Sonos ARC SOUNDBAR Sonos Arc - The Premium Smart Soundb (Open Box)

For years I've been wanting to have a home theater system. I've been listening to movies through my TV audio for far too long. I did HOURS upon HOURS of research before finally deciding on Sonos mainly due to the high ratings and the fact that the Sonos Arc was tested and listened to by academy award winning sound engineer, Chris Jenkins, who listened to the Sonos Arc himself and was very happy with the results.Now, before I continue I should add that your TV needs to be fairly new in order to work with Sonos Arc. I myself recently purchased a Samsung TU8000 which supports Dolby Atmos and eArc connection. If your TV only has Arc connection, it will still work, but not in the same manner as it would with eArc. In other words:Sonos eArc to TV Arc = Arc ConnectionSonos eArc to TV eArc = eArc ConnectionWhat's the difference? To put it simply, Arc stands for Audio Return Channel. eArc stands for ENHANCED Audio Return Channel. That means it can handle more advanced audio formats and higher audio quality, such as Dolby Atmos in this case. Now, if you do not have EITHER Arc or eArc on your TV, they also have an HDMI to optical adapter which comes in the box. Again, eArc on your TV is the BEST for audio, but Sonos is providing you with more than one option in case your TV is older.With that said, lets move on...The Sonos Arc by itself (without any speakers or subwoofers) sounds wonderful on its own! I actually questioned if I really needed a subwoofer or rear speakers because it sound excellent just by itself in my opinion. It has plenty of bass when listening to music or watching a movie. The audio is crystal clear. The voices are clear as well.However, I had already ordered the rear speakers which arrived in the mail a few days later. I connected them as well to the Arc and tested a few movies that support Dolby Atmos such as Star Wars and Zootopia. I must say I am extremely happy with this setup! The sound isn't as "jumpy" as other surround systems I've heard in the past (I'm talking years ago). For instance, if a train passes and you hear it go from the front to the rear speakers, it is smooth!! It doesn't just jump to the back speaker. It does it in a way that sounds realistic, similar to a high end movie theater. I love this! Star Wars sounds absolutely amazing as well! If you really want to test the sound of Atmos, I highly recommend the pod racing scene from Star Wars episode 1. I know, I know, it's not everyones favorite film. I'm just saying the Atmos surround sound within that scene is just a wonderful way to test out your new system. You will be amazed!Now, not all movies support Atmos. I've tested Dolby Digital audio, such as Harry Potter, and was pleasantly surprised as well. In order to change from Atmos to other audio formats, such as Dolby Digital, you need to do it from your TV settings. Sonos does not have a setting for it. Your TV will though. I did it with my Samsung TU8000 and simply turned off "Atmos" in settings which automatically switched it to Dolby Digital. The surround sound came on immediately once I did this.DTS:X is unfortunately NOT supported, which is a downside but because it supports other formats I let this slide. Harry Potter, for example, despite NOT being in Atmos still sounds wonderful in Dolby Digital.As for voice commands you have 2 options: Google or Alexa. I chose Alexa because that is what I have always had in my home. It is easy to play music using Amazon Music. The sound is excellent, especially songs with a lot of bass. In fact, the bass is so good that I cancelled my Subwoofer that I was planning to get. I MAY change my mind later, but for right now the bass on the Arc alone is so good that I just don't really feel I need the Subwoofer right now.Overall, I am very happy with my new home theater system. It offers great and more realistic surround sound compared to home theater systems I've listened to in the past. The setup is easy using the new Sonos App. I love the fact that it is so easy to switch from Amazon Music, to watching a movie or TV. It is aesthetically pleasing to the eye and the black blends in nicely to my black TV stand. Highly recommended!!!!