The Sonos Beam Ultra makes a convincing case for a compact Dolby Atmos soundbar: Expert Reviews’ Jonathan Bray found strong bass, clear separation and persuasive height effects in a small footprint. But at its UK review price of £699, it costs £250 more than the Beam Gen 2, and Bray judged that price too high for most buyers. This assessment reflects his review, published 25 September 2026, not a live price check or an independent test by Freedom251.
What is the Sonos Beam Ultra?
The Beam Ultra is a compact, single-bar soundbar measuring 750 × 105 × 65mm (width × depth × height). Expert Reviews describes it as best suited to small and medium-sized rooms. It is 100mm wider, 5mm deeper and 4mm shorter than the Beam Gen 2, according to Bray’s review.
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Its top is covered in metal speaker grille material. Playback controls sit along the front edge, with a touch-sensitive volume control on the right side; five status LEDs are positioned above the Sonos logo.
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The figures below are UK prices cited in the Expert Reviews article published 25 September 2026. They are review-time prices, not verified current offers. Sonos Beam Ultra size and driver details, and the alternatives’ specifications, are included only where that review states them.
#1 Best Overall
- Enrich your entertainment experience with vibrant bass, crystal clear dialogue, and a panoramic soundstage.
- Experience a 3D surround sound effect with Dolby Atmos.
- Stream music, radio, podcasts, and audiobooks from all your favorite services when the TV is off.
- Control with the Sonos app, your TV remote, Apple AirPlay 2, and your voice.
- Effortless setup with only two cables and smart Trueplay tuning.
| Soundbar | UK review price | Size and sound configuration stated in the review | Practical trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonos Beam Ultra | £699 | 750 × 105 × 65mm; nine amplified drivers; full 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos, including two upfiring drivers | Compact format with physical upfiring drivers, but the review’s central objection is its price. |
| Sonos Beam Gen 2 | £250 less than the Beam Ultra in the review | 100mm narrower, 5mm shallower and 4mm taller than the Ultra; five drivers and virtualised 5.1.2 Atmos | Less expensive and smaller; Bray found it less spacious and less defined than the Ultra in his comparison. |
| Samsung QS90H | £799 | Size and driver/channel configuration not stated in the Expert Reviews article. | A larger-bar alternative named by Bray; the article does not establish a direct performance comparison. |
| Sonos Arc Ultra | Around £899 | Size and driver/channel configuration not stated in the Expert Reviews article. | A more expensive Sonos alternative named by Bray for buyers considering a larger soundbar. |
Bray’s comparison is most specific about the Beam Ultra and Beam Gen 2: in his back-to-back listening, he found the Ultra more spacious and defined. His review does not provide equivalent listening comparisons or full specifications for the Samsung and Arc Ultra, so the prices alone do not establish which larger bar sounds better or offers greater value.
What does the Beam Ultra sound like?
Bray says he used the soundbar for a week with films, television, stereo and multichannel music, comparing it with a Beam Gen 2 and his stereo hi-fi. These are his reported testing methods and listening judgments, not results from independent Freedom251 testing.
Atmos films and music
In Bray’s account, Atmos material produced strong bass, clear sound, separation and height effects that impressed for the bar’s size. He found the Beam Gen 2 less spacious and less defined in comparison. Adding a pair of surrounds made effects feel more enveloping in his room, although the extra speakers increased the setup cost.
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- Enrich your entertainment experience with vibrant bass, crystal clear dialogue, and a panoramic soundstage.
- Experience a 3D surround sound effect with Dolby Atmos.
- Stream music, radio, podcasts, and audiobooks from all your favorite services when the TV is off.
- Control with the Sonos app, your TV remote, Apple AirPlay 2, and your voice.
- Effortless setup with only two cables and smart Trueplay tuning.
Stereo music and dialogue
Not all material impressed equally: Bray found some conventional stereo music more compressed and hard-edged, and less bassy, than music mixed for multichannel playback. For dialogue, the review describes four speech-enhancement positions, from Off to Max. Bray reports that the feature made difficult-to-understand speech clearer in his test without unduly changing the wider sound.
What connections and formats does it support?
The listed physical connections are limited: one eARC HDMI input, a figure-of-eight power connection and USB-C. The review says Ethernet, optical audio and analogue 3.5mm audio can be connected through a USB-C adapter, with adapters reported at £19–£39. That is an extra purchase for those wired options; the review does not identify a tested adapter brand.
Wireless and audio features named in the review include Wi-Fi 6, TruePlay room tuning, Apple AirPlay 2, Bluetooth playback, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos and DTS Digital Surround. The article does not provide a separate official Sonos specification page for these details.
Rank #3
- Take your TV, music, and gaming to the next level with this compact smart soundbar and subwoofer.
- This set is ideal for smaller or medium-sized rooms and low to moderate volume levels.
- Use the Sonos app to easily set up your home theater system and sync with your existing TV remote.
- Sub Mini balances out the lowest frequencies so Beam sounds even better.
- When the TV is off, stream music and more over WiFi from hundreds of services using the Sonos app, your voice, and Apple AirPlay 2.
Can Sonos speakers act as rear surrounds?
Bray describes a Sonos 27 feature that lets a matched pair of Sonos Play or Move 2 speakers serve as rear channels and be moved for standalone playback elsewhere. The described setup requires two speakers of the same model; a mixed pair cannot form the surround setup. Re-pairing after moving them may not happen automatically: Bray says it may require powering the speakers on or enabling surrounds in the app.
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The review cited £568 for a pair of Sonos Play speakers and £858 for two Move 2 speakers. Those are the review’s figures, not verified current prices. Bray also says he could not test an announced Sonos voice assistant because it was expected later in the year; the review therefore does not establish that the assistant is available.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is the Sonos Beam Ultra worth £699?
Bray’s verdict is that the Beam Ultra performs impressively for a compact Atmos soundbar, but its £699 review price makes it difficult to recommend as the best soundbar for most people. The £250 premium over the Beam Gen 2 buys physical upfiring drivers and a more spacious, defined presentation in his listening comparison; it does not remove the practical limits of a single compact bar, including its restricted built-in connections.
Rank #4
- HEAR YOUR TV BETTER: Designed with simplicity in mind, the Bose TV Speaker is an all-in-one soundbar that clarifies speech and is a simple fix for better TV sound
- WIDE, NATURAL SOUND: 2 angled full-range drivers deliver a more realistic, spatial audio experience for overall better TV sound from a small soundbar
- ENHANCED DIALOGUE: This sound bar for smart tv is designed to specifically focus on clarifying and elevating vocals and pronunciation
- BLUETOOTH TV SPEAKER: Pair your device to this Bluetooth soundbar to wirelessly stream your favorite music and podcasts. Connect up to 3 devices through the inputs (HDMI, Optical in, and AUX in); the first powered on device will automatically connect
- SIMPLE SETUP: A single connection from this compact soundbar to the TV via an optical audio cable (included) or an HDMI cable (sold separately) has you up and running in minutes
Buyers who prioritise a small bar and want the compact Atmos presentation Bray describes may find its strengths compelling. If a wider presentation matters more, Bray points to the Samsung QS90H, cited at £799, and Sonos Arc Ultra, at around £899, as larger-bar alternatives. Those prices and his recommendation are tied to the 25 September 2026 review, not a current market survey. His succinct conclusion was: “Had Sonos decided to price the Beam Ultra at a more reasonable level, then a recommendation would be easy to make because this is one hell of a compact soundbar.”
Source: Jonathan Bray, Expert Reviews, 25 September 2026.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
