Sonos Beam Gen 1 Review

The Sonos Beam Gen 1 occupies a peculiar spot in the soundbar market right now. It's a first-generation product in a lineup that's moved on to Gen 2, and yet people are still buying it, expanding it with Sub Minis, adding Sonos One rear speakers, and building entire home theater ecosystems around it. That says something.

The Case For It: Great Sound in a Compact Package

What the Beam Gen 1 does well, it does consistently well. Voice clarity — the thing that makes dialogue in TV shows and YouTube actually understandable — is where this bar earns its reputation. Reddit users who've lived with it long-term consistently mention it as their go-to for Netflix and YouTube viewing, not just as a speaker but as a reliable daily driver that integrates cleanly with the Sonos ecosystem.

The Sonos app experience is polished, setup is straightforward, and once it's in your home it just works. That's not a small thing. Anyone who's wrestled with pairing subwoofers that refuse to connect or soundbars that need two remotes knows the quiet value of a system that behaves itself.

The Ecosystem Play: Where It Gets Interesting

Here's what makes the Gen 1 genuinely compelling as a buy in 2024: the upgrade path. One r/sonos user describes their setup as a Beam Gen 1 paired with a Sub Mini, and they're actively asking whether they should add Sonos Ones as front or rear channels rather than upgrade to the Arc. Their reasoning? The Arc Ultra is pricey, and for a 10x10ft room — a size mentioned repeatedly in community discussions — the Beam with a Sub Mini is considered more than adequate by multiple experienced Sonos users.

That modularity is real value. You can grow the system without starting over. Pair it with a Sub Mini for low-end punch. Add Sonos Ones as surrounds down the line. The Beam Gen 1 becomes the anchor of a full system without demanding you buy everything at once.

The Honest Limitations

Let's be direct about the trade-offs. The Gen 1 lacks Dolby Atmos support — that went to the Gen 2. If spatial audio and height channels matter to you, this bar simply won't deliver it, and no firmware update will change that. For movie enthusiasts chasing an Atmos experience, multiple community members point to the Beam Gen 2 or Arc as the appropriate step up.

There's also a recurring quirk flagged by at least one long-term owner: when using Alexa voice control, the Beam Gen 1 has a tendency to resume playback at uncomfortably loud volumes rather than a sensible default. It's a software behavior that can catch you off guard, especially if you're used to asking it to play background radio. Not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing before you buy.

And compared to the Gen 2, the bass performance solo — without a Sub Mini — is noticeably modest. Movies don't feel cinematic without that low-end support. If your budget only covers the bar itself, temper your expectations on the bottom end.

Who Should Buy This

The Beam Gen 1 is genuinely well-suited for a specific kind of buyer: someone with a small-to-medium room (think 10x10 to maybe 15x15ft), who primarily watches TV shows, YouTube, and the occasional movie, and who values the Sonos ecosystem's reliability and expandability over cutting-edge audio formats. It's also the right choice if you're already in the Sonos world and want a soundbar that plays nicely with your existing speakers.

It's not the bar for you if Dolby Atmos is a priority, if you have a large open-plan living space, or if you're expecting reference-quality cinematic sound without also budgeting for the Sub Mini.

The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is the natural comparison — it adds Atmos decoding and improved processing. The Samsung S60D comes up repeatedly in soundbar communities as an all-in-one alternative at a lower price point. Both are worth considering depending on your budget and priorities. But the Gen 1's position in the used and discounted market makes it a strong value proposition if the price gap is meaningful to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is the Sonos Beam Gen 1 still worth buying in 2024?

A: For small-to-medium rooms focused on TV shows, YouTube, and music — yes. It delivers reliable voice clarity, integrates well with the Sonos ecosystem, and pairs nicely with the Sub Mini. Just accept that Atmos is off the table.

Q: Does the Sonos Beam Gen 1 support Dolby Atmos?

A: No. Dolby Atmos decoding was introduced with the Gen 2. The Gen 1 handles Dolby Digital 5.1 but not Atmos height channels.

Q: How does the Beam Gen 1 compare to the Gen 2?

A: The Gen 2 adds Atmos support and a newer processing chip. For rooms up to about 10x10ft and non-Atmos content, community consensus suggests the Gen 1 with a Sub Mini performs comparably in practice — the Gen 2's advantages are more noticeable on dedicated Atmos content and in larger spaces.

Q: Can I expand the Sonos Beam Gen 1 into a surround system?

A: Yes. You can pair it with the Sonos Sub Mini for bass, and add Sonos One or Ikea Symfonisk speakers as rear surrounds through the Sonos app. Several users in the r/sonos community have built out full systems this way without upgrading the bar itself.

Q: What room size is the Sonos Beam Gen 1 best suited for?

A: Multiple Sonos community members cite rooms around 10x10ft as the sweet spot, particularly when paired with the Sub Mini. Larger open-plan spaces may leave you wanting more volume and soundstage than the Gen 1 can deliver on its own.

The Beam Gen 1 is a product that aged gracefully rather than becoming obsolete. It won't future-proof your Atmos dreams, and it needs a Sub Mini to really sing in movies. But as the foundation of a Sonos ecosystem in a normal-sized room? It still earns its place on the shelf.

— Tech Lead Editor 4, CPrice