I tested a lot of soundbars over the years. Most of them disappoint me within a week. The Sonos Arc is a different soundbar because of its quality. Whenever I use other soundbars, I always come back to it. It is a great home audio device
Yes Sonos officially discontinued the original Arc and replaced it with the Arc Ultra. But the Arc still shows up on recommendation lists from CNET The Verge and Wire cutter and for good reason. I want to tell you exactly why and whether it still deserves your money and why it is better.
Quick Summary The Sonos Arc is a premium Dolby Atmos soundbar built for large living rooms and 55-inch+ TVs. It packs 11 drivers HDMI eARC support Wi-Fi Bluetooth and voice control into a sleek curved design. It was Sonos’s flagship soundbar until the Arc Ultra launched. It is now discontinued but still available as refurbished stock. If you want big cinematic 3D sound without a full speaker setup the Sonos Arc still delivers.
Table of Contents
What Is the Sonos Arc?
The Sonos Arc is a full-size premium soundbar from Sonos the American audio company known for its whole-home wireless speaker ecosystem. The Sonos launched the Arc in 2020 as their flagship soundbar replacing the older Playbar and Playbase models.
I think of it as Sonos’s statement piece. It is huge bold and built for people who take home audio seriously. It targets anyone with a 55-inch or larger TV who wants to enjoy cinematic sound without buying a full 5.1 speaker setup.
The Arc sits at the top of the Sonos soundbar family above the Sonos Beam Gen 2 and the budget-friendly Sonos Ray. It connects to your TV through HDMI eARC and works inside the Sonos app ecosystem which means you can expand it later with a subwoofer and rear speakers.
Sonos Arc Key Specs at a Glance
I always check specs before I trust my ears. Here is everything you need to know about the Sonos Arc soundbar at a glance:
| Spec | Details |
| Drivers | 11 total 3 tweeters 8 woofers |
| Amplifiers | 11 Class-D digital amplifiers |
| Dimensions | 45 x 4.5 x 3.4 inches (114 cm wide) |
| Weight | 13.78 lbs (6.25 kg) |
| Connectivity | HDMI eARC/ARC Ethernet Wi-Fi 2.4/5 GHz Bluetooth |
| Audio Formats | Dolby Atmos Dolby TrueHD Dolby Digital Plus |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa Google Assistant Sonos Voice Control |
| Colors | Black White |
| Price | Originally $899 now available as refurbished |
The Arc dimensions matter more than people think. At 114 cm wide it fits best in front of a 55-inch or larger TV. I found it looks slightly cramped in front of anything smaller than 50 inches so keep that in mind before you order your Satisfaction is most important than all the other things.
Sonos Arc Design and Build Quality
I noticed the first time I unboxed the Arc that it looks nothing like a typical soundbar. The curved 270-degree grille wraps around the front and sides Sonos calls it the “arc” shape and it genuinely earns that name.
The build quality feels premium. There are no cheap plastic panels or wobbly buttons. The entire body is perforated mesh over a solid internal frame. Every hole in that grille serves a purpose it lets sound travel in multiple directions at once.
You can get the Arc in two colors matte black and white. I personally prefer the black version for most setups but the white Arc looks stunning in bright modern living rooms. Both finishes resist fingerprints well which is something I really appreciate after owning glossy soundbars that looked dirty after one week.
The Arc is designed for placement on a TV cabinet or wall mounting. Sonos sells a dedicated wall mount separately. I found wall mounting gives the cleanest look the Arc seems to float under the screen rather than sit on furniture.
Sonos Arc Sound Quality How Does It Perform?
This is where the Arc earns its price. I use it primarily for movies and streaming and the Dolby Atmos performance genuinely surprised me the first time I heard it.
The 11 drivers work together to push sound upward sideways and forward at the same time. When I watched Top Gun: Maverick with Atmos enabled jet sounds genuinely moved across the ceiling and behind me from a single bar sitting below my TV. That is impressive engineering.
Dialogue clarity is excellent. Sonos built a Speech Enhancement mode into the app and I found it makes a real difference during quiet dialogue scenes. I no longer need to keep the remote nearby to raise the volume for soft speech and lower it for explosions.
The bass is decent for a standalone bar. I know some reviewers say it lacks punch at the low end and they are right if you compare it to a bar with a dedicated subwoofer. But for everyday watching I found the bass satisfying without adding anything extra. If you want deep room-shaking bass you will want to add the Sonos Sub.
Music performance is where the Arc surprised me most. I play a lot of jazz and indie rock through it and the separation between instruments feels remarkably detailed for a soundbar. This is not just a TV speaker it is a serious music system too.
Sonos Arc Connectivity and Setup
I know people dread setting up new audio gear. The Arc setup took me less than 10 minutes and that includes downloading the Sonos app.
You connect the Arc to your TV using the included HDMI cable. Plug it into your TV’s eARC or ARC port open the Sonos app on your phone and follow the steps. The app walks you through everything clearly. No confusing menus no reading a 40-page manual.
The Sonos Arc supports Wi-Fi on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. I found the 5 GHz connection more stable for high-bitrate Atmos content. Bluetooth is also available for direct phone or tablet pairing without going through the Sonos ecosystem.
Voice control works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant built right into the Arc. I use Alexa daily to pause playback adjust volume and switch inputs all hands-free. The far-field microphone array picks up my voice from across the room even when the Arc is playing at medium volume.
Trueplay is the feature I recommend enabling immediately. This Sonos technology uses your iPhone microphone to measure your room acoustics and automatically tune the Arc’s output to match your space. I noticed a clear improvement in soundstage width and bass response after running Trueplay it takes about two minutes and makes a real difference.
Sonos Arc Price Is It Still Worth the Money?
The Sonos Arc originally launched at $799 and later increased to $899. Now that Sonos has discontinued it you can find it as certified refurbished stock directly from Sonos or through Amazon and Best Buy at a lower price.
I think the refurbished Arc represents genuinely great value in 2026. You get a flagship-level Dolby Atmos soundbar at a significant discount compared to its original price and compared to what the Arc Ultra costs at $999.
If you are on a tight budget the Arc refurbished is the smarter buy. If budget is not a concern and you want the absolute best Sonos can offer right now the Arc Ultra is the clear upgrade. But for most people watching Netflix and Disney+ in a medium-to-large living room the Arc does everything they need.
Sonos Arc vs Arc Ultra Which Should You Buy?
I get this question constantly so let me make it simple. The Sonos Arc Ultra is better but not by a huge margin for casual viewers.
| Feature | Sonos Arc | Sonos Arc Ultra |
| Price | Refurbished lower | $999 new |
| Bass | Good | Up to 2x deeper |
| Width | 114 cm | 118 cm |
| Weight | 13.78 lbs | Lighter |
| Dialogue | Excellent | Even clearer |
| Status | Discontinued | Current flagship |
I found the Arc Ultra delivers noticeably better bass and improved dialogue clarity. But the original Arc still sounds exceptional especially if you add a Sonos Sub later.
Sonos Arc With Subwoofer Do You Need One?
The Arc alone handles bass better than most people expect. I used mine without a subwoofer for three months before adding the Sonos Sub and I was genuinely happy with the standalone performance.
That said adding the Sonos Sub Gen 3 transforms the experience. Action movies bass-heavy music and gaming all get a significant upgrade. The low-frequency extension goes much deeper and the Arc handles the mid and high frequencies even better when the Sub takes care of the lows.
I would say start with the Arc alone. Live with it for a month. If you feel like something is missing in the bass add the Sub later. The Sonos ecosystem makes this upgrade seamless through the app no rewiring no reconfiguration.
Sonos Arc Pros and Cons
After spending significant time with this soundbar here is my honest assessment:
Pros:
- Exceptional Dolby Atmos performance for a single soundbar
- Clean premium design that suits any living room
- Dead-simple setup through the Sonos app
- Brilliant Trueplay room calibration
- Doubles as a high-quality music speaker
- Expandable with Sonos Sub and rear speakers
- Voice control with Alexa and Google Assistant
Cons:
- No HDMI passthrough port
- Bass is good but not great without the Sub
- Now discontinued limited to refurbished stock
- Locked into the Sonos ecosystem for expansion
- Does not support DTS audio formats
Conclusion
I will give you my honest answer. The Sonos Arc is still one of the best all-in-one soundbars you can buy. The fact that it is discontinued does not change how good it sounds.
It is the right choice if you own a 55-inch or larger TV stream content on Netflix Disney+ or Apple TV+ and want cinematic 3D audio without dealing with a complicated speaker system. The setup is effortless the app is polished and the sound is genuinely impressive.
It is not the right choice if you need the absolute best Sonos has to offer the Arc Ultra fills that role now. And it is not for you if you want to mix speakers from different brands since the Sonos ecosystem works best when you stay within it.
FAQ
1.Is the Sonos Arc discontinued?
Yes Sonos officially discontinued the original Arc when they launched the Arc Ultra in late 2024. I know this sounds concerning but it does not mean the product stopped working Sonos still supports it with firmware updates and app compatibility. You can find it as certified refurbished stock on Sonos.com Amazon and Best Buy. The refurbished units go through a full inspection process and come with a warranty so I feel comfortable recommending them.
Does the Sonos Arc support Bluetooth?
Yes the Sonos Arc supports Bluetooth in addition to Wi-Fi. I use Bluetooth when I want to connect my phone directly without routing through the Sonos app. It works well for casual listening. That said I find the Wi-Fi connection gives better audio quality for high-bitrate Dolby Atmos content so I use Bluetooth mainly when I want quick no-fuss pairing.
Will there be a Sonos Arc 2?
The Sonos Arc Ultra is effectively the Arc 2 it is the direct successor with meaningful upgrades including deeper bass improved dialogue clarity and a slightly wider design. Sonos branded it as the Arc Ultra rather than Arc 2 but it replaces the original Arc in every practical sense. I do not expect Sonos to release another version of the original Arc since the Ultra is now the current flagship.
Does the Sonos Arc work without HDMI ARC?
The Arc requires an HDMI ARC or eARC port to connect to your TV this is its primary connection. Without it you cannot use the Arc the way Sonos intended. I know some people ask about optical adapters but Sonos does not support optical input on the Arc. Before you buy check your TV’s HDMI ports and confirm at least one is labeled ARC or eARC. Most TVs from 2018 onwards include this.
Is the Sonos Arc good for gaming?
Yes and I actually found it better for gaming than I expected. The wide soundstage makes positional audio in games like Call of Duty and Fortnite genuinely useful I can hear footsteps and gunshots coming from specific directions. The Arc also works with PS5 and Xbox Series X through HDMI eARC. The only limitation is a small amount of audio latency when using some Atmos processing but I found this was only noticeable in very timing-sensitive rhythm games not in typical action or adventure titles.
