Sonos

Beam Ultra Soundbar, Black

For the household that watches films at home

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$699.00Price as of Nov 11, 9:17 AM ET Details

A good shared gift for a household that watches a lot of TV and films: a compact Dolby Atmos soundbar that makes dialogue clearer, as long as their TV has an HDMI ARC or eARC port (eARC for Dolby Atmos).

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Gift notes by Shnoop Editors · Updated November 11, 2026

Why it works as a gift

Flat TVs sound thin, and dialogue is often the first thing to get lost. The Beam Ultra is aimed squarely at that: Sonos builds in a speech-enhancement setting with four levels and a Night Sound mode for quieter late viewing, and its nine amplifiers drive five tweeters (two firing upward for Dolby Atmos) and four woofers.

It makes a better gift than most electronics because it improves something the whole household already does every evening, without a new habit to learn: it works with the TV remote they already use, and Trueplay tunes the sound to the room from a phone. At about 30 inches wide and 2.5 inches tall, it sits under most TVs without taking over the room.

The alternative at a lower budget is a single Sonos speaker for music. Choose the soundbar when the TV is the centre of the living room; choose a speaker when music matters more than films.

Who it’s for

A partner who complains about TV dialogue and keeps turning on subtitles
A couple who have just bought a new TV and are still using its built-in speakers
A dad who watches sport and films at home and already streams music on his phone

Skip it if

Their TV has no HDMI ARC or eARC port (an optical adapter is sold separately), or it is an older CCFL-backlit set from 2004–2012, which Sonos lists as not compatible
They already have a Sonos or other home-theater system
They rarely watch TV and mostly listen to music; a standalone speaker suits them better

Giving it

Check the back of their TV for an HDMI port marked ARC or eARC before you buy
The box includes power and HDMI cables; a wall mount is sold separately if their TV is on the wall
Sonos lists free shipping and 30-day returns on its own store orders; check the return window if you buy elsewhere

The facts

Speakers: Nine amplifiers, five tweeters (two upward-firing) and four woofers; Dolby Atmos
Connections: HDMI eARC/ARC, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, AirPlay 2
Size: 29.53 x 4.13 x 2.56 inches; 6.35 lb
In the box: Soundbar, 6 ft power cable, 4.9 ft HDMI cable, setup guide

Consider instead

Sonos Era 100 — For someone who listens to more music than they watch films
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones — A personal listening gift rather than one for the living room

Shnoop hasn’t tested this product. These notes come from the maker’s and retailer’s published information, read against our gift criteria. How we pick. Sources: Sonos: Beam Ultra.

A note from the editors

Not quite right? Here’s what we’d look at next.

The best gift fits the person and the moment, not just the category. If this one misses on price or feel, these are close cousins we’d suggest for them.