Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Smart Soundbar

The compact soundbar category splits between dedicated home theater gear and multi-room lifestyle systems, and the Beam Gen 2 sits firmly at the intersection of both. At $449, it competes directly with the Vizio Elevate, the Polk Audio Magnifi Mini AX, and Samsung's HW-Q600C — all of which prioritize raw channel count or raw SPL. The Beam's differentiation is ecosystem depth and form factor discipline: at 25.6 inches wide and 6.2 lbs, it fits under most 55-inch panels without visual bulk, and it's the entry point into Sonos' expandable surround architecture, which matters more than any single hardware decision on this unit. …More info