms, the Sonos Beam is more than loud enough, providing a superior listening experience.
However, for larger rooms or those who crave extremely high volumes, the Beam may not be the best choice. In such cases, a larger soundbar or a separate subwoofer may be necessary to achieve the desired volume levels.
Ultimately, the Sonos Beam’s volume performance is a testament to its thoughtful design and engineering. By understanding its capabilities and limitations, you can make an informed decision about whether this compact soundbar is the right fit for your space.
Can the Sonos Beam fill a large room with sound?
The Sonos Beam is a compact soundbar, which may lead you to wonder if it can produce enough sound to fill a large room. While it’s true that the Beam is smaller than some other soundbars on the market, it’s designed to pack a punch. With its three Class-D digital amplifiers and four full-range woofers, the Beam is capable of producing a significant amount of sound.
That being said, the Beam’s ability to fill a large room will depend on a number of factors, including the size of the room, the layout of the furniture, and the level of ambient noise. In general, the Beam is best suited for medium-sized rooms, and may struggle to produce enough sound in very large spaces. However, if you’re looking for a soundbar that can produce high-quality sound in a smaller room, the Beam is definitely worth considering.
How does the Sonos Beam compare to other soundbars in terms of loudness?
The Sonos Beam is a relatively compact soundbar, and as such, it may not be as loud as some of its larger competitors. However, the Beam is designed to produce high-quality sound, rather than simply being loud. With its advanced digital signal processing and custom-designed woofers, the Beam is capable of producing a rich, detailed sound that’s perfect for music and movies.
That being said, if you’re looking for a soundbar that can produce extremely high volumes, the Beam may not be the best choice. It’s rated at 100 dB, which is relatively modest compared to some other soundbars on the market. However, for most users, the Beam’s volume levels will be more than sufficient, and its focus on sound quality rather than raw loudness is likely to be a welcome change.
Can I use the Sonos Beam as a TV speaker?
Yes, the Sonos Beam can be used as a TV speaker. In fact, it’s one of the primary use cases for the device. The Beam is equipped with an HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) connection, which allows it to connect directly to your TV and receive audio signals. This means that you can use the Beam to produce high-quality sound for your TV shows, movies, and games.
The Beam also supports a range of advanced TV audio features, including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. This means that you can enjoy an immersive audio experience when watching your favorite TV shows and movies. Additionally, the Beam’s compact design makes it easy to place under most TVs, and its sleek styling ensures that it won’t be an eyesore in your living room.
Does the Sonos Beam support multi-room audio?
Yes, the Sonos Beam supports multi-room audio. In fact, one of the key benefits of the Beam is its ability to integrate seamlessly with other Sonos speakers. Using the Sonos app, you can easily create a whole-home audio system that allows you to play different music in different rooms, or synchronize the same music across multiple rooms.
Sonos’ multi-room audio system is incredibly flexible, and allows you to customize your listening experience to suit your needs. You can create custom playlists, set up custom speaker groups, and even use voice control to adjust the volume and playback settings. With the Beam, you can add high-quality sound to any room in your home, and enjoy a seamless listening experience throughout.
Is the Sonos Beam compatible with voice assistants?
Yes, the Sonos Beam is compatible with a range of voice assistants, including Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. This means that you can use voice commands to control the Beam’s playback settings, adjust the volume, and even control other smart devices in your home.
The Beam’s voice assistant support is highly advanced, and allows you to use natural language commands to control your music and TV audio. You can use voice commands to play specific songs or artists, adjust the volume, and even turn the Beam on and off. The Beam also supports Apple’s AirPlay 2, which allows you to use Siri to control your music playback.
Can I use the Sonos Beam with my PC or laptop?
Yes, the Sonos Beam can be used with your PC or laptop. While it’s primarily designed as a TV speaker, the Beam can also be used as a Bluetooth speaker for your computer. This means that you can stream music and audio from your PC or laptop to the Beam, and enjoy high-quality sound.
To connect your PC or laptop to the Beam, simply pair the two devices using Bluetooth, and then select the Beam as the audio output device in your computer’s settings. You can then stream audio from your computer to the Beam, and enjoy high-quality sound. The Beam’s compact design and advanced audio processing make it an excellent choice for computer audio.
Is the Sonos Beam worth the price?
The Sonos Beam is a premium product, and as such, it comes with a premium price tag. However, in our opinion, the Beam is well worth the cost. With its advanced audio processing, compact design, and seamless integration with other Sonos speakers, the Beam offers an exceptional listening experience that’s hard to find elsewhere.
Of course, the value of the Beam will depend on your specific needs and preferences. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly soundbar for your TV, there are certainly other options available. However, if you’re willing to invest in a high-quality soundbar that will provide years of exceptional performance, the Beam is an excellent choice.