we are going to explore every possible difference between SONOS ARC VS SENNHEISER AMBEO to find out which can better work for you.
Sennheiser AMBEO comes with a higher price range than Sonos ARC. Also, it is one of the incredible soundbars that supports Dolby Atmos. This soundbar is perfect for TV shows, movies, and 13 channels, making it worthy for home theater.
In contrast, Sonos ARC is a better option for movies and music. It provides the most accurate and crystal-clear dialogue. Features like Trueplay room correction and many more attract movie lovers more and more.
Let’s have a keen eye into the article for a detailed comparison between SONOS ARC VS SENNHEISER AMBEO And Alternatives at the end. We have selected some best alternatives for you in case you want something different.
SONOS ARC VS SENNHEISER AMBEO: Differences At A Glance
SONOS ARC VS SENNHEISER AMBEO: Detailed Comparison Explained
Now, it’s time for us to go deeper into the differences between SONOS ARC VS SENNHEISER AMBEO. This section will help to make your confusion clear about these two soundbars.
However, we are not going to find the best one; instead, we will highlight the better features of each soundbar. To mark out one as the best option is not a wise decision because each of these soundbars is best in its unique way.
That’s why it will be entirely your decision which you want to go with or which one fulfills your need.
SONOS ARC VS SENNHEISER AMBEO: Look As Good As They Sound
When Sennheiser AMBEO comes with a rectangle structure, Sonos ARC comes with a different curve body overall. Both look fantastic and premium quality, two excellent options for getting a place with the home theater.
SONOS ARC
An effortless but elegant design is visible for SONOS ARC. There is no extra design on it. SONOS tried to keep their soundbar as simple as possible. This is the actual thing that attracts the consumer again and again.
The length is quality long, but the height is small. This small height makes it perfect for becoming a companion in front of your TV. Most of the soundbars cannot get a place in front of the TV because they create an obstacle for the screen. But Sonos resolve this problem by making this soundbar with good planning.
Whole-body is made with plastic. This makes it durable and feels solid. For covering the sides and front plastic grills have been used.
In the back, there are no messy connectivity options. That place is clean with no additional holes.
This bar is suitable for TV sizes ranging from 45″ and more. You can wall-mount it but need to buy extra wall-mounting brackets.
If you are looking for a classy soundbar with a simplistic design, this one can serve you best.
SENNHEISER AMBEO
Sennheiser AMBEO is a package for those who believe in beauty with brains. This soundbar, undoubtedly, produces the most immersive sound at the same time contains a gorgeous design.
Very minimalistic exterior design it has with a matte black brushed aluminum finish. You won’t find any other design on it except the Sennheiser logo in one corner.
There is a LED in front of the bar in the center and a controlling panel for controlling volumes or others.
It feels like a premium quality soundbar, and anyone would love it after the first glimpse. That matte black look can increase any home décor beauty.
Now coming to the build quality in which Sennheiser again didn’t compromise at all. This bar is wrapped with a premium quality cloth that is removable. This thing helps to clean the bar easily whenever it is required.
Next to many may think that this bar is comparatively large but let me tell you that AMBEO contains more significant drivers than most of the bars. So, they took quite a lot of space inside the bar, thus making it a bit big.
You may not be able to place it in front of your TV because it can be an obstacle for the TV screen. This soundbar is a perfect match for TV sizes 65″ or more.
According to your decor or TV, home theater placement, you can place it anywhere else you want. But make sure this bar is visible for your guest as it can bring a bunch of praises for you.
SONOS ARC VS SENNHEISER AMBEO: Features
Now it’s time to see those outstanding features that both soundbars are famous for. Forgiving the ultimate movie, home theater, or music experience only the sound quality is not the only thing.
If you want intelligent features, then your soundbar should contain them. Or other criteria such as a subwoofer, drivers, etc. Are also important. So, without further delay, let’s see the features of SONOS ARC VS SENNHEISER AMBEO if they can match your need.
SENNHEISER AMBEO
Sound enhancement features
Sennheiser doesn’t have a lot of sound enhancement features but important ones.
Firstly, the Auto room correction features that is the most important. This feature makes sure the bar automatically adjusts the sound according to the environment or room. The result is dedicated sound quality in any sized space. This feature works with a microphone turn-on.
Then comes the dialogue enhancement feature. This gives crystal, clear sounds and dialogues every time. You can hear each word of the movies or lyrics in music.
Additionally, there is night mode, EQ with virtual surround feature. This virtual surround mode creates a 3D soundstage and takes the audio quality to the next level.
Drivers/ tweeters
The high-end drivers ‘ tweeters work effortlessly behind the defined, beautiful sound quality. Sennheiser is integrated with great drivers so that it can produce a great sound stage.
These are the core factor that makes this soundbar worth considering for home theaters.
Six dedicated 10-cm woofers, five high-fidelity tweeters, two up-firing drivers, and a full-range driver Sennheiser AMBEO are featured.
These six woofers produce 30Hz bass, which ends the need for an extra subwoofer. Many of you had this question in mind this far, and now all your confusion has cleared. Right? You don’t need more bass than 30 Hz unless you are a true bass lover.
Then five tweeters provide great precision of sound; highs and lows are balanced with the detailed midrange.
These drivers create an illusion of 3D virtual sound for incredible audio in your home.
Wireless connectivity
One significant benefit of SONOS ARC is the plenty of wireless connections. This bar supports both Bluetooth and WIFI. You can connect numerous devices with this soundbar and stream many contents.
Wired Connectivity
Like plenty of other features, Sennheiser got a sufficient number of wired connections. There are four HDMI ports, three for inputs and the last one for TV. We already mentioned in the difference table that Sennheiser supports both HDMI eARC.
This is the reason this bar compatible with Dolby Vision, HDR, 4K contents. You won’t miss a single piece of entertainment because of this soundbar.
But unfortunately, Sonos ARC just doesn’t support HDMI inputs except for ARC.
However, this is a Dolby Atmos support soundbar so that you can enjoy a superb sound every time.
Lastly, USB for updates, stereo RCA AUX, and optical input, with a subwoofer pre-outport option.
Remote control
Sennheiser AMBEO remote control comes with a decent controlling option for the users. But not plenty of opportunities, to be very honest.
The “AMBEO” button for selecting the advanced audio format, with volume adjustment, source button. It also allows you to choose Bluetooth connections, and since this bar supports Chromecast, you can control that.
Notably, there are six different modes with some presets which is changeable with the remote.
These are the basic controls of Sennheiser AMBEO. But this remote cannot satisfy the consumers fully. This bar price was high, and they should have been more conscious about the remote.
Extra smart control
For getting complete access to the bar, Sennheiser launched an app. With this app, you can control the rest of the controls, such as EQ preset, listening modes, songs playback, and many more.
Adjust how you like and enjoy a seamless audio experience.
Standby mode
This mode saves power for you. If the bar remains inactive for about 20 minutes, standby mode automatically turns on.
SONOS ARC
Sound enhancement feature
SONOS ARC supports several sound enhancement features. These are great as you can customize your audio and get the desired quality.
Such two are bass and treble control, and I mentioned them from the very first. I personally love these twos because I am allowed to adjust the bass. Only the bass lovers can feel the blessing here.
Then the Trueplay room correction feature lets the bar blend the sound according to room size. This works superbly because now you don’t need to be concerned about the room size. Whether it is big or small, you can enjoy it fully. But this feature is applicable for iOS only.
Next comes the Dialogue enhancement, night mode feature. You can get a more precise dialogue with this feature. The night mode enables the soundbar to lower the bass and other functions, so you can enjoy your movie or music time during the night without disturbing others.
Drivers/Tweeters
There is a total of 11 drivers that are integrated into SONOS ARC. Eight of them are woofers that are situated two on the top, four on the front side, and the rest on each side.
Three silk-dome tweeters with a Class D amplifier. This amplifier is capable of powering all the drivers. This makes the sound bold and vibrant.
Wireless connectivity
Sennheiser AMBEO allows the soundbar to work with WIFI, Bluetooth, Ethernet, etc. But here, the scenario is different since SONOS ARC only supports WIFI.
For some, this is not enough for a wireless streaming service, and for others, this is more than enough. Today you really don’t need Bluetooth if you have a WIFI connection.
All the electrical devices are compatible with WIFI, so you can connect your phone or whatever you want quickly. Just stream your favorite music or content you want.
Wired connectivity
All the wired connections are set up in the backside of the soundbar for a hassle-free design. There are proper sockets for a single HDMI port, an optical adapter, an ethernet connection, and ARC. Sonos ARC supports eARC too for presenting the high-quality signals from your TV to the bar.
Note: For enjoying Dolby Atmos sound format, your TV or streaming apps need to support Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, or pass through at least. Without encoding with these formats, your TV or media won’t be able to enjoy Dolby Atmos.
Another point is that a standard ARC connection is enough to carry out these formats. Also, if you are concerned about the apps, don’t get tense because now almost every streaming apps support high audio formats.
EARC can be used for Xbox or 4k blu-ray, PlayStation to work with higher Dolby Atmos sound formats.
Sonos app
Sonos app is another impressive feature of Sonos. This brings several controlling options within your hand. You can handle anything through it if you don’t want to use the remote or voice control.
Adjust the treble, bass, volume, playback, set alarms, or check new anything you want. If you don’t have the Sonos S2 app, then download it from the Google play store and enjoy your audio within your hand.
Voice assistant
One significant benefit for lazy people who don’t like to use the remote or the SONOS app is with voice assistant. Unlike Sennheiser AMBEO, SONOS ARC features Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
With the mic turned on, you can give single commands to your soundbar and do all the stuff that you were doing with the remote. Adjust volume, customize bass, treble, play music, or even set alarms.
This is a total hand-free innovative feature that gives an exciting experience. If you don’t want to use your voice, simply turn off the mic.
SONOS ARC VS SENNHEISER AMBEO: Which Sounds Better?
As we review the two most potent brands, SONOS and SENNHEISER, it is really tough to find the best soundbar. Both SONOS ARC and SENNHEISER AMBEO surprised us at every point.
But honestly speaking, SENNHEISER AMBEO performed really well than SONOS ARC. Both of them support DOLBY ATMOS, but the sound quality is graceful with Sennheiser AMBEO.
This doesn’t mean that SONOS ARC’s sound quality is not good. Compared to other soundbars of its level, ARC did an outstanding job.
However, let’s compare them to find out the sound quality.
SONOS ARC
SONOS ARC is something that you would love to pay the price for the outstanding Dolby Atmos performance. Its performance is stunning and praiseworthy in every aspect. There are very few soundbars that are capable of delivering Dolby Atmos content beautifully, and ARC did that promisingly.
This is more than a soundbar that brings a movie theater experience to your home. This bar surprised its consumer repeatedly; how can single piece hardware be so dedicated.
The sound quality is dynamic, rich a perfect solution for movies, music, or TV shows. For the TV freaks, nothing can be a better option than this.
If you can pay this much, it is for sure, you will get an incredible sound experience in your home. In a word, Sonos put most out of it into this bar for making the consumers satisfied fully.
Let’s discuss about the sound quality in a bit more detail.
Though ARC doesn’t have virtual sound mode, it still manages to bring the 3D surround into your home. It fills the whole environment with its fantastic sound so that you can feel you are in the actual content.
All thanks to the clever driver placement inside the bar. There are four integrated in the front and two on both sides. These side-firing speakers help get the surround sound that comes to the listener like a reflection.
Catch every moving object with precision and clarity. Every little foot-step or copper coming from above. The wider soundstage and Dolby Atmos content make this possible to happen.
This bar is perfect for movies because of the fantastic performance of the center channel speaker. The center channel works behind to catch the exact location from where the conversation is coming from or actions are happening in the movie.
It means from where the voices are coming from in the movie to understand the pinpoint location of every moving object. ARC center channel reproduces the sound precisely.
Now comes the height performance with the center channel. ARC again leaves the users speechless with the height performance. Those up-firing speakers produce the sound perfectly and compliment the height performance.
The highs are impressive, along with the mid-range. When all these components come along, it makes an incredible combination of surround sound stage. Ever vocal, voice, instrument sound, highs, mids produce detailed, crisp-clear, and rich.
Last, about the bass, that is an unavoidable topic for a speaker. There is a combination of eight woofers for a powerful, punchy, deeper bass. You can feel the warmth of bass without using an extra subwoofer for sure.
So, now what do you think about the sound quality of SONOS ARC. I don’t think you have any doubts about the quality and wondering about SENNHEISER. Let’s discuss about AMBEO sound quality.
SENNHEISER AMBEO
To be very honest, Sennheiser AMBEO is one of the best soundbars of this era. The price range bothers most people, but when you actually come to know about this bar and its sound quality, you are bound to fall for it.
There is hardly anyone that didn’t praise this soundbar. The sound quality is robust, graceful, in a word, terrific. This is the boss of all soundbars that provide Dolby Atmos sound.
For bringing the life-like surround sound in your living room and introducing you to the actual audio world, nothing can be a better option than this. This 5.1.4ch speaker ensures a realistic, most neutral sound performance every time.
This soundbar supports not only the DOLBY ATMOS but also content like MPEG-H. And now you may have realized the worth of this bar.
To know how the sound quality is good, let’s see some criteria.
Configuring 13 speakers, this bar can produce the loudest sound you have ever heard. This bar doesn’t need extra channels to get loud. It can stimulate the more audible sound with the highest volume that your heart may start pumping rapidly.
For a larger group of people, if you have a party, you don’t need to spend extra on another speaker. This speaker is capable of handling all of that. This bar saves your money as you don’t need to pay for additional speakers; instead, you get a complete package.
The Total Harmonic Distortion or THD performance is acceptable too. We are discussing this point too because it is impactful on total sound quality. The lower the THD rate, the more pure and accurate form of sound you can get.
Luckily, the average volume and max volume AMBEO THD rate is decent. You won’t disappoint with the clarity even in max volume.
Therefore, because of the 5.1.4ch setup, this speaker did excellent with the center channel speaker. SONOS ARC has a great center channel speaker, so AMBEO is.
The center channel speaker reproduces the precise, detailed, defined sound. You can feel the movement of each object where the sound is from behind the back or from above everything.
This converts the movie experience to the realistic one. You may feel you are present in the content if you have high-quality TV. Use the AMBEO 3D model to see the real magic.
With the support of Dolby Atmos, AMBEO 3D mode, and perfect placement of drivers, great height AMBEO creates a broader soundstage.
Therefore, virtual sound mode and again AMBEO 3D mode delivers a good surround sound. It really feels so good when you realize you are filled with sounds everywhere in your room and have a relaxed experience knowing you have spent in the right place.
Winner: SENNHEISER AMBEO
We did not expect SENNHEISER AMBEO to be this much significant. The price tag is pretty high, and many have the doubt it is not worthy of that. But SENNHEISER shocked everyone with the sound quality.
It supports many sounds format and works with HDMI in ARC too. There are plenty of wireless connection options.
On the other hand, SONOS ARC sounds beautiful but lacks more than AMBEO. If we are not supposed to compare them, then SONOS ARC is best of all.
As we need to find a better soundbar, which is SENNHEISER AMBEO, undoubtedly.
SONOS ARC VS SENNHEISER AMBEO: Drawbacks
SONOS ARC
- Don’t support HDMI pass through.
- Not enough wireless connections.
SENNHEISER AMBEO
- Expensive.
- Big.
- Placement can be problematic.
3 Best Alternative Soundbars
After seeing the reviews about SONOS ARC and SENNHEISER AMBEO, this section is for you if you want to explore a couple of different soundbars. We have enlisted the three best alternatives.
If you don’t want SONOS or Sennheiser, then you can choose from here. From thousands of soundbars, we have chosen them. So, have a close eye on these alternatives. You may find your favorite soundbar here.
Klipsch Cinema 800
For the Klipsch lovers, this Klipsch Cinema 800 is like a blessing. It is not necessary to talk about this brand. This is one of the most renowned brands in the audio world.
A couple of times back, Klipsch Home Cinema 600 ruled over people’s minds. And now they have brought the updated version Home Cinema 800.
There are two satellites, one big subwoofer, and remote control with the bar itself. That 10″ wireless subwoofer performs like a boss. It can produce precise and rich bass, which is ideal for bass lovers.
This soundbar is for the next generation sound system. It supports Dolby Vision 8K pass through and HDMI-eARC. There are very speakers available on the market that promotes an 8K pass-through. And Klipsch did that with complete dedication.
To handle this vast system, 800 peak power is featured in it. So, you can expect a dynamic, vibrant, and most realistic sound quality with this bar.
Samsung HW-Q950A
Though Samsung HW-Q950A costs half of Sennheiser AMBEO, it is capable of giving the toughest competition. With 11.1.4 CH set up, this brings the most life-like audio at home.
For setting up a home theater, this is one of the perfect soundbars. It is designed with the latest acoustic technology for excellent precision in sound.
Supporting Dolby Atmos, DTS, this bar gives a 3D surround sound. You will feel that sound is coming from your back, front and above. This actually fills the entire room with full of sound that feels so realistic.
This allows a wireless connection with built-in Alexa. So, you can control your bar over your voice and wirelessly.
If you want something like AMBEO but are also tight on budget, then this soundbar is the alternative.
Bose Smart Soundbar 900
Bose brought Smart Soundbar 300, 700, and last of all 900. This series’s soundbars are remarkable and best suited for home theaters. If you are on a small budget, go for Smart Soundbar 300, as you can get that under $500.
Otherwise, both Bose 700 and 900 are best for immersive sound quality.
As an alternative to SONOS ARC or Sennheiser AMBEO, only BOSE 900 can compete with them to an extent.
This soundbar comes in two systems, one with an extra subwoofer, or you can get a single bar. A subwoofer is a must for bass lovers, no matter how powerful bass the speaker can produce. For them, that extra subwoofer comes with the bar.
This bar supports Dolby Atmos, thus reproducing 3D sound. Like Samsung HQ-Q950A, you can feel the realistic sound. This bar just takes you in the content.
Not as powerful as Sennheiser AMBEO, but it has excellent value in the marketplace.
Final Verdict
We have reviewed the two best soundbars in the marketplace that are SONOS ARC VS SENNHEISER AMBEO. Both of these soundbars are powerful and deliver the life-like, intense quality Dolby Atmos sound.
Sonos ARC is a stunning performer that offers voice control, wireless connection, and dedicated sound quality, with only a slight lack of HDMI in.
Another hand, Sennheiser AMBEO is really expensive but offers an incredible sound quality with both HDMI eARC 4K pass through. It has proved its worth in every condition.
Though both soundbars are pricy, you have to pay this much if you want the next level of audio quality in your home. You can bring the movie theater to your home if you have this soundbar with a good quality TV.
Last of all the decision depends on your budget and need. Figure out what you want, or you can check out the alternative section too. Then go to your favorite soundbar.
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