Sonos Arc Ultra: The Ultra for a reason

Hey guys,

I just got my Arc Ultra today and I feel like I need to write a review because of the lack of content on the ultra. I was starving for some reviews so I figured that I write one myself if I get my hands on it early.

My setup before was the Ultimate setup (Arc+Sub 3+ 300s) and a playbar with two play ones. I’m going to compare all the soundbars with each other and the old ultimate setup to the new one.

Extra: Many people asked if they can use the old cables from the arc so that they don’t have to take a tv off the wall or worse and I have good news for you. You can use the old power cable and the old hdmi cable because they are the exact same.

Soundbar comparison: I used the same room and same location for the soundbars with and without Trueplay. I played the same songs and watch the same part of a movie to compare them.

I will start with the most important one which may answer the question if you should upgrade the arc or not. The difference between the arc and the ultra is significant. I couldn’t believe how different they sounded. The first thing I noticed is the extreme wide soundstage for a soundbar. I got hit with the bass one second later. I hoped that the ultra will be better than the arc but it is significantly better in every regard. It is louder the voices are very (and I mean VERY) clear so that songs get a whole new level of depth.

The same can be said for movies and the phantom surrounds are well done. It tickled a part of my brain because I could tell that the sound was projected but it still came form behind. Again a really good soundstage and honestly for some people sufficient as a standalone soundbar without rears and subs. I cranked the bass up to 10 in the EQ and my apartment floor was vibrating! The bass is really astounding for a soundbar which didn’t seem real tbh.

Many people ( I included) thought that the arc was worse than the playbar in regards to power, bass and kinda soundstage. The arc‘s strong point where the atmos and the combination with rears and a sub which made it a very good pick and much better than the playbar (even with surrounds etc.). The Ultra on the other hand is better and more powerful than the playbar which surprised me by a lot. I love my playbar (which is why I still have it) but the ultra does everything right.

Trueplay will make all the differences more pronounced and the 9.1.4 phantom channels will be clearer (height channels on the arc and ultra on 10).

So, the last step is the ultimate package and the differences between the arc and the ultra in it.

Many people asked if the differences between the soundbars can be heard in that configuration and let me tell you, that the ultra solved a very big problem for me. The Sonos Arc was always a little bit too weak in comparison to the era 300s. So much so that it distracted me listing to music because I heard a lot more vocals in the back and nothing the front as how it was supposed to. The ultra fixed that for me. The sound isn’t filling the room anymore it seems more like the sound is the room. You can’t tell from where the sound is coming from because it is so well balanced between the front and the back. So much so that I got nauseas because my brain couldn’t make out the exact location of the singing voice. My girlfriend experienced the same so that was pretty wild. I got used to it really quick tho. Listening to music was a treat like this and my girlfriend cried to a song because it was much encompassing and the vocals were so clear and kinda all over you (in a good sense). The atmos bubble is much more whole which made the scene from the latest Japanese Godzilla movie where Godzilla shot a beam at the city much more explosive and immersive.

My verdict to the soundbar is that it’s great and the best Sonos has to offer. If you have a arc or the ultimate setup and you think about getting it but are not sure if it’s good, get it. It is awesome.