The Sonos ARC and the Sennheiser Ambeo are one of the most sought after audio branded soundbars that support Dolby Atmos audio formats. Still, if you are wondering which is better between the Sonos ARC and the Sennheiser Ambeo, this post explores further to compare Sonos ARC vs Sennheiser Ambeo to find out which of these two audio giants provides exceptional sound than the other. So, which is better, Sonos ARC VS Sennheiser Ambeo?
Sonos ARC, sounds way better than Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar. Not only does Sonos ARC handle the sound quality well than Sennheiser Ambeo soundbar, but the Sonos ARC also handles TV audio, the sound of blues, hard rock, metal, or gaming audio setups better than Sennheiser Ambeo. The sound signature of the Sonos ARC soundbar is more balanced and remains free of muddiness.
The Sennheiser Ambeo soundbar may not lack the full speaker configuration as it does have satellite speakers along with subwoofers whereas the Sonos ARC soundbar outperforms the Sennheiser with sound clarity despite not having a subwoofer.
The Sennheiser Ambeo comes with drivers and a subwoofer that can be mounted on the wall or you can set it below your TV. It has many features like eARC and DTS X. It also supports Chromecast to help you with playback. The Sennheiser Ambeo also has a lot of reviews from websites like CNET and sound guys. The Sennheiser is known as one of the best Dolby Atmos speakers available.
[ALSO READ… Sennheiser Ambeo soundbar vs Bose soundbar 700 [ Which One Is Better? ]
Sonos ARC
The Sonos ARC is the biggest and by far the best soundbar produced by the company. It is also the first soundbar to have Dolby Atmos support. The soundbar has a lot of drivers that it supports in order to produce great sounds. It also has up firing speakers to ensure that the sound produced is immersive and well balanced. Apart from it’s design that has some limitations, in general the sound bar offers performance that is excellent.
Build and design
The arc does not come with subwoofers or satellite speakers. Therefore the soundbar lacks full speaker configuration.The arc has a designer that best fits larger TVs that are 45 inches or more in size. The arc has two of it’s woofers mounted on the top of the sound bar.
However, it allows you to add other symfonisk speakers like sonos one SL. The speaker also lacks other HDMI inputs and it has less of them.
The Sonos ARC has 11 drivers in total. It is equipped with 3 silk some tweeters and also has 8 oblong subwoofers . On the sides, it has two drivers and it has upward firing drivers. These ensure that the sound produced is able to bounce off the walls and the ceiling.
The arc also allows you to connect to the wifi. It also has apple airplay 2 support and Spotify connect. You can also connect it to the Internet using the wired connections like ethernet. The soundbar has HDMI inputs that can be used to connect it to your TV. The arc does not come with a remote control but you can use your TVs remote contr to control the sound on the soundbar after connecting it seamlessly.
[ALSO READ… Is surround sound better for gaming?]
Specifications of the Arc
- Dimensions: 3.4 x 45 x 4.5 inches. (H x W x D)
- Weighs 13.7 pounds
- Black or White color
- 8 drivers
- elliptical woofers
- 3 silk-dome tweeters
- Class D Digital amplifiers (11)
- Amazon alexa and Google assistant support
- Dolby Atmos
- sonos Trueplay for iOS devices
- IR repeater smart feature
Features
The arc has an IR receiver integrated. This allows you to control some features like volume on the speaker.
It has touch controls that allow you to pause or play the music, lower or raise the volume as well as mute the microphone.
You can also move up or down the playlist by simply swiping on the surface of the speaker. It has a LED light that will tell you the current status of the speaker. It also adjusts it’s brightness based on how light the room is. However, the arc lacks a remote control, instead there is a sonos app that you can use in order to configure as well as to control it. You can also use the app to select a lot of music services eg Tidal, Spotify, Deezer, Qobuz and more.
Sound Quality
The sound that this soundbar provides is very good and impressive. It gives a very wide sound stage and the sounds it produces are natural. The bass response that this soundbar gives is also very good. The speaker also supports the use of Trueplay software. This is only possible for iOS devices. The soundbar also makes sure that sounds it offers are natural. The midrange levels, the highs as well as the lows. The bass is good and not too deep.
The pros
Provides rich and powerful sounds
Interface allows you to control it hands free
It is versatile
Dolby Atmos support
Cons
It is heavy
The Dolby Atmos is limited especially on newer TV sets
It has less inputs
Is the Sonos ARC worthy
The Sonos ARC is a very good soundbar, especially when you want to connect it to your tv and improve the audio quality of your tv’s lackluster audio. The soundbar produces sounds that are impressive with thick midrange levels and crisp highs.
It has a great design and looks very attractive. It also has a lot of smart features like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant support. For iOS devices, the multi-room audio can be achieved using Trueplay. The soundbar also has Dolby Atmos support. However, it only has one HDMI port for connection.
Sennheiser Ambeo
The build
The Sennheiser Ambeo is a speaker that is quite large. It has a width of 127cm and a height of 14cm. The Sennheiser Ambeo is equipped with very large drivers that ensure that the frequency range is higher. Its large size can come as a huge problem when it comes to the placement options in your house.
The speaker has a grille that it wraps on the front side as well as on the sides. The grille is made of cloth. It has a LED that is located on the center on the front. There is also an Ambeo logo that lights up. This so located to the right of the speaker. The soundbar also has a central panel for controlling the sound bar, for example the mute control, the volume as well the playback.
Other controls on the panel include NFC pairing, source as well as power buttons. On the back of the soundbar, you find a panel that has a lot of connections to the bar. There is a power cable, a USB port, an ethernet port, ARC out and HDMI inputs. It also comes with an HDMI cable.
Features
The soundbar also comes with a remote control. The remote control has many features such as the power buttons Ambeo modes, Bluetooth connections, track navigation controls, and chromecast. Other controls include volume controls and source buttons. The soundbar allows you to change between six modes these include music mode, movie mode, sports mode, news as well as neutral mode. It also allows you to stream wirelessly using WiFi connectivity.
The setup process of this soundbar quiet involves a lot, it comes with a calibration mic that helps you in measuring tool acoustics. This also ensures that most modes are able to work properly. The soundbar will accordingly adjust to the sounds of the room.
There is also a smart control app by Sennheiser that allows you to perform extra functionalities. With the application you can be able to adjust listening modes, there are also EQ settings that you can use to adjust the sounds. With the chromecast, you are also able use playback.
Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar specifications
- Optical inputs and HDMI inputs (4)
- Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support
- WIFI and ethernet for Internet connectivity
- Bluetooth support
- Dimensions (height x width x depth) 14 x 127 x 17cm
- Weighs 18.5kg
Sound Quality
The sound bar has a 500 watt amplifier. The amplifier together with the drivers as well as subwoofers provide sounds that are very good. The speaker also supports a lot of great features including DTS X and Dolby atmos. It also provides a 3D experience by converting 5.1 audio signals. The speaker offers well textured and natural sounds. The bass response is very good and the sound does not distort even at very high volumes.
The pros
- Provides natural and rich sounds
- Sound are detailed and dynamic
- Surround effect is very good
The cons
- It is very expensive
- It is large and heavy
- Positioning can be a problem
Is the Sennheiser Ambeo sound bar worthy?
Although the Sennheiser Ambeo comes at a very expensive price, every penny that you use to get the soundbar is actually worth it. The sound bar provides excellent Dolby Atmos sounds. It gives your room an immersive feel since the sound can bounce off your walls as well as the ceilings. It also has a lot of great features including DTS:X support. The down side comes when you want to position the soundbar because it may give you problems.
Conclusion
The Sonos ARC and the Sennheiser Ambeo are great soundbars with Dolby Atmos support. The two soundbars can be greatly used to improve the audio sound in your home. When it comes to comparison, the Sonos ARC comes out as the best soundbar compared to Sennheiser Ambeo.
This is because this soundbar provides a sound that is very impressive and exceptional. It also has a lot of modes that allow you to choose the mode that is best suited for your current audio listening situation. The Sonos ARC soundbar also supports other features like DTS: X. It has drivers that ensure that the sound produced is of excellent quality.
The Sennheiser Ambeo can be a good alternative if you have a healthy budget to meet that of the Sennheiser Ambeo price tag. The only problem with the two speakers comes on the design because they are too heavy and may give you placement problems. However, they always ensure that the sound can bounce off on the walls and on the ceilings in your home.
