The SONOS ARC vs. a kick-ass €1000 hi-fi system

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Күн бұрын

👉🏻 This video was funded by Patreon:
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🎥 Camera: Olaf von Voss
🎬 Editor: John Darko
🕺🏻 Motion GFX: John Darko
🛋 My listening room in 2022:
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0:00 Intro
1:04 Setup & Dolby Atmos sources
4:26 Playback issues w/ Apple Music
8:13 Hi-fi hardware
11:50 Soundstage sizing & oh dear...
🎛 Hardware seen in this video...
Sonos ARC:
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Topping E30:
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AudioQuest speaker cable:
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Samsung Frame 2022 55":
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Solid Steel SS6 speaker stands:
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Also...
Sonos Fives vs. KEF LSX:
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#sonos #dolbyatmos #applemusic
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Пікірлер: 530

@DarkoAudio 2 жыл бұрын

1) Got a question? Please ask it of the Darko.Audio KZfaq community (and not me) as I'm off making the NEXT video 2) Kindly fact check your comment before posting 3) Polite comments that advance the conversation are most welcome (but no URLs, racist/sexist remarks or conspiracy theories, please) 4) All comments here are moderated by a third party: instagram.com/p/CTWcokaszpW/

@silviui. Жыл бұрын

In 2020 I discovered James Hoffmann and up-ed my coffee game, this year, in 2022, I found John Darko and up-ed my sound game.

@agdpalive4285 2 жыл бұрын

I found this very useful and helpful - thanks!

@tyo101 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Darko. Very helpful video.

@therealzambian 2 жыл бұрын

To each his own, but I think you've done a few unfair things: 1. You’re comparing a soundbar designed for a TV/Movies with a HiFi system designed for music. 2. The price for the Sonos Arc includes its ability to connect with other Sonos speakers in the whole house via wifi, Apple Airplay, Alexa, etc. 3. The Sonos Arc can be connected to your Smart Home natively and can run playlist alarms without breaking a sweat. You can change music or volume based on who’s in the room. In short, all the technology that makes it a smarter speaker adds further justification for the higher price. 4. For music, the Arc works best with its sub and surrounds. Obviously, that shoots the price through the roof, but then again Sonos has never targeted the mid-market. 5. TV suggestions: try playing movies like “SEE” on the Apple TV+ or movies with big sound stages such as “The Negotiator”. Dolby also has an app on Apple TV called “Dolby Summit” which will showcase the abilities of the Dolby Atmos on the Arc. I do agree with you that the Arc does have a delayed catch on to the Dolby Atmos, the first time you switch to music. But it does stay consistent after that.

@joshmcgowan4 2 жыл бұрын

Great video John!

@juandoe7802 2 жыл бұрын

I was about to return my ARC when I first purchased it, and gave the sub a chance, which made a world of difference, enough for me to keep it. Then for icing on the cake I bought the rears later and wow. I have a SVS setup and I gravitate to my Sonos more. Ease of use, clean wireless look, and sounds fantastic to me.

@christiangarcia1546 2 жыл бұрын

As a person with a house full of Sonos, I agree with everything you say on here. I have a Sonos Playbar for my main TV because I think it sounds better than the Arc or Beam and I don’t care about fake atmos. But I only use it for streaming background music through the whole house, which it actually works well for. And like you said, it improves the TV speaker experience. With a couple of Play Ones and a Sub you can actually get a decent movie experience with easy set up and whole house compatibility. But I don’t watch much TV, I mostly listen to music and for that I have a proper 2.0 set up in a music room without any Sonos interference. Bowers and Wilkins bookshelves, Shiit Preamp, vintage Sansui receiver, record player and CD player etc. Different things for different purposes

@thirdkey9 2 жыл бұрын

Appreciate your going into connecting lanes and for those of us who do 2.1 channel & headphone centric listening with home theater, gaming and live performance streaming or concert footage. Within an urban residence, my TV set up is in a small entertainment room and found that dynamic powered speakers & open headphones were the preference though open to exploring 5.1 for larger rooms & movies / shows down the line.

@NeilLavitt 2 жыл бұрын

Love the ‘blows it out of the water, comment! I know how much you love using them - the tongue in cheek was great! Thanks for demoing this… very interesting. I think I’m going to find it hard pushing past stereo. I like it a great deal.

@archwaytech 2 жыл бұрын

When it comes to soundstage the main advantage stereo speakers has is that you can physically seperate more than the fixed speakers of the ARC. Soundbars are first and foremost designed to be paired with a TV for movies and especially dialogue but if you're after something for just music, you can get better performance from a Stereo Setup for the same price. Thanks for your thoughts John. Always appreciate another Hi-Fi reviewers perspective.

@neilshirley 2 жыл бұрын

Loving the current videos where you are introducing TV sounds and surrouns sound, thank you.

@harveythompson3161 2 жыл бұрын

Super looking forward to John exploring surround/Atmos going forward

@definitelynotfbi119 2 жыл бұрын

I've had the complete Arc system for just at 1 year now and while I absolutely love it, you perfectly described the difference between my AudioEngine A5s and the Sonos System. The music through Sonos almost feels like it's a part of the room, whereas a powered stereo pair have that presence you were talking about. Also glad to hear Bright Eyes brought up, been a fan since I'm Wide Awake It's Morning. A band shockingly close to Bright Eyes acoustically I would recommend if you haven't heard them, is "Right Away, Great Captain!".

@limpty 2 жыл бұрын

I’ve got the arc / sub / and two rear ones. Music sounds really good with the whole system. Especially Atmos albums like Yello “point”.. Inxs “kick” … really fun listening.

@madsmalmbakkjeldsen1920 2 жыл бұрын

Dear John. I have the Arc and love it. For watching TV. For music I completely agree that it’s not optimal. However, I seem to remember that you have a pair of Play Ones. If you set the Arc up with a pair of Ones behind you everything changes. You get an enveloping experience. Admittedly, it’s not purist 2-channel but it sounds pretty damn nice. I use my Arc and Ones and a Sonos Sub for background/casual listening. For concentrated listening I use headphones. The relative best of both worlds. As an aside, you’ve had a cool focus on subwoofers recently. In my experience the best Sonos speaker is their Sub and the ease with which it works with their other speakers. I would take two Ones and Sub over two Fives any day🙂

@ElbertCuenca 2 жыл бұрын

I would be more interested with a comparison between a pair of Sonos Fives and a conventional hi-fi system. Soundbars are designed and intended to accompany TVs, and that in itself makes your review an apples-to-oranges comparison. From the moment I started playing your clip, I expected you'd be disappointed with the Arc as a music system. It is a single-enclosure speaker, after all. Even if you add a Sub and a pair of satellites to it, it doubt it would deliver the kind of experience a hi-fi system would in terms of music sound reproduction. I know because I have a similar setup at home. I've divided their duties--Sonos home theater system for movies and TV, and a Rotel amp with a pair of bookshelves on stands for music. I'm pretty certain that If you did the same comparison of Arc vs. hi-fi, but in the context of cinematic audio, the result would be the reverse.

@spa2damax 2 жыл бұрын

True by it's his patreons picking the gear for this I think

@Phil_f8andbethere 2 жыл бұрын

I wish the music industry would focus their efforts on providing well recorded, mixed and mastered stereo, rather than all these gimmicks like atmos and stupid hi-res. Just get 16 bit 44.1 khz right and we would have all we need.

@nicholasreeves5025 2 жыл бұрын

Amen, I’m with you 100%.

@Amphibax 2 жыл бұрын

But you cant really market 16 44.1 for marketing and getting ''normal'' people to buy things you always need some new exciting tech. Personally I agree 100% 16 44.1 is fine

@rowanrobinson 2 жыл бұрын

Atmos is not a gimic with a proper setup. It is with a sound bar though.

@bobelle2046 2 жыл бұрын

Atmos or even 5.1 is superior to stereo if recorded and mixed well. Obviously, it has technical advantages with more speakers and high-res capability. The technical aspect, as well as more speakers can definitely present a better sound stage. However, I often find that much of the recordings are gimmicky. Like when you hear a guitar solo above your head and not in the front stage. I totally agree with Darko that I would rather have a good 2.0 or 2.1 sound system over a soundbar but it doesn't beat a good multi-channel system. Quality of recording is often the biggest factor whether stereo or multi-channel.

@ChrisWhittenMusic 2 жыл бұрын

Having worked in the music industry since 1980 I can assure you that 100% of the effort in making a record is getting the recording, the mixing and the mastering as good as it possibly can be. Modern records are extremely skilfully recorded and mixed. Mastering has been somewhat tainted by fashionable heavy processing, but the people doing the mastering are still very skilled and have amazing ears. I think there is often a confusion between personal taste and what is or isn’t good/right.

@DjBlaaack 2 жыл бұрын

Love this new chapter of Darko reviews

@umbrollo 2 жыл бұрын

This channel nails it. Real world examples l, real world comparisons. Plus my dog loves the music.

@grd_ 2 жыл бұрын

I love the look of the Dali speakers. Also, thanks for the outtakes. I enjoyed them

@Benvos 2 жыл бұрын

I don’t know what I’d do without Darko reviews, I’m hungover and this is brightening my day as it’s exactly the experience I found. Once you’ve heard actual hifi, a soundbar simply can’t impress you. If you just want clearer dialogue etc vs your tv speaker then great, but that is it.

@migo33 5 ай бұрын

I switched my HiFi amp (Cambridge Audio) to a Sonos Amp and that solved both the TV sound (using the great Sonos Amp center modulation) and music listening. I do agree though that having a full wireless ecosystem is more convenient and esthetic but then we rely on power cables and potentially more failure points (more hardware and software issues).

@Amphibax 2 жыл бұрын

For me the main reason to go with the HiFi system is that I can upgrade parts when I want When need some upgrades for the soundbar your only real option is getting a complete new one

@geraldmcmullon2465 2 жыл бұрын

This has been the case when everything plugged into everything else. With digital signals and multiple standards that change every few years some part of the system gets out of date and a confusing array of convertors and choices for digital signals; upgrade paths may exist. Digital processing changes that. DSP works when the designer knows what components are being used hence DSP active speakers sounding better than their passive versions. The only clear way of knowing that all parts work together is getting all new parts.

@mdlindc 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for this video. I just set up the Arc, a sub, and two Sonos 1s in my TV room. I think the music sounds ok, but I can completely understand your comment about the soundstage. For that very reason, I plan to also add to that room and stand-alone HiFi system for vinyl and some streaming playback. Cheers!

@jlow341 Жыл бұрын

Just auditioned the arc and found the exact same. One thing that works for me in making my Dali Oberon 3 speakers less intrusive, is placing them on isoacoustics mini-pucks on a wide tv bench under the tv. Cheers.

@kaifa76 2 жыл бұрын

I’d love to see the same content with 2 Sonos Five instead of Arc.

@MartinBischof 2 жыл бұрын

love your outakes :)

@diego750 Жыл бұрын

I’ve an Arc + Sub + 2x Play Ones - with music set to full out of the surrounds it’s a great setup, for movies it’s perfect. Yes the Arc by itself or Arc + sub is a little disappointing for music, but that’s not really the intended purpose for this.

@TheDealer1228 2 жыл бұрын

13:20 - 13:30 might be my favorite Darko moment ever. I knew it was coming, but it still made me laugh, and the bomb drop noise in the background made it 100x better lol.

@orozkoinsider 2 жыл бұрын

Fantastic video

@FewcanJAM Жыл бұрын

I love the Sonos arc for movies in our living room. The wife loves it and it has that clean look and appeal. For music I totally agree with you. For movies the Sonos does some amazing things mainly the dialog clarity Meanwhile in the bonus room I have my Elac bookshelf hifi system connected to a Sonos Amp for movie nights with the guys

@blade1535 2 жыл бұрын

Sonos ARC sounds pretty good with subwoofer and rears. I run an ARC for TV and some KEF R7s with a 100w tube amp for music.

@hansandclau 2 жыл бұрын

Exactly. The ARC with the sub and a pair of One surrounds is surprisingly good and incredibly convenient. For when I really want to listen to music, though, I turn to my LS50Ws.

@electricsnut 2 жыл бұрын

Yup I have the sub also with rears and its all I could ever want for home theatre and a respectable performance for music…

@SizzlingStu 2 жыл бұрын

Yet to hear a Sonos setup I like for the money. I came to the conclusion that the interface and ease of use has taken priority over the actual sound

@NeilLavitt 2 жыл бұрын

I agree, though, for some the interface is the priority and in all truth, they don’t sound at all bad so for the punter who has not demoed the 1000 Euro alternative system and just wants and easy to use Sonos delivers.

@monitor4208 2 жыл бұрын

Thx, that was the review I was looking for. I was thinking about using the Arc not only for TV but also for music. Now I will keep my two B&W CM8…

@Birmingham_racing Жыл бұрын

I did consider the arc but my powernode and 707 s2 sound much better

@klaymoon1 2 жыл бұрын

Great video! I really hope you will also compared Sonos ARC against KEF LSX too!

@cinqiwc 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this very interesting comparison. I have been living with the Arc for over a year. Combined with a sub and two Play 1 rears it provides an easy to use surround system, linked to my Samsung The Frame. Samsung did take over a year! to fix the isse that you could not use the Arc in E-arc mode. Be glad you didn’t have that issue while testing. For ‘easy listening background music’ the SONOS setup is fine but it’s by no means a replacement for HiFi. A few months ago, I got a pair of PMC LB1’s and I dug up my 30 year old Luxman LV92. Linked to a Bluos Node 2 it is way better for music than the SONOS surround system, confirming your findings. Sorry for the long story and keep up the good work. I love your videos!

@KaiHowells Жыл бұрын

I've got the Arc with the Sub, and I threw in a pair of PLAY:3 speakers I had kicking around, and it's a lot better for music, but still not as good as a dedicated 2.0 or 2.1 system. It's good for music, much better with the Sub than without, and for watching movies it's amazing. I get a huge soundstage from the entire front of my lounge room. I have the Arc hanging on a bracket below my wall-mounted TV, so the Arc is extending out in front of the plane of the TV, which allows the upward firing speakers to work and it's great. It's definitely not as good for music as the 2.0 system I had with large floor-standing speakers, but then I didn't really expect it would be. It is so much better for watching video content however.

@klaverro 2 жыл бұрын

Very good video John! For my tv-setup I tried Sennheiser Ambeo and B&O’s Beosound Stage but I was also very disappointed with their stereo sound. I bought a set of Dynaudio’s Evoke 10, Hegel H95, BS Node instead and that’s great for music and tv! I am an audiophile 😀!

@lgude 2 жыл бұрын

This apples and oranges comparison was super helpful because It clarified fundamental differences between equipment classes that usually don’t get compared.

@stonep11 2 жыл бұрын

Wait, why compare the Arc, a home theater focused soundbar, to compare to two speakers, when Sonos makes the Fives, that would provide also a roughly similar priced option to compare a traditional hi-fi to?

@petethehawk5186 2 жыл бұрын

This is a confusing video. If you’re an avid audiophile that listens to A LOT of music at home why are you even trying a sound bar? Sound bars first and foremost are for increasing your experience listening to tv/movies in a relatively simple all in one device. If you’ve got the time, space and money to purchase multiple devices, run multiple cables and have plenty of space to connect speakers, amps, receivers etc all over than a sound bar is a million miles from where you want to be lol. I have a Beam 2 and 2 ikea/Sonos lamps and it works for me as I just didn’t want cables running all over the place. I don’t think anyone ever buys a sound bar because they’re thinking this is the absolute best system I could ever have for movies and music.

@seanrichards9569 2 жыл бұрын

I work in professional audio, and have been delving deeper and deeper into Atmos and other Immersive type audio systems as part of my job, so I know quite a bit about it. Overall your assessment is correct, it’s pretty much a gimmick for music playback at this time, and would take a decade to mature, if ever. It may cross a threshold at some point but for now 2 channel mixing of music has been around for 50 years so there is a lot of maturing to happen for it to overtake (or improve on) existing audio experiences. As for home listening; I have my TV included in my overall audio system at home, with Sony Bravia as TV and Hegel/Elac + REL sub to replace my TV speakers. Since I still consider myself an ‘audiophile’ at it’s most basic and prioritize music over surround sound, I would NEVER replace this 2.1 setup with a soundbar, no matter how premier it is, even if there are a few negatives when watching well mixed films and TV. And I say this as someone who works professionally in the field. I did look briefly at adding a Sonos Arc to my games TV in the spare room, as I recently went for a C1 (love it for gaming by the way), but for the money they want I’ll stick to the TV speakers when I do watch TV in there, and use good gaming headphones for gaming. Honestly you nailed it, soundbars for music doesn’t cut it and is a MASSIVE compromise, even at a very basic investment of $ for equipment. BTW: I was just at ISE 2022 and was given a demo of a product by a Berlin based company called Holoplot. Since you are local, if you want to see what’s happening in the more ‘pro’ end of the spectrum, go to their office and get a demo of their stuff. It’ll show you how clearly companies like Sonos are the followers here, much less the leaders.

@feejus 2 жыл бұрын

Just keen to get your view. So what you are implying is that even for surround sound with SL1 and subwhoofer the sonos system is poor and a 2.1 system will beat it. For me this does not sound right, as rear speakers do have a huge impact as well as the subwhoofer. I am still interested in your thinking and would appreciate your view on this matter. Its not impossible that I change my mind.

@great100m 2 жыл бұрын

Very useful & practical video. Great comparison of premier soundbar vs basic HT system and actually draws a conclusion. Gets a bit confusing around music vs HT, afterall you may buy a sb for HT

@JonathanHaughton 2 жыл бұрын

I know some people play music via the TV, and that the Sonos does a great job of improving the sound from the TV. But I've always kept the systems separate - with a dedicated hifi system for music and TV/Sonos for the Tv/films. Some may say its overkill and unnecessary to have a separate hifi system when it's perfectly possible to stream music via the Sonos. But for me I want to enjoy the music in the best way possible.

@markhoss6538 2 жыл бұрын

I own a Klipsch Cinema 600 (5.2) system and I love it. Awesome for movies. For music, it depends on the recorded source. For example, I can pop on KZfaq and type in “Reference Music” and it sounds amazing. Sometimes other sources only sound ok. But like you said, You have to spend more money and have a lot more stuff which is what I didn’t want. I agree with what you said about the Sonos Arc too. Great Video!

@dineshanblazahan9843 Жыл бұрын

Can’t agree more with you .. I tried moving from Bose 700 bar + sub to Sonos Arc with sub… but the store person recommended simple hifi system in same price range and I am blown away …. And because of which I am totally getting into it …

@JoelOman1980 2 жыл бұрын

I own both a BOSE Soundbar and a "real" 2ch hifi system (Triangle, Marantz) and I can confirm that I never play music (ok, KZfaq occasionally) through the bar. The separates are so much more musical. Full heartedly understand this comparison and would recommend anyone into buying a system for music, to stick to the ol' fashioned way! Keep rockin' Darko!

@sondrernningen166 2 жыл бұрын

Love the Ragged Glory LP in the background. My favourite Neil album🙌

@grahamrousell691 2 жыл бұрын

We love our Sonos system, but admittedly we did go straight in with a 5.1 system of the original playbar, sub, and 2 x Play1s in the rear. The soundbar was since upgraded with the Arc. Now I know this isn't the subject of your video (comparison for audio system under EUR 1000), but I just wanted to point out that with Amazon Unlimited there are a number of Dolby Atmos tracks that can be played direct from stream, rather than via a TV with EARC. I too have made a playlist of these, and more are constantly being added. Atmos really works well in this scenario.

@Bleakend 2 жыл бұрын

I have the ARC paired to a Sub Gen 1 & 2 Play 3s for surround. IMO, the ARC without a Sub is probably only 50% of the experience. Being designed with such small drivers, there simply isn't enough surface area to hit low notes cleanly without distorting the mid range. Adding a Sub relieves the drivers in the ARC of this stress and there is immediate improvement to clarity and soundstage. Imaging is not a thing with soundbars though.. although TruePlay does help

@janketilp 2 жыл бұрын

I enjoyed your video when you first found out subwoofers are fun (Kef), many of us already knew this. The Arc is not a music system, it is for movies. Flip this comparison around, and feed Bladerunner 2049 into your hifi-system, then the Arc, and you'll get it.

@NickFabi Жыл бұрын

Very interesting review, I think it is a case of horses for courses. The ‘soundbar’ is definitely a must have for all new flatscreens but the Sonos system is a trade off for people who want a better flavour without going down the whole surround sound / hi-if route and also like the people who came before them who liked bang and olufsen because the sleek / simplistic design. Quite often we fine ourselves choosing style over substance not to say the Sonos is no good because it does what it does well and I can say this because I have the soundbar / sub / lots of ones knocking around in different setups

@speedmatters Жыл бұрын

I run a vintage valve amp and wharfdale lintons and a sub - I love my hifi, especially the warmer vintage sounding speakers...I also have a sonos complete set-up with two sonos ones surrounds behind and above with the sonos sub - they are night and day different listening experiences but I love the sonos for music because the sound stage is huge and the clarity is superb. I hope you get to experience the full sonos set-up with some music. It's ridiculously expensive but the ease of use and ability to tweak settings for music and film make it a safe bet.

@bard3405 Жыл бұрын

Hi whats in your sonos set up?

@erniecf 11 ай бұрын

Awesome - love the contrast. Which would you say you listen to more?

@tallicarule1991 Жыл бұрын

Great video - always thought my 2.0 hifi for less than £1000 sounded better than sound bars. Would have liked to hear your thoughts comparing the two setups for tv use - particularly movies.

@Robert.Dickson 2 жыл бұрын

The ‘miss’ of a fraction of a second at the start. I used to get this when playing from my Apple TV way back as far as 2012 when playing through an AV receiver and it done my head in so much I stopped using it. I now use a standard Sonos Play setup and I get no similar problem using Tidal.

@balexandre 2 жыл бұрын

A Dolby atmos bar needs the walls and ceiling to reflect the sound, and I would, at least add 2 ikea Sonos speakers in the back, with so much acoustic panels, will for sure stop the reflection…

@gautambodke1533 2 жыл бұрын

I was contemplating on whether to go in for sonos beam Gen 2 or go for stereo separates and I guess I have my answer. Thank You!

@Billlakeview 2 жыл бұрын

I have the arc, the sub gen 3, apple tv4k, and a sony x90j that has hdmi with e-arc and hdmi with 2.1 4k. Underwhelmed out of the box for music and tv. After the first trueplay , better. I usually keep the equalizer flat on my stereo gear, but I then tried some settings from Peter Pee youtube channel. Much better. I then realized that the sweet spot for Atmos landed 3 ft. in front of my listening position. So again, I followed Peter’s suggestion and raised the rear of the arc by about 10/16 in. I couldn’t believe how much the sound for both music and tv improved after all these steps. I also imagine that your room tuning is effecting the soundstage an incredible amount since the arc relies so much on reflected sound. My room is more rectangular with a 9 ft ceiling, just some pictures on the wall, a throw rug, 2 chairs, 2 recliners, a love seat/couch, and the furniture that the gear sits on….pretty untuned. I had a denon AVR with 5.1 system that was pretty good but this new arc plus sub is far superior for both tv and music, after I made all Peter’s suggested adjustments.

@markharby180 2 жыл бұрын

But surely SONOS have never been about competing with Hi-Fi quality sound, it’s always been about the convenience. I have both SONOS and a dedicated Hi-Fi system setup and use each one depending on what I need it for.

@simonfriedman9212 2 жыл бұрын

This doesn't necessarily go without saying although it does track with your content, but I just want to take a moment to appreciate the audio quality of your videos. I don't know how you record and master them, but the quality is both noted and appreciated.

@1881Gordon 2 жыл бұрын

I'll second that! In the music interludes the sound really comes out at you. Great video and audio content on this channel.

@FocalAria 2 жыл бұрын

I hesitated between the Arc and the B&W Panorama 3. Finally picked the Panorama 3, hope I’ll like it 🤞 Thanks for the great video again!

@William_CD 2 жыл бұрын

Please give an update on your panorama 3! I’d love to hear your opinion.

@cpanczak 2 жыл бұрын

I have the Sonos Arc connected to an LG G1 55" and rear left / right ceiling speakers powered by Sonos Amp for 5.1 surround. We mostly use if for movies/TV and it sounds great especially on Dolby Atmos mixes. For normal ambient music listening Sonos Arc is excellent in that context, but agree it's not for ideal seated focussed listening, which would be better served by a traditional hi-fi speaker, as you have rightly pointed out. It's useful to compare but somewhat disingenuous as you are not comparing apples to apples. I also personally would never want to combine movies/TV with a hi-fi system, if you really love music then it's always better to have a dedicated set-up with the best equipment for the reproduction of stereo sound.

@markmedeiros3137 2 жыл бұрын

I own a Arc as a compromise with my wife and it’s great for home theater and pretty darn good for convenience music listening. You definitely need to do the TrueSound room calibration though. It helps immensely.

@spim223 2 жыл бұрын

Reviewing sonos arc is… a difficult thing. I own one, bought sub and rear speakers to it later. I remember my disappointment when I first installed it in my living room. Tried using trueplay several times but the music sounded very artificial… very weird. Movies were great, it’s obviously built for that in the first place. Then I’ve used different device for tuning, this time my old ipad pro. The difference was like night and day. Later I’ve added sub to the mix, which now I think is mandatory for this sub, that’s how much it changed the whole experience. In many things I agree with this review, however I don’t have an issue of how “wide” this soundbar sounds, since mine is sometimes as close as to having a pair of headphones on my head (before I’ve added rear speakers). But my room is much smaller than his, I don’t have a space for dedicated left and right speakers - that’s why I’ve bought a soundbar instead of separate speakers. I can’t recommend this soundbar to someone who got space for speakers next to the tv, but as a soundbar it’s amazing. Watching movies and series is such great experience, but with music listening I agree with the reviewer here, not the best system for the money.

@roryjones6483 2 жыл бұрын

This is excellent. This is the kind of video that can be pivotol for some people, it's like a microcosm of that moment in Plato's cave when you realize the shadows on the wall aren't quite the way things really are, or could be, even for the same price! However that may be, the inflexibility of large audio-centric corporations is on display. Hamstrung by budgets, long development timelines, and incredible pressure within parts market to secure parts-- things are released to market as "good enough." One of things that surprised me most when I left a small High-End company to work at a larger audio corporation, is that, by and large, most of the people who work on the sound haven't had the opportunity to sit in front of a great high-end system. The prevailing notion that is spoken among those engineers is that the product "has to be the best at its job." That job's definition often comes from marketers who get their inspiration from what sounds good from their apple earbuds, or their car stereo system. It should come as no surprise that better audio comes from companies who focus on better audio, not those who are always focus on shelf space. If a sound bar does ever sound superior in sound staging, clarify, depth, and presentation than a similarly costed hi-fi setup, it's in total spite of itself.

@jamestozer2960 2 жыл бұрын

My understanding of how the faux Atmos tech works is by bouncing the sound waves off the walls and ceiling. DO you think your room treatment hamstrings it a bit?

@cvfreeman1 2 жыл бұрын

Great video! I have a two channel setup for music and the ARC in my living room. I use the Arc with two Sonos Ones for movies, and it’s a WAY better setup for movies. Having the Ones setup next to the sofa makes a huge difference for surround sound, so I can’t speak to using the Arc alone. And I much prefer listening to music through my two channel system (PrimaLuna powering Focals).

@garyganser2451 Жыл бұрын

I agree with you completely. I did 3 months with an Arc and my comparably priced stereo and I returned the Arc. My wife is not happy, but I am.

@nebod1556 Жыл бұрын

better be single ...less stress and can do the way you like in life, not constantly worry about what others would say or feel in the household...

@andybarnettuk 2 жыл бұрын

I have a Sonos Amp for this very reason. Im more of a music fan so I wanted more of a musical presentation so I bought some 3020i's to go with the Amp. TV output still sounds great on it too.

@Rob_in 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks John, these kinds of comparisons are very interesting. I'd love to know how similar priced 'Pro audio' gear compares too. You know, like a pair of active studio monitors or a 2.1 system. Any plans for something like that?

@MikeYoungeasytravel 2 жыл бұрын

Hi John, I wish you would have also included a comparison with a stereo system based on the Lyngdorf 1120. Thus comparing two different room correction systems. It would also have been interesting to have a living room home theater comparison between the Sonos Arc and stereo Lyngdorf system.

@yourdiytechlife 2 жыл бұрын

Great review. I was wondering if you had run a comparison the other way in other words tried watching a movie with both systems with atmos to see what device is a better fit for that scenario.

@grantcooper1465 2 жыл бұрын

Could your room treatment effect the sonos - isn’t it designed to bounce sound of walls ?

@jackt-j3215 2 жыл бұрын

Was about to say the same, that was my understanding on how the virtual atmos was designed to work.

@mikeuk4130 2 жыл бұрын

affect

@justwantedtoreply 2 жыл бұрын

A few friends of mine have the arc and they are used in simple setups, no dampening or special stuff in the living room. And in 2 cases since they have kids they don't use 5.1 due to cables and stuff. when they come over at my place where I have a full Samsung 5.1 setup they keep looking behind them when they hear something simply because an arc doesn't have rear audio. However I do know someone who has the arc, sub and 2 ones for rear audio which sounds nice though. However lots of audio delay. Even noticed this myself with just that smaller version of the arc. The play 5 offers stereo with a single speaker if you put balance to left or right with a song that has clear stereo you can hear it.

@krombopulosmichael6162 2 жыл бұрын

@@drewyoung2102 it got you to comment. Sonos and Apple 1: you 0

@earlfenwick 2 жыл бұрын

I use a beam with two Ikeas at the rear. It works pretty well. Only a little bit meh as long as you don't AB it with stereo system. Surround effects are good and lends some space to the music. It has its moments.

@MrBlueacara 2 жыл бұрын

I have heard a Sonos with sub and two satellites- they sounded great. I have a dedicated 2 channel with tube amp and Sonos sounded just as good- the complete Sonos system is about 3k. If I had to do this all over again- I would just go with a premium soundbar with sub and satellite

@sticklebricks 2 жыл бұрын

Would your room treatment interfere with the sound bar bouncing sounds off walls and ceiling to improve the virtualized surround sound? I swear in my room the left channel sounds much wider where my Sonos playbase can bounce off a plain wall than the right channel which has curtains and other nik naks to deal with. I also wonder if you tried comparing the same song from the TV as a source and from the app. I swear it puts a different sound signature where it's expecting TV or film audio from the TV even if it's a music app.

@ronnytm 2 жыл бұрын

Sonos have "Loudness" enabled by default on all their speakers. It's the first thing I disable for a more natural sound.

@jyrkih6960 2 жыл бұрын

I wonder how much the acoustic treatment in your room impacts the processed Atmos from the Arc. This kind of Atmos soundbars depend on the reflections from the room surfaces.

@brianh2476 2 жыл бұрын

So many reviewers posit the Arc as the best thing since sliced bread: but I thank you for rewarding my subscription with integrity John.

@jontrewfrombarry 2 жыл бұрын

So the hifi was better than the Sonos sound bar for listening to music. I think we all kind of guessed that. However it is really good to have a definitive test and our hunches confirmed. However, how did the hifi compare with the sound bar for watching a movie on TV? Was it still better? How was the dialogue and the mix between incidental music and the spoken word? Sometimes I've found watching TV via my hifi a bit too much - great for a movie but over the top for a cooking show or a soap opera.

@joshwalker2015 2 жыл бұрын

I have a ton of sonos gear, but it is all either attached to a TV or put into a room that just needs some kind of simple audio setup. They are great for TV/movies. It’s great for something like a party where you just want music everywhere. Couldn’t agree more that a dedicated 2 channel setup is much better for music. I have a pair of LSX that I will listen to music on all day before I’ll listen to the sonos, and those are about the same price and just as easy to set up.

@williamdavis7931 2 жыл бұрын

Wished you had the Sonos subwoofer too, the Arc sonics improves when not having to handle the low frequencies. But that would send the budget close to $2K

@Zoranurai13 2 жыл бұрын

At that point the hifi system can also add €500 subwoofer and the speakers can be upgraded for €300 more as well. Not to knock on sonos but the situation doesn’t change

@sphaera3809 6 ай бұрын

I think a comparison against a Sonos stereo pair might be fairer. I have a pair of the latest Era 300 and find it excellent, the room correction software works really well well. Not counting sheer practicality, lol, no interconnects, speaker cables, no chances of ground loops either…

@TVSanFierro 2 жыл бұрын

Yeah soundbars are not great for the music, especially when listening to music analytically. A few months ago I decided to upgrade my system and break up my HiFi and Home Cinema gear. So I went from a; Sony KD-65XD7505B Yamaha RX-V683 Mordaunt Short Avant 906i, 905C, 902i and two Aviano 7 subwoofers To a: LG OLED 65C1 Samsung HW-Q950A 11.1.4ch Soundbar ( for home cinema ) NAD C700 Wharfedale Linton Heritage 85th Anniversary And to me that was the best decision I've made. For movies (especially action packed) we are looking for effects and this soundbar really delivers it. The first movie I watched was a new James Bond and I was soooooo blown away by its performance my jaw dropped. Even though I am planning to probably go with a tube amp in the future, Linton's and C700 = match from haven. So yeah a sound bar can be great for one application and awful for another. I would also recommend if you guys are getting a sound bar get one with a subwoofer and rear speakers, it makes a lot of difference.

@swissgator6312 2 жыл бұрын

One point I thought of is that the Sonos is somewhat designed to "bounce" sound off the walls and ceiling to give it a more open soundstage. However, I'm pretty sure John has sound deading material on the walls that may decrease the performance. That said, the Arc is really designed for home cinema and not music. Perhaps a fairer test would be using 3 Play 1's (left right center) and see how that sounds or perhaps to Play 5 as he mentioned.

@arunashamal Жыл бұрын

I mean, comparing any sound bar to dedicated speakers is going to give you the same result. but that isn't a fault with sonos. Arc isn't made for music and it perform far better than 2 channel system like the one shown here for movies. and other visual content. Bass is a huge part of movie watching, audiophiles tend to ignore bass in their music for some reason, but for a movie you want real deep bass, and all the audio action generally happens in front of you and occasionally a stray bullet or something like that properly encoded in a movie track will play acceptably on Arc, so different products made for different uses. and then comes the issue of footprint and the bunch of gear issue he mentioned in the video.

@edvardthomson7264 2 жыл бұрын

Nice! Listening to the new jeff mills mix. I hadn't heard it yet

@SuperHungryhorace 2 жыл бұрын

Apples and pears. The Sonos Arc is for those who want an easy to use, easy to set up, easy to place, low footprint all in one solution. It isnt for hi-finatics, but sounds good enough for most. I can easily hear the difference between it and my €4000 stereo setup, but at no point do I not enjoy listening to music through the Arc.

@skrem23 2 жыл бұрын

Not to mention, most people who use a Sonos soundbar, of any size, use a Sonos sub along with it. Makes a huge difference in the sound, both for tv and for music.

@mugenoesis 2 жыл бұрын

I know you were doing this through the lense of music listening, but would have been interesting to hear your thoughts on how they compared watching a movie

@Paullowther 2 жыл бұрын

Exactly. From a hardware perspective, the Arc is primarily sold a home cinema device that happens to do music. It's got a solid music app, but hardware wise, it definiely errs on the side of home cinema. It's a little like comparing a Ferrari and Range Rover, but only taking the cars out on a race track.

@BevanLewis Жыл бұрын

Stereo is great but Atmos has the ability to create a far more immersive experience. It is the way of the future. Mixing engineers are mostly still learning the techniques and they’ll get more creative (surround has been a novelty in music until the last couple of years). I think Atmos in headphones has a lot of room for improvement though. I would have agreed with the conclusions on the Arc soundstage until I ended up buying one for a second tv watching setup and got the sub and surrounds. I have a stereo system in the same room and was shocked by the soundstage the full Arc system created. Not quite as razor sharp in imaging as the 2.0 but all most will need for an immersive experience. I think judging the Arc on its own is almost like reviewing a stereo system with one speaker 😊

@arjankremer8229 2 жыл бұрын

Bought the Sennheiser Ambeo for WAF and placed the dedicated (stereo) audio system in a separate room. The Ambeo is not to bad, with the boost setting it creates a large stage. Never heard the Sonos arc.

@tjustinjackson 2 жыл бұрын

If you want the music to surround you hook up Ones behind you. I occasionally move mine to the living room and it’s a cool experience hearing Bohemian Rhapsody for example. Also, hopefully you ran True Play - it really helps.

@justwantedtoreply 2 жыл бұрын

I agree, Sonos play 5 is nice as a stereo setup. And the app is nice with Spotify and local playback. Even a turntable through the line in is nice. Soundbars are there just to replace the tv speakers. I still prefer a 5.1 set Samsung htd5500 from the top of my head over soundbars. And I get multiple inputs, blue-ray player for way less. Sure I got both the dual play 5 and Samsung set which puts it past the 1000 euro mark but I never listen to music on my surround set only on the Sonos speakers.

@aaliagagal 2 жыл бұрын

Nice video! Would you recommend to use Sonos amplifier with those hifi speakers?. I really like Sonos systems but I do love to hear hifi music. There is some way to have the best from both options? Thank you!

@OlavAlexanderMjelde 2 жыл бұрын

I dont think a soundbar is there to compete against regular hifi speakers + amp combos, its more for people who dont want or cant have a lot of such devices in the room.

@Damian_S_ 2 жыл бұрын

Hi John, maybe the arc + sub + a couple of Sonos ones will change the music experience…arc alone for music - naa, won’t cut it; maybe a couple of Sonos 5’s in your hifi set up??

@garryhutton9697 2 жыл бұрын

Have this exact set up and used mainly for films but good for music too

@CaffeinePanda 2 жыл бұрын

Agree with your assessment of the sound of the Arc for music, but personally still find it absolutely worthwhile because my priority for it is movies and TV. They sound incredible on the arc, with well rounded sound, shaking bass effects, and really crisp dialogue which is something I often have a problem hearing on stereo speakers. I also agree that it doesn't live up to the advertised idea of it being surround sound all in one; those side speakers don't replace true surrounds. That being said your setup is also a factor I think. You have tons of room treatment on the walls and ceiling to cut down on reflections, but those reflections are exactly what Sonos uses to create the surround sound and Atmos effects. When you break them up, you won't get those results. You're also quite far back from the sound bar, the ideal position for the Atmos effect depends on your ceiling height. I think they should angle the height driver's more, but you may get better results if your MLP is closer. In the end I decided I wanted both; I still have my bookshelf speakers connected to my turntable and Volumio Rpi, and I'm running the Sonos arc with the TV. Plan on expanding to the sub and surrounds. You're right that it's not a good fit for people who prioritize music, but if you want simplicity and good TV audio, it's way up there.

@PotentChr0nic 2 жыл бұрын

Funny that John would test a soundbar in an acoustically treated room when the whole idea behind soundbars is to reflect audio back at the listener (hence those upward and sideways firing drivers) for that virtualized surround sound experience.

@julianhall4052 2 жыл бұрын

I agree. I have the Arc in a much much smaller room. After set up, I found the sound stage was very wide and immersive. ( the side walls and ceiling were closer). It even seemed to play stereo music! And still immersive and engaging! Added bonus but I am not sure I would ever have designed this, or compared it to HiFi! Since we are going off piste from hifi, what about ceiling speakers!

@markthompson5777 2 жыл бұрын

I think it's a fair assessment, we have a Sonos Beam, for the sun room TV, for general TV sound and background music duties, for what it is, a fantastic bit of kit. Definitely not hifi by any standard but a vast improvement on the TV sound offering. Previously had a Yamaha soundbar and sub, but was so poor and inconsistent, got rid. The software on the Sonos just works too. I think for the small room that ours is located, 3m x 3.5m it is adequate and performs well, in a larger room I would doubt it.

@colinmclean2523 3 ай бұрын

Absolutely agree. We have the Arc’s little brother, the Sonos Beam. Huge improvement over the Samsung TV’s own sound, and that’s what it was bought for, but not a patch on the HiFi separates for music. Not much point in criticising a camel for not being a horse, as that was not the intention (paraphrasing, I know).