Connect Your TV To Your Portable Audio Video System With the Sonos Arc
The new Sonos Arc soundbar may be the biggest flex of this company’s design, technology, and engineering developments yet. While the $ 399 Beam was aimed squarely at those looking to update their boring, lackluster sound output coming out of their television speakers, the more powerful $800 Arc represents the height of everything that Sonos has been able to achieve in terms of speaker design and sound quality. While the cheaper Sonos models were all designed to appeal to the lower-budget crowd and were never really all that stellar in terms of sound quality, the higher end versions of the soundbar have done a lot to improve the product’s appeal to those with a higher budget but still wish to enjoy Sonos’ high quality audio output. It is important, however, to note that even the best sounding Sonos models for those with a large budget still need to be plugged into an outlet for power in order to function properly. Without this critical component taken care of, your high end Sonos soundbar can sound terrible.
If you had to point to one thing that differentiated the Sonos Arc soundbar from all of the other Sonos soundbars that came before it, what might it be? In short, it would be its unique combination of two top of the line speakers in a single package. Yes, you heard me right. While the somewhat inexpensive Sonos XS comes with just two speakers, the higher priced Sonos Arc comes with three. There is an eight inch woofer hidden deep inside the A-frame, which is pretty incredible when you consider that it makes for a total of sixteen inches of speaker space.
One of the most unique features of the Sonos soundbar lies in its use of a HDMI connection. This means that you can hook up your soundbar directly to your TV, so that you are hearing the audio from all three speakers simultaneously. Not only does this give you a more realistic experience, but it also means that you do not need additional speakers. Instead, you can enjoy the audio from all speakers at the same time, thanks to the HDMI connection.
If you really love the idea of listening to audio coming through three speakers at once, then you will love the Sonos Arc. The soundbar uses a trio of speakers to create a stereo effect for your surround system. Each speaker in the surround system can be adjusted individually, giving you the ability to change the overall level and mix of each speaker. This allows you to have three distinct mixes running through your television set, each with its own feel and volume. This takes the guesswork out of surround sound, allowing you to fully focus on the characters in the movie you are watching. To add some more spice to the surround system, you can even connect the soundbar to your TV, to further streamline the process and add precision to the sound.
Perhaps you aren’t looking for a surround soundbar that streamlines things, but you would still love the way the Sonos Arc allows you to customize the levels of your sound. Because the soundbar has a built-in Dolby Atmos processor, you can get sound effects that rival those found in expensive personal theater systems. With over ten hours of built-in audio quality, you’ll be sure to have a truly immersive experience with your television viewing. For the ultimate experience, you should consider getting the soundbar with a wireless remote.
Another great thing about the Sonos Arc is that it comes with a multitude of remote controls. There are different remotes for picture in picture (PIP), where you can see the picture as it appears on your TV, as well as for controlling the on-screen program guide, so you can navigate through your movie quickly and easily. Most of the remote controls also support hands-free operation, which means that even if you can’t see your kids while watching your favorite movie, you can still control what they’re doing.
If you’re thinking that getting the Sonos soundbar with a HDMI cable is a little too much, don’t fret. There’s a neat little application called Sonos Flow, that will allow you to use your mobile HDTV like an audio book. Once downloaded, you can use the included flow recording app to play your favourite songs and have them converted to an analog signal for your home theatre speakers. The one downside to this application is that it only works with Sonos devices that are capable of connecting through HDMI, so if you’re planning on hooking up your Flow recording device to your television, you’ll need a Sonos HDMI splitter to make it possible. Otherwise, you’ll just end up with a bunch of devices that can handle the sound from your audio book, instead of the speakers that you wanted to go along with your TV remote.
Although the Sonos Arc isn’t quite as cheap as the Vizio Immerse and LG LCD TVs, it makes up for it with the sheer number of features that it provides. For starters, it supports HD voice and premium audio through its built in digital sound card, which will allow you to listen to your favourite CDs or radio stations without any loss of clarity. Additionally, the TV’s backlit display easily guides you through the menu with its built in visual language. This not only makes watching the screen much more interesting, but it also allows you to quickly know what section of the picture has changed. In short, you can hook up almost any modern television to this stunning soundbar, and enjoy a full range of multimedia features that ensure you never have to miss out on all that is important.
