Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
Exact average 85.0 · 7 printed, 5 estimated · printed scores only: 84
Image: Sonos12 professional reviewers tested the Sonos Beam (Gen 2), and 12 recommend it. Most praised: sound quality and ease of use. Most common complaint: price.
Reviewed by Android Central, Tech Advisor, How-To Geek and 9 more
The catch: Its virtual Atmos doesn't convince everyone.
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What 12 critics said
Highest score first · all converted to 0–100- 90Android Central
Calls the Beam (Gen 2) a fantastic compact soundbar with wide soundstage, strong bass and Atmos, easy to recommend for small to medium rooms.
Read Android Central review - 90Tech Advisor
Finds little to dislike in the compact, great-sounding Beam with Atmos, but notes the price rise means it is no longer the best-value Sonos bar.
Read Tech Advisor review - 90How-To Geek
Calls the Beam Gen 2 a fantastic compact soundbar for movies and music, with surprisingly effective Atmos and easy expansion, though it needs a sub for the best results.
Read How-To Geek review - 81CNET
A great compact Atmos bar with a wide sound and excellent streaming, but it costs more than rivals like the Vizio M512a that sound bigger, and existing Beam owners should not bother upgrading.
Read CNET review - 80Tom's Guide
The reviewer likes the Beam Gen 2 as an impressive-sounding, feature-rich bar ideal for smaller TVs, with only the price increase over the original as a real complaint.
Read Tom's Guide review - 80TechRadar
The reviewer calls the Beam Gen 2 a fantastic compact soundbar with a wide soundstage and easy expansion, but the virtual Atmos is not convincing and it is not a budget pick.
Read TechRadar review - 80Expert Reviews
A brilliant, neat soundbar that sounds far bigger than its size, but the reviewer is bothered by the single eARC input, no HDMI passthrough and limited height effect.
Read Expert Reviews review - 89est.Trusted Reviews
A balanced, compact Atmos-capable soundbar that is hard to beat for smaller TVs and Sonos multi-room setups, limited only by its single HDMI eARC input.
Read Trusted Reviews review - 89est.Reviewed
An excellent compact soundbar with rich sound and respectable virtual Atmos, one of the best in its price range.
Read Reviewed review - 85est.CNN Underscored
Named the best soundbar overall: compact, fuller and clearer than the original, and easy to expand.
Read CNN Underscored review - 83est.SlashGear
The Beam Gen 2 is recommended as a discreet soundbar with a wider, richer sound and clever virtual Atmos, though it is not cheap and does not match true Atmos systems.
Read SlashGear review - 83est.Engadget
The Beam Gen 2 gives a more immersive sound through processing alone and is a solid soundbar for the money, though it is a modest update and rivals offer real surround for less.
Read Engadget review
"Est." means the outlet printed no score, so we estimated one from its verdict and checked our estimates against ratings outlets print. How we check estimates
How it compares
Direct comparisons by professional outlets, exact models only, in our words. Shown as evidence; they never change the critic score.
vs Sonos Ray80
- What Hi-Fi? picks the Sonos Beam (Gen 2).
- TechRadar picks the Sonos Beam (Gen 2).
- Tom's Guide: it depends. Choose this one if: you have a roughly 65-inch TV in a normal room and want full features and the best value of the three.
What critics praise most
What critics dislike most
Other soundbars critics rate highly
Common questions
Is the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) worth it?
Most critics think so: 12 of 12 recommend it. Its virtual Atmos doesn't convince everyone.
Do critics agree about the Sonos Beam (Gen 2)?
Critics agree: scores range from 80 (Tom's Guide) to 90 (Android Central), a spread of 10 points across 12 reviews. Reviewers broadly agree.
What do critics dislike about the Sonos Beam (Gen 2)?
Price (4 of 12 reviews).
What is the best alternative to the Sonos Beam (Gen 2)?
The Samsung HW-Q990F (critic score 89), top pick, narrowly.