Soundbars / Sonos
Sonos Arc Ultra
The best one-box Atmos bar — real bass, no sub needed, but no HDMI input.
Overall score 8.4/10
Pros
- + Widely rated the best one-box Atmos bar you can buy
- + The Sound Motion driver produces genuine bass without a separate subwoofer
- + Trueplay room tuning adapts it to your room
- + Superb build and finish
Cons
- − No HDMI input at all, which is a real problem if your TV has only one spare HDMI port
- − No DTS:X or DTS-HD decoding
- − Deliberately brand-agnostic, so no TV-brand features like Q-Symphony
- − Some controls sit on the rear, awkward when wall-mounted
- − List price rose from $999 to $1,099
Sonos Arc Ultra review: what the specs say
The best one-box Atmos bar — real bass, no sub needed, but no HDMI input. At $1,099, Sonos's 2024 model sits in the middle of the range — the soundbars we compare run from $129.99 to $1,999.99. It scores 8.4/10 overall, calculated from published specifications across 8 categories rather than from a subjective impression.
Its strongest showing is Sound Quality at 9.2/10 — overall tonal balance, clarity and detail. The weakest is Value at 7.0/10, which is the trade-off to weigh before buying: if that is the specification you care about most, one of the alternatives below will serve you better.
Worth knowing before you buy: no HDMI input at all, which is a real problem if your TV has only one spare HDMI port; and no DTS:X or DTS-HD decoding. Every specification on this page comes from Sonos's own documentation or a verified retail listing — where a figure is not published, the table says so rather than estimating it.
Specifications and price last verified . Report an error
Full Specifications
| Channels | 9.1.4 (14 drivers: 9 tweeters, 6 mid-woofers, plus the Sound Motion woofer) |
| Total Power | Sonos does not publish power ratings W |
| Subwoofer | Built in (Sound Motion woofer); Sonos Sub 4 or Sub Mini optional |
| Rear Speakers | Optional add-on — Sonos Era 300 or Era 100 pair as wireless surrounds |
| Dolby Atmos | Yes |
| DTS:X | No |
| HDMI Ports | 1 ports |
| HDMI Passthrough | None — there is no HDMI input at all, only eARC out |
| eARC | Yes |
| Wi-Fi & Streaming | Wi-Fi 6 with AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect; Chromecast is not supported |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 |
| Voice Assistant | Sonos Voice Control and Amazon Alexa built in |
| Connectivity | HDMI eARC, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Ethernet |
| Material | Perforated polycarbonate grille |
| Warranty | 12 months |
Compare Sonos Arc Ultra With
Cheaper Alternative
Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 7 (HT-A7100) — $869.99
Premium Alternative
LG S95AR — $1699.00