The second-generation Sonos Beam adds Dolby Atmos

Alex Choros - Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor

Last updated 14 September 2021

Sonos today announced the second-generation model of its Beam smart home soundbar, featuring Dolby Atmos support and a redesigned exterior as new key features.

Dolby Atmos is best perhaps best described as the evolution of surround sound. In addition to positioning sound behind you and to your sides, it allows for sound above you, such as rainfall or a helicopter. It is however worth noting, unlike the Sonos Arc, the new Beam doesn't feature upward firing speakers. Instead, it uses a software speaker arrays to simulate height.

Dolby Atmos is presently mostly used for movies. Platforms like iTunes and Netflix already support Dolby Atmos for select titles in terms of digital, while 4K Blu-Ray does the same for those that prefer physical media. There are also a select number of Dolby Atmos enabled games on Xbox and PC. The only other Sonos product to support Dolby Atmos is last year's Arc.

If you're listening or watching to content that isn't optimised for Dolby Atmos, the Beam won't do any upscaling. Sonos isn't trying to add geometry that wasn't already there.

The second-generation Sonos Beam can also use its Atmos support for Apple Music's spatial audio. You will however need to use an Apple TV running Apple Music as the source medium, rather than your phone, and you'll need to be using a TV with HDMI eARC.

In addition, Sonos says the redesigned exterior not only makes the new Beam easier to clean, but provides additional focus and directionality to the sound.

Other new features include NFC setup (you'll be able to just tap the Beam with your phone) which is also said to improve the security of the initialisation process, and a 40% faster CPU when compared to the previous model.

To get the most out of Beam, you'll need a TV with an eARC or ARC HDMI port. An optical adapter is in the box for TVs that don't have an ARC port, but these users will miss out on Dolby Atmos support.

As with other Sonos speakers, the second-generation Beam supports Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Apple AirPlay 2.

The second-generation Beam will be available to pre-order from September 15 ahead of an October 5 release. It will set you back $699 and comes in a choice of white or black. The original Beam launched at $599, but Sonos recently increased its price to $699 due to the ongoing global component shortage.

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

Read full bio