Sonos Beam Ultra Review: Is It Worth $949 in Canada?

After a few weeks with the Sonos Beam Ultra sent to us to test and placed under a bedroom TV, I can say it earns the Ultra name: louder than the Beam before it, with a wider soundstage, more bass, and Dolby Atmos height that actually shows up in a small room.

Design

The new bar keeps the familiar pill shape, now wider at 75 cm, about 10 cm more than the Beam (Gen 2). Mine is white, with a perforated grille wrapping the front, a capacitive strip on top for previous, play/pause, and next, plus a volume slider, and a textured concentric-ring panel on the back. A light bar sits along the edge for status. It still looks good under a TV, sits low enough not to block the screen, and for smaller rooms it makes more sense than stepping up to the wider (and more expensive) Arc Ultra.

Build feels solid for a mid-size soundbar, and the matte finish hides fingerprints better than a glossy shell would. Placed centred under the set, the extra width is obvious next to an older Beam, but it never looked oversized in a typical bedroom setup.

Setup and Trueplay

Setup lives in the Sonos app under “Add your Beam Ultra” and took about five minutes on my network: HDMI eARC to the TV, power, and done. Before I could use it, I had to install a software update through the app. The box lists support for Sonos Voice Control, Dolby Atmos, and AirPlay, and those are the features I used most day to day.

Trueplay still means walking the room with an iPhone out of its case, waving it around so the bar can learn the space. That ritual is nothing new for Sonos customers, and once it finished the dialogue sat clearer and the bass settled instead of booming in the corners.

Sound

This is where the Beam Ultra claim sticks. Movies and shows open wider than they did on the old Beam, with more low end and enough volume that a bedroom starts to feel like a small home theatre. The 7.1.2 layout, and especially the two up-firing drivers, is noticeable on Dolby Atmos titles: overhead cues and height effects land above the screen instead of just spreading left and right. Watching Red Notice on Netflix with its action and chase scenes was pretty good experience.

There’s enough bass to satisfy you from a soundbar, but if you’re craving deeper bass, adding a Sub Mini would make this set up even better. It really comes down to your bedroom setup and how loud you actually watch movies and shows at night.

Bluetooth 5.3 is there for quick phone playback when I am not on Wi-Fi, and the bar can get very loud without falling apart. Using it night after night was a joy, whether for a film or a game.

If you’re new to Sonos sound bars, benefits for the bedroom include Night Sound in the app which reduces bass and lowers loud sound effects so whatever you’re watching is basically muzzled at night, but you’re still able to hear dialogue. Sonos also has software that features speech enhancement at various levels to help with hearing dialogue, which was exclusive to the Arc Ultra, but now on the Beam for the first time (instead of just the basic speech enhancement). These are essential if you watch TV at night in your bedroom and don’t want to wake others nearby.

Music holds up better than I expected from a TV-first bar, with side imaging that stretches past the ends of the chassis. News and sports are fine, but they do not need this much stage or height. If that is most of what you watch, the older Beam still covers the job without asking for another $300 CAD.

Price

Canadian pricing is $949 CAD for the Beam Ultra and $649 CAD for the Beam (Gen 2), a $300 CAD jump that lines up with what we noted at pre-order. Some of that is Sonos pushing the Ultra tier, and some of it tracks the broader component squeeze tied to AI-driven demand. You are paying for real up-firing Atmos, more bass, and a wider bar, not a badge swap, but $300 CAD is still a steep step for a mid-size soundbar.

Also, when working properly, a Sonos system is just so easy and seamless to use at home for playing music (by asking Alexa or the Sonos voice assistant) and grouping multiple Sonos speakers across your home. The Sonos app SNAFU from years ago are pretty much behind us now.

Should You Upgrade?

I would not ditch a working Beam just to get here, especially if you mostly watch news or sports. Wait until the old bar dies, or skip the upgrade entirely if the Gen 2 still sounds good in your room. If you do not have a Beam yet and you watch a lot of movies, Dolby Atmos on the Beam Ultra is a treat in the bedroom, and it is the better first buy in that scenario.

It’s also worth noting if you’re going to wall mount the Beam Ultra, you’ll need new mounting hardware as the previous generation’s dimensions are different.

Shoppers already deep in the Sonos world, including anyone who has lived with the Sonos Play as surrounds or a portable, will find the Beam Ultra slots in cleanly. Definitely keep an eye out for any upcoming Black Friday or Boxing Day deals.

Sonos Beam Gen 2 vs. Beam Ultra: Specs Compared

The Beam Ultra costs $300 CAD more, adding dedicated Dolby Atmos height speakers, stronger bass, Bluetooth and improved dialogue enhancement. It’s going to come down to your budget and needs.

Would you put the Sonos Beam Ultra under a bedroom TV, or keep saving for a fuller living-room setup with an Arc Ultra and surrounds?