SONOS BEAM1UK1BLK Smart Compact Sound Bar Beam for TV - Black

SetupSmaller than I expected. Having Sonos speakers already made it quick and easy to setup. All I had to do was plug it into the mains, connect to the TV's HDMI Arc and follow the Sonos app instructions. I was able to create an Airplay 2 surround sound system with the beam and 2 of my play 1's fairly quickly during setup using the app.I recommend using the HDMI cable provided and adjusting the sound in surround Audio (for TV and Music) and Trueplay to tune the sound for the room; there was a massive difference after tuning it.Overall ImpressionPurchasing this product depends entirely on where you would use it and what you plan to use it for mostly.It is a 5-star system that is perfect for bedrooms, small or medium-sized living rooms on its own but once paired with two play 1's and a sub for surround sound, it is remarkable. One thing that this product makes clear is regardless of the quality and features of my TV the sound is far better with the beam.It shines during dialogue while watching tv, films, YouTube videos or listening to an Audiobook; the Audio is crisp, clear and distinguishable. It is also good with music, especially when paired for full surround sound if you are after a product that does home theatre and music exceptionally well then I would recommend the play base, it only has an optical connection. In contrast, the beam has HDMI ARC and comes with an optical adapter for older TV's, both can transmit multi-channel Audio like Dolby Digital, but HDMI transmits video and higher resolution audio which cannot be carried by an optical cable. So the beam is more of a future proof purchase.The sound is adjustable in the Sonos app by selecting speech enhancement (Dialogue icon) to the right in the app to make dialogue easier to hear; Night sound (moon icon) enables night sound to reduce the intensity of loud sounds.TroubleshootingThe first issue I experienced with it was out of sync audio, and I was able to resolve this by adjusting my LG TV sound settings to Dolby Digital.The volume icon displayed by my LG TV does not show volume level just a + and - so when adjusting the volume, you have no idea by how much unless you use the app. (I believe this might only affect LG TVs)According to the Sonos support site in Setting up Sonos Beam, Audio should not take more than 15 seconds to start once a TV is on, but another issue I had was it sometimes took longer before Audio began, yet to figure out exactly why.ConclusionA small but great looking product, with many features like Airplay 2, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, supports CEC (consumer electronics control) so you can turn on your TV and adjust the volume with voice commands and the app is easy to use. It is Reasonably priced and the best in its price range. I switched to my TVs speakers to compare, and I do not know how I have watched anything without the beam.

The Beam is built well which you can tell from the sturdy weight.Its design is sleek.It was so easy to setup. It came with a HDMI cable and an optical cable so you have a choice.Plugged it in via the HDMI ARC port on my TV. Already had the app downloaded on my iphone ready to go. Within 10 minutes I had downloaded an update. gone through the app setup and synced any accounts I needed to for my music too.Picks up the infrared volume control from my TV and virgin remotes and I haven't had to do any kind of syncing for this to work.The bass and treble controls in the app is a nice touch along with the Speech Enhancement option.Alexa is great at hearing your voice when you want to turn the tv off/on or turn the volume up/down.Compared to the back speakers on my 4K TV the Beam really does offer a massive improvement for any kind of programme you're watching whether it be comedy, sport or even a film.One of the best soundbars on the market in this price range. I may have to invest in a Sonos One just for the kitchen so I no longer have to pause live TV and go back to it.I was undecided on what Soundbar to get but definitely feel like I've made the right choice.

I purchased this to accompany a 65” telly in our snug as the in built speakers are generally a joke.I had a few requirements for a potential purchase; be wireless, be airplay compatible and ideally not require a subwoofer.This item fits all those requirements and Black Friday gave me a few pounds off so I decided to go for it.It arrives in a very nice box, hinting at the quality inside. The product itself is nice and weighty, feels solidly built, looks great and didn’t take very long to set up on the floor. I connected it using an HDMI cable to my TV on the ARC channel. It also comes with a small optical to HDMI converter. Not sure how that works as its still in its packet, unused.The set up required the install of the Sonos app and a software update and then it was ready to go. Next challenge, wall mount it.I refused to pay sixty pounds for a sonos wall bracket as I find that obscene for a piece of L shaped steel.I bought some L brackets from a hardware shop and sprayed them black, and with a little ingenuity and measurement I fitted them to the wall first, then secured the Beam to them. Works a treat and only cost me about 3 pounds.The sound quality is great but as I have now owned the speaker for about three months its turned fantastic. They do require some running-in as all decent speakers do and now it sounds even better. It has astonishing levels of bass despite having no subwoofer.It can be controlled either using the HDMI cable from the TV, a Sky Q touch remote or the app on your phone. The latter is handy when my little one has the TV too loud and I can hear it upstairs, I can knock the volume down from my phone.When playing using Airplay the sound easily fills the room, but I have noticed that when combined with my B&W Zeppelin the sound can get slightly misaligned timing. This is more likey to be the Zeppelin than the Sonos because of it’s age and lack of ongoing firmware development from B&W.I shall be adding some more Sonos units in the future, such is the quality of this. It’s very impressive.