Sonos Arc Ultra with Sub 4 review: You almost don't need anything more

The Sonos Arc Ultra and the Sub 4 are the successors to Sonos' high-end soundbar and subwoofer. Our test shows where the products score and where there is room for improvement.
tl; dr: Despite the delayed launch of the products due to problems with the redesign of the controller app, Sonos brought two clean products to market with the Arc Ultra and the Sub 4. The soundbar is particularly impressive with its very natural sound and support for Dolby Atmos 9.1.4. Another positive thing is that the device now supports playback via Bluetooth in addition to AirPlay 2 and Wi-Fi.
Thanks to Dolby Atmos 4, the Sub 9.1.4 is not absolutely necessary for a good home cinema experience. However, if you decide to go for it, you will get an even better sound experience.
However, I still see two problems with the products. Firstly, you have to bear in mind that the combination is not suitable for all living spaces. In older buildings in particular, it is to be expected that neighbors could be disturbed by it. Secondly, you must not lose sight of the fact that some users are still struggling with bugs in the Sonos app.
Jump to section
Design
The Sonos Arc Ultra comes in a similar design to its predecessor. The only difference is that the touch-sensitive control surfaces are no longer part of the speaker grille. Playback and volume can be controlled directly on the device. It is also possible to activate Amazon Alexa or Sonos Voice Control with a touch. You can choose between black and white.
The power connector, HDMI port and Ethernet jack are located on the back. There is also a switch for the microphone and a button to start Bluetooth pairingproprocess. It's a shame that they weren't placed a little better, for example next to the other control surfaces on the top. Sonos also installed two threads on the back for a wall mount.
- Picture: TechnikNews
- Picture: TechnikNews
- Picture: TechnikNews
- Picture: TechnikNews
- Picture: TechnikNews
In general, the Arc Ultra is very well made, there is absolutely nothing to complain about. The soundbar is 1,17 meters wide, 7,5 centimeters high and 11,06 centimeters deep. It weighs 5,9 kilograms.
The Sonos Sub 4 also looks similar to its predecessor. The improvement here is that the housing is now matte. The Sub 4 is also available in black and white and is very well made. The subwoofer weighs 11,79 kilograms. It is 38,9 centimeters high, 40,2 centimeters wide and 15,8 centimeters deep.
This time you can see the design of the Sonos Arc Ultra and the Sub 4 again in the video:
sound quality and connectivity
The Sonos Arc Ultra has a double-diaphragm woofer, seven tweeters and six midrange speakers. The woofer supports the "Sound Motion" technology developed by Sonos, which promises powerful sound and precise bass at the same time. The soundbar also comes with a "Dolby Atmos 9.1.4" certification. This means that the Arc Ultra can imitate nine channels at ear level, a subwoofer and four height channels - without a subwoofer. This is an amazing improvement over its predecessor.
Media can be played via HDMI-eArc, the Sonos app with Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2 or, more recently, Bluetooth 5.3.
The sound that the soundbar produced is phenomenal. It has many more facets and also more volume than that of a Sonos Beam or Sennheiser AMBEO MiniWhile these sound dull in some places in direct comparison, the Arc Ultra reproduces everything crystal clear. The Sonos Sub 4 is not absolutely necessary thanks to the good drivers in the soundbar, but if you decide to go for it, it only makes the experience even better.
It is subtle when necessary and delivers the right amount of oomph at the right moments. You can notice this, for example, when switching from a quieter song to titles like WTF by Hugel and Amber van Day. You just have to be careful with the device in apartments or terraced houses with thin walls, because the Sub 4 can literally make the floor and walls shake.
Support for Dolby Atmos is a real blessing, especially for films and series. You just have to make sure that the TV and possibly a connected set-top box are configured appropriately. Then Atmos always offers an enveloping and immersive experience with supported content. While the music in Christmas films spreads gently throughout the room, action films always pull you into the story. The whole thing worked a lot better in my small bedroom than in my open living room with irregular distances to the walls.
Sonos app
The Sonos app is once again responsible for setting up and managing the products. It is available free of charge from the Play Store and the App Store.
The design and feature set have been last Sonos test unchanged. This is because Sonos released a completely new version of the app in the spring, which was criticized a lot and contained several errors. I also had some difficulties last time - first my system didn't work for days and then I couldn't play podcasts via Pocket Casts. This time at least everything worked smoothly for me. Other testers, however, still had problems with the app.
Sonos Arc Ultra and Sub 4: Prices and availability
The RRP of the Sonos Arc Ultra is 999 euros. The Sonos Sub 4 is available for 899 euros (RRP).
We would like to thank you for providing the Sonos Arc Ultra and the Sonos Sub 4!