It looks like the Sonos Arc has sung its last song – the soundbar is now listed on Sonos’ website with a ‘Last Chance’ flag, and is currently on-sale in the US for its lowest-ever price of $649, suggesting that Sonos is clearing out the remaining stock.
I’ve approached Sonos for an official comment on the Arc’s future, but the company’s style is to just quietly end production of older products when a new replacement comes along, as seems to be the case here now that the Sonos Arc Ultra is out.
The company told me that this is exactly what it did when the Sonos Era 100 launched – the Sonos One stopped being produced, and remaining stock was just sold until everything was gone.
It had been unclear if the Arc Ultra would be a total replacement for the Arc, or would sit at a higher-tier model, but it seems like we have our answer. Still, at big discounts, the Arc could make a good upgrade while stock lasts, if you’re in the market for one of the best soundbars.
Today’s best Sonos Arc deal
Mind the gap
However, the Arc’s demise leaves a very large price gap between the Sonos Beam Gen 2 and the Sonos Arc Ultra. The $999 / £999 Arc Ultra is literally twice the price of the $499 / £449 Beam, and I know from experience that a lot of people are interested in powerful soundbars that fit between those prices – something like the Samsung HW-Q800D, which is regularly available in the $700-$800 region.
I hope that Sonos is working on something new to fill this gap that includes its Sound Motion bass driver, which helps make the Arc Ultra sound so full for a subwoofer-less soundbar. Something that adds real upfiring speakers for Dolby Atmos, which the Beam lacks, and that fuller bass driver for a more impactful soundstage, but without as many angled drivers as the Arc Ultra, and a smaller size than the Arc Ultra.
On the other hand, perhaps Sonos thinks that four soundbars is a bit much, or has data that its buyers either want to keep the budget lower or are happy to pay lots.
Either way, it feels like the end of an era for the Arc to go – I reviewed it when it launched in 2020, locked in my house, and have been writing it constantly since. Still, it’s not like Sonos hasn’t provided other things to talk about.