Following the announcement that Sonos would be discontinuing support for some of their older speakers, the company is entering new era with the impressively specced Arc, a premium soundbar defined by Dolby Atmos support.
A next-generation Sonos device, Arc will finesse and improve upon features sound in the Sonos Beam, adding Dolby Atmos support and offering a beautifully designed bar with a low profile and minimal aesthetic. Aiming to optimise the audio profile of any content, even those that aren’t yet equipped for Dolby Atmos, the Arc will feature 11 transducers driven by class-D amplifiers, for ultra-wide 3D multi-directional sound and a refined theatre-like performance.
As with all modern Sonos products, it has been carefully engineered alongside Grammy winning audio engineers, crafted with a single plastic grille featuring no less than 76,000 holes. Techniques like thermoforming and CNC drilling were employed to take care of details both big and small, presenting the Arc as a highly attractive soundbar that fits seamlessly into any design scheme.
Built-in voice control will support Amazon Alex and Google Assistant, and the device will remain energy efficient with a reported 4.3W, that means it’ll be using 26% less power than the Sonos Playbar.
Intelligent features include Speech Enhancement for crystal clear dialogue, and Night Sound to temper loud effects in content, like gunfights, theme music and explosions. Users will be able to customise their experience using these effects in tandem with the powerful acoustic-driven design that also allows for easy expansion with Sonos’ other new products.
Those other new products would be the third-generation Sonos Sub, and an advanced version of the Play:5 sporting a slick name-change to the Sonos Five. Both promise significant spec-bumps from their predecessors, designed to fit seamlessly into the same ecosystem as the Arc.
All three devices arrive in June and will be accompanied by a new and improved smartphone app called the Sonos S2. This will feature support for higher resolution audio and an updated interface.
Sonos Arc (AU$1399), Sonos Sub (AU$999) and Sonos Five (AU$749) are available for pre-order today on sonos.com, and available globally starting June 10.
