The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is simply the best sub-£500 soundbar available. It's so good, in fact, that it trounces many soundbars that cost significantly more. That's why it has just picked up its third What Hi-Fi? Award in a row.
The problem with the Beam being so good and therefore so popular is that it doesn't often get huge discounts from its launch price of £499 / $499 / AU$799. That said, discounts do come along now and then, and the Boxing Day sales are a great time to find one.
Here are the latest and lowest prices available right now:
We loved the original Sonos Beam when it arrived in 2018, but its successor is even better. The second-generation Beam (Gen 2) not only lives up to the high bar set by its predecessor but exceeds it by a margin that more than justifies its new feature set and higher cost.
The Beam Gen 2 ups the ante with forward-facing drivers and more processing power, opening up the door to immersive virtual Dolby Atmos audio. There's also eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) connectivity, which means the latest Beam can handle the higher bandwidth Dolby True HD Atmos format.
Atmos aside, it sounds incredible, reaching deeper than the Beam Gen 1 with more refinement, a warmer treble, and wider dynamic range. Where the Beam Gen 1 might skim over certain complex sounds the Gen 2 has a greater capacity to take them on, consistently resulting in a richer, more nuanced and varied listening experience.
If you're in the market for a sub-£500 soundbar, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is comfortably your best option.
MORE:
Here are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars you can buy right now
And these are the best TVs
