The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) has been getting a lot of praise for its sound quality, partly due to its Dolby Atmos support, which adds an immersive layer to your audio experience. If you're into creating a home theater vibe, this soundbar could be right up your alley.

Now, it's worth mentioning that the Beam doesn't have those fancy up-firing speakers you see in some high-end systems. But don't worry—it uses some smart processing to give you that height effect in sound. Our research suggests it's pretty effective at creating a 3D audio experience, especially if you're watching Dolby Atmos content.

You'll notice that the Beam delivers sound that's spacious and dynamic. It's particularly good in the mid-range, so dialogue comes through crystal clear, which is a big plus for movies and TV shows with lots of conversations.

However, if you're someone who craves deep bass, the Beam might not fully satisfy that craving—it's not as punchy as systems with standalone subwoofers.

Setting up Dolby Atmos is relatively easy. Just make sure your TV has an HDMI eARC input, which is essential for supporting those high-quality audio formats. And, double-check that your streaming service or Blu-ray is actually sending Dolby Atmos data; that makes all the difference.

One nifty trick up its sleeve is Sonos's Trueplay tech, available on iOS devices. This feature customizes the sound to fit your room's layout, which can be a game changer. Still, keep in mind that performance can vary depending on your room's acoustics.

According to the manufacturer's description, you can further enhance the surround sound experience by adding some rear Sonos speakers or even a subwoofer. That would seriously elevate your audio setup.

Overall, the Beam (Gen 2) offers great value with its Dolby Atmos capability and commendable sound quality for its size and price. Just remember, it's got modest bass on its own but can really shine with some added speakers.

The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is a cool little soundbar that packs a punch when it comes to audio. To get started, you'll need the Sonos app. It's kind of crucial for the setup since it helps you connect the Beam to your Wi-Fi and tweak the sound with features like Trueplay, which adjusts the audio to fit your room's acoustics.

Once you've got it all set up, the Beam (Gen 2) slots right into a Sonos ecosystem, which is great if you're in for a multi-room audio setup. You can control it via the app, instead of the usual remote, or even use your TV remote thanks to the HDMI-ARC feature. Plus, it's designed to work with voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, letting you control things with your voice.

Our research did show that some folks hit a few bumps during the setup, especially when it comes to connecting the Beam to their network. But once you get over those initial hurdles, people really like the Dolby Atmos support—it's pretty neat for getting that more immersive sound.

And it plays nicely with a bunch of streaming services too. If you're new to Sonos, just be ready to spend a bit of time with the app during setup. It's worth it to really make the most of the soundbar.

And if you're worried about privacy, the app gives you options to manage data sharing to your liking. Overall, while the setup might take a bit of effort, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is a great choice if you're after good audio quality and smart features.

It's a solid addition to any home theater, especially if you're building a high-quality audio environment.

Hey, comparing the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) with the original Beam brings up some interesting points, especially around setting up, features, and how people find using them.

So, the Beam (Gen 2) relies heavily on the Sonos S2 app for setting up and getting all its features going. This app connects smoothly with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant and lets you easily manage different streaming services.

But, heads up, some folks find this app dependency adds a bit of complexity compared to the original Beam.

From what we've seen, while the app can create a nice, integrated experience if you're into the whole smart home thing, it also requires making a Sonos account and giving some permissions like location access. If privacy is something you're particularly careful about, it might be good to know this.

The original Beam had a simpler setup, so if you just want a quick setup, the extra layers with Gen 2 might feel a bit much.

Setting up the Gen 2 Beam has caused some headaches, especially because it's so dependent on the app. Without the app, you’re kind of stuck in getting everything set up, which might be annoying if you're used to a more straightforward plug-and-play device.

Issues like trouble with connecting the app to the soundbar over Wi-Fi are mentioned quite a bit, which might mean you’ll need to troubleshoot a bit during setup.

There are definitely privacy concerns, mainly about how much data the Sonos S2 app wants, but those features are meant to give you a more tailored and interactive experience.

Still, if you're worried about data privacy, it might be worth checking out what permissions the app needs and maybe thinking about other ways to handle these concerns.

On the sound side of things, the Beam (Gen 2) is known for having better audio quality compared to the original. The built-in smart features are a big perk, adding some modern conveniences.

But remember, these improvements mean you'll need to deal with a more detailed setup thanks to the app.

So, when choosing between the original and Gen 2 Beams, it's really about whether the better sound and new features are worth dealing with the setup process.

It might just come down to what’s more important to you: privacy, ease of use, or having the latest features. The Gen 2 offers a more modern, feature-packed experience if you're okay with handling a few setup hurdles.