Sonos Beam Gen. 2, the compact soundbar is now even better
Sonos Beam Gen. 2
It was 2018 when Sonos introduced Beam, a compact soundbar capable of delivering audio performance above expectations, especially considering its size. The Beam's main selling point was versatility, adapting perfectly to music playback scenarios, paired with a computer, console or TV, as the main speaker for enjoying movies.Now Sonos has introduced the Beam Gen. 2 , a version renewed in the details, in the functions, but with the same identical strengths of the original product. Considering that the market, in recent years, has not seen the arrival of similar products that could overshadow the qualities of Beam, the new version has no difficulty in positioning itself among the models we prefer.
How it is made
The dimensions and shape of Beam Gen. 2 are the same as the original model, therefore width of about 65 cm, depth of 10 cm and height of 7 cm. It can be placed anywhere, it is practically as wide as a 27 "monitor, so it fits well on a desk as in front of a television, where it will be even less bulky.The cover of the body, where the speakers are hidden, switch from being in fabric to a micro-perforated metal texture, no different from what we've already enjoyed on the Sonos Arc. It weighs 2.8 kg and is available in two colors, black and white. The connections are hidden in the back, in a special niche that aligns, from left to right: power connector, pairing button, Ethernet and HDMI port. Above we find the touch buttons, which allow you to manage playback and volume, in case you want to interact physically without going through the app, and the microphones that allow you to enable the integrated voice assistant, Alexa or Google.
The HDMI connector is of the eARC type, a solution that is the direct need to offer compatibility with Dolby Atmos; in fact eARC connectivity supports higher bandwidth, up to 32 channels, including 8 uncompressed channels up to 38 Mbps.
Audio quality
Beam Gen. 2 has changed since From a technical point of view, a more powerful CPU has allowed the addition of Dolby Atmos support, along with two extra speakers that allow Sonos to simulate surround with psychoacoustic techniques, thus realizing the feeling of a multi-channel system. br>This leads us to feel the difference, compared to the first model, mainly in two fields: films and video games. If in music reproduction, despite some tracks you can perceive a difference, if you are a movie lover or play a lot, then the new Beam is able to make a difference (obviously with films and titles compatible with Dolby formats). >
As happened with the first generation Beam, Sonos has created a product that is not surprising for its linearity in audio reproduction, differently from what we can say about other products. Rather, he "calibrated" the system in such a way as to be more emotional, so with a little more pronounced bass, a well-sustained average and, perhaps, a little subdued highs. However, this behavior leads us to have a very convincing rendering with films and video games, while the rendering is fluctuating with listening to music, where rock and pop genres, to give an idea, sound better than a classical music concert.
However, even in the musical context Beam 2 has been improved with support for Amazon Music Ultra HD, uncompressed music up to 24-bit / 48kHz as well as Dolby Atmos Music.
App Sonos S2
To use Beam Gen. 2 you will need to use the Sonos S2 App, through which you can also perform the calibration of treble and bass, loudness, Night Sound and Speech Enhancement, which allows you to improve the listening experience. TruePlay and Apple AirPlay 2 support remains.Differences between Sonos Beam and Sonos Beam Gen.2
In summary, here's what changes between first generation Beam and second generation Beam :The grille, formerly in fabric, is now in metal, for a more premium aesthetic but also a better acoustic performance Dolby Atmos support A more powerful processor A phased array with 5 speakers (two more) HDMI eARC
