I’ve been using the original Sonos Beam with my bedroom TV since it debuted in 2018, so I’ve grown used to its somewhat cramped sound stage. It’s a great speaker for hearing crisp dialog in movies and TV, but it’s severely compromised when it comes to room-filling sound. When I reviewed the second-gen Beam, I was pleasantly surprised by its software-based Atmos capabilities. Not surprisingly, given its significantly more capable hardware, the Beam Ultra blows away its older siblings. At times, it almost sounds as good as the original Sonos Arc (which has far more speaker tech crammed in).
The Beam Ultra roared to life with all of my favorite Atmos action set-pieces. The first major chase in Mad Max: Fury Road filled by bedroom with distinct rumbles from multiple cars, as well as tons of gunfire and explosions. Despite the chaos, nothing sound muddled, and I could still hear the dialog in key moments. When motorcycles started flying overhead, it almost felt like I was back in a true Dolby Atmos theater. Flipping on the simulated Atmos mode made things sound a bit less convincing, but it was still more expansive than the old Beams.
During the Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol seemingly endless car-turned-motorcycle chase, I was able to close my eyes and map out exactly where every bad guy biker was on the screen. When Tom Cruise (Ethan Hunt) hops on a motorcycle to speed down Moroccan streets and highways, it practically felt like I was riding alongside him as I raised the Beam Ultra’s volume.
When my kids interrupted my audio testing time and forced me to play Sing 2, the Beam Ultra practically turned my bedroom into a concert hall. The opening rendition of Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy” sounds revelatory compared to the older Beams — the voices are clearer and easier to hear, every instrument feels more defined and the low-end has a wonderful impact.
Not surprisingly, the Beam Ultra was also fantastic for pure music playback. A quick listen of Bjork’s Post turned into a complete revisit of that album. I’ve heard it sound better on premium headphones and my full home theater system, but the Beam Ultra still impressed me given its relatively compact frame. Playing Dolby Atmos audio via Apple Music also revealed a wonderful sense of presence from Bowie’s “Modern Love,” Janelle Monae’s “Lipstick Love” and Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together,” all of which sounded like they were being performed live in the room.
The Beam Ultra’s night mode also helped quiet things down when I couldn’t blast action movies, and its four levels of speech enhancement also made it easier to hear dialog without cranking the volume. Sonos recommends against using that dialogue feature while playing music or games, which makes sense, but it would be nice if the Beam Ultra could automatically detect the content you’re playing so you don’t have to manage it manually.
I didn’t get to test the Beam Ultra out with additional Sonos speakers as rear channels, but I can only imagine they’d make the already-enveloping soundscape even better. Even if you’re not planning to add surround sound, though, the Beam Ultra is a useful addition if you’ve already got other Sonos speakers around your house. Sonos was the pioneer in networked home speakers, and it’s still the best at it. When my kids are feeling unruly, I often flip on the Sonos Arc and Play:5’s and fill the house with music. The Beam Ultra was a wonderful way to bring the house party upstairs.
