Bringing Dolby Atmos sound to a home theater can sometimes be a confusing and messy proposition, with tons of wires and additional speakers. ButSonos Arc Ultrais different. I was blown away by the immersive sound and crystal-clear dialog that the soundbar brings to my home theater.
Sonos Arc Ultra
The Sonos Arc Ultra provides top-notch Dolby Atmos sound in a single soundbar. The 9.1.4 speaker is quick and easy to setup with any TV using an eARC or ARC port. The large soundbar should be used with TVs larger than 50 inches.
Price and Availability
The Sonos Arc Ultra retails for $1,000 and is available from several retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, and directly through Sonos.
Specifications
A Truly Massive Addition to Your Home Theater
In the case of the Arc Ultra, good things come in huge packages. The soundbar is simply massive; it’s by far the largest one I’ve used. It clocks in at a little more than 46 inches long and is 2.9 inches high and 4.25 inches deep. It weighs 13 pounds and is available in matte black or white.
On my medium-sized TV stand, the Arc Ultra barely fits with an inch or two to give on either side and is almost as wide as my 55-inch TCL TV set. Thankfully, the Arc Ultra didn’t block my view of the bottom of my TV.
But if you have a smaller set and TV stand, take measurements before purchasing. The soundbar can also be wall-mounted with an optional Sonos mount.
Along with the companion Sonos app (available for Android and iPhone), you can control the Arc Ultra using the touch controls on the back of the soundbar. In the center is the media control to play/pause content or go forward/back when listening to music. On the right side is a touch-sensitive slider to control volume. On the right is a button to turn voice services on or off. You can use Amazon Alexa or Sonos Voice Control.
There is also a light in the center of the Arc Ultra that indicates connection, mute status, microphone activation, and errors.
The simplicity of setup is one of the biggest advantages of any Sonos speaker. And that’s a huge help with the Arc Ultra. There are two cords to use. After plugging it into a power outlet, you’ll use the included HDMI cable in an eARC or ARC port. All modern TVs with an eARC port fully support Dolby Atmos. With older TVs with just an ARC, it depends on the TV model and manufacturer.
On the rear of the soundbar, along with the HDMI or power plug, is a Bluetooth button to pair the Arc Ultra with a new device, a microphone on/off toggle, and an Ethernet port.
While Sonos previously didn’t allow Bluetooth connections to its speakers, it corrected course, starting with theEra 100andEra 300. It’s nice to be able to quickly connect my phone to the Arc Ultra and play something. Having the pairing button on the rear of the soundbar does make that somewhat more difficult, though. For Apple fans, the soundbar is also compatible with AirPlay 2 to wirelessly send audio directly from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
Once you’ve powered on the Arc Ultra and plugged it into the correct HDMI port, you’ll finish the setup process on the Sonos app. Make sure to run the TruePlay feature with either an iOS, iPadOS, or Android device. That will customize the sound coming from the Arc Ultra taking into account the room itself and its furnishings. It’s a great feature that always makes a difference, especially with Dolby Atmos. While Android users only have a quick tuning option, iOS users can also choose from a more thorough, advanced option.
The entire process, from unboxing to running Trueplay, took a little less than 10 minutes.
Dolby Atmos Is Amazing
The Arc Ultra’s headline feature is Dolby Atmos. In my testing, I was blown away by how great Atmos content sounded on the 9.1.4 soundbar.
Using my current-generation Apple TV, I spent a few weeks enjoying all the Atmos content I could find. The Arc Ultra exceeded all of my expectations.
My previous home theater setup was an Atmos-enabledSonos Beam 2,Sub Mini, and two rear Era 100s. Just the Arc Ultra provided better sound than all of those combined.
One of my favorite recent movies to watch with the Arc Ultra wasDeadpool and Wolverine. Along with intense action, some songs like the openingBye, Bye, Bye, or the choir version ofLike a Prayersounded amazing. Even in quieter scenes, like at the TVA, I could truly hear the equipment running all around me.
In other action films likeTop Gun: Maverick, the Arc Ultra brought another layer of realism to the flight scenes. Even in different kinds of movies, likeA Quiet Place II, hearing sound all around adds to the terror with the Death Angels approaching.
Bass response was especially notable, especially without a standalone subwoofer. In bass-heavy scenes, I could easily feel the lows throughout the room. But the entire soundscape was spectacular, even without needing to turn up the volume past 50 or 60%.
Another favorite feature of mine was something I didn’t expect—Speech Enhancement. The setting is buried in the Sonos app, but it made a huge difference. There are three settings for the feature that can improve the clarity of dialogue in content. I started with just the medium level, and it worked spectacularly. Especially in louder scenes, the dialogue was substantially clearer. I could hear everything without needing to turn up the volume so loudly.
You can also use the Arc Ultra to listen to Dolby Atmos tracks from streaming services like Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited. You’ll need to connect to your Apple Music account through the Sonos app, but then you can enjoy the room-filling tunes. Just make sure you see the Dolby Atmos badge on your phone to confirm that the song is in Atmos.
Like Dolby Atmos movies, the music is designed to envelop you in sound. And tunes likeHelp!sound like The Beatles are performing right in front of me.
The Sonos app, rightfully, has received a huge amount of criticism after a major app redesign in mid-2024. Sonos continues to make fixes to the app. In my testing with the Arc Ultra, I didn’t have any noticeable issues when connecting and adjusting other settings. I was also able to easily use the Arc Ultra as part of a whole-home audio system without any issues.
Should You Buy the Sonos Arc Ultra?
If you want to bring Dolby Atmos sound to your home, and have the cash available, theSonos Arc Ultrais by far the best choice on the market. In 10 minutes, you’ll be able to bring theater-quality sound to any television without a mess of wires or installation. And there’s no need for a subwoofer or any other speakers.
Along with that simplicity, the sound quality is by far the best I’ve ever experienced from a single soundbar. If you’re a Sonos fan, the Arc Ultra is a great addition to your home. If you’ve never used a Sonos speaker, now is the time to try it out while giving a big upgrade to your home theater sound experience.
