Sonos Beam Compact Smart Soundbar with Amazon Alexa

Product highlights:

• Smart soundbar with Amazon Alexa built-in
• Apple AirPlay compatible (iOS devices 11.4 and higher)
• Connects to your home’s Wi-Fi network
• Control your TV, all your music, and any smart home devices by voice alone. Or use the Sonos app or your TV remote (any remote, really).
• HDMI ARC lets you instantly pair your remote and control your TV with your voice
• Only two cords are needed to get the Beam up and running: one for power and one for the TV
• The dialog clarity speech enhancement option = no more subtitles.
• Five far-field microphones hear you no matter where you are – even over very loud music.
• LED microphone light indicates when Alexa is on or off (If you want privacy, just turn the Beam’s microphone off)
• Optical audio adapter included to connect to your TV to support Dolby Digital and stereo
• Top-panel touch controls for changing volume, songs, etc.
• Dimensions: 2.7” (H) x 3.94”(D) x 25.625”(W)
• Weight: 6.2 lbs
• Warranty: 1 year (World Wide Stereo is an authorized dealer for every brand we sell)
• World Wide Stereo 60-day guarantee and expert product support

TV’s newest star: the Sonos Beam with Amazon Alexa

The Sonos Beam is the second (and most advanced) soundbar from Sonos, and it represents the best of their 3-part mission: great wireless sound,  smart-streaming multi-room audio, and total control over all – by voice or using the Sonos app. The big story here: though technically a soundbar built to make your TV sound significantly better, the Beam has what it takes to control pretty much everything, with two major perks: 1) The Sonos Beam costs about half as much as similarly equipped soundbars, and 2) the Beam is smaller – and much better-looking – than most other soundbars. Plus it’s 1-2-3 easy to set up, plus it plays nicely with other components – there’s a lot to like here.

The Sonos Beam makes your TV sound awesome.

Though the Sonos Beam will play anything – movies, shows, music, radio, podcasts, audiobooks, games, AirPlay, and over 60 music services –  its principal job is about making your TV sound great. Inside, five Class-D digital amps are tuned to make the most of the speaker drivers, which include four full-range woofers for mid to low frequencies, and a Sonos tweeter for making on-screen dialogue crystal clear. (“Hey dad, you can turn off the subtitles now.”) Further, three passive radiators stir the air inside to add warmth, and the net effect is impressive. Sonos has been all about great sounding audio since day 1, and the Beam follows suit.

Fill small to medium-sized rooms with rich audio.

Naturally the smaller-sized Beam performs best in a smaller size room, such as a bedroom, small family room, or den. And you can always beef things a bit up by adding the Sonos wireless SUB for fuller, richer sound.

Sono’s most advanced speaker yet.

Even just out of the box, the Beam is an extraordinarily smart, smart speaker. Amazon Alexa is built-in and on call 24/7 to do your bidding, and she only gets smarter as time goes by. Further, the Beam pairs easily with any remote, and comes with just two cords: one for power and one for the TV.

Like all things Sonos, the Beam can control other speakers in the house, wirelessly, wherever they are. You can issue commands by voice, remote or app… and play different songs in different rooms, raise or lower volume on any speaker, turn components on or off, and so on. And now, with Alexa onboard, possibilities abound, including some that have nothing to do with music or TV — get news and weather updates, turn on the lights in the kitchen, and more.

The Beam is AirPlay compatible, so you can stream music directly from your iPad, iPhone, or Mac. What's more: Siri and Google Assistant are coming later this summer.

HDMI ARC connectivity.

Of note: the TV connection is HDMI-ARC, which is how Sonos gets other components in your system to work together on command, seamlessly, whether individually or as one. Check to see if your TV has HDMI-ARC. If not, the workaround is an optical audio adapter (included) that connects the Sonos Beam to the optical port on your TV. (Though Alexa TV voice commands do not work with the optical adapter.)

Now available for pre-order.

The Sonos Beam is smaller than most sound bars, attractive in a less-is-more way, and easy to set up and operate. And with Alexa onboard plus the HDMI-ARC connection, the Beam is without question the smartest soundbar on the market today… and great company, too. (Interesting: recently, Alexa rolled out 2,776 new voice skills in one month alone.) Even if you’re just looking for something to make your TV and music sound better, the Sonos Beam does it really well. Of course, should you ever want to use all those smart skills in the future… they’re there.