The catch
Sonos Beam Ultra
Appropriate clearance above is needed for its physical height output. Adapters cost extra, and Sonos excludes CCFL-backlit TVs made in 2004 to 2012.
Side by side
Sonos Beam Ultra vs Arc Ultra: Arc needs 16.85 more inches, Beam takes a turntable input
Quick verdict
A turntable can connect to the Beam Ultra through an optional adapter, and it needs 16.85 fewer inches of width. When those two constraints settle your setup, choose it. The Arc Ultra brings a different 9.1.4 speaker architecture, provided its 46.38-inch cabinet and placement requirements fit. Compatible Sonos headphones and portable surrounds work with both. Neither adds HDMI source inputs, and speaker architecture alone does not prove which one will sound better in your room.
Before you buy
Why, and what it costs you
For a record collection, the flagship can be the messier option
If your household plays records at weekends and watches films in the evening, you need a dependable way to switch sources without rebuilding the system. Through an optional Sonos adapter, Beam Ultra can keep the record player connected at the soundbar. Arc Ultra has no analog line-in, so for that job you need a separate compatible Sonos input device. Era 100 rears do not solve it on their own, since their line-in is disabled while they serve as surrounds. Choose Beam when skipping that extra input device matters more to you than Arc’s different speaker architecture. If a separate Port or another suitable line-in already handles the records, compare the bars on the remaining room and playback needs.
Where this comes from
A direct line-in against none, plus the Era 100 exclusion in the surround role, set against the same room serving records and films. No accessory price or audible benefit is asserted.
The catch
Sonos Arc Ultra
It has neither a direct analog line-in nor an extra HDMI source input. A turntable needs another supported input device.
Sonos Beam Ultra
- Why pick it
- The bar itself has to take a record player, using an optional Sonos adapter and any phono preamp that is required.
- A real width constraint is solved by the 29.53-inch cabinet. Check the TV exclusion and the overhead-clearance guidance.
- The catch
- Appropriate clearance above is needed for its physical height output. Adapters cost extra, and Sonos excludes CCFL-backlit TVs made in 2004 to 2012.
Sonos Arc Ultra
- Why pick it
- There is room for the 46.38-inch bar, and its 9.1.4 architecture is something you specifically want.
- Your music already gets to Sonos through streaming or a separate input device, so the missing analog input does not mean buying anything extra.
- The catch
- It has neither a direct analog line-in nor an extra HDMI source input. A turntable needs another supported input device.
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What this page compares
Beam Ultra against Arc Ultra for records, cabinet space and late-night TV. Find out when the smaller bar fixes an input problem that the flagship leaves open.
Here are the two current Ultra soundbars in the same ecosystem. If you are choosing between the smaller bar and the flagship, you need to know which system jobs call for the larger model and which do not.
Which one fits
Pick the situations that sound like you
Your turntable has to plug in at the soundbar itself
The required adapter route works with Beam Ultra. Arc Ultra has no direct line-in.
- Sonos Beam Ultra
- Better fit
- Sonos Arc Ultra
- Not suitable
The console gives you 36 inches of usable width
Beam Ultra measures 29.53 inches across and Arc Ultra measures 46.38 inches.
- Sonos Beam Ultra
- Better fit
- Sonos Arc Ultra
- Not suitable
The 9.1.4 Arc architecture is specifically what you want
Arc Ultra’s documented speaker architecture is just that, provided it is placed suitably.
- Sonos Beam Ultra
- Not suitable
- Sonos Arc Ultra
- Better fit
Two people want to use TV Audio Swap with compatible headphones
It works on both. You buy the headphones separately, Wi-Fi is required and head tracking turns off with dual listening.
- Sonos Beam Ultra
- Good
- Sonos Arc Ultra
- Good
In practice
Differences you will notice
For a record collection, the flagship can be the messier option
If your household plays records at weekends and watches films in the evening, you need a dependable way to switch sources without rebuilding the system. Through an optional Sonos adapter, Beam Ultra can keep the record player connected at the soundbar. Arc Ultra has no analog line-in, so for that job you need a separate compatible Sonos input device. Era 100 rears do not solve it on their own, since their line-in is disabled while they serve as surrounds. Choose Beam when skipping that extra input device matters more to you than Arc’s different speaker architecture. If a separate Port or another suitable line-in already handles the records, compare the bars on the remaining room and playback needs.
How we worked this out
A direct line-in against none, plus the Era 100 exclusion in the surround role, set against the same room serving records and films. No accessory price or audible benefit is asserted.
A bar that squeezes between your equipment may spare you a furniture change
A console and router on a shared TV unit can leave much less clear surface than the screen above would lead you to think. Beam Ultra is 16.85 inches narrower than Arc Ultra. That can let existing equipment stay where it is when it has no other sensible place to go, especially if the cables will not reach a different shelf. Arc is a reasonable pick when its whole cabinet fits with suitable clearances. Do not read the width saving as a promise of an easier installation. Beam stands 2.56 inches tall and needs the documented overhead path, while Arc stands 2.95 inches tall. Measure the usable surface and the screen edge separately.
How we worked this out
Width is 46.38 minus 29.53 = 16.85 inches. Heights are 2.95 and 2.56 inches. The furniture fit is conditional and uses manufacturer cabinet dimensions, which leave out cable bends and required clearances.
Headphones for two people watching after bedtime are no reason to get the larger bar
Suppose the real aim is for two adults to keep watching after someone else has gone to sleep. Both bars support TV Audio Swap with compatible Sonos headphones, and up to two configured pairs can listen together, although dynamic head tracking is disabled with two listeners. The headphones cost extra and the bar’s Wi-Fi has to stay enabled. This route can settle the ecosystem without settling on the flagship. Beam offers it in a smaller cabinet, so save the Arc premium for differences you will really use during speaker playback. Ordinary Bluetooth headphones cannot stand in for this Sonos feature, and no setup guarantees an undisturbed household.
How we worked this out
TV Audio Swap compatibility and the two-headphone limit are documented identically, and are set against two viewers with a separate bedtime. This parity heads off an unnecessary soundbar upgrade. No clinical or acoustic-isolation promise is made.
Plug in your numbers
Is there room for the soundbar under your TV?
Measure the clear space under your TV. Count only the devices you will plug into the soundbar. Leave out the ones already connected to the TV. The numbers below are placeholders until you enter yours.
Sonos Beam Ultra
Fails these checksWith 0 separate HDMI source inputs, it cannot take the 1 device you want to plug into the bar.
Sonos Arc Ultra
Fails these checksWith 0 separate HDMI source inputs, it cannot take the 1 device you want to plug into the bar.
Measure the top of an open shelf. This check does not cover enclosed cubbies. Detachable speakers count toward the docked width. Leave extra depth for cables and the TV stand. This checks size and port count only. Dolby Atmos, 4K/120Hz passthrough and the audio formats your TV supports are outside it.
Option A
Sonos, BMULTUS1BLK
Sonos Beam Ultra
The bar itself has to take a record player, using an optional Sonos adapter and any phono preamp that is required.
- Best for
- The bar itself has to take a record player, using an optional Sonos adapter and any phono preamp that is required.
Facts we checked
- Wired record-player route: Line-in through optional Sonos adapter and appropriate preamp
- Cabinet width: 29.53 inches
- Speaker architecture: 7.1.2 with two dedicated upward-firing tweeters
- Wired networking: Optional Sonos Combo Adapter also provides analog line-in
Option B
Sonos, Arc Ultra
Sonos Arc Ultra
There is room for the 46.38-inch bar, and its 9.1.4 architecture is something you specifically want.
- Best for
- There is room for the 46.38-inch bar, and its 9.1.4 architecture is something you specifically want.
Facts we checked
- Wired record-player route: No analog line-in at the bar
- Cabinet width: 46.38 inches
- Speaker architecture: 9.1.4 architecture with Sound Motion bass driver
- Wired networking: Ethernet socket on the bar
Spec by spec
Where they really differ
| Spec | Sonos Beam Ultra | Sonos Arc Ultra | In practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wired record-player route | Line-in through optional Sonos adapter and appropriate preamp | No analog line-in at the bar | The smaller bar can do without a separate Sonos input device. |
| Cabinet width | 29.53 inches | 46.38 inches | Beam Ultra frees up 16.85 inches of width, excluding cable and installation space. |
| Speaker architecture | 7.1.2 with two dedicated upward-firing tweeters | 9.1.4 architecture with Sound Motion bass driver | The designs differ. This is not a measured comparison of sound quality or of usable room size. |
| Wired networking | Optional Sonos Combo Adapter also provides analog line-in | Ethernet socket on the bar | On the smaller model, a plan for a wired network comes with a different accessory list. |
| Private TV listening | TV Audio Swap supports compatible Sonos headphones | Same compatible headphone route | Split bedtimes in a household do not call for Arc on the strength of this feature alone. |
Trade-offs
What each pick costs you
With Sonos Beam Ultra
- Using wired Ethernet and line-in at once means the Sonos Combo Adapter plus separate cables.
With Sonos Arc Ultra
- An Era 100 rear should not be counted on as the turntable input. In the surround role its line-in is disabled.
Change of plan
When the answer changes
The setup is governed by a need for a direct record-player input or a narrow surface
Go with Sonos Beam Ultra. Beam Ultra handles both, and the larger cabinet is not needed.
Your input path already works, and Arc’s speaker architecture is what you want
Go with Sonos Arc Ultra. Arc makes sense as an upgrade once its physical and source requirements have been met.
Decision guide
Before you buy
A single living-room system for films and records is the goal, yet the flagship may need an extra box and takes up more room on the furniture.
What this page can’t tell you
- No matched listening test proves that one of the bars is clearer, louder or better for a particular room size. Neither has HDMI source inputs or a general powered-subwoofer output.
By the numbers
What the data shows
What we found across the soundbars we compare, plus the checked facts behind each finding.
Show the facts and the math
| Product | Needs it meets | Facts we checked | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonos Beam Ultra |
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| Sonos Arc Ultra |
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Ready to buy
See today’s price and what owners say
Open either model on Amazon for the current price, customer reviews and delivery options.
Sonos Beam Ultra
The bar itself has to take a record player, using an optional Sonos adapter and any phono preamp that is required.
A real width constraint is solved by the 29.53-inch cabinet. Check the TV exclusion and the overhead-clearance guidance.
See price & reviews on AmazonSonos Arc Ultra
There is room for the 46.38-inch bar, and its 9.1.4 architecture is something you specifically want.
Your music already gets to Sonos through streaming or a separate input device, so the missing analog input does not mean buying anything extra.
See price & reviews on AmazonEach link opens in a new tab.
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