The best sound systems of 2024: Expert tested

The Sonos Arc soundbar is an outstanding option for people looking for a premium soundbar to expand their home theater or beef up their living room’s sound system. The Arc easily integrates with TVs via an eARC connection, and older TVs with an optical output port can be compatible. An eARC port ensures you can take advantage of all the Arc’s multiple audio formats, such as Dolby Atmos, DTS Digital Surround, and Dolby TrueHD. TVs with only ARC or optical outputs may not support Dolby Atmos or TrueHD.

The Arc’s 11 digital amplifiers, three silk-dome tweeters, and eight elliptical mid-woofers all contribute to an all-encompassing sound that’s sure to fill your entire living room. This soundbar connects to your home’s Wi-Fi network, so you don’t have to worry about losing a Bluetooth connection with your TV. Additionally, the Sonos Arc is compatible with Sonos Voice Control, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant for voice-controlled commands. 

You can link your audio subscriptions in the Sonos App to play music, audiobooks, and podcasts from the Sonos Arc. If you have the Sonos Ace headphones, this soundbar is compatible with TV audio swap, which allows you to seamlessly swap your TV audio from the Arc soundbar to the Ace headphones.

I keep my Sonos Arc in my living room and regularly enjoy watching movies and TV shows in Dolby Atmos. It’s a large soundbar that takes up most of the space on my fireplace mantel, but you can mount it if needed. With its large stature comes a large price tag; the Arc retails for $899, but sometimes it’s on sale for $720.

Sonos Arc tech specs: Subwoofer: Sold separately | Wired Options: eARC, ARC, optical | Wireless Connectivity: N/A | Frequency response: 45Hz–20kHz | Channels: 5.0.2