Sonos Beam 2, when it seemed impossible to improve what already existed [Review]

The Sonos product range is practically perfect, not too long, not too short, focusing on meeting needs and without fanfare. Their products are not lost in the catalog or make the consumer doubt, they are limited to providing an offer for a demand. However, the renewal of its products is constant because even if the product was close to perfection, everything can be improved.

We analyze the new Sonos Beam 2, the second generation of an almost perfect product and the example that everything can be improved. Discover with us every detail of this new Sonos intermediate soundbar with unprecedented versatility and quality, was it possible to improve the existing one?

As in many other occasions, you can take a look at the complete unboxing, its accessories and the entire configuration procedure of Sonos through our YouTube channel in which we show you the closest details of the product.

Design, recognizable but made up

If you look at it from afar, the second-generation Sonos Beam might look exactly the same as the first-generation, and it really doesn't. As you well know, Sonos has long since abandoned the textile of its devices, a material that those of us who have been accompanying Sonos for a long time know can be a problem in terms of cleaning.

On this occasion, Sonos has adapted the only product that was left unadapted to its catalog. The Sonos Beam 2 receives a set of perforations on its front that provides solidity to the product and also places it alongside the rest of Sonos products at the design level. As small as the change, the jump makes it feel lighter and more modern.

• Available colors: Black and white
• Size: 69 x 651 x 100 mm
• Weight: Kg 2,8

The upper base still maintains the previous layout intact with the multimedia touch controls so typical of Sonos and two configurable LEDs, the status of the Sonos itself and the voice assistant operation indicator. On the front, the Sonos logo continues to crown and the back is for connections. Now the Sonos Beam is easier to clean and adapts to the times, breaking the saying, because the second parts can be good.

Technical characteristics and connectivity

We start with the cast of technology which is responsible for making this second-generation Sonos Beam work as Sonos canons dictate:

• Five Class D digital amplifiers tuned to the specific design of the Sonos Beam 2
• A central tweeter
• Four elliptical midrange drivers
• Three passive radiators
• An array of four long-range microphones

All this is accompanied by the stereo PCM protocols, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital +, Dolby Atmos Dolby True HD, Multichannel PCM and Multichannel Dolby PCM. All of this can be identified through the Sonos application that will indicate the type of sound that the Sonos Beam is decoding at that moment.

At the processing level, the brain of the second generation Sonos Beam grows 40% in power compared to its predecessor, for this it mounts a 1,4 GHz Quad-Core CPU with A-53 design and 1GB of SDRAM memory plus 4GB of NV memory.

To connect to the audio source, which will normally be the television, bet again on technology HDMI ARC / eARC, as well as WiFi connection compatible with 2,4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, also having a port 10/100 p EthernetTo connect directly to the router. In addition, as has been the case in the vast majority of Sonos products, we have compatibility with the protocol Apple AirPlay 2, so the integration with products of the Cupertino brand is paramount, without delays or quality losses.

Ideal for TV, but also for music

As was the case with the previous Beam, we are facing a round and well thought-out product to accompany your television. It has its own IR receiver which allows you, through the Sonos S2 application in combination with the HDMI ARC / eARC system, to control the TV easily and do without more controls. With the control of your television you will be able to manage the volume of the bar directly. All this is added to the possibility of controlling the bar through the upper touch pad or the Sonos application.

• You can configure your Sonos Beam 2 with surround sounds through various Sonos One and Sonos Sub.
• We have virtualized surround sound through its five digital amplifiers and full compatibility with the best sound standard in this regard, Dolby Atmos, which it receives as an innovation compared to the previous generation.

At this point Sonos has solved the main problem with many sound bars by offering really clear dialogue. You can activate the voice enhancement function to better hear the dialogues in case there is an excess of action or you are listening to the content at very low volumes. In this regard, the second-generation Sonos Beam works just as well as the first-generation one.

You could imagine that this penalizes music, nothing is further from the truth. This Sonos Beam 2 is a product hybrid, And it is that despite being a sound bar focused on the TV, it can be used easily and comfortably as a music player. ANDThe sound is stereo and clear since its processor identifies the type of content we are playing.

• A perfectly structured sound that if we configure through TruePlay allows us to enjoy all ranges regardless of location.
• The mids are optimized even at their lowest frequencies, the sound quality when we talk about music is not equal to other sound bars because they are tuned for television.
• We have one clear response at high frequencies and its low frequencies are greatly enhanced, honestly in a standard size room or living room I find a separate subwoofer expendable.

A whole Sonos, with what that entails

As usual, Sonos has completely avoided Bluetooth in this product that always works under WiFi connection, This allows the main virtual assistants to be connected, although we use it mainly with Alexa, as well as full integration through HomeKit with AirPlay 2 standards.

We have, how could it be otherwise, instant connection to Spotify, Apple Music and a list of dozens of multimedia content providers.

Setting it up, as with other Sonos devices, is as simple as connecting it, opening the Sonos application, available on both Android and iOS and press «next». The Sonos user experience is always excellent in this regard.

Editor's opinion

This new Sonos 2 covers the few shortcomings of the previous version, which did not have them from birth, but has developed them with the passage of time and the advancement of technology. Now integrate Dolby Atmos for create a 3D effect that is more than enough to enjoy all kinds of content, It offers a design that goes with everything and a price that, taking into account its versatility and the confidence that Sonos generates in its users, is tremendously adjusted.

En Actualidad Gadget We have always said that the Sonos Beam is perhaps the most rounded product in the Sonos quality/price balance, and with this second generation, which remains at 499 euros, it could not be less.

Pros and cons