- Cheryl Tan
Sonos Announces Beam Gen 2, Same Look With Way Better Sound
The original Sonos Beam was a great option if you were looking for a compact soundbar and Sonos takes it to another level with the Beam Gen 2, keeping the same great compact form factor while throwing in new features like Dolby Atmos, NFC, eARC and more.
The Beam Gen 2 is the exact same size as the original Beam, and you'd be hard-pressed to find much of a difference between the two. Well, if you're really paying attention, you might notice that the fabric covering has been replaced by a polycarbonate grill that resembles the one on the Sonos Arc speaker, which means it's easier than ever to keep clean.
Coming in both black and white, another key change is that for the original Beam in white, the rear of the speaker where the ports were was kept black, along with black cables, which wasn't quite as aesthetically pleasing as an all-white speaker with white cables. Well, Sonos has made it right with the Beam Gen 2 in white, resulting in white plastic all around along with white cables to match.
Speaking of ports and cables, the Beam Gen 2 now supports eARC, which ties in perfectly with the new support for 3D audio with Dolby Atmos. Dolby Atmos isn't just for movies or shows though, Sonos is partnering with Amazon Music to support the service's Ultra High Definition audio, which can stream lossless tracks in 24-bit/48kHz, as well as Dolby Atmos Music. Unfortunately, there's no news yet on whether Apple Music's Dolby Atmos tracks will be supported.
Amazon Music is also not currently available in Singapore, so it's a bit of a bummer. We're definitely hoping Sonos and Apple can work something out soon.
"We often talk about 'Hollywood at Home' being a real catalyst for our business, and Beam has played a huge part in this as one of the top-selling soundbars in its category," said Patrick Spence, Sonos CEO.
"Taking what we've learned over the years about great listening and home theatre, we've found a way to bring new features and significantly better sound to Beam, all in the same compact size that has proven extremely popular with customers."
The Sonos Beam Gen 2 (S$799) will be available from 6 October onwards.
Written by Cheryl Tan