Sonos Arc Ultra Raises the Bar for Home Theater Audio

As a long-time user of the original Sonos Arc, I started to get my hands on the new version Sonos Arc Ultra excitedly and skepticism.

The original Arc has been a staple in my home entertainment setup. It delivers impressive Dolby Atmos sound and integrates easily with the Sonos ecosystem.

The Arc Ultra promises upgrades in sound quality, design, and connectivity, and I’m curious to see if it lives up to the hype and justifies its higher price.

After experiencing the Ultra, it’s clear that Sonos has not only improved its flagship soundbar; They reimagine what a standalone sound system can do. But is this enough to entice existing Arc users like me to take the leap? Let’s take a closer look.

Released on October 29, the Sonos Arc Ultra is Sonos’ latest flagship soundbar. Priced at $999, available in black or white.

This new version is priced slightly higher than its predecessor, the Arc, which has been discontinued and is now being sold at a discount as retailers clear out remaining inventory.

The Arc Ultra enters a highly competitive market, facing competitors such as the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 9 and the Samsung HW-Q990D. Both offer compelling features and sometimes deep discounts.

design and build

Visually, the Arc Ultra is very similar to the original Arc, maintaining Sonos’ simple aesthetic with a perforated grille covering most of the chassis. However, subtle changes include the ledge on the back housing the touch controls – play/pause, skip, volume slider and voice control buttons – repositioned from the main grille.

The dimensions of the soundbar have been slightly adjusted: the width has increased to 118 cm (from 114 cm), but the height has been shortened to 7.5 cm (from 8.7 cm), thus reducing the possibility of blocking the TV screen when placed in front. The Arc Ultra weighs approximately 350 grams less than its predecessor and is also more suitable for wall-mounting.

The design requires an open placement, as placing it in a corner or under a shelf may block the upward-firing drivers necessary for optimal sound dispersion.

Features and connectivity

Arc Ultra has a 9.1.4 channel configuration, a major upgrade from the original Arc 5.0.2 setup. It contains 14 custom-designed drivers powered by 15 Class D amplifiers, including seven tweeters, six midrange woofers and a novel Sound Motion woofer.

This innovative woofer utilizes four smaller, lighter motors to move the cone, allowing for greater air displacement and, according to Sonos, delivers up to twice the bass of the original Arc. The dual-cone design is also designed to minimize mechanical vibration, resulting in a more balanced sound profile.

Despite these improvements, Arc Ultra still lacks support for the DTS audio format, focusing only on Dolby Atmos spatial audio. Connectivity options are still limited, with only one HDMI eARC port and no dedicated HDMI input, so all external sources need to be connected through the TV. This setup may present challenges for users with multiple high-spec gaming devices and limited HDMI 2.1 ports on their TV.

Sonos Arc Ultra home theater soundbar: front view (shown above) and rear view

On the plus side, the Arc Ultra enhances user accessibility by introducing Bluetooth connectivity (a first for a Sonos soundbar) and extending Sonos’ excellent Trueplay calibration support to Android devices.

Performance

In terms of audio performance, Arc Ultra delivers a clean, precise, spacious soundstage and impressive three-dimensionality. The enhanced bass is deep and expressive, providing a solid foundation without overwhelming the overall sound profile.

Dialogue clarity has been improved thanks to a new front-facing speaker array dedicated to the center channel, ensuring clear and intelligible speech reproduction. The soundbar excels at detail retrieval, capturing the nuances of various content types.

However, the lack of HDMI passthrough and DTS support may limit usage for some users. Additionally, while the Sonos app offers powerful controls and customization options, some users have reported occasional issues that may affect the overall user experience.

How Arc Ultra stacks up against the competition

Compared to competitors like the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 9 and Samsung HW-Q990D, the Arc Ultra holds its own in terms of sound quality and design.

Despite its higher official pricing, the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 9 frequently appears on discount, bringing it closer to the Arc Ultra’s price point. Bravia Theater Bar 9 has a comprehensive feature set, including HDMI pass-through and support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X formats, providing greater flexibility for users with different content sources.

Although more expensive, the Samsung HW-Q990D comes with a wireless subwoofer and surround speakers, providing a more immersive surround sound experience right out of the box. Its wider connectivity options, with multiple HDMI inputs and support for a variety of audio formats, make it a versatile choice for users looking for a comprehensive home theater setup.

Is Arc Ultra worth upgrading?

To be sure, Sonos has long been criticized for its app, which, while offering a sleek design and powerful control options, has been plagued by occasional connectivity issues and limited flexibility.

Users are often frustrated by delayed updates, difficulty adding new devices, and syncing issues across the ecosystem. These issues are especially frustrating given the high prices of Sonos products, which set high expectations for seamless integration.

While recent updates aim to address some of these issues, there’s still room for improvement in the app experience, especially as competitors continue to refine their platforms. While I’ve encountered some of these issues myself (particularly with Sonos’ excellent over-ear Ace headphones), thankfully the app has matured enough that it doesn’t get in the way of setup.

Still, from a purely hardware perspective, the Sonos Arc Ultra is a significant improvement over its predecessor, delivering enhanced bass performance, improved dialogue clarity, and a more immersive soundstage.

Its sleek design and expanded connectivity options, including Bluetooth and wider Trueplay support, make it an excellent choice for those looking for a high-quality all-in-one soundbar solution. However, the lack of HDMI passthrough and DTS support may be a consideration for potential buyers.

Overall, the Arc Ultra is an excellent soundbar that enhances the home audio experience, making it a serious contender in the premium soundbar market.

The Arc Ultra images in this article are credited to Sonos.