SETTING THE BAR AT A WHOLE NEW LEVEL

I've been reviewing gadgets for a while now.

I'd like to say I love them all equally but that would be a bald-faced lie.
Some devices are innovative, unique, well designed.

Many others simply copy what has come before and add a new feature or two to make them seem new and exciting.

Some fall completely flat. Maybe a good idea but poorly executed, often let down by cost-cutting compromises or maybe they're the entry-level version of the expensive thing the manufacturer really wants you to buy.

Then there are brands that are almost in a class of their own. Devices with a reputation. Gadgets you don't just want to try, gear you're desperate to own.

Sonos has always been that nirvana for me...

Until now, not only had I never owned a Sonos speaker, I'd never even had a decent play with one. Yet many people I know have filled their houses up with Sonos gear and they all swear by it. In short, I've been suffering from Sonos FOMO for years.

So it was with eager anticipation I awaited delivery of my Sonos Arc review unit; the very latest in the Sonos line, successor to the Beam, perhaps the single most influential speaker of the last decade.

Unfortunately, when the Arc was sent out to me, New Zealand was only just coming out of nationwide lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic and courier services were under unprecedented demand. So I had to wait. And wait. And wait.

The one device I'd always wanted to try and day after day... it just didn't arrive. Ah, cruel fate. All I wanted, all I'd ever wanted was to get my hands on something Sonos and yet I just kept getting "Processing at depot" messages instead.

In the meantime I studied up. I downloaded the beta app. I read all the review guides. I was ready. Oh boy, was I ready.

Finally, a big box arrived at my door. I could have kissed the courier - except that would have gone against all the social distancing rules. The Arc was here at last!

The Arc is a serious piece of hardware, at well over a metre wide it's perhaps a bit longer than many other soundbars out there. This is definitely to your benefit though, as there's a lot of firepower under the hood. I'm going to list everything off because it makes it sound more impressive: Eleven Class D amplifiers, eight elliptical woofers, three silk-dome tweeters and a four far-field microphone array. Somehow all of that is tucked inside an attractive, circular casing, available in white or black.

Physically, setting up the Arc couldn't be more straightforward; plug in the power lead and the HDMI cable (preferably from your ARC port on your TV) and you're good to go.

Technically, I had a few more issues. The Sonos Arc is not a bluetooth speaker, it connects via WiFi (or ethernet) to connect with other speakers, access streaming services and enable Google or Alexa voice assistants. You set all this up via the app of course and as I've mentioned, I've been using a beta version because the new, official one hasn't been released at the time of writing this review. This may be why a had a few issues - not major issues, just niggles. I couldn't connect the Arc to my WiFi until I put my phone right next to the router. Once I was connected, it took several attempts to install updates when prompted. I was lucky enough to be sent a pair of One SL speakers to add to the Arc for surround sound. I added these to my new network with no issue, other than the app kept forcing me to pair them as the opposite side to where they actually were. In the end, I just went for the obvious solution; I paired them then swapped them over.

I'm sure all this stuff falls under the category of teething issues and will easily be sorted in future updates. And to be honest, I couldn't care less, because now I've set my Sonos system up, I'm in heaven.

Let's just stay on the app for a moment because other than the setup issues, I really like it. It's clear and simple, even though there are lots of options. You'll definitely want to set up your voice assistant as alluded to earlier, because although there are touch controls on each Sonos speaker themselves, there's no fun in getting up off the couch just to play, pause or adjust the volume - especially when that four far-field mic array seriously does the business. I've experienced far less miscommunications with Alexa than I'm used to - even when listening with the volume up loud.

Before we get to the main event - home theatre - it's well worth pointing out how great your favourite music streaming service sounds through this system. Remember, I only have the Arc and two rear speakers set up and yet my playlists sound gorgeous. It's easy to judge a sound system by sheer power; how loud is it? How much bass can we pump out? Rest assured, the Arc has those bases (and basses) truly covered. But I'm often more impressed by a speaker setup that can play music quietly. Often you don't want the songs to be the centre of attention, you're trying to create atmosphere - not a dance party. This is exactly what the multi-directional speaker array of the Arc achieves with ease. You can even set the surround speakers to Ambient rather than full to complete that, "I can't even tell where the music's coming from" feeling. There are EQ settings... but not many. Bass, treble, balance - fairly basic but I've never felt I'm missing out on something.

Not only can you easily access your favourite services like Spotify, iHeart Radio and Apple Music, Sonos even has it's own streaming service, featuring countless commercial radio stations from here and around the world, not to mention a wide range of Sonos-specific offerings, from jazz to current hits and stations specifically curated by artists like Thom Yorke of Radiohead. Me likey.

Shall we turn the telly on?

Yes.

Please.

I could go on. And on. But this review is getting pretty long already. Let's just say, I've tried a fair few soundbars and speakers over the years and put simply, the Arc is the best. It brings you into the action when required, leaves you as an impartial observer if that's more appropriate. Sonos recommended me a list of cool stuff to watch and listen to and I have to say, the choice of the opening sequence of Drive to Survive, the Netflix doco on Formula One was inspired. There's a lot going on in this sequence - music, cars, sound-bites, crashes - so much to take in from all directions at first I struggled a bit to hear the main narrative. Not to worry, there's a setting for that - I selected "Speech Enhancement" and everything was perfect.

If your source content has been recorded in Dolby Atmos - and much of what's being streamed these days is - you'll really find yourself in the middle of things.

There's even a Night Sound setting to soften loud sound effects if you're getting your SciFi fix while someone else in the house is trying to sleep. Sonos has brought out a new Sub this year but to be frank, I'm getting heaps of bass response from the Arc as it is. I can only imagine the rumble effect a dedicated subwoofer would add to the equation. Exciting.

The best thing about the Arc? It lived up to all my expectations. The hype was justified. It looks so good, especially in white. The LED status lights are extremely subtle and you can turn them off completely if you prefer. I prefer. On its website and via its press releases, Sonos goes to great lengths to explain exactly how it achieves such a complete surround sound effect. The CEO, the designers, famous collaborators all have their say but none of it means anything if it doesn't actually deliver awesome, room-filling sound, both at high volume and at low, background levels. The Arc delivers in every category. It was worth the wait.


Click here for more information and pricing on the Sonos Arc.