Sonos Beam

Home Theater Section
Network & Multiroom Audio
Remote & Voice Control

Home Theater Section

Multi-Speaker Array: The Sonos Beam houses utilizes a multi-speaker array to harmonize low and high frequencies. The Beam houses one tweeter for crisp and clear dialog, four full-range woofers for faithful midrange and rich midbass, plus three passive radiators for deep and accurate bass.

Class-D Amplification: Five Class-D digital amplifiers are perfectly tuned to match the Beam's single tweeter, four full-range range woofers, and the acoustic architecture of the passive radiator enclosure. Thanks to discrete Class-D amplifier technology, you get clear and dynamic sound at any volume level without distortion.

HDMI ARC: The Sonos Beam is equipped one HDMI ARC output to connect the soundbar to your TV's HDMI ARC input. The Beam's HDMI ARC output allows audio from your TV to be sent through the soundbar speaker system. The HDMI ARC output supports Dolby Digital (up to 5.1ch) and 2ch PCM. Some televisions will only pass 2ch PCM through the ARC-enabled HDMI input from devices connected to the TV via HDMI or analog, and will only pass Dolby Digital via the TV's built-in tuner, network apps, or USB.

Notes:

• If your TV does not have a HDMI ARC input, but does have an optical (toslink) digital output, an HDMI-to-optical digital adapter is included (supports 5.1ch Dolby Digital and 2ch PCM). The HDMI-to-optical digital adapter features a female HDMI connector on one end to slip on to a HDMI cable's male connector and a male optical (toslink) connector on the other end to plug into your TV optical digital input (you cannot use a dedicated optical digital cable with the Sonos Beam).
• The Sonos Beam does not offer an analog input connectivity for your TV.

Sound Adjustments: The Sonos Beam offers adjustable Bass & Treble, as well as a Dialog Clarity mode and Night mode. Turn on Dialog Clarity to enhance speech and vocals, so you never miss a word. Night mode allows you to enjoy late night TV without waking the whole house by balancing the sound output of loud and soft passages.

Trueplay Tuning (for Apple iOS): The layout of a room, and where a speaker is placed, can have a significant impact on the sound that you hear. Trueplay, an auto-tune app within the Sonos App, uses the microphone in your Apple iOS 8.0+ device to measure how sound reflects off walls, furnishings and other surfaces in a room, and then fine tunes the Sonos Beam soundbar speaker to make sure it sounds great no matter where you've placed it. The Sonos Beam speaker already sounds fantastic, but Trueplay brings you even closer to how music should sound. Completing Trueplay tuning for a room takes approximately 3 minutes from start to finish.

Note: Trueplay is currently not compatible with Android devices.

Wireless 5.1ch Speaker System: Add the Sonos Sub 1 Wireless Powered Subwoofer and a pair of Sonos One, Play:1, Play:3, or Play:5 speakers for a wireless 5.1ch surround sound experience (sub and speakers sold separately). Now you don't have to run wires to a powered sub or rear speakers to enjoy true 5.1ch audio. In conjunction with the Sonos Boost, you can even use the Sonos Connect:Amp as a rear amplifier with separate rear speakers; in this configuration you will still need to run wire between the rear speakers and the Connect:Amp (Boost, Connect:Amp, and speakers sold separately).

Mounting Options: The Sonos Beam's compact and versatile design make it great for small to medium size rooms where space is at a premium. You can place the Beam soundbar on your TV stand or purchase the custom designed wall mount (sold separately) to easily and securely hang it on your wall.

Network & Multiroom Audio

Sonos Multiroom Eco-System: The Beam is part of the Sonos wireless multiroom audio eco-system consisting of a family of wireless network speakers, players, and amplifiers. Start with a single Sonos product and add more Sonos products over time - including speakers, soundbars, players, and amplifiers (all sold separately - see Accessories Tab). With multiple zones, you can play the same or different songs in different rooms of your home. Up to 32 Sonos devices can be connected in one system.

Two Ways to Connect Wirelessly: Sonos brings great sounding music wirelessly to any room in your house, without a big wiring project through SonosNet or WiFi.

• SonosNet Wireless Mesh Network: Sonos can utilize its own SonosNet proprietary wireless mesh network technology to provides superior wireless range for whole-house coverage, ensure synchronous music playback, and avoid sources of wireless interference. The transmitting range of the Sonos wireless system is approximately 100', depending upon your home's layout. In addition to the Beam, you will need a Sonos Boost (sold separately) connected to your network router/modem via a Ethernet cable.
• WiFi Wireless Network: Sonos can also operate over your home's existing WiFi network (802.11 b/g; 2.4GHz). Because you are connecting wirelessly to your home's existing WiFi network, you do not need to hardwire a Sonos Boost to your router/modem. The Sonos system's wireless range will be dependent on your home's existing WiFi network.

Notes:

• You cannot connect the Sonos system via both the SonosNet proprietary mesh network and WiFi; you will need to choose one. Sonos recommends using its proprietary SonosNet wireless mesh network over WiFi when applicable.
• The Sonos proprietary mesh network will provide a more secure wireless connection with fewer interruptions for optimum performance.
• WiFi is subject to greater interference from other WiFi and 2.4GHz devices on your network. WiFi connectivity is not compatible with 5GHz (you will have to use the Sonos wireless mesh network in this case).

Ethernet Port (10/100 Mbps): In addition to built-in WiFi, the Sonos Beam is equipped with one Ethernet port (10/100 Mbps). Use it to wire directly to your router to operate Sonos if WiFi is unstable, or use the Ethernet port to provide Internet accessibility to non-wireless devices if you're using a SonosNET Boost setup.

Music Services & Libraries: Sonos gives you access to popular online music services and internet radio stations, and well as music libraries stored on your computer or NAS drive.

• Online Music Services: Sonos works seamlessly with Apple Music, Amazon Music (including HD), TIDAL, Pandora, Spotify, SiriusXM, Google Play Music, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, Rhapsody, Deezer, SoundCloud, and more; plus downloads from any service offering DRM-free tracks. (Service availability varies by region.) Click here for the latest online music services (some online services require a paid subscription).
• Music Libraries: Sonos supports playback of music from any computer or network-attached storage (NAS) device on your home network where you have shared music folders. Sonos can play music stored on up to 16 PCs, Macs or NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices on your home network, supporting the most popular audio formats. Sonos indexes your music folders so you can view your music collection by categories (such as artists, albums, composers, genres, or tracks). Sonos supports the following audio file formats - MP3 (compressed), WMA (compressed), AAC (MPEG4), Ogg Vorbis, Audible (format 4), Apple Lossless, FLAC (lossless), WAV (uncompressed), and AIFF (uncompressed).

AirPlay 2 with Siri: AirPlay 2 is an advanced and easy-to-use wireless multiroom audio platform for iTunes, Apple Music, and other compatible Apple iOS apps. With AirPlay 2 you can play any audio from your Apple iOS device (running iOS 11.4 or later) or Mac computer (running OS X 10.13.2) on select Sonos components and other compatible AirPlay 2 speakers throughout your home. You can choose to play audio in one room, play the same audio in grouped rooms, or play the same audio in every room. If you are an Apple Music subscriber, you can even play different music in different rooms (you can control and group directly from Apple's Music App and Home app on your Apple iOS device). You'll be able to ask Siri-enabled devices (like your Apple iPhone, iPad, or Watch) to control playback of your Apple Music content on the Sonos unit. You can even watch videos and movies from YouTube and Netflix on your compatible Apple iOS device or Mac computer with perfectly synced audio on the Sonos product.

• Compatible AirPlay 2 Devices From Sonos: Sonos One (Gen 1/Gen 2), Play:5, Amp, Port, Playbase, and Beam all support AirPlay 2.
• Non-Compatible AirPlay 2 Devices from Sonos: Even though the Sonos Play:1, Play:3, Playbar, Connect, Connect:Amp, and ZonePlayer are not AirPlay 2 compatible, you can still group these Sonos devices with an AirPlay 2 compatible Sonos product (listed above) to unlock AirPlay for your entire system.

Home Network Requirements: To access Internet music services, Internet radio, and any digital music stored on your computer or Network-Attached Storage (NAS) device, your home network must meet the following requirements:

• High-speed DSL/Cable modem, or fiber-to-the-home broadband connection for proper playback of Internet-based music services. If your Internet service provider only offers Satellite Internet access, you may experience playback issues due to fluctuation in download rates.
• If your modem is not a modem/router combination and you want to take advantage of Sonos' automatic online updates, or stream music from an Internet-based music service, you must install a wireless router in your home network. If you don't have a wireless router, you will need to purchase and install one before setting up your system.
• The Sonos Controller app (for Apple iOS 11.0+ and Android OS 7.0+) is required for system setup. Initial setup is not possible through the Sonos Controller software (for Windows PC (7-up) and Mac OS X 10.10-up).
• Connect at least one Sonos component to your home network router using an Ethernet cable, and then you can add other Sonos components wirelessly. Or setup your Sonos component wirelessly via WiFi without any hardwire connection.
• For best results, you should connect the computer or NAS drive that contains your personal music library collection to your home network router using an Ethernet cable.
• Make sure all of your Sonos components have the latest software update installed.

Note: Although Sonos is compatible with most networking equipment, some network devices are incompatible. Usually when networking hardware does not work with Sonos, it's because it lacks support for the network protocols that Sonos uses to operate, like UPnP, STP, and SMB/CIFS.

Automatic Updates: The Sonos Beam supports free automatic software updates so you will always have the newest features and music services to enjoy. Simply register the Beam and Sonos will automatically notify you when software updates are available through Sonos Controller app. By simply pressing one button your system updates itself.

Remote & Voice Control

Sonos Controller App: Sonos allows you to control playback functions, search features, and multiroom audio distribution through the Sonos Controller app (for Apple iOS 11.0+ and Android OS 7.0+) or the Sonos Controller software (for Windows PC (7-up) and Mac OS X 10.10-up) - letting you control the entire Sonos eco-system from your compatible smartphone, tablet, laptop, or computer. The new navigation bar (My Sonos, Rooms, Browse, Search and More) at the bottom of the app makes finding what you're looking for effortless and moving between music quicker than ever. 

• My Sonos: Organize your music with the My Sonos tab. It's the simplest way to combine and access all the music you love. Bringing together in one simple screen all your favorite songs, playlists, albums, podcasts and radio stations from across your different music services.
• Now Playing: The Now Playing screen features album art and basic playback controls. For a deeper look into the music you're listening to, the "Info View" screen gives you artist bios, album reviews and concert listings. See related artist suggestions to discover a new band for your queue. You can also add to your playlists, delete songs from your library, and share tracks to Twitter or Facebook.
• Rooms: You can choose to play different songs in different rooms, choose to group all rooms together to hear the same music throughout your home, or choose to group only certain rooms together for music playback. You can also crank up the volume for each room individually or together.
• Browse & Search: Browse your music services, favorites, internet radio, personal music library and playlists. You can browse your music content by Album, Artist, Song, or Playlist. You can even search across all of your music services and files simultaneously, so you can find the music you love instantly.
• More: Provides personalized & custom settings for your Sonos system. Adjust and audio settings like bass, treble, balance, and loudness for each room location.

Note: The Sonos device, Apple iOS/Android device, Windows PC, and/or Mac computer must be connected to the same wireless network.

Built-in Microphones with Voice Control: The Sonos Beam blends great sound and multiroom audio with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for voice-activated, hands-free control of your music and more. Five far-field microphones with advanced beamforming and multichannel echo-cancellation are built in to Sonos Beam to detect your voice from any direction, anywhere in the room. When the microphone LED is on, Alexa or Google Assistant is ready for a voice command (these microphone can be turned off). You can speak at natural volume to activate Alexa or Google supported voice commands. Based on your preference, you can choose to have voice feedback turned on or off. You'll be able to control music and multiroom playback with just your voice. You can also use the Sonos Beam like any other Alexa Echo or Google Home device and ask non-music related commands (like information about the weather, traffic, news, sports, etc) or have Alexa control your smart home devices. Specific control functions will vary by digital voice assistant.

• Amazon Alexa: Voice control functions supported by Amazon Alexa -
  • Music:You can ask Alexa to play music on a specific Sonos device in an specific room of your home from these featured music services (Apple Music, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Pandora, iHeartRadio, SiriusXM, & Spotify). Using the Alexa app, you can group your Sonos products and your Alexa-enabled devices together. This makes it easier for Alexa to control your Sonos products based on which room or area they are in. You can pause, resume, and skip songs, as well as change the volume with all Sonos compatible online music services.
  • TV: For compatible TVs, Sonos Beam introduces commands specific to TV use, including "Turn on the TV" and "Turn off the TV". Sonos Beam also follows commands such as "Turn it up" and "Mute", applying them to the TV volume. Sonos Beam must be connected to your TV's HDMI-ARC input and your TV needs to support CEC features. Amazon Alexa voice control for your TV will not work if the Sonos Beam is connected via the included optical adapter.
  • Fire TV: The Sonos Beam can also be linked to Alexa-enabled video streaming devices such as Fire TV (sold separately). Once linked, you can control these services with the Sonos Beam by switching to specific network or tuning to a certain channel - all with just your voice. If you've logged into Netflix or added HBO shows onto your Fire TV, you'll even be able to select shows by their title using only your voice.
• Google Assistant: Voice control functions supported by Google Assistant -
  • Music:You can ask Google to play music on a specific Sonos device in an specific room of your home from these featured music services (Google Play, Spotify, YouTube Music, Pandora, Deezer, Tidal, TuneIn, and iHeartRadio). You can pause, resume, and skip songs, as well as change the volume with all Sonos compatible online music services.
  • TV: For compatible TVs, Sonos Beam introduces commands specific to TV use, including "Turn on the TV" and "Turn off the TV". Google voice control for your TV will not work if the Sonos Beam is connected via the included optical adapter.
  • Google Broadcast: Broadcast a message to everyone in your home over your Sonos One, Beam, or other Google Assistant-enabled devices. Include your message after the command.

Notes:

• You can only configure your Sonos system to work with one digital voice assisant; choose either Alexa or Google Assistant (you cannot use both). You will need to search and enable the Sonos skill from the Alexa or Google Home app on your mobile device or computer. Your Sonos equipment and Amazon Alexa-enabled devices must be on the same wireless network.
• Sonos and Alexa or Google Assistant work together using a single Amazon or Google account. If you have a second Sonos system in another location, you'll need to use a second Amazon or Google account if you'd like to use Alexa. An Amazon or Google account can only be in use on one Sonos system at a time.
• Click here for more information regarding Amazon Alexa on Sonos. Click here for more information regarding Google Assistant on Sonos.

HDMI CEC: The Sonos Beam soundbar speaker does not come with a remote, but does offer HDMI CEC compatibility so you can control basic functions of the soundbar from your HDMI connected TV's remote. Basic functions include Power On/Off, Volume Up/Down, and Mute. HDMI CEC will not work if the Sonos Beam is connected via the included optical adapter.

IR Commands: Even though the Sonos Beam does not come with a remote control, it does feature a front-panel IR receiver that can receive commands from a TV remote control. Your TV's remote control will need to be programmed to operate the Sonos Beam. Control functions only include Volume Up and Down. Click this link for instructions on how to program your TV's remote to operate the Sonos Beam.