Hey Everyone! I’m not sure if I should get the Arc or Beam for my set up. I know that Arc is the better speaker, but not sure it is the better choice for where it will be placed. See the photo of the shelf below.
The shelf will only allow for 3 inches of space on the ends of the Arc and 2 inches of space above it. Since Arc has speakers on the top and sides, I’m not sure if the Beam would perform better for this situation.
What do you think is the better choice for this set up?
The Beam would be the better choice. There isn’t enough clearance for the Arc.
Even the Beam would be a bit compromised because it has side firing speakers, so putting it in an enclosure is not a preferred position. It just would not degrade the experience as much as it would do on an Arc.
Thank you both so much! I would have probably purchased the Arc, so I’m glad I asked :)
I don’t know how difficult it would be for wiring. If possible I’d try to figure a way to raise the TV and mount an Arc or Beam below it. As
To me it doesn’t make sense to purchase a speaker designed to deliver Dolby Atmos and cripple it due to improper placement; then later complain about the performance. If you intend to move forward with your placement I recommend the Sonos Ray; which is a better choice.
Read the official Sonos recommended use for the Ray that actually fits your placement scheme by clicking the link:
https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/ray
I am planning to make this room a home theater with a sub and two Era 100. Does that change your recommendation to get a Sonos Ray? I worry the Ray might be underpowered with respect to the other speakers. Knowing that this will be a home theater setup, do you still recommend the Sonos Ray instead of the Beam?
I am planning to make this room a home theater with a sub and two Era 100. Does that change your recommendation to get a Sonos Ray? I worry the Ray might be underpowered with respect to the other speakers. Knowing that this will be a home theater setup, do you still recommend the Sonos Ray instead of the Beam?
How big is the room? Ray is meant for smaller rooms but still would fit better in the location you’re proposing.
If you really want a good HT room, why not mount the tv and Arc on a different wall? Use that space for your Blu-ray collection?
Rather than sitting the soundbar inside one of those shelves, use a TV bracket that can mount the soundbar at a proper distance below the TV. The soundbar will then be in front of the wall, not trapped in an inappropriate shelfspace.
Rather than sitting the soundbar inside one of those shelves, use a TV bracket that can mount the soundbar at a proper distance below the TV. The soundbar will then be in front of the wall, not trapped in an inappropriate shelfspace.
Indeed hang the soundbar underneath the tv in front off the shelf with a mount like this
OK, here’s the down and dirty 
…
The suggestion(s) by
If you stick with placing a Sonos speaker inside a shelf the Ray is the better choice. The Ray will match perfectly with any Sonos sub and the Era 100’s as surrounds. It’s the only speaker per Sonos marketing that is “designed to be tucked away”. Click here for more info.
The Ray requires an optical connection to your TV. It does not accept a direct HDMI input of any type (i.e. ARC/eARC). Your audio will be Stereo PCM, Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS Digital surround (depending upon audio content).
To answer your question…the Ray is not an under-powered speaker; especially so considering your intended setup. The Ray is more focused to push all audio content forward to viewer/listener. The Beam on the other hand would not offer that type of emphasized directional audio push.
Most retailers offer a 15 day return policy…Sonos is 45 days. If you don’t mind “fishing” cables behind the wall to connect HDMI to a Beam and later optical to a Ray; you might consider auditioning both. By doing so you can decide if the Ray or Beam will sound better in your environment.
I’d suggest you listen to Dolby Atmos encoded material to determine how much degradation is experienced by comparison of the Beam to Ray. The Ray will downgrade the audio to Dolby Digital 5.1. If you perceive no difference, then the Ray would be my choice based upon cost; barring connectivity.
I realize you came to this community hoping for advice to make a clear-cut decision to acquire an Arc or Beam. As you can see Sonos designs speakers not just for listening enjoyment; but for certain use scenarios. Your intended mounting scheme has brought other parameters into play that makes the decision not as clear-cut as one might have hoped.
Oh…one last thought about room size. Unless you intend to employ the suggested wall mount and sound bar hanger…room size is irrelevant (unless you intend to re-think your room choice). A Beam or Ray placed in an enclosed shelf levels the field for both.
* Click here to see 3rd party mounts
I am planning to make this room a home theater with a sub and two Era 100. Does that change your recommendation to get a Sonos Ray? I worry the Ray might be underpowered with respect to the other speakers. Knowing that this will be a home theater setup, do you still recommend the Sonos Ray instead of the Beam?
How big is the room? Ray is meant for smaller rooms but still would fit better in the location you’re proposing.
If you really want a good HT room, why not mount the tv and Arc on a different wall? Use that space for your Blu-ray collection?
This is the only wall (in the photos above) that will accomodate my TV.
Rather than sitting the soundbar inside one of those shelves, use a TV bracket that can mount the soundbar at a proper distance below the TV. The soundbar will then be in front of the wall, not trapped in an inappropriate shelfspace.
Indeed hang the soundbar underneath the tv in front off the shelf with a mount like this
This TV comes with its own bracket already, but maybe I could replace it.
OK, here’s the down and dirty …
The suggestion(s) by
If you stick with placing a Sonos speaker inside a shelf the Ray is the better choice. The Ray will match perfectly with any Sonos sub and the Era 100’s as surrounds. It’s the only speaker per Sonos marketing that is “designed to be tucked away”. Click here for more info.
The Ray requires an optical connection to your TV. It does not accept a direct HDMI input of any type (i.e. ARC/eARC). Your audio will be Stereo PCM, Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS Digital surround (depending upon audio content).
To answer your question…the Ray is not an under-powered speaker; especially so considering your intended setup. The Ray is more focused to push all audio content forward to viewer/listener. The Beam on the other hand would not offer that type of emphasized directional audio push.
Most retailers offer a 15 day return policy…Sonos is 45 days. If you don’t mind “fishing” cables behind the wall to connect HDMI to a Beam and later optical to a Ray; you might consider auditioning both. By doing so you can decide if the Ray or Beam will sound better in your environment.
I’d suggest you listen to Dolby Atmos encoded material to determine how much degradation is experienced by comparison of the Beam to Ray. The Ray will downgrade the audio to Dolby Digital 5.1. If you perceive no difference, then the Ray would be my choice based upon cost; barring connectivity.
I realize you came to this community hoping for advice to make a clear-cut decision to acquire an Arc or Beam. As you can see Sonos designs speakers not just for listening enjoyment; but for certain use scenarios. Your intended mounting scheme has brought other parameters into play that makes the decision not as clear-cut as one might have hoped.
Oh…one last thought about room size. Unless you intend to employ the suggested wall mount and sound bar hanger…room size is irrelevant (unless you intend to re-think your room choice). A Beam or Ray placed in an enclosed shelf levels the field for both.
* Click here to see 3rd party mounts
Wow, thank you SO much for the incredibly thoughtful answer. I’m really impressed by the Sonos community. Your response is super helpful.
It sounds like the optimal set up is to use a wall mount which can hang the soundbar in front of the shelf.
As I mentioned in another response, this is my TV: LG G2 77-inch OLED: https://www.lg.com/us/tvs/lg-oled77g2pua. It comes with its own mount already, an it’s a “gallery” TV meaning it sits flush against the wall. Do you know of a specific TV mount that might work to hang an Arc in front of the shelf?
Rather than sitting the soundbar inside one of those shelves, use a TV bracket that can mount the soundbar at a proper distance below the TV. The soundbar will then be in front of the wall, not trapped in an inappropriate shelfspace.
Indeed hang the soundbar underneath the tv in front off the shelf with a mount like this
This TV comes with its own bracket already, but maybe I could replace it.
Search for vesa mount sonos arc on the internet. You can find lots of different models. I'm sure you will find one witch suits your tv bracket.
For what it’s worth, VESA is a standard by which almost all TVs use for mounting points on the back, and the vast majority of stands/connections match that as well. It’s unlikely that you’ll find something that doesn’t fit. You just need to find the mount that works the way you want.
With respect to VESA, there will be a TV spec that gives its VESA mount dimension, such as “200” or “400”. Just pick a bracket supporting that VISA dimension. Brackets can often mount multiple VESA dimensions, TV’s typically accept only one VESA dimension.
Hi
You may find what you are looking for at the link. The mounts attach to whatever wall mount you install. Although you may have slightly more gap between the TV and wall. If possible you may want to consult a professional installer. Good luck to get your Sonos positioned as you would like for your TV.
https://www.sanus.com/en_US/search/?q=soundbar%20mount
Many of the smaller ones are used for mounting computer monitors to multi-monitor stands.
https://mount-it.com/products/mount-it-quad-monitor-desk-stand-mi-2784
Enter your E-mail address. We'll send you an e-mail with instructions to reset your password.