Sonos Arc Ultra Soundbar Review: Big Bar, Better App

Nothing cures a droop like a giant win. That’s precisely what Sonos wanted from the brand new Arc Extremely. Constructed on the bones of the already nice Sonos Arc (9/10, WIRED Recommends), the Extremely is slimmer, clearer, bassier, and extra immersive for simply $100 extra, and it’s the first product launched in what Sonos claims is a bug-free app-mosphere.

Software program bugs have plagued the Sonos app because the firm revamped it alongside the discharge of its first headphones, the Ace (8/10, WIRED Recommends), earlier this 12 months. That is the bug that retains on giving. In my evaluate interval I discovered one other challenge the place the bar disappeared from the app after linking the brand new Sub 4 and a pair of Period 300 audio system (9/10, WIRED Recommends) in a encompass system.

Fortunately, the woes lastly appear to be resolved. After a easy energy cycle, I’ve skilled over per week of error-free operation which, when mixed with an absence of comparable reviews on-line, leads me to cautiously name my troubles settled. The Extremely is now steady and responsive for me, whereas its sonic expertise place it among the many best soundbars I’ve examined all 12 months.

Subtly Slimmed Down

Sonos has at all times offered a luxe unboxing expertise, and the Arc Extremely abides. Minimalist packaging provides technique to a glossy, perforated matte tube of hulking proportions that appears strikingly acquainted to the unique Arc.

There are some telltale tweaks, together with a shorter 3-inch peak to sit down extra comfortably under TVs, and a wider stance that stretches to over 46 inches throughout. A plate on the bottom hosts venting for the amplifiers and Sonos’ newest contact controls, together with play/pause, track skip, voice management, and a granular quantity slider to match the in-app model. Like all Sonos audio system, the Extremely is available in conventional black or white.

{Photograph}: Ryan Waniata

Throughout the cylindrical shell are 14 individually powered drivers (three greater than the Arc), together with seven tweeters, six midrange drivers, and a brand new “Sound Movement” woofer for bass. You’ll get help for all main Dolby audio codecs, together with lossless Dolby Atmos, and help for DTS encompass (Sonos says it’s not a “licensed decoder”), however no DTS:X, the 3D Atmos rival.