Few names carry as much weight when it comes to soundbars as Sonos. The new Sonos Arc Ultra, paired with the Sub 4 subwoofer, is the latest upgrade to the brand’s home cinema offering. It promises better sound, smarter features, and an even sleeker design, but does it deliver enough to justify its price tag? We spent time living with the Arc Ultra to find out.
At first glance, the Arc Ultra looks a lot like its predecessor, but look a little closer, and you’ll spot subtle design tweaks. It’s slightly wider and lower than the original Arc, which might not sound like much, but it makes a difference in real-world use. If you’ve got a low-sitting TV, the Arc Ultra is less likely to block your screen. Plus, its slimmer profile means it fits more comfortably on narrower TV stands.
It is worth noting that the Arc Ultra, at almost 1.2m wide, is wider than my 50-inch wall-mounted TV, which slightly threw off the room’s cosmetic balance. I thought this might be the perfect excuse to upgrade to a bigger screen, but my wife firmly vetoed that plan. So, for now, the Arc Ultra stands proud and slightly oversized beneath the TV.
Sonos has also refined the controls, moving touch-sensitive buttons (including a dedicated Bluetooth pairing button) to a ‘ledge’ on the back of the chassis, keeping them out of sight but still accessible. The matte finish on both the Arc Ultra and the Sub 4 also helps the setup blend more naturally into most living rooms, especially against white walls.
Setting up the Arc Ultra is straightforward. The Sonos app guides you through the process, which ran flawlessly. There have been complaints about the app in the past, but I’ve either got lucky, or those problems have been resolved.
Sound quality
In a word: impressive. The Arc Ultra takes what was already good about the original Arc and makes it better. The new ‘Sound Motion’ woofer technology allows for tighter, more controlled bass, and the overall sound is cleaner, more detailed, and more immersive.
Dialogue clarity is a standout feature — the Arc Ultra introduces a Speech Enhancement mode, accessible via the app, with low, medium, and high settings. At the medium level, dialogue feels more focused without dampening other sounds, although the effect jarred a little at the higher setting. Kept at a sensible level, it’s a small tweak that makes a big difference for anyone who’s struggled to follow conversations in movies. So that’s anybody over 30 years old.
The Arc Ultra also excels with Dolby Atmos content, filling the room with sound that feels genuinely three-dimensional. Up-firing and side-firing drivers create a convincing sense of space, making movie soundtracks feel more immersive. Music performance is equally strong, with clear vocals, rich bass, and enough detail to handle everything from orchestral pieces to bass-heavy electronic tracks. Watching and listening to Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium was involving and enthralling.
That said, the Arc Ultra can veer towards sharpness in brighter tracks, but tweaking the treble in the EQ settings soon sorts that out. The Sub 4 adds depth and weight that balances that a little, but it’s an expensive addition, costing almost as much as the soundbar itself.
Features and usability
The Arc Ultra keeps things simple, though that comes with a few compromises. There’s no HDMI passthrough, which could be a deal-breaker if your TV has limited HDMI ports, as the soundbar will always take up one valuable slot. And while the lack of a dedicated remote is classic Sonos, it would be a handy inclusion — I don’t always want to open my phone, open the app, find the right menu option, and then make the changes I want to make.
The inclusion of Bluetooth is a welcome addition, and pairing is easy, allowing you to stream music to the speaker even when the TV is switched off.
Voice control via Alexa and Sonos’s own assistant is also smooth, although Google Assistant is notably absent. Perhaps that’s a hangover from the various lawsuits the two have thrown at each other, but it’s a frustration for those of us embedded in the Google ecosystem.
Sonos Arc Ultra verdict
The Sonos Arc Ultra is a powerful, refined soundbar that delivers on its promise of clearer dialogue, richer bass, and smarter features. It’s not a cheap upgrade, and the lack of HDMI passthrough might be frustrating for some, but for sheer sound quality and ease of use, it’s one of the best options out there.
If you’re looking to build a premium home cinema setup and don’t mind the price, pairing the Arc Ultra with the Sub 4 is a fantastic — if expensive — choice. But even on its own, the Arc Ultra impresses. For most people, it’s the ultimate all-in-one soundbar experience.
Tested: Sonos Arc Ultra and Sonos Sub 4
Price: £999
and £799
Average Joes rating: ★★★★★
