Sonos Beam (Gen 2)

The midrange TV-room pick

Beam Gen 2 is the soundbar to add when the room has a real TV job but does not need Sonos Arc Ultra. Sonos lists HDMI eARC, Dolby Atmos, Speech Enhancement, Night Sound, TV remote sync, AirPlay 2, voice support, Wi-Fi, and Sonos surround expansion.

That makes Beam a cleaner recommendation than putting a small smart speaker beside the TV. It handles dialogue, volume, remote behavior, and future rear-speaker expansion in a way a nightstand speaker cannot.

Setup path

Start with the TV connection. Use HDMI eARC or ARC when the TV supports it, then finish setup in the Sonos app. If the TV only has optical output, Sonos includes an optical adapter, but that lower-cost path changes the Atmos expectation.

After normal TV sound works, add music services, AirPlay 2, voice control, Trueplay, Speech Enhancement, and Night Sound. Treat those as layers on top of the TV setup, not replacements for it.

Where it fits

Use Beam Gen 2 for small and midsize TV rooms, apartment living rooms, bedrooms with TVs, and secondary spaces where Arc Ultra is more than the room deserves.

It also works as a sensible first soundbar for a Sonos home. You can start with one bar, then add rear speakers or a subwoofer later if the room proves it needs more.

Where it is the wrong buy

Skip Beam if the room is the main movie room and the budget allows Arc Ultra. Beam is good, but it is still the compact option.

Also skip it when the real job is music in a fixed room, a bathroom speaker, or Thread coverage. Era 100, Roam 2, Play, Move 2, or a true Matter hub will fit those jobs better.