Even though it isn't a massive upgrade to the first generation Beam, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 is quite possibly the best compact soundbar on the market. It came to market with a strong emphasis on its Dolby Atmos support, but that's probably the last reason you should consider buying it. It has no dedicated upward-firing speaker drivers. Instead, it uses a smart DSP to create virtual vertical channels, which results in a Dolby Atmos experience I'd describe as mediocre at best. If you're after a more authentic Dolby Atmos experience, you should look elsewhere, perhaps in the direction of the $900 Sonos Arc.

Everything else about the Sonos Beam Gen 2 is nothing short of amazing. Its sleek aesthetics and compact form factor make it blend easily into any environment. Its integrated touch controls respond with absolute accuracy and no delay, and the accompanying mobile app, which is what you'll mostly use to control it, lets you quickly and intuitively play music from your favorite streaming services, radio stations, and local media servers or shared folders. You see, the Beam Gen 2 is a fantastic smart speaker that seamlessly transforms into a traditional soundbar as soon as you turn on your TV.

What's even better, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 can be expanded into a more complete surround sound system by wirelessly adding Sonos One, One SL speakers, or IKEA SYMFONISK picture frames as rear channels. You can also upgrade it with the Sonos Sub, a powerful subwoofer that's going to bring you that hard-hitting bass and wall-shaking rumble if that's your cup of tea. In small to medium rooms, which is what the Beam Gen 2 is built for, this soundbar delivers very nice acoustics, especially in the vocal range, and with a decent level of low-end prowess. Its sound is exceptionally wide, and the stereo separation is shockingly good for such a compact a soundbar.

Should you happen to already own one or more Sonos speakers, the Beam Gen 2 is a perfect fit for your smaller living room, home office, or bedroom. If not, this could very well be your first entry into the best multiroom speaker ecosystem in the world, one competitors are still desperately trying to catch up to.