PERFORMANCE
For a one-piece soundbar, the Arc has a surprising amount of power. Though it
doesn’t quite hit the thunderous sub-bass range it can when paired with a Sonos
Sub, the speaker can still shake the walls at maximum volumes. The kick drum
hits in our bass test track, The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” are powerful and weighty
at high volumes without any noticeable distortion.
The Yes song “Roundabout” sounds full and detailed on the Arc. The opening
acoustic guitar plucks get plenty of resonance and string texture. When the
track really kicks in, the electric bass sounds punchy and stands out, while the
other elements in the busy mix like the guitar strums, drums, and vocals can all
EHGLVWLQFWO\KHDUG,W¶VDVWURQJURRP¿OOLQJVRXQGZLWKQLFHEDODQFH
7KH&U\VWDO0HWKRG¶V³%RUQ7RR6ORZ ́VKRZVR̆WKH$UF¶VLPSUHVVLYHEDVV
response even without a subwoofer. The driving backbeat gets palpable force
that sounds properly ominous, while still giving the strong high-mids in the rest
RIWKHWUDFNSOHQW\RIURRPIRUEDODQFH7KHVQDUHVJXLWDUUL̆VDQGVKULHNLQJ
vocals all stand out against the thumping beat for an exciting, energetic sound.
The climactic battle in Avengers: Endgame is powerful and engaging on the
Arc. The rumble of ships swooping around and the swell of the soundtrack get
ORWVRIUXPEOLQJORZHQGSUHVHQFH6RXQGH̆HFWVVXFKDVWKHFUDFNOHRISRUWDOV
receive accurate placement thanks to the directional tweeters, providing a
VHQVHRIKHLJKWLQWKHIURQWIDFLQJVRXQG¿HOG7KDWVDLGLQP\DSDUWPHQW,
GLGQ¶WSLFNXSPXFKUHÀHFWLYHDXGLRIURPWKHVLGHV3DLULQJWKH$UFZLWKWZR
Sonos One speakers for true surround is a very good idea if you want truly
immersive audio.