greyLighter

Home 

greenDark

Offers

Promotional offers

Shop

Soundbars

Learn

Compare Speakers

Compare Soundbars

Compare Subwoofers

Compare Portable Speakers

How Sonos Works

Voice Control

Radio

Support

Sonos Radio HD

Professional

Installed Solutions

Business

Developer Portal

Trades

Dealer Login

Works with Sonos

My Account

Profile

Orders

System

Upgrade

Subscriptions

Beta

Community

Logout

Dashboard

Cart

We could not verify the address you entered. Please make sure your mailing address is correct to ensure accurate delivery.

An email has been sent to your email address. Please use the link in that email to verify your email address!

Title

Learn more about product protection by Extend

Sonos Blog

Start new order?

Name

Please confirm you would like to reactivate your Sonos HD subscription

Reactivate your subscription

Sonos is a leading American audio technology company that is best known for pioneering wireless multiroom audio systems, which make it easy for listeners to stream music and other content throughout their homes. The company continues to innovate, creating wireless speakers, home theater systems, headphones, architectural components, and integrated home audio solutions that revolutionize how people listen and connect to sound.

We know that too many of you have experienced significant problems with our new app which rolled out on May 7, and I want to begin by personally apologizing for disappointing you. There isn’t an employee at Sonos who isn’t pained by having let you down, and I assure you that fixing the app for all of our customers and partners has been and continues to be our 

We developed the new app to create a better experience, with the ability to drive more innovation in the future, and with the knowledge that it would get better over time. However, since launch we have found a number of issues. Fixing these issues has delayed our prior plan to quickly incorporate missing features and functionality.

Since May 7, we have released new software updates approximately every two weeks, each making significant and meaningful improvements, adding features and fixing bugs. Please see the 

 for detailed information on what has been released to date.

While these software updates have enabled the majority of our customers to have a robust experience using the Sonos app, there is more work to be done. We have prioritized the following improvements in our next phase of software updates:

Improving the stability when adding new products

Implementing Music Library configuration, browse, search, and play

User interface improvements based on customer feedback

Improving overall system stability and error handling

Improving Alarm consistency and reliability

Restoring edit mode for Playlists and the Queue

We plan to continue releasing new software updates on a bi-weekly cadence. With each release, we will share 

 and what we’re working on next in our 

We deeply appreciate your patience as we address these issues. We know we have work to do to earn back your trust and are working hard to do just that. I am always open to your feedback, you can find me via email at 

Two people using the Sonos app to control their Sonos system

Update on the Sonos app from Patrick

When we created Sonos Arc, our goal was to push beyond the limits of what a soundbar could deliver. The Arc name has since become synonymous with an immersive home theater experience that renders every sound — from whip-fast dialogue to pulse-pounding explosions — with dramatic clarity and depth. But innovation never pauses at Sonos, and we’re excited to introduce the next chapter in cinematic sound. Meet Arc Ultra.

Arc Ultra is a complete reinvention of our best selling soundbar, with an all-new acoustic architecture that achieves immersive sound never before possible from a soundbar this sleek. Let’s explore the design and technological advancements that make Arc Ultra the new standard for home theater sound.

 extend even further than those of its predecessor, thanks to a total of 14 precisely-engineered speakers that span the full range of audio frequencies, from crisp highs to booming lows.

But these speakers don’t work all on their own. They’re nested within an entirely new acoustic architecture that makes Arc Ultra unlike any soundbar you’ve heard before. Let’s break it down.

 handle the full spectrum of higher-pitched sounds. Newly designed wave guides direct these high frequencies toward both sides of the room as well as upward to fill even more space in the room with sound. Six midwoofers contribute to a rich tapestry of mid-range and vocal frequencies, ensuring that dialogue cuts through the mix with crystal clarity, even at high volume levels.

Rounding out the array is a newly designed Sound Motion woofer, which marks a revolutionary leap forward for home theater sound. The use of Sound Motion technology in Arc Ultra is the key to unlocking the soundbar’s unique acoustic architecture, which delivers a bigger and more balanced sound experience in a slimmer design. The difference is especially prominent in Arc Ultra’s bass output, which far surpasses the previous generation while reducing the height and depth of the soundbar. This sleeker, smaller footprint is made possible by an innovative flat design featuring four distributed lightweight motors and voice coils with force-canceling dual cones in a single enclosure.

Here’s where you might stop to wonder about the furniture-rattling implications of a soundbar capable of such powerful bass response. But rest assured: the Sound Motion woofer unleashes its low frequencies with virtually no mechanical vibration, which keeps distortion to a minimum while contributing to a truly cinematic home theater experience.

We’ve completely updated the acoustic architecture while staying true to the beloved sleek design of Arc. In fact, Arc Ultra features an even sleeker footprint compared to its predecessor. All of the above speakers are precisely tuned to fit inside an slimmer enclosure that features an extended wraparound grille and a distinctive racetrack design that allows for sound to be fired across the room at all angles.

Every aspect of Arc Ultra is designed not just with looks, but also with sound in mind. Because the new enclosure fits more speakers — and positions these speakers in such a way that they accurately beam sound around the entire room — it renders a more complete 

 than has ever been available in a soundbar.

 and its ability to create an immersive, multidimensional soundstage. But it also owes to the unique design of Arc Ultra, which can render a 9.1.4 Dolby Atmos experience (nine ear-level channels, one subwoofer, and four height channels) without any additional speakers — a huge improvement from Arc’s already-impressive 5.0.2 experience. Add Arc Ultra to a setup that also features a pair of Sonos 

, and you have the ultimate in Dolby Atmos surround sound.

Finally, a note on size. Because space is at a premium in many home theater setups, we’ve also reduced the soundbar’s depth and height. A shallower depth makes for a more elegant and inconspicuous on-wall presence, which is more in line with newer television models. And a shorter height accounts for the ever-shrinking footprint of modern TV bezels, ensuring that a soundbar placed at the bottom of your screen doesn’t obstruct your view of the action.

The software and processing power on Arc Ultra are just as impressive as the hardware components. Additional features designed to improve your listening experience include:

. It’s not just the speakers that matter — it’s the space, too. Arc Ultra’s built-in software can measure how sound reflects off the objects and surfaces in your room, then tunes the soundbar to accommodate the space. In previous iterations, this feature was called Trueplay. Arc Ultra marks the debut of a faster, easier version of home theater Trueplay called 

, which will now be available not only to iOS users, but to Android users as well.

. Our popular Speech Enhancement feature now comes with multiple levels of control. This is a win for everyone who enjoys a more cinematic experience, but especially for those with hearing difficulties who have been forced to rely on subtitles in the past.

Among the key differences between Arc Ultra and Arc, perhaps none is more audible than the addition of Sound Motion technology, which delivers clear, booming bass frequencies with virtually no mechanical vibration.

But it’s not just about the low end. Sound Motion helps Arc Ultra deliver bigger and better sound across the full audio spectrum while shrinking the size and weight of the hardware required. This space-saving technology was key to outfitting Arc Ultra with a more immersive acoustic architecture that does justice to the entire range of audible frequencies. The updated soundbar boasts three different types of transducers — each one dedicated to high, mid, or low frequencies — to create a more balanced, natural sound that isn’t too heavily weighted in one direction.

Transparent view of Arc Ultra displaying Sound Motion technology

Sometimes, less really is more. This was one of the guiding design principles behind Arc Ultra, which consumes an estimated 20% less power than its predecessor when idle. And this principle goes down as far as the packaging, which uses less plastic overall as well as paper elements certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Arc Ultra’s smaller design is a big part of our push toward sustainability — though in ways that may not be obvious on first glance. For example, smaller packaging allows us to fit 264 more units on a single shipping container. Everything down to the soundbar’s physical construction is designed with sustainability in mind, which is why Arc Ultra is built with halogen-free PCB material widely considered to be less toxic than halogenated alternatives.

Experience sound like never before with Arc Ultra

The original Arc set a high bar for soundbars, delivering the type of spatial audio experience you’d expect from the theater. The new Arc Ultra clears that bar and then some, redefining what’s possible in a soundbar with its innovative acoustic architecture.

Put simply, Arc Ultra delivers on the promise implicit in its name and now stands as the top-of-the-line soundbar option for audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts. With a more spacious soundstage, clearer dialogue, and deeper bass (even at high volumes), this is a soundbar that’s easy to get worked up about. If you’re interested in adding Arc Ultra to your home theater setup, get in touch with a Sonos expert by 

Sand erupting from a black Arc Ultra with Dune 2 graphics

Introducing Arc Ultra - Our Most Innovative Soundbar Yet

High-fidelity audio — or hi-fi, for short — is audio that’s reproduced from the original recording with as high a degree of exactness as possible. Short of staging a live show or concert in your living room, a hi-fi audio setup should deliver the best sonic quality you can experience at home.

But the term “hi-fi” is subjective. It depends as much on personal taste as it does on technical factors. Some might consider the quality of a standard CD to be hi-fi, as it hovers near the crispest sound the human ear can perceive. Others thirst for even purer levels of playback, unwilling to forgo the subtle pleasure of picking out a single voice from a choir, or hearing a finger gently settle on a guitar string.

In this guide, we’ll define hi-fi audio in more depth, focusing on everything from sound waves to the components involved in a typical home setup. Just as important, we’ll help you define what hi-fi means 

. Because what’s the point of hi-fi audio if your ears don’t enjoy it?

Hi-fi audio is audio that reproduces the sound of an original recording with minimal levels of distortion and a full, accurate range of audible frequencies. If the human ear is unable to discern any difference between an in-person performance and an audio reproduction of that performance, the latter would generally qualify as hi-fi audio.

You might assume that the evolution of audio technology in the last century has been one long, uninterrupted march toward hi-fi perfection. But you’d be wrong.

Port placed on top of books lying on a bookshelf

The term “hi-fi” was introduced in the 1950s to describe newer at-home audio systems that often involved multiple components. Such setups achieved levels of sonic accuracy that far surpassed the phonographs and AM radio frequencies of yore.

The development of stereophonic equipment, which brings a greater sense of width and spaciousness to recorded sounds, marked an especially important breakthrough in hi-fi audio. Another milestone came in the 1980s with the explosion of CDs, a new digital format that reduced noise without compromising much in terms of quality.

 in the 2000s with the advent of streaming, which compresses audio files so that they take up less storage space. This compression often comes at the expense of fidelity. Newer streaming formats have shown better results, but before we get too far ahead of ourselves in talking specs, let’s establish what we’re actually 

 when we listen to hi-fi audio in the first place.

If you were to say that hi-fi audio is audio that “sounds good,” well, you’d technically be right. But what elements of a recording contribute to its sounding good?

There are a lot of nooks and crannies we could dive into, but here are five major factors to pay attention to when evaluating the fidelity of a digital audio recording:

 

The greater the number of bits in a digital audio recording, the greater the dynamic range. This means less “white noise” during quiet moments, and less distortion of sounds during loud moments.


Sound is a vibration that propagates across space. The illusion of this space can be created by stereo equipment that makes the sound from a set of speakers feel more encompassing, and less like it’s coming from a single direction.


 

The space between sounds in a recording matters, too. Hi-fi audio should have good separation between instruments and vocalists, so that you can clearly hear the unique characteristics (including the physical space) of each.


The balance of bass, treble, and midrange in a mix is essential. Too much bass can make a track sound muddy and underwater; too much treble can make it sound tinny and harsh. Most audiophiles prefer a more neutral or natural tonality, with a delicate balance of tonal emphasis.


How does it sound to you? This is arguably more important than anything else, and may lead you to a definition of hi-fi that differs from the rest.

Now that we’ve reviewed the basic elements of hi-fi audio, let’s discuss how two important measurements — sample rate and bit depth — can help you achieve higher fidelity in digital audio formats.

Most people these days listen to audio on digital formats, such as streaming services. These formats can be incorporated into a hi-fi audio system with help from a digital-to-analog converter, or DAC.

Beyond converting digital audio into an analog waveform, a DAC’s job is essentially to fine-tune the tonality and overall sound quality of the digital audio source recording.

It does this by taking tiny snapshots, or samples, of the original soundwave and stitching these snapshots together into an analog waveform. This follows the same principle as a film camera, which takes tiny snapshots of a live image and stitches them together to make a movie.

 describes the number of snapshots taken of the original soundwave. The higher the sample rate, the closer the reproduction resembles the original. A CD’s sample rate of 44.1 kHz is standard for recorded music, and means that 44,100 samples are taken per second.

 snapshots are taken of a soundwave, then 

 each of those snapshots can capture. Greater bit depths mean a wider dynamic range; in other words, a wider difference between the loudest sound you can play back without distortion and the quietest sound you can record before losing resolution.

CDs have a bit depth of 16 bits per sample, which can record over 65,500 amplitude values. This figure isn’t random. The standard sampling frequency of CDs was chosen because it was thought that 16 bits covers the full range of quiet-to-loud sounds that humans can hear. A 

 by Joshua Reiss at Queen Mary University of London challenged this notion, suggesting that some people can detect the difference between CDs and high-resolution audio tracks that can achieve up to 24 or 32 bits per sample.

Hi-fi audio combines a high sample rate with a high bit depth, resulting in a “lossless” and accurate reproduction of the original recording. Whether you can actually 

 may help determine which audio quality meets your personal standards.

Port and Amp placed next to each other on an angle

If you’re interested in building a hi-fi audio setup of your own, there are a few ways to go about it depending on your budget and desire for customization.

Many audiophiles prefer to build modular systems that combine a number of different pieces (CD player or turntable, preamplifier, DAC, power amplifier, speakers, subwoofer, etc.) from different manufacturers. Alternatively, you could opt for an integrated system that combines several of these components into a single unit.

, or streaming platform that delivers your audio. Be aware that certain streaming platforms (like Spotify) don’t have a hi-fi audio option, though others (like Apple Music and Tidal) do offer lossless, hi-res audio at certain subscription tiers.

As noted above, a DAC converts digital audio into analog. Many hi-fi products, such as 

, have a DAC built-in. This DAC ensures that any streamed audio is converted and reproduced to sound as clear as possible.

An amplifier enhances and increases the audio signal that comes out of your DAC. It boosts the signal enough to power speakers without distorting its quality.

Speakers are what sound comes out of. Most hi-fi systems have at least two loudspeakers and are intended to be listened to in stereo.

Some individual speakers allow for a stereo experience by configuring multiple loudspeakers within the same enclosure; 

, for example, houses three high-excursion woofers (low- and mid-range frequencies) with three tweeters (high frequencies). And you can pair two Sonos Five speakers for an even more expansive experience.

The unique acoustics of the room matters, too. It’s amazing what you can achieve just by adding a few sound-absorbing curtains or bookshelves. And if you’re using a Sonos system, 

 analyzes every contour of your space to optimize the speaker’s EQ.

You can always add more to a hi-fi system (and many people spend their whole lives doing just that). But these essential components should be enough to get you started.

Some people don’t know what they’re missing until they’ve heard a hi-fi system in action. If you’re used to listening through a tiny laptop speaker or even high-quality Bluetooth headphones, you may be amazed by the depth and detail of the sound you’ll hear on a true hi-fi system.

Movies are created for big screens and loud speakers. And no musician or composer envisions their masterpiece playing through a trebly cassette player. Hi-fi audio lets you hear these works the way they were intended to be heard.

Hi-fi audio can enhance the emotional experience of hearing a piece of music; in some cases, it’s even like hearing it for the first time.

Not any old headphones, speakers, or streaming service is capable of producing a hi-fi audio experience. You will need to invest in some equipment. And skimping on just one component — speakers, an amp, etc. — can ruin the effect of the stuff you do invest in. With that said, hi-fi is becoming more and more accessible, and Sonos even offers 

 at different price points to get you started.

Not commonly available on streaming services.

The most popular streaming service, Spotify, still doesn’t offer hi-res audio tracks. Others do, but their hi-res libraries may be limited. This situation is improving, but it explains why so many audiophiles haven’t thrown away their vinyl and CDs.

We’ll get to this in the next section, but since most hi-fi audio formats are uncompressed, they tend to take up a lot of space on a hard drive. If you’re serious about streaming hi-fi audio, you may want to think about upgrading your disk space.

Amp placed next to a turntable on a console

Not every file format is capable of reproducing hi-fi audio. MP3s, for example, can only achieve anywhere from 96 to 320 kilobits per second (kbps) — a steep dropoff from standard CDs. Here are some formats that can do the job:

WAV is an uncompressed format that uses the same coding format as CDs. Because it’s uncompressed, file sizes can be quite large.

WAV was originally developed by Microsoft, and Apple’s answer was the uncompressed AIFF format. Compressed, lossy variants of AIFF also exist; these take up less space at the expense of quality.

FLAC is another lossless format that is widely compatible with different systems. Some audiophiles consider it something of a gold standard for combining lossless compression with smaller file sizes than competing formats.

Another proprietary format from Apple, ALAC has similar sound quality to FLAC but may be less compatible with non-Apple ecosystems.

This proprietary format is used primarily for Tidal tracks. Though technically lossy, it may achieve sound quality indistinguishable from other hi-fi file types with significantly smaller file sizes.

Whether hi-fi is worth it to you depends on your answers to a few questions.

Can you actually detect the difference between an uncompressed file format and an MP3? Not everyone can, and it’s not something to feel bad about. Many adults suffer from minor hearing loss that hinders their ability to detect compression.

Do you care? Even some people who can hear the difference between compressed and uncompressed files don’t really mind the former. Others can hardly listen to MP3s after experiencing true lossless quality, deriding the experience as something akin to having mud in your ears.

Do you have the budget to upgrade? Hi-fi sound doesn’t come free, and you can certainly pour hundreds or thousands of dollars into different components without achieving a sound you think is worthy of your ears. But there are more affordable ways to achieve a perfectly respectable hi-fi sound, and it need not break the bank.

Sonos is a great pathway to a hi-fi lifestyle. Our 

 features two Sonos Five speakers that provide a premium multi-room sound experience with detailed left and right channel separation. It may well be all you’ll ever need.

Pair of white Sonos Fives and a walnut turntable placed on a console

What Is Hi-Fi Audio? A Beginner’s Guide

When shopping for a speaker or soundbar, you might encounter some words that sound more comical than technical. A tweeter? A woofer? What do birds and dogs have to do with producing a well-balanced sound experience?

As it turns out, these names are quite helpful in describing the function and sounds produced by the different components within a typical speaker enclosure. A tweeter is indeed like a bird, in the sense that it is small and designed to produce high-frequency sounds. Compare this to a woofer, which is bigger and produces deeper sound frequencies in the range of, say, a barking dog.

In this guide, we’ll focus on tweeters and the crisp, high end of the sonic range. These small but mighty pieces of hardware can fill a room with dazzling vocals, lead instruments, and other frequencies stretching toward the uppermost limits of audible sound.

In simplest terms, a tweeter is the part of a speaker responsible for producing higher-pitched sounds. Tweeters are specially designed to reproduce the higher frequencies of an electrical audio signal — and the higher the frequency, the higher the pitch you hear in your music.

Though different types of tweeters can be tuned to produce narrower ranges of audio frequencies, tweeters as a group typically produce frequencies within the range of 

. Hertz refers to the number of vibrations that occur in one second, and faster vibration speeds correspond to higher-frequency sounds. High-pitched vocals, crashing cymbals, and guitar solos are examples of sounds that fall within the lower end of a tweeter’s range (2,000 Hz). The higher end of the range (20,000 Hz) is associated with sounds that are barely even audible to humans, like dog whistles.

Tweeters are almost always the smallest speakers in an audio setup. Their small size is an important quality, as it correlates with the types of sounds they can accurately produce. Why? Because to produce these high-frequency noises, a speaker must be able to vibrate at rapid speeds. This is an easier job for smaller speakers like tweeters, which have a smaller surface area, lower mass, and other physical characteristics that allow the tweeter to move back and forth more freely. This back-and-forth vibration is essentially what produces sound, and faster vibrations translate to higher-pitched sounds.

Though you may have been unaware of their existence until just a moment ago, tweeters play an important role in most speaker setups. They’re built into the enclosures of many 

, where they’re responsible for reproducing the mid- and high-frequency sounds that cut through the audio mix — think vocals, lead instruments, and stirring string arrangements. In a home theater speaker, tweeters handle many of the audio frequencies associated with 

And, just as birds often sing in chorus, tweeters often work together to reproduce a particularly rich composition of higher frequencies. A speaker enclosure may house multiple tweeters, each of which serves a different role. Sometimes, the role a tweeter plays in a speaker configuration will determine its shape. A classical dome-shaped tweeter can produce a wide- and well-balanced range of sounds, while a directional horn-shaped tweeter can fire sounds into specific parts of a room to bring 

White Arc Ultra wall mounted underneath a television

Person putting a record on a turntable, placed next to a white Era 300

How many tweeters should I look for in a speaker?

There’s no “magic number” of tweeters that translates to 

. The number of tweeters in a speaker depends on the type of speaker, its shape, and its intended use.

 includes four tweeters that work together to produce high and mid-range frequencies. A forward-firing dome-shaped tweeter creates a round and smooth center image, while two side-firing tweeters create stereo separation. A fourth, horn-shaped tweeter is tilted upward to fire sound off the ceiling while playing 

 — ​​adding the extra dimension of height.

Other speakers can achieve a similarly impressive performance with a different configuration. A cluster of seven tweeters in 

, for example, projects high frequencies toward the listener, the sides of the room, and ceiling for a beyond immersive home theater experience.

In any case, keep in mind that the number of tweeters isn’t the only factor to consider. Other factors — like the shape and size of the tweeter and how it’s angled relative to the speaker’s other components — also play a role.

Of course, a speaker setup should be able to reproduce sound evenly across a wide band of audio frequencies — not just the mids and highs. For the spectrum of frequencies below 2,000 Hz, tweeters won’t cut it. Such frequencies require larger components designed to handle lower speeds of vibration.

Speakers that handle the broad middle range of audio frequencies (typically between 20 Hz and 2,000 Hz) are called 

. Woofers are generally at least several inches larger than tweeters, and their bigger size corresponds with deeper and heavier sounds.

Unlike tweeters, woofers often require a large-ish external housing. This has to do with the nature of producing lower frequency sounds, which requires moving a larger volume of air back and forth. Without more space to displace air efficiently, the sound waves a woofer produces can be compressed and distorted.

 comprises both tweeters and woofers, which work in a synchronized fashion to reproduce sound as clearly and as accurately as possible. Reproducing sounds on the lowest end of the audible frequency spectrum — around 20 Hz to 120 Hz — typically requires a third type of speaker known as a 

 are often housed in separate enclosures better suited to limiting distortion and enhancing the depth and richness of bass sounds.

Experience higher highs and lower lows with Sonos

A Sonos sound system can faithfully reproduce sounds across the entire band of human hearing — from the booming low end of an explosion to the crisp pop of a snare drum. 

 speakers feature precision-tuned speaker configurations that seamlessly blend high, mid, and low frequencies into a unified sound experience. And woofers such as 

 bring bold bass to your home theater setup in a size that won’t crowd out your other components. If you have any questions or need help selecting a speaker, get in touch with a Sonos expert by 

Person lounging while listening to a black Five & Sub

What Are Speaker Tweeters (And What Do They Do?)

Imagine being fully immersed in a movie, feeling every explosion and whisper as if you were actually there in the scene. Or listening to your favorite artist's music and hearing every instrument as if you were in the recording studio. This level of immersion is made possible by Dolby Atmos, a revolutionary audio technology that takes listening experiences to new heights. Literally.

Keep reading to learn more about what Dolby Atmos is, how it differs from traditional surround sound, its applications in home theaters and music, and how you can bring this incredible sound experience into your own home with Sonos.

Dolby Atmos is an innovative spatial audio technology that allows engineers and artists to precisely place individual sounds in three-dimensional space to more accurately reflect how you experience sound in real life.

Introduced by Dolby Laboratories in 2012, Dolby Atmos marked a groundbreaking shift from traditional channel-based audio formats — such as mono and stereo — to an object-based audio format that incorporates overhead speakers for a sense of height.

Although Dolby Atmos originated in the movie theater with the release of Pixar’s 

, it quickly made its way into homes and headphones, redefining the way audiences experience entertainment, including movies, music, and games.

Dolby Atmos vs. traditional surround sound

Dolby Atmos goes beyond traditional surround sound systems by adding a third dimension of sound: height. Instead of just having speakers around the room at ear level, Dolby Atmos introduces overhead speakers or upward-firing speakers that create a true three-dimensional soundscape.

Traditional surround sound limits audio to a certain number of channels, usually five or seven, which you may see represented by a number like 5.1 or 7.1. Because every sound has to combine into a limited number of channels, compromises often have to be made in the audio mix. For example, a choice to emphasize the music in a scene could come at the expense of dialogue clarity.

Dolby Atmos frees sounds from these limited number of channels, allowing creators to treat each instrument, sound effect, or word of dialogue individually. Creators can precisely place and move up to 128 of these “audio objects” within three-dimensional space for a more realistic and immersive sound experience. Helicopters will sound like they're flying above you, raindrops will sound like they’re falling from the sky, and overall you’ll experience so much more depth and dimension.

Animation of a 7.1.4 surround sound setup with Arc, Sub, and two Era 300 speakers

Dolby Atmos has become increasingly popular for home theater experiences. By incorporating ceiling speakers or speakers with upward-firing drivers along with traditional surround sound setups, you can make your living room sound as good as an actual movie theater. Imagine watching your favorite movies with lifelike audio that envelops you from all directions.

To set up a Dolby Atmos home theater system, you’ll need some specific equipment. Most importantly, you’ll need an AV receiver or soundbar that supports Dolby Atmos, such as 

. This soundbar has two upward-firing speakers that can distribute height content around the room. The optimal setup would also include left and right rear surround speakers with height channels as well as a subwoofer.

Just as virtual reality has revolutionized visual experiences, virtualized Dolby Atmos has transformed the soundscape for home theater audio. Leveraging sophisticated audio processing algorithms, a soundbar like Sonos Beam (Gen 2), can give the impression of overhead sound without the need for actual ceiling or upward-firing speakers.

In addition to your sound system, you'll also need a streaming service and device, such as a TV, that supports Dolby Atmos content.

Update on the Sonos app from Patrick

Introducing Arc Ultra - Our Most Innovative Soundbar Yet

What Is Hi-Fi Audio? A Beginner’s Guide

What Are Speaker Tweeters (And What Do They Do?)

What Is Dolby Atmos? And How to Bring It Into Your Home

Mono vs. Stereo Sound: What's the Difference?

Sonos x Liverpool Football Club: Champion Sound

Increasing Our Commitment to Sustainability

The Beginner's Guide to Bass

What Is a Soundbar? And How To Choose One

5.1 vs 7.1 Surround Sound: What's the Difference?

Recommitting to Quality and Customer Experience

The Beginner’s Guide to Spatial Audio

The Sound of 2020: How Listening Has Given Us Hope In A Year Of Upheaval

How to Create a Multiroom Audio Setup in Your Home

Introducing Sub 4 - Our Latest Subwoofer

Travel Abroad With Six New Stations on Sonos Radio

A letter from our CEO

You Need Fresh Air. Bring Roam.

Full Spectrum on Sonos Radio: The Story Behind the Station

The Sound of The Mandalorian: Rising to the Star Wars Standard

The Ultimate Guide to a Sonos Home Theater

Help

Help

Offers

Offers

About Sonos

About Sonos

For Businesses

For Businesses

Categories

Categories

Products

Products

Update on the Sonos app from Patrick

.css-10sffwj{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}Introducing Arc Ultra - Our Most Innovative Soundbar Yet

Help

Help

Offers

Offers

About Sonos

About Sonos

For Businesses

For Businesses

Categories

Categories

Products

Products

Introducing Arc Ultra - Our Most Innovative Soundbar Yet