While I tend to watch movies with my family in the living room, where our main TV and soundbar live, I have packed a small cinema into my office room. That used to mean a full home cinema setup with a receiver and individual speakers for each surround point.
But that's all about to change — with the Sonos Arc just $699 at Amazon, I'm finally taking the plunge on a soundbar for my personal watching space. After all, with a $200 discount, how can I say no?
Sonos Arc: was $899 now $699 at Amazon
Lowest price! The Sonos Arc is the previous generation of Sonos' flagship soundbar, but it still packs in some excellent features for a now low price. There's incredible Spatial Audio thanks to Dolby Atmos support, and Sonos app integration means it's plenty smart. Our Sonos Arc review of the soundbar gave it 4/5 stars, with particular attention paid to just how big it sounds.
I don't need the $999 Sonos Arc Ultra that lives in my living room, mostly because I don't think I can afford the $1000 to put it under my TV. I also think I'm ready to move on from my receiver and speakers, mostly because 1. the receiver has just broken and 2. because I am running out of space for speakers to fit. The Sonos Arc looks like the perfect addition to my setup.
In our Sonos Arc Ultra review, we really liked the attractive curved design, the clear vocals and strong bass. Plus, Alexa and Google Assistant are built in. It's just a bit on the big side, so this is best paired with TVs 55 inches and above.
I can place the Arc under my 65-inch TV, connect it with an HDMI cable, and then add it to the Sonos app so that I can control it with the Sonos voice assistant that I use around the rest of the house. The cable mess of my multitude of speakers will be gone, and I won't have to worry about setting subwoofer crossover or surround volume levels.
I'll also be able to enjoy Dolby Atmos for the first time in my watching space. I've used it with music and my various different Spatial Audio-enabled speakers, but now I'll get the benefit for my movies and video games. Even better, I'll be able to switch over to my Sonos Ace headphones when everyone else has gone to bed with easy audio switching.
There's going to be one problem, though. Once I've got it, I can see myself wanting a sub, perhaps the sub-mini. Oh, and then a pair of Era 100s as rear surrounds... and then maybe Era 300s? I can see the path becoming expensive further down the line, but at least I'll be saving $200 here.
Speaking of saving money — does anyone want to buy a set of surround speakers? Only lightly used...
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Tammy and her generous collection of headphones have found a new home — Tom's Guide! After a two-and-a-half-year stint as iMore's resident audiophile, Tammy's reviews and buying guide expertise have more focus than ever on Tom's Guide, helping buyers find the audio gear that works best for them. Tammy has worked with some of the most desirable audio brands on the planet in her time writing about headphones, speakers, and more, bringing a consumer focussed approach to critique and buying advice. Away from her desk, you'll probably find her in the countryside writing (extremely bad) poetry, or putting her screenwriting Masters to good use creating screenplays that'll never see the light of day.
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