I can’t tell what you are missing from looking at your post but a couple thoughts.

I haven’t heard a PlayBase for years but I’m pretty sure a Beam will be a step down, not up. The Arc will probably be a step up, but how much I’d wait for folks with recent experience with both to comment on.

An alternative is to get an Amp and two larger speakers, as big as your room needs to get the sound you want. Possibly add a subwoofer and use your Play 1s as surrounds.

Thanks for the reply. I find the Playbase lacks channel separation especially when watching streaming movies … was hoping the Dolby decoding in the beam or arc would improve that immersive feeling

I found the Beam’s speakers a bit too close together to give me the imaging I wanted in my media room, the Arc is excellent in that regard.

No idea if there are any decoder differences with the Beam/Arc.

The Beam works well in a smaller room where we are closer to it.

Thanks - may I ask what size your media/smaller rooms are?  We are in a fairly average Victorian terrace .. so about 5m by 5m approx 

Just trying to avoid buying another disappointment! 

Smaller room (in feet) 10x11 with an 8 foot ceiling. I sit about 6 to 8 feet from the Beam.

Really smaller room is 5x7, a bathroom where an excess Beam was exiled and sounds fantastic. :-)

Media room is open plan, L shaped with a sloped 11 to 14 foot ceiling in the main area, one side of the L slopes to 8 feet. The long walls run about 32 by 30 feet and the L is 14 feet wide.

The TV and Arc sit in a niche at the point of the L and we sit in the outside corner, about 10 feet from the screen.

Thanks Stanley, I have decided to wait a while until I can get to have a good listen in local hifi shop… was getting tempted by Black Friday bargain…but resisted

Sales will likely continue right up to the Christmas shipping deadline so get your listening done early.

Tried them both and overall preferred the clarity of the arc … thought the beam was a lovely warm sound and great for music .. anyway ordered an arc which arrives Thursday! Cheers for help