Was just browsing the Intelligent Homes website and noticed their Sonos Arc, Sub and Surrounds kit was marked well below Sonos' RRP of $3176 meaning you save 18% ($577.00). Sonos' product listing and price available here https://www.sonos.com/en-au/shop/surround-set-arc-sub-one-sl
These guys are located in Perth and their website mentions pickup from their location. Unfortunately they're closed weekends so I cannot call to confirm if they offer delivery or not.
It is, according to RTINGS review.
I disagree.
The price is in a different league, however.
https://www.rtings.com/soundbar/tools/compare/sonos-arc-with…
It's actually better for everything barring music, and Samsung also won't brick your system remotely because it's "too old" and they want to extract more money because they think its for your own good.
Blah blah, music matters!
That statement is incorrect. Sonos does not brick old system either. They reversed that decision 2 years ago https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/03/sonos-backtracks-on-…
P.s. I mentioned here that my S1 Play 5 still operated fine after 10 years.
Samsung is excellent for music as well. I own it and I vouch for it. Rtings gave Samsung 8.3 for music where the Sonos got 7.9. You can agree or disagree to it, but there is nothing much of a big difference overall when music is considered, but ymmv.
I agree, the Samsung is more feature packed and the Sonos is lagging behind. According to the ratings, the Samsung outperforms it in all metrics. So yes, you're right, the Sonos is not in the same league as the Samsung.
Certainly better value than Sonos as you get pretty good sound system for roughly half the price of Sonos. I have a Q900t and I am pretty pleased with it. Rtings reviews reflect that too.
Based on how many negs you got, looks like so many people haven't used a top of the line Samsung sound (bar) system.
I'm not sure why we keep performing these comparisons. Sure you can pump out a speaker than matches or exceeds the quality of another, but the UDP of Sonos isn't just the speaker, it's the ecosystem.
It's like comparing two cars purely based on their engines and nothing else. Sure, maybe a Kia will have the same kilowatt output as a BMW, but in now way should that be the only comparison point.
wow, written by someone who never used Samsung hw q950a. I had Sonos for a week and then returned to get Samsung q950a, couldn't be more happier, specially movies / dolby atmos. I could connect from Nvidia shield to Samsung q950a to TV through earc hdmi, whereas Sonos had no spare HDMI even to connect media players.
I could connect from Nvidia shield to Samsung q950a to TV through earc hdmi, whereas Sonos had no spare HDMI even to connect media players.
You connect the Arc to the TV through eARC, and the Shield to another HDMI port on the TV. Why does the Arc need to go to the Shield?
@redpen: That's because my TV isn't passing through TrueHD Atmos over earc where as Samung q950a can do Video passthrough 4K@60fps HDR 10+ and Dolby Vision to TV. So my setup is Nvidia shield pro -> Samung q950a -> TV.
This is just one of the cases, similar to that the existence of one HDMI-ARC interface along with two HDMI inputs do help in various other scenarios.
You're correct, I've never used the Samsung HW-Q950A nor have I used anything but the Sonos Five. My point still stands, whilst the speaker quality may be on par or better with Samsung, or the myriad of other brands, the UDP with Sonos isn't just the sound quality, it's the ecosystem of wireless speakers, apps, accessories etc.
Look at it this way, the iPhone is by no means the best phone ever. There are always phones out there that will have better screens, camera hardware, this that or the other. But as the overall package including the ecosystem of accessories, complementary products, and more make it one of the best on the market.
I'm sure your Samsung set is good, but I doubt it'll get many updates, I doubt it'll work with other speakers, and it'll be superseded by a new Samsung set is a week or so.
I would also argue my top of the line Kia has better/comparable features for lower price than a BMW as well, so yeah KW aside, buying for the name is a rip off.
Correct, looks like he would by BMW series 2 just because its BMW instead of even Kia Sorento GT Line !
Don't kid yourself. It's cheaper for a reason. Quality costs money. Kia, Hyundai, Suzuki etc want you to think you're getting comparable products, but you're not.
I drive a Golf, I by no means have a luxury car, but I've sat in enough of them to know there easily a difference between them. As Jeremy Clarkson once put it on an episode of Top Gear. You can easily shove a huge engine into a small car and make it as fast as a Ferrari, but it won't have brakes, suspension, tyres, radiator etc to go along with it that will be able to maintain that speed for extended periods of time.
@mlevit: When I'm running late to pick up the kids from school, I guess I am a bit racy but somehow I don't think I have to worry about my "brakes, suspension, tyres, radiator etc to go along with it that will be able to maintain that speed for extended periods of time" since I'm not often that late :)
Otherwise, guess I'll see with my 7 year warranty for the Kia, lucky it's not a 3(?)year warranty like on a BMW.
I did way too much research between all the leading kits, and ended up going with Sonos (the same setup as per this deal - was able to get it for $2300 from Good Guys on Black Friday 2020). Lots of little issues users had between Samsung, LG and Sony, and the Sonos isn't perfect either, but having set it up I get now why people fall in love with them. It's a much nicer, simpler, and great-sounding package, which is so easy to add things to, and which gets plenty of support. I also didn't hear about many reports of dropped or cutting out audio like the Samsungs and LG seem to be plagued with!
Don't get why you guys are downvoting my comment. From the RTINGS review, it's clear that the Samsung HW-Q950A is a winner. And it's only half the price than Sonos.
https://www.rtings.com/soundbar/reviews/samsung/hw-q950a
https://www.rtings.com/soundbar/reviews/sonos/arc-with-sub-o…
To provide a more balanced view, this is taken from the review:
The Samsung HW-Q950A is a better soundbar than the standalone Sonos Arc. The Samsung comes with a dedicated subwoofer and satellites, so it reproduces a more extended low-bass and has better surrounds performance. It also gets louder with less compression at max volume, and it comes with a graphic EQ and a Full HDMI In port. However, the Sonos is better built and has a better soundstage performance. Also, you can upgrade it as the Sonos Arc with Sub + One SL Speakers for better performance.
Rtings did a comparison between the Q950A and the Arc and Sub + One SL here.
The Samsung HW-Q950A is a better soundbar than the Sonos Arc with Sub + One SL Speakers. The Samsung has a more balanced, neutral sound profile out-of-the-box, which some users may prefer. It also comes with a graphic EQ, EQ presets, a Full HDMI In port, and support for more wireless playback options. However, the Sonos is better built and has a better soundstage performance.
Having listened to both systems relatively extensively over the last couple of months, I'd agree with the comments above. However, if the argument is price point….then my opinion is that the Samsung gives a great experience for a lot less money.
If price is not a concern….the Sonos for the win for sure thanks to its overall soundstage!
Horses for courses…..based in budget and needs/wants.
Did you even read the review? It says the entire set of the Samsung is better than just the Stand Alone Sonos Arc. Once you add in the Sonos extras, it beats the Samsung. Maybe you should read more carefully so you don't get ripped off.
This!
Lol those sonos haters only read the title/half the article..
And by "beats" it, you mean performs slightly better, for a soundbar, which is a pretty low bar already right?
"Low bar"
Depends where you mount it.
Did you even click on my links? You should read more carefully bro. The link is a 'Sonos Arc with Sub + One SL Speakers' Soundbar Review, not a standalone Sonos Arc review.
@MrMoo: “The Samsung HW-Q950A is a better soundbar than the Sonos Arc with Sub + One SL Speakers. The Samsung has a more balanced, neutral sound profile out-of-the-box, which some users may prefer. It also comes with a graphic EQ, EQ presets, a Full HDMI In port, and support for more wireless playback options. However, the Sonos is better built and has a better soundstage performance”
https://www.rtings.com/soundbar/tools/compare/sonos-arc-with…
@DanielYuuuu: Wait what about the line at the end where it is better build and has a better soundstage performance? Doesn't that leave it as not a black/white win?
@MrMoo: Once you factor in the Samsung being half the price, I'd say the Samsung wins overall. Unless you have the extra money to spend but then at that point you may as well buy a proper 5.1 sound system, or even a cheap atmos system.
@MrMoo: Wait what about the line at the beginning that says “The Samsung HW-Q950A is a better soundbar than the Sonos Arc with Sub + One SL Speakers.”?
@MrMoo: Duuuude, you just questioned someone if they even bothered reading the review, then admitted you didn’t either?
@Wyzard: I read the review that was relevant to what he was saying. He said the samsung one was arguably better. So I read the review about the Samsung one.
Why would I read the review about the Sonos?
@MrMoo: So you read the review about the Samsung that is relevant to what he was saying, but you didn't read the Sonos review which is relevant to what you were saying?
So that the rest of us are better informed when choosing between the Sonos or the Samsung, how did you conclude that the Samsung was inferior to the Sonos if you only read one review and not the other? ''Can you save us some time and just copy paste the quote?''
RTings reviews are not worth your time, and never, ever, trust their scorings without reading how they weight each individual score (and how many of those are not just subjective, but poorly assessed when done so).
These speakers aren't being tested for attack and decay, nor their crossover frequencies. Nothing is being done to assess the type and quality of speaker drivers in each unit.
Would you suggest another review website? I am looking to buy quality soundbar system and want to make informed decision.
AudioScienceReview do decent speaker reviews, but there's not a huge catalogue, and they don't do soundbars.
Looking around, there's not much
I would use Ratings as a starting point to figure out decent tonality (genuinely flat graph) tonality and a good crossover for the sub (80-150Hz), and relatively low distortion characteristics for the low and sub bass.
From those few data points, I would try to seek out better technical reviews, with waterfall and dispersal plots, not bullshit pesudo-enthusiast garble from places like Cnet, or shallow insights and boosted review ratings from places like What Hifi.
Try looking into soundbars that use BMR drivers or Ribbon drivers alongside dynamic drivers, as that should improve dispersal substantially.
Hell, this price isn't exactly that far from Sennheiser's top end soundbar offering.
@yacman: Thanks for the link, so in conclusion according to him: Sony at $3200 ranked 1, and Samsung at recent deals at $1350 ranked 2, Sonos ranked 3, Bose 900 ranked 4! The main drawback for Samsung was cloth for all speakers, LCD panel at top which can't be seen and may be for music not as good. So considering the price, function and value, Samsung seems to be the way to go, specially it gets discounted more often unlike all other systems! Hopefully their new upcoming model this year will have further improvement..
True, but they’re constantly updating their methodology, and are very transparent with regard to to comments pointing out discrepancies, and update their reviews based on firmware updates.
That said, each measure has a different value for each reader, so lumping them into a single score can be a bit misleading. Even the price is valued differently from one person to the next. For instance, I don’t value Bluetooth, but the lack of it on the Sonos made the Samsung score higher.
At any rate, it’s a significant leap ahead of the tired hifi magazine articles praising subjective aspects which sometimes border on the farcical, such as soundstage.
My argument is that they don't measure enough useful info, they don't really discuss speaker technology, and their subjective analysis is miles behind and often colours their entire process.
It's a step sideways, and we had it better before they came along, just not popular.
Use them as a basic index, then go out and try to find better technical and subjective reviews, because they'll be out there, it's just hard for most organisations to get their hands on samples, which is exactly how the marketing teams like it: they'll hand pick people they think they can elicit something appealing to the lowest common denominator.
Shows $3176 for me?
I got TGGs to price match the Unidays 15% off price for each individual item, and then used 5% off discounted gift cards. YMMV on whether the person you speak to will be willing to pricematch.
Also if not too fussed, you can grab the IKEA Sonos Symfonisk speakers to save a little extra compared to the Sonos SL speakers, just be mindful of where you plan to put/mount them. I ended up mounting mine under the kitchen island bench.
Same, gave my friend the Unidays 15% off code and he got it all for $2570 from TGG.
He used the 15% off gift cards from recent coles deal to sweeten the deal.
What Unidays discount are you talking about? I can't see TGG on there.
Unidays discount is for Sonos AU website. Then you can price match it at TGG or JB
makes you wonder how much better this one is than the $350 ex display stock samsung q70t soundbar that i bought off of ebay + $150 surrounds.
However much, i'd rather get an actual 5.1 surround sound or even 7.1.4 for that much moulla
if anything slightly better, but definitely not over $2000 better.
for that price it definitely wouldn't be a sound bar. i would get a receiver and a bunch of speakers.
Yeah same here - i don't care about how expensive the sound bar is, it will NEVER recreate the sound quality of decent satellites with 4-5 inch woofers and tweeters in a wooden enclosure.
Even a decent 2.1 system is hard to beat with a sound bar unless you have the rear speakers lol
How hard is it for people to understand sound quality isn't the only factor to consider
@spiff: So why would we purchase the Sonos product when other manufacturers are offering rather competitive offerings?
@BargainHunterJohnnyB: Well the sonos is physically much smaller than a real surround sound speaker setup. That often matters to people who don't know anything about speakers.
Of course it makes no sense to care more about how a sound system looks than how it sounds, but 90% of consumers aren't really putting thought into things like that, and honestly care more about getting the exact same thing as their neighbours, but a more-expensive looking one, than about buying things based on how useful and/or enjoyable they are.
See also: people buying little TVs for their dedicated home theatre rooms without even considering an actual projector for the same price or less.
@ItsMeAgro: Yeah that makes total sense - i'd say my 5.1.2 $350+$150 set up would be hard to distinguish from the sonos $3200 one - it can sound really good with the ATMOS speakers when it's turned up a bit more..
But maybe it's because i'm a bit of a bargain hunter my self.
Different use case mate. My Sonos system is all ‘tucked’ away, enough to stop kids to put a dent on the subwoofer cone or tweeter. Does it sound better than my component system? No it doesn’t. As I said, different use case for different requirements. If $350 is your price point, well…
Yeah that's fine mate, i still would not pay $2000 dollars for that set up, let alone frikken $3200 - the best sound bars are the Sony's and Samsung flagships anyway… My q70t was originally retailing for $750+, i just managed to snag up a real bargain, hence why i only paid $350.
No one cares about your sound system or what you would or would not pay for it mate
@spiff: no need to post in such an inflammatory tone - I'm just providing my professional opinion to fellow OzBargainers…
@BargainHunterJohnnyB: Again, it’s just not about sound performance. That is one of many factors to consider. Also lets be frank, Sonos do have a ‘brand snobbery’ associated with it, hence the elevated price tag. Whilst Sonos may have their fair share of debacle in terms of “forced retirement” of legacy gear (e.g. S1 vs S2 app), they do specialise in wireless audio rather than a jack of all trades like Samsung, therefore they will tend to support their products a wee bit longer by comparison. And again, you do pay for the privilege.
@moo: Yeah but is the software worth that much more? It's a bit of an apple vs android thing for me. Sure apple is really good, but not sure if it's that good too justify the price(s)… I'm posting off of a macbook pro BTW.
@BargainHunterJohnnyB: I wouldn’t say it’s ‘good’ despite owning it, I’d say it’s a lot more ‘polished’. It just ‘works’ seamlessly.
Which 5.1 surround system you will recommend for a home theatre for around 2K-3K price?
I'd recommend that you spend about 3-4 weeks just doing your own research and building your OWN tailored solution.. as far as speakers go Klipsch are great for home theater speakers whilst denon is great for the receiver - bit pricey, but they don't get much better than that since there is diminishing returns in home theatre when you're spending past the 5-6 mark.
You and I share the exact same thought. I recently bought a new tv and was looking into an audio system, started with no knowledge what so ever. After hearing what a Bose soundbar + bass sound like, I understand that is not what I wanted. (heck I am having a ~$250 z906 logitech and I thought mine sounds better)
Would totally rather spend another 1k and grab myself a 5.1 with actual surround sound system.
Audio really is all about personal preference and one should really do their own research, I myself am looking at the Yamaha for a AVR and partner with some speakers.
You can buy the Klipsch Reference Theater Pack 5.1 Surround System new on Ebay from the US really cheap, because it's sold in costco over there. buying locally it's about $1400, but on Ebay you can pay around $500 Aud. Then you could pair that with the Denon or yamaha receiver.
It was one of the options I was looking at before I eventually bought the sonos surround set.
I'd personally go second hand - 5.1 isn't a particularly new format and there's a crapload of gear out there.
If you wanted specifics, a 700 series rxv Yamaha reciever (or higher) paired with some Dali Concepts (or Polk) would be just fine. Save up to spend on an SVS subwoofer (like a PB1000 Pro) and it will likely all come under $3k for sure.
Yeah I got the Q70T. It's decent. I have NFI why anyone would spend this amount on a soundbar. A dedicated 7/9.x.x system would be the way to go.
Does the job just bloody fine mate and it's one of the soundbars that decondes both dolby and dts for those that have a dedicated bluray player
But you won't see the benefits of that decoding unless you have a proper 5.1+ setup.
how is this for karaoke
Depends on the karaoke system you have. The Sonos system unlike an AVR doesn’t have multiple source inputs. It typically relies on ARC or your TV’s HDMI hub.
What kind of karaoke gear do you have?
Depends on how drunk the people singing are
The sound experience of this is better compared to q950a but this is also a bit subjective.
However, the look of sono set is way better than q950a, especially the sub and you definitely going to pay for the look if you go with this set.
So, it’s all depending on your budget. You won’t regret going with either one especially when q950a is only 1250 ish in last deal from top of my head.
So cheap I bought one to Atmos my stand alone toilet. Thanks OP.
The sensation of rippling poop water reverberating against your bottom must be thrilling….🐤
I have this set and it sounds incredible, is fuss free, works every single time communicating flawlessly with my LG CX and the Sonos app is second to none for settings and ease of use. Hiiiighly recommend.
People often think of surround sound as useful for recreating loud cinema like experiences, but the real beauty I've found in this system is the subtle audio and how crystal clear and immersive it is even at lower volumes.
Gotta love the ‘night/dialogue mode”. I must say, since getting the Boost unit so isolate SonosNet, it seems to work better. Or maybe it’s all just in my mind…hah.
Yep, we have a 5 month old baby so night and dialogue modes get a very good workout. They work so well.
Had no idea the boost unit was an option. Mine has been flawless on an existing network with a lot of other devices, but definitely good to know it's an option if needed.
These two functions are great, and having both easily available in a widget on the android home screen/desktop is magic. But one thing that there has been many requests for on Sonos websites and reddit threads is also innluding the sub audio on/off toggle in the same easy access widget as night mode and dialouge mode? At the moment it takes about 15 seconds of menus to turn the sub on or off, which we do at least twice a day!
Otherwise amazing system and I wish I bought all of it at once, rather than dipping the toe in the water with the Arc, then adding the Sub Gen 3, then the Port, now waiting for a deal on the in-celing speakers and a couple of roams for the backyard.
Interesting idea for the quick sub menu! I just tried it and it's pretty damn quick as it is, taking around 6 or 7 seconds from opening the app to disabling the sub audio, but completely agree it would be nice as a quick option alongside the other common settings.
The Sonos app is bad…. the pre facelift app though not pretty was far more functional and easier to use than the current layout…
Also it randomly drops ARC connection occasionally with my C1, only very rarely happens, but it is annoying when it happens and have to disconnect and replug the hdmi cable.
In addition it overrides the LG's audioswitcher, always forcing it back to Sonos even if you say want to swap to bluetooth headphones.
I couldn't imagine an app with this much functionality being more reliable and easier to use, it's very well designed. The UX is some of the best, which is no surprise. In a matter of seconds I can change everything about the system without fumbling through a maze of menus.
I can't speak to the connection drops but i've only had my setup about 6 or 7 months now and it's blown me away with how reliable it is, especially when you compare it to AV receivers that often need to be adjusted every second week because of communication issues. It's one of the reasons I decided to pay extra for the sonos originally and it's been amazing.
Have you used the old version of the app pre- 2018. I've had sonos since 2012, when it was only available in the states at the time.
You used to be able to select the room and the music in one flow. Right now you have to tap the room and then go back to My Sonos to select the music. Also old app you always had volume slider at the bottom which makes adjusting volume far easier. https://www.google.com/search?q=sonos+android+2012&tbm=isch&…
I have 7 x Play 1, 4 x Gen 1 Play 5, 3 x Gen 2 Play 5, ARC with 2 x One SL and SUB (most of the play 1s and some play 5s are actually purchased for my work offices). Out of all of those, I have so far I have only had a single Play 5 gen 1 fail, and that failed due to a power surge that fried the internal transformer, that failed after about 5 years, Sonos does not have a repair service which is actually very annoying, also wasn't cost effective to take to a repairer, so they just gave me a 30% discount code, and this was before the Sonos upgrade programme came into effect.
The only gripe I have is how Sonos S1 and S2 do not get along, they can easily program it so it works together… but no, they make it so you have to swap apps to make it annoying for you so you upgrade.
'ARC drops' … That might be your C1 .. mine does it too and I don't use Sonos but a Receiver. I find after a software C1 update (not immediately oddly but within a few days) I need to power off both the Amp and the C1 and then after 10min power them on and its fine.. if I don't do that ARC is not working. This has happen maybe 3 times in the year I have had it so far.
Probably is the C1, because I can still switch to the HDMI input and see the "Sonos pattern" just no sound comes out if I play any video…
Have you ever tried using wireless headphones with the CX while the Arc is plugged in? For me, I have to disconnect the HDMI port just to be able to change the audio output.
Never! I might have to give it a try and see if I run into the same problem.
You will, it is a known problem, all over the sonos forums, no one has a real fix.
Try negotiating, most places will drop the price below this. I purchased same set last year for $2280 delivered, and felt I probably could have gone a little lower if I pushed it.
Are you not making things up?
Lol nope, I purchased from https://lifestylestore.com.au/ and negotiated over the phone. I negotiated $2300 elsewhere and they beat it by another $20.
![[WA] Sonos Atmos Home Theatre Set (Arc+Sub+2xOneSL) $2598 C&C Only @ Intelligent Home](https://files.ozbargain.com.au/n/64/676564.jpg?h=f61dda7f)
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/674321
This is a better deal