The inclusion of a remote control is unnecessary when your tv remote, cable box remote and multitude of other remote controls can be used to control the Beam.

The Beam is designed to be connected to a TV which already has a remote. The HDMI ARC connection between the TV and Beam will allow the TV remote to control the volume on the Beam using the TV’s CEC functionality.

Thanks, GS. The minimal set-up instructions make it sound like you have to download the app to your phone and control the volume settings with that. I find it insane to pay $400 for a soundbar or any other electronic device and it does not include a stand alone remote control!

Why? There’s no need for it. As stated above you can use your TV’s remote. You can also use voice commands.

A lot of people prefer a stand-alone remote for each component for various reasons. Just accepting that you need an app or merge with an existing device is caving to these companies who are too cheap to include it in the inflated price.

Good grief. 

very intelligent and helpful comment, jgatie

I would think the majority of people want less remote controls cluttering their homes.

If Sonos supplied one with their soundbars, I for one would leave it in the box.

You don’t have to use it. If you lose or break your TV remote, then what?

Simple. I’d get a new TV remote.

Sonos used to sell such a remote, but beacuse it needed a screen it was quite expensive. It worked very well (and it's passing was mourned by many) but the need for an expensive remote in times before phone apps was one of the things that kept me away from Sonos for a long time.

For many people nowadays owning a smart phone is standard. For me the Sonos app opened the way to Sonos. And the smart phone is very versatile  - I can also program my lights with it for example. Why is this such a problem for you?

It’s not a problem for me. I’m admittedly old school from the standpoint that I do not like to be so dependent on my smartphone for everything! If your phone gets lost, dies or craps out, you’re dead in the water. Anyone who blindly trusts their phones to the extent they do their banking and have other highly personal and sensitive info stored, is naive, an idiot and brainwashed.

Your banking info isn’t stored on your phone, it’s stored on the banks computers.  Assuming the person has some sort of password security on their phone, which any bank app would, then there is nothing stopping you or anyone else using the same security access to get to your bank.  It does not matter much if you chose to do online banking or not. Honestly, I trust banking from my phone much more than my checkbook, since anyone can forge a signature and right a check.

But digressing, what would you want to be able to use this hypothetical included remote control to do?  Volume control?  Sure.  You want to turn on/off night sounds?  Maybe, but what happens when Sonos changes the name of the feature or how it works, or adds other toggle settings through firmware?  Your remote is not so useful now.  Are you wanting the remote to switch TV inputs or other TV control?  Maybe control your cable box?  Why would a Sonos remote be a better fit for that?

In the days of CEC, I see more and more consumer electronics leaving off a remote.  Especially soundbars which, if using ARC like Sonos, have no remote functionality except volume and mute.  Companies would be foolish to spend extra on a remote with three (-/+, mute) buttons. 

How’s that for “intelligent and helpful”?