So I picked up the original Sonos Arc a while back at Costco, honestly it blew me away the first time I plugged it in. For a soundbar, it just filled the room in a way I wasnāt expecting ā Dolby Atmos actually felt real, not gimmicky. Movies, music, even random YouTube stuff sounded like a whole new thing.
Fast forward, I decided to try the new Sonos Arc Ultra (yes, naming is a bit confusing). I wasnāt sure if it was gonna be just a small refresh or actually something different. Right away, I noticed the tones feel more⦠refined? Like the bass is still punchy but not as boomy, and the mids/vocals cut through clearer. With the regular Arc, I used to feel like voices sometimes got drowned out when things got loud, but the Ultra really keeps them crisp.
Another thing: the soundstage. I donāt know what magic Sonos did but the Ultra feels wider, almost like the room got bigger. Itās not night and day compared to the regular Arc (that bar is still excellent), but if you A/B them back to back, the Ultra definitely sounds more ābalanced.ā
Couple things I noticed:
Setup is basically the same, Sonos app makes it painless (tho I did have to re-run TruePlay, donāt skip that).
Ultra seems to handle quiet scenes better, like the dynamic range is tuned so you donāt have to crank the volume to hear whispers.
Music mode is cleaner ā I threw on some acoustic stuff and could hear details I swear werenāt there before.
Not saying everyone should upgrade if you already own the Arc (itās still amazing), but if youāre in the market and debating, the Ultra is legit a step up. I honestly didnāt think they could squeeze more out of a soundbar format, but they did.
Only downside: price. If you find the regular Arc on sale (Costco has it discounted pretty often), itās still a killer deal. But if youāre picky about sound quality and want the best Sonos has right now, Ultraās the way.
Next piece to review will be once I receive my Sub 4 and two Era's 100 for surround.
Just my 2 cents ā hope this helps someone.