The Beam comes of age with an excellent Dolby Atmos interpretation
While sequels often pale in comparison with their predecessors, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 joins the ranks of The Dark Knight, The Godfather Part II and The Empire Strikes Back as not only a worthy successor but better than its predecessor in every way. That’s no small claim, as the first-generation Beam captured our hearts back in 2018 and was adorned with numerous What Hi-Fi? Awards.
Key to this Sonos sequel’s success is the retention of its compact and fuss-free design, streamlined functionality and surprising sonic scale and weight, despite its modest footprint.
With the arrival of its larger sibling, the Arc, in 2020, Sonos proved that it could convincingly deliver Dolby Atmos audio in a larger chassis. But we are a little apprehensive about whether the technology can justify its inclusion in a compact soundbar, especially when, unlike the Arc, there are no upward-firing speakers to be found in the Beam Gen 2.
The newer Beam’s layout is much the same as its predecessor’s, but the quintet of front-facing drivers are configured into five separate arrays rather than three. With Atmos content, two of these arrays are dedicated to reproducing overhead and surround sounds. The Sonos Beam Gen 2 uses something called psychoacoustic HRTF (head-related transfer function) technology to give the impression of height without needing to get vertical.
If you want to use the Beam Gen 2 in a larger surround system you can add two One SL for use as rear speakers (£358) and, if required, a Sub (£799).
More durable
Physically, the new Beam is almost identical to its forebear, with the same dimensions and stylish curved edges. The only outwardly distinguishing feature is the addition of a perforated polycarbonate grille, intended to be more durable and easier to clean than the original’s woven-fabric finish. Some will undoubtedly prefer the softer look of the old Beam, but we rather like the new Beam’s sleek frontage.
Under the polycarbonate are four front-facing elliptical mid-woofers and an improved centre tweeter that the company claims will produce crisper and clearer dialogue than the original Beam. The drivers are powered by five Class-D amplifiers, while three passive radiators provide low-end frequency reinforcement.
On the top surface are the same touch-sensitive buttons, LEDs and far-field mics for voice control of Amazon Alexa and G
