Cost 8.8/10. £375.00. The Sonos is a 3.0 setup that's better built, has a discrete center channel that performs better than the Sony's phantom center, and it has a better stereo soundstage. Value Proposition 9.2/10. Beam, sub and 2xplay 1âs for rears. Thereâs a single HDMI-ARC connection with a cable included in the box, an Ethernet port for a wired connection, built-in Wi-Fi with Apple AirPlay 2 and Sonos' own multi-room streaming, but no Bluetooth. It can work as a smart speaker with your choice of Alexa and Google Assistant, just like the Beam. DTS:X uses a DTS-HD MA carrier signal, so to support DTS:X the soundbar must also support DTS-HD MA. And that's at the premium end of the market â when you're looking at the best TVs under £1000 or the best TVs under £500, sound is often an area where you can tell that the set was on more of a budget than the no-holds-barred very best TVs. This soundbarâs big selling point is its ability to decode object-based 3D audio formats Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, and apply processing to create the illusion of greater depth and height. Because DTS-HD MA requires eARC, DTS:X does as well. The Beam measures just 651x69x100mm (WxHxD), making it suited to smaller screen sizes â we'd suggest 55 inches at the absolutely max, but it's really best for between 32 inches and 50 inches. Performance 8.6/10. â Two of the most popular soundbars we recommend are the Sonos Beam and the Sony HT-X8500, and it's easy to see why: both are inexpensive, compact enough for TVs from 43 inches and up, feature 2.1 stereo driver systems, and come with audio expertise from some of the biggest names in the business. Since thereâs not a huge difference in price, which soundbar is best-suited for you will largely depend on your priorities. Bose just announced a new entry-level smart soundbar that's designed to be a direct rival to the Sonos Beam.It's called the Bose Smart Soundbar 300 and it costs $400, which is the same price as the Beam. Compared to the benchmark soundbar at this price, the Sonos Beam, the Yamaha is a fair bit wider (93cm to 65cm) but roughly the same heigh⦠The Sony HT-X8500 sports a 2.1-channel system based around a speaker at either end of the cabinet, a pair of subwoofers in the middle and bass ducts at either end. Sonosâ Beam soundbar has been a mainstay of the brandâs evolving home theater collection since it debuted in 2018. Sonos doesnât claim the Beam is designed for anything larger than a medium-sized room, but it also did a fine job with general TV audio and music in a large open-plan living room. I listen to lots of music and have put my hi-fi system into storage after learning about Sonos. The Beam definitely enhances the tv experience and while I am testing a 5.1 surround sound experience, I am still on the fence about music playback with the sonos ones in surround sound placement and open to any feedback or suggestions for placement for optimal low (10-20%) music playback and separation. The result is a more immersive experience with movie soundtracks and streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+.Â. You can also stream music to it using Wi-Fi or Apple AirPlay. May 14, 2019; New products; Sonyâs HTX8500 TV soundbar delivers a top-notch Atmos experience from a compact package.. My concern is Iâm missing out on having better sound for music. This tool will clearly show you the differences, Use our data and table to find the best soundbar for your needs, Want to see us review a specific soundbar? All this is driven by powerful Class D digital amplification that creates an expansive front soundstage and fairly deep low frequency presence. However, the Sonos Beam only has one HDMI port, so when connecting this to your TV, you'll lose the use of that port for anything else â no problem for some people, but it might be a pain for others. The only other connectivity option is Bluetooth, allowing you to stream music from other devices. Finally thereâs a decent remote, an optical audio input, and Bluetooth for streaming anything you like to it wirelessly. If youâve been tempted to get into Sonos, but werenât sure where to start, the Beam is for you. The Beam is set up using the Sonos app, and establishing a Wi-Fi connection, creating a multi-room system and setting up Alexa and Google Assistant is a cinch. Like the Sonos Beam, this one is also a compact soundbar and brings the advantage of Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. That's not a significant jump in spending, but if youâre thinking the Beamâs price premium is due to an expanded feature set, youâd be wrong. T3 is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. £314.97. Product review: Sony HTX8500 TV soundbar. While the Sony is aimed primarily at film fans, the Beam takes a different tack. When looking at the Sonos Beam vs Play 5 you will notice that the Play 5 is a bigger and more powerful speaker in contrast to the Beam being compact and more versatile. Visit our corporate site. However, this bar can play Atmos content by downmixing it into stereo, which is rare in a 2.1 channel setup. Thereâs also a voice mode for enhancing dialogue, along with a night mode that limits the dynamic range of sounds, so sudden explosions in you your 24-hour bingeing session wonât disturb the rest of the house. Our Verdict: A fully featured and multi award winning 5.1 channels Bluetooth soundbar, with a best buy award from one expert review website and 18 further awards from other expert sites. If on the other hand youâre more interested in getting the most out of TV shows and movies, the Sony HT-X8500 is a great choice. The Sonos Beam and Bose Smart Soundbar 300 both feature compact designs and voice control, but there are some differences. You can see what products we currently have for sale. © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. The Sonos Beam is a smart and compact soundbar designed for Television, music, and other forms of entertainment. The Beam & Playbase are also Airplay 2-enabled, allowing you to send any audio from your iOS devices straight to the speaker. It also makes TV shows, movies and games sound better, although with less immersion compared to the Sony. Where the Beam excels is in the multi-purpose use of streaming all of your audio services in addition to making your TV audio sound amazing. It offers high definition sound, which lets users experience clear and detailed sound at any volume. Stephen Withers This soundbar is excellent with music, making it a useful addition to an existing Sonos multi-room system. The Sonos Beam is a small soundbar. Weâre also big fans of Sonos brand speakers, and the new Sonos Beam brings everything we like about the company to an ultra-compact soundbar. Kagoo Score. Gain early access to all tests results for new products, Prices will now be listed directly in reviews and tables, Have 5 votes per product category to choose which product weâll review next, Gain unlimited access to detailed test results in tools and results (no blurred results), Video: The 4 Best Samsung Soundbars to Buy in 2020, Having trouble deciding between two soundbars? Most of us donât have the luxury of an unlimited budget, so price certainly matters. At 35 inches wide, the Playbar boasts a total of nine drivers â each with its own dedicated Class-D digital amp â and makes no compromises when it comes room-filling, cinema-grade sound. There is the option to add wireless rear speakers from Sonos' range, which is a good option if you want a really compact surround system. Despite the flaws in its sonic presentation, the Sony HT-X8500 is an undeniable sonic improvement over most flatscreen TVs, particularly in terms of delivering cinematic weight and spaciousness. Sonos Beam vs Sony HTX8500. Why the price difference? England and Wales company registration number 2008885. For those unaware, Dolby Atmos is an audio format that aims to add height effects in order to give you a 360-degree sound field. So Sonos Beam, while being a cheaper option, tends to get more favorable â reviews than the $500 JBL Bar 5.1, as seen on the chart below. If your TV supports HDMI-ARC you can use the provided cable, but if not youâll need the included optical audio adapter. Apart from earning points on the companyâs reputation of quality and longevity of devices, it is also packed with several nice features including voice ⦠Thereâs no remote â the Beam is controlled using the Sonos app, though takes volume control from your TV over HDMI â but thereâs built-in Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, making this âbar a fully-functioning and agnostic smart speaker.Â. Build Quality 9.2/10. If you can live without Dolby Atmos, the Sonos Beam is a viable alternative to the HT-X8500. Its rounded edges and fabric cover make it look as though it could belong to the Amazon Echo family, albeit once removed. Design 9.4/10. Modern and compact in design, the Sonos Beam is designed in a manner that would fit into any setting elegantly without taking up too much space. It supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, applying psychoacoustic wizardry to create a more immersive sonic experience, so it's twin speakers sound like there are more sources of sound.Â, Thereâs an HDMI input as well as an output that connects to your TV, both of which pass 4K, HDCP 2.3 and high dynamic range (HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision) through to your TV. When a product is discontinued or no longer popular, we sell the purchased products locally in Montreal, Canada. Sonos Beam $399. The Sonos Beam offers a choice of black or white finishes, but otherwise its design is very minimalist, with a fabric grille that covers the front and sides, along with touch sensitive controls on the top. For example, you could say "Siri, play Coldplay in the lounge". The Beam also delivers an open, room-filling sound, even without Dolby Atmos. Whether you want the best small laptop, or the best portable laptop, or the best thin laptop, we're here to help, These are the best Android phones on the market right now in 2020, Self-lit pixels without the burn-in â but you'd better have deep pockets, By Matthew Bolton ⢠With the Beam, Sonos managed to make a discrete sound bar that can connect to their wireless subwoofer, has built-in Wi-Fi and an Ethernet port, provides support for Alexa (which is a privacy nightmare and I would never turn on), and AirPlay 2 for wireless streaming in the world of iOS and Mac. Both soundbars are extremely easy to setup, and both offer the choice of stand or wall mounting. Sonos Beam The $399 Beam soundbar launched in July 2018, filling a void in the Sonos lineup as a mid-tier device for your TV. When it comes to home cinema sound, Dolby Atmos is the buzzword these days. Regardless of your viewing habits, the X8500 has an audio preset for you, with cinema, music, game, news and sport modes. The Sony HT-X8500 measures 890x64x96mm (WxHxD), making it wide enough for larger screen sizes but low enough so as not to block the screen. But, while it delivers big on specs, its core sound quality is a long way behind that of the Sonos Beam, which simply gets to the heart of your movie, TV show or favourite tune far more effectively. It offers more in terms of HDMI connectivity, and delivers a pleasingly immersive experience with object-based audio soundtracks such as Dolby Atmos. On top of that, it's fairly safe to say that Sonos Beam is a more popular sound bar, based on its 2,000+ reviews. 2021-01-06T17:45:29Z, Using LEDs 1/40th the size of previous models means more brightness, better contrast and sleeker designs, By Matthew Bolton ⢠Sonos Beam vs Sony HT-X8500: Price & features The two soundbars differ slightly in pricing, with the Sony HT-X8500 costs a thoroughly reasonable £299/$299, with the Sonos Beam ⦠I have a 5.1 setup like lots of people here. No cherry-picked units sent by brands. Like many other Sony soundbars, it has an always-on surround sound mode called S-Force PRO. Overall the Beam looks elegant and discreet, getting on with sonic business in hand without drawing attention to itself. 2021-01-04T16:03:38Z. Alexa support, 80 compatible music streaming services, and being small enough to fit in a mid-size room make the Beam a compelling product. While the Sony HT-X8500 will give your TV a soni⦠The Sonos Beam, on the other hand, strives for a more co⦠It sounds much bigger than it looks, helping to boost the sonic performance of your TV, and itâs superb with music. Kagoo Score. Sonos Beam. The two soundbars differ slightly in pricing, with the Sony HT-X8500 costs a thoroughly reasonable £299/$299, with the Sonos Beam setting you back a bit more at around £369/$399. In fact, the HT-X8500 is a strongly specified soundbar for its price bracket, boasting a 2.1-channel speaker system with built-in subwoofers. Prior to its ⦠The Sonos Beam was launched at $399 / £399 / AU$599 â now, that might not sound super cheap, but compared to the Sonos Arcâs $799 / £799 / AU$1,399 price tag, itâs positively frugal. The overall design is slim, compact and unobtrusive, with touch sensitive controls on the top. Sonos Beam. By If you're looking for which of these soundbars is the best pick for you, it might be unclear exactly what the differences are⦠but they're actually pretty significant. so that you can compare the results easily. The two soundbars actually look similar, and both offer all-in-one solutions with the speakers and amplification built into a single curvaceous cabinet. Samsung 2021 TV models leak: âQLED Neoâ Mini-LED sets coming soon? On top of that, it's fairly safe to say that Sonos Beam is a more popular sound bar, based on its 3,000+ ⦠You don't get eARC here, but that's okay, because that's mostly a priority for Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks, which this doesn't support anyway. 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