December 15, 2025

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Sonos has always occupied a specific corner of the audio world. Its products look minimalist, cost more than most competitors, and assume you care as much about software and longevity as you do about raw sound. The Arc Ultra is the company’s current flagship soundbar, and it follows that same logic. At full price, it’s a tough recommendation for anyone who just wants louder TV speakers. But right now, it is down to $879 from $1,099, a $220 drop and the lowest price it has hit so far, according to price trackers.

Physically, the Arc Ultra is large. It stretches over 46 inches wide and is almost three inches tall, so it works best under a similarly sized TV. Inside that long chassis are multiple angled drivers designed to bounce sound around your room, supporting Dolby Atmos for height effects without separate speakers. Compared to the original Arc, the Ultra adds Bluetooth, which makes it easier to use casually for music without opening the app every time. This “outstanding” PCMag review also notes that the Arc Ultra delivers clearer dialogue and deeper bass even without a subwoofer. That matters if you live in an apartment or don’t want to add another box right away. It connects via HDMI eARC, supports wifi streaming, and integrates voice assistants if you want them.

Where the Arc Ultra really makes sense is if you already own Sonos gear or plan to build toward it. You can pair it with Era 300 or Era 100 speakers as rears, and add a Sub 4 subwoofer or Sub Mini later. Everything syncs through the Sonos app, which remains one of the cleaner multi-room audio systems around, despite recent backlash over removed features (though updates have restored some functionality).

What do you think so far?

Still, this isn’t a value pick. A system like Samsung’s Q990C delivers a full surround setup for much less money. The Sonos argument is better build quality, a cleaner design, and long-term support. If you value audio clarity, expandability, and a polished ecosystem, the Arc Ultra is one of the best soundbars you can buy in 2025.

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