Review-of-Sonos-Arc-Ultra-Soundbar-&-Sub-4-Wireless-Subwoofer-in-the-UAE-1
Sonos Arc Ultra Soundbar & Sub 4 Wireless Subwoofer
Summary
The Sonos Arc Ultra Soundbar and Sub4 Subwoofer are a premium combination delivering 9.1.4 spatial audio, deep bass, and cutting-edge features. Explore its eco-friendly design, immersive sound quality, and seamless integration into the Sonos ecosystem. Perfect for audiophiles and home theatre enthusiasts.
Introduction
Sonos, a home audio pioneer founded in 2002, revolutionised how we experience music. Its products are dedicated to crafting premium sound systems that seamlessly integrate into modern homes. Sonos offers a diverse range of wireless speakers, soundbars, and home theatre systems designed to deliver exceptional audio quality and effortless control. With a focus on innovation and user experience, Sonos continues to push the boundaries of home entertainment, empowering users to curate personalised listening experiences. Here is the Sonos Arc Ultra & Sonos Sub4 Subwoofer.
I have reviewed the Sonos Roam 2 portable speaker and Sonos Ace Headphones. While reviewing the Sonos Ace headphones, the brand sent their Sonos Arc Soundbar, which I covered briefly. Now I have the Sonos Arc Ultra Soundbar and Sub 4 woofer, a complete Home Theatre set. So, could you read more about the devices in detail?
Eco-friendly and Sturdy Packaging
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I begin my review with the packaging of the Sonos ARC Ultra Soundbar. The eco-friendly brown paper material feels sturdy and robust. Apart from the plastic top cover locking mechanism, the packaging uses paper for everything else. Cable tags (made of wire with plastic covering) and HDMI and power cable holding tags also feature paper construction. The box delivers a solid build, with the interior box perfectly shaped to fit the Soundbar and the accessory box neatly tucked beneath it. A black, biodegradable, well-fitted pouch with a round self-adhesive sticker secures the Soundbar.
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The Sub4 arrives in similar brown paper packaging, printed with eco-friendly ink and a two-tone product image. It also comes wrapped in a biodegradable black cover. This packaging is the best for electronic devices, aligning perfectly with eco-friendly and sturdy packaging standards.
Design & Specification
Sonos Arc Ultra Soundbar
The Soundbar has a dimension of 1,178 mm x 110.6 mm) x 75 mm and weighs 5.9kgs. It is available in White and Black colours. The review unit which I got is black.
The device features a matte finish and includes a single HDMI port. It supports Wi-Fi 6 for seamless connectivity. Connect the HDMI cable to the TV’s eARC/ARC port for optimal performance. The device can connect to Wi-Fi with any 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax 2.4 GHz/5 GHz broadcast-capable router. Arc Ultra has an optical audio adapter and supports Bluetooth 5.3. The Soundbar has a built-in Quad Core 4xA55 (1.9GHz). It has 2GB SDRAM and 8GBNV. It works on a 100- 240V 50/60Hz internal power supply.
The Sonos Arc Ultra comes with fifteen Class-D digital amplifiers. It has seven precisely angled silk-dome tweeters that create crisp high frequencies and transparent dialogue. Two of these fire upward, creating dedicated height channels for spatial audio. Six mid-woofers ensure faithful playback of mid-range frequencies. It has a four-motor (Sound Motion) dual-membrane woofer that delivers exceptional bass in a revolutionary, flat, compact design. The far-field microphone array uses advanced beamforming and multichannel echo cancellation for quick, accurate voice control and Trueplay tuning. Disconnect by toggling off the mic switch. It supports Dolby Atmos with compatible content. The Soundbar supports Swap TV audio between the Soundbar and Sonos Ace headphones. The Soundbar works with Sonos Voice Control and Amazon Alexa. It works with AirPlay 2 on Apple devices, iOS 11.4 and higher, on Wi-Fi. The box has a Power Cable (2m), HDMI Cable (1.5m), Quick-start Guide, and legal/warranty information.
The Sonos Arc Ultra activated and connected with the Sonos App to control the sound bar, as the device doesn’t come with a separate remote control.
Sonos Sub4 (Wireless Subwoofer)
The Sonos Sub4, a wireless Subwoofer, has dimensions of 402 mm x 389 mm x 158 mm and weighs 11.79 kg. It is available in White and Black colours. The Subwoofer comes in a smooth Matt finish. The structure of the Subwoofer is square, with a vertical rectangular gap in the centre. This is for the reflective bass woofer for depth in sound. It has one join button to add Sub4, which helps connect to the Sound Bar. It can connect to Wi-Fi with any 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax 2.4 GHz/5 GHz broadcast-capable router. 10/100 port for hardwiring to your router. The Subwoofer supports a 100- 240V 50/60Hz internal power supply. It has a built-in Quad Core 4xA55 (1.9GHz). It has 512 MB DDR4 and 4GB eMMC.
The Sonos Sub4 comes with Dual Class-D digital amplifiers perfectly tuned to the Subwoofer’s unique acoustic architecture. Dual 5″ x 8″ elliptical woofers face inward for a force-cancelling effect that virtually eliminates distortion. The Subwoofer provides a frequency as low as 25Hz. The Sonos Sub4 wireless Subwoofer can be activated and connected with the Sonos App to control the Sub4, as the device doesn’t have a separate remote control. It supports Trueplay tuning.
The box has a Power Cable (2m), a Quick-start Guide, and legal/warranty information.
The Review
After I removed both products from the packaging, I connected the Sonos Arc Ultra Soundbar to the power source and used the provided HDMI cable to connect to the TV’s HDMI eARC/ARC port. I also connected the Sonos Sub4 Wireless Subwoofer to the power source. You don’t have to keep it near the Soundbar because it is a wireless Subwoofer.
How to connect the Sonos Arc Ultra and Sub4 with the Sonos App?
To activate the Soundbar and Sub4 Subwoofer, download the SONOS App from the Google Store, Apple App Store and Sonos Web App. Once you have downloaded the Sonos App, you must follow the instructions on the App. If this is the first time you are using the Sonos App, you must create a login and join the Sonos Ecosystem as I have already made a Sonos login and have reviewed the Sonos Ace Headphones, Sonos Arc sound bar, and Sonos Roam2 portable speaker. I had to add the Arc Ultra sound bar to the app.
I had issues connecting the Soundbar at the start, and it took 3 to 4 hours to connect. You can read about my mistake, and I hope whoever is reading this review won’t make this silly mistake.
Mistakes I made, and you can avoid
Here is my mistake, which many consumers could make with Sonos App. I directly tried to add the sound bar with the “Add Speaker or Component”. Then, I was directed to log in to my account. Then, following the process, I added the sound bar with Wi-Fi. And I got stuck as it asked for the Wi-Fi and password. I chose the Wi-Fi, but the app would not accept the correct password. It confused me, and trust me, I wondered if I was wrong. Then, after a few hours, I realised I had to use the existing account Button with my login.
If you are a first-time user, you have to log in and then “Add Speaker or Component” and follow the process of connecting to Wi-Fi and completing the process.
As an existing user, I had to use the “Join the existing system” option, and there was no issue connecting the Sonos Arc Ultra sound bar. The process went very smoothly, and even I could connect to the Wi-Fi router with my login and password. Then, you will connect to the chosen room, like for me, “Living Room,” as I set up for my preference.
Then, I connected the Sub4 wireless Subwoofer via the App. To complete the process, you must touch your mobile phone to the Sub4 near the connect button area and get the PIN. Then, you will add it to the chosen room, “Living Room,” and connect it with the Soundbar.
Setting up the Trueplay Tuning
The next step was to set up Trueplay Tuning, which helps to create the surrounding system according to your room’s dimensions and surrounding walls, plants, and furniture. You have to follow the process and download the additional software and permission for the microphone on your smartphone. After the software is updated, you have to connect, and following the process, you have to press the button on the Arc Ultra while the flashing light is on the Soundbar. With this, you will hear the low chime sound, and Arc Ultra and Sub 4 will measure the surroundings. You will connect with the Soundbar and be ready with the TruePlay Tuning.
Audio Quality
Sonos Arc Ultra Soundbar
The Sonos Arc Ultra has acoustic architecture powered by 14 Sonos-engineered drivers and advanced technologies like Sound Motion. With Dolby Atmos, Arc Ultra brings sound to life with sensational definition, enveloping you in a 9.1.4 spatial audio experience. Compared to an earlier version, the new Soundbar has a speaker array that maximises centre channel performance for crisp dialogue. The Sound Motion woofer delivers deeper, richer bass and helps unlock the all-new acoustic architecture, which features three more drivers than the earlier Sonos Arc. The Upward-firing drivers reflect sound off the ceiling for an astonishingly realistic spatial audio experience. Side-firing drivers disperse audio from wall to wall to create a massive soundstage. Custom collinear waveguides accurately position sounds around the room, which is possible with TruePlay Tuning.
The sound quality with Arc Ultra was excellent, as it covered the Treble Mids. And somewhat the bass. The surround experience was terrific, and with the right Dolby Atmos, I could feel the depth captured in the movie and audio experience, but little was missing from the low rumble bass. So, If your room is small, the Arc Ultra Soundbar is enough to fill it, but for deep bass and rumbles, I will always suggest a sub-woofer, and here it makes it complete with the Sub4 Subwoofer.
Sonos Sub4 Subwoofer
Sub 4 features an elegant sculptural shape and updated matte finish that perfectly matches your paired Sonos sound bar or speaker. With Sub4, the missing low, deep rumbles and bass were covered as it played the very low notes, which the technical manual mentioned as low as 25Hz. It was possible with the Dual 5″ x 8″ elliptical woofers facing inward for a force-cancelling effect that virtually eliminates distortion. As the Sub 4 is a wireless subwoofer, I could place it away from the Arc Ultra Soundbar near the corner of the room, below a table. The sleek design added value to the room’s styling, and was not just a speaker in the room.
The Sub 4 covered the missing low bass, like the faraway booms and rumbles. While testing for audio experience, the Sub4 provided the low frequencies of the Big Drums, effects, and even string pulls of bass guitar and cello. For example, if you hear the movie Jaws’ theme song, you will listen to the heavy cello bass and the punch of the big drums, which filled my “Living Room.”
Overall, my Audio experience with Sonos Arc Ultra with Sub4 Subwoofer was excellent. It completed the Treble, Mid, and Bass factors required for the Home Theatre. With the right content, I could experience the 9.1.4 spatial audio experience.
As mentioned by Sonos on the website, the Sonos Era 300 rear speakers fully complete the home theatre experience; this was the only missing device that would have made it mind-blowing. Still, in a small room with the right content, you can experience the Surround sound effect with the Sonos Arc Ultra and bass covered by the Sub4.
Sonos Arc Ultra Features
TV Audio Swap with Sonos Ace
This feature, part of the Sonos Ecosystem, worked beautifully with the Sonos Ace Headphones launched this year. The Ace headphones have a Wi-Fi chip that connects directly with Sonos brand products like Arc Ultra Soundbar. You can also access audio swapping from the Sonos app.
With this function, I could enjoy the True Cinema experience. I enjoyed Dolby Atmos movies and felt like sitting in the theatre. I also tested the spatial audio experience. The setup was great for movies and series with Dolby support, but News and TV Series that didn’t support it didn’t feel great, as the Sonos chip created an artificial spatial effect.
Clearer Dialogue
The Sonos Arc Ultra maximises dialogue clarity. The Sonos app allows you to make every word more transparent with your preferred level of Speech Enhancement.
Wi-Fi Connective
The Sonos Arc Ultra Soundbar and Sub4 must be connected via Wi-Fi and the Sonos App. This allows you to connect and create an ecosystem, including a designated room and multiple connections. I have connected the Sonos Roam 2 with the Soundbar via the Sonos App, which adds speakers to the room. However, you can still add the Sonos Roam2, a portable speaker, as a rear speaker.
Sonos Arc Ultra TruePlay Tuning
With the Sonos App, you use Trueplay tuning, which measures how sound reflects off walls, furnishings, and other surfaces in a room and then fine-tunes your Sonos speaker to make sure it sounds great no matter where you’ve placed it. The custom collinear waveguides accurately position sounds around the room.
Control Arc Ultra with your voice
Add Sonos Voice Control or Amazon Alexa to your Arc Ultra to use voice commands to turn your TV on and off or adjust the volume. To enable this feature, connect the Sonos Arc Ultra to your TV’s HDMI-ARC or HDMI-eARC input and ensure HDMI-CEC is enabled. However, using an optical adapter and voice commands to turn the TV on and off won’t work if you connect the Arc Ultra.
Touch Control on the Soundbar
Sonos Arc Ultra comes with touch control features. On the Soundbar, there is the panel, which has three separate areas: 1) Left side – Talk button, 2) Centre side – Play/Stop, rewind and forward button, 3) Right side – Volume slider.
Listening to Sonos Radio
Once you start using the Sonos App, you have exclusive access to Sonos Radio, which has an excellent music collection. If you are ready to spend extra, you can access HD-quality music.
New Update – Check out the review of the SONOS ERA 300 speakers with Arc and Sub-4.
SONOS ERA 300 – Part of Home Theatre
As I have already mentioned I had the SONOS Arc sound bar and Sub-4 woofer and ready system. I just had to add the pair of SONOS ERA 300 speakers into the system (Group – Living room). It was quite an ease while connecting into the system. I started the process by connecting each speaker one by one. Once the connecting process was completed then through the application I chose the left and right side as mine surround speakers.
Once the entire system was complete, the last step was to retune the Trueplay, which allows the application to use a particular sound that travels around in a 360-degree circle among all the speakers connected to the system group. With this, I was ready with my Home theater setup, featuring DOLBY. It features a Built-in Alexa and SONOS Voice Controller, but does not currently support Google Assistant.
Honestly, the Era 300 speakers were quite powerful for the surround speakers, especially considering the size of my living room. However, they worked excellently for the left and right surround channels, providing the additional sound effects necessary for a cinema effect.
I would suggest the surround speakers to be at ear level, so around 3 feet from the ground and facing little towards the seating area and if you space little backwards from the sofa or seating area to get the full effect.
NEW Update for SONOS Arc Ultra (New AI-Powered Speech Enhancement (AISE)) – 10/06/2025
A few weeks ago, SONOS PR team contacted me and sent this new update on the AISE (AI-Powered Speech Enhancement) for the SONOS Arc Ultra for better, clearer dialogues for movies and shows.
SONOS uses AI technology to increase specific audio frequencies, highlighting the vocal stream in the audio. Generally, in the equaliser setup of the Television, if you increase the Mid-levels bar, the audio will increase, but all the background noise will also increase at that frequency. So, AI identifies the character’s voice in the movie or show, which can be a heavy bass or a low, timid voice. It highlights those vocal channel streams and gives a clearer output that can be heard without increasing the TV’s volume or the system.
Price and Availability
The Sonos Arc Ultra and Sub4 are available in White and Black. In the UAE, the Sonos Arc Ultra is available for AED 4799, and the Sub4 Subwoofer is available for AED 3799. In KSA, the Sonos Arc Ultra is available for SAR 5499, and the Sub4 is available for SAR 4249.
Conclusion
The Sonos Arc Ultra and Sub4 are the perfect combination for home theatre, completing all Treble and mid sound frequencies. And Bass. With the wireless Sub4 Subwoofer added, you can experience the low rumbles and bass, creating a theatre-like feel. The Sonos Arc Ultra comes with a 9.1.4 spatial audio experience and would be perfect for any house or room you choose for your TV room. With the Sonos App, you can add TruePlay Tuning and the custom collinear waveguides to accurately position sounds around the room. The sound quality was excellent while watching movies on the OTP Platform and any content that supports Dolby Atmos.
While used as an Audio device, the Soundbar and Subwoofer complete the total music system requirement.
(Sit near the Soundbar, about 5 feet away, to experience the stereo channel at its best when using it as a music system. Place the Sub4 anywhere, but positioning it near the Soundbar enhances the experience, as the bass sound uses low frequencies.)
Overall, it is perfect for customers who can afford the price and are ready to spend on a good brand and experience great sound. It creates an Ecosystem for future additions to your sound system.
Sonos believes in creating an ecosystem with each Sonos product or device you buy, which you can add to. When you buy any Sonos product, you have to use the Sonos App. Most of the current devices released by Sonos connect with the Sonos App and your Wi-Fi router. You can add to a specific room from the list provided in the App. In this way, you identify your product and the chosen room.
Now, if you have a suitable budget, you can buy multiple Sonos products like Arc Ultra and Sub4 for the Living room and Sonos Era 300 for your bedroom or Workout room. If all the Sonos devices are connected to one Wi-Fi zone, you can choose and play music to select a room or device or play simultaneously on all the Sonos devices. A portable Sonos speaker like Roam2 can be added and used under the Sonos System. Alexa and Sonos’s voice control can control all of these.
So, if you don’t have the proper big budget to buy all the necessary Sonos devices for your house, you start buying one Sonos product, and then you can add the next Sonos device one by one to the system. For example, if you want to create a home theatre, you can buy the Sonos Arc Ultra and add the Sub4 subwoofer to the system. Later, you can buy the Era 300 for the rear speaker and the second one to complete the entire surround system for the Home theatre. If you purchase the Sonos Era 300, which is quite good, add the Sub 4 for listening to music and watching TV, and then buy the Soundbar to complete the Home Theatre.
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