If you don't need your soundbar smart then you're in luck
The Sonos Arc SL has been made official by the multi-room speaker specialist; a soundbar that does away with the microphones and smart assistants, and comes in $50 cheaper than the regular Arc.
Like its namesake, the Sonos One SL, the missing microphones means no Alexa or Google Assistant, which actually makes a lot of sense in a soundbar that, let’s face it, is already likely to be in a room that packs at least one other smart speaker.
Our verdict: Sonos Arc soundbar review
The rest of the high-end tech that makes the Sonos Arc such a compelling device is all there however; the Arc SL not only offers Dolby’s surround sound setup but also HDMI connectivity (ARC or eARC) and 270-degree multi-directional sound from that curved grille.
Coming in black (Shadow Edition is the official description), the Arc SL is a step-up from the hugely popular Sonos Beam, offering a dedicated TV speaker that isn’t just Atmos-equipped, but also stereo and Dolby Digital 5.1 equipped too.
Soundbar showdown: Sonos Beam vs Sonos Arc
It’s a multiroom audio beast, featuring 11 drivers in total; 8 elliptical woofers and 3 angled silk-dome tweeters.
Speech Enhancement and Night Sound – both popular features on the Beam and Playbase – are both present anc correct on the Arc SL, as well.
The Arc SL is also an AirPlay 2 speaker and packs in Spotify Connect skills too.
While the Arc SL is capable of a 5.0.2 surround sound stage, you can eliminate the virtual parts by adding dedicated rear speakers such as One SLs or Ones and a Sonos subwoofer.
Customers can purchase Sonos Arc SL at Costco stores in the US and Canada for $749.99 USD / $949.99 CAD. It’s set to land on Costco.com later this month.
