By Jasmine Ong
Audio is an important element to every form of entertainment, and is often essential for that immersive experience — whether it is playing a game, watching a movie, or just listening to music.
Since getting a new television a few years ago, I’ve been on the hunt for a good soundbar that could mimic the kind of sound stage I would get from my ANC wireless earbuds.
Image courtesy of Sonos.
Even though I already had a soundbar (a complimentary gift-with-purchase that came with my television), I found that it did not make much of a difference from using the built-in speakers. In fact, it felt a little cumbersome having the soundbar as part of my television set up, because I had to find space for the subwoofer that came with it.
I almost gave up on looking for an alternative soundbar until I came across the Sonos Beam Ultra.
This mid-size soundbar might look unassuming, but it packs an audio punch with nine custom drivers, that includes two dedicated up-firing drivers, which deliver a warmer bass and true 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos.
Image courtesy of Sonos.
Its redesigned center channel brings clearer dialogue, with four levels of AI Speech Enhancement for more clarity, as well as Night Sound for late-night entertainment.
One of the things that I really struggled with using my free soundbar was the inability to properly hear dialogue whenever I am watching a TV series or a movie. For some reason, my soundbar always made the background noise louder than the conversation happening, and I often have to opt to have the subtitles on so that I don’t miss anything.
With the Sonos Beam Ultra, that changed. Voices were clearer and conversations no longer felt like a challenge to comprehend. Beyond that, the Dolby Atmos feature made the entire watching experience more immersive, like I’m a part of the action.
Image courtesy of Sonos.
This was evident for me while I was watching my favourite procedural drama, Law and Order. Crime scene investigations felt like I was standing there with them in discussions, while interrogations transported me to the interview rooms. It truly elevated the way I watched my TV shows!
Playing games on my Switch 2 in TV mode also felt like a transformative experience, especially whenever I played Maestro. Being a simulation game which turns the player into a conductor, the Sonos Beam Ultra effectively made the play session an incredible one; delivering an almost life-like experience.
After having the Sonos Beam Ultra integrated into my life for more than two weeks, it’s hard to envision the viewing experience without it. I will have to consider though, the possibility of adding more Sonos speakers in time to come; but for now, I am happy with the way my home entertainment system is set up.
The Sonos Beam Ultra is priced at $1,299. You can get yours at sg.tcacoustic.asia.
SONOS ACE ULTRA
Image courtesy of Sonos.
Let me just preface this by saying I am a headphones kind of girl, and would often opt to have them as my preferred audio tool, if they were not a chore to carry on my daily commute.
Even though I wear glasses, I like the enclosed feeling that a pair of headphones can provide, which in my opinion, delivers a more noise-canceling feel than a pair of wireless earbuds.
Though I love my trusty pair of Dyson OnTrac, I am always open to discovering new headphones that would either match the quality of my current pair or exceed expectations in offering something different.
Image courtesy of Sonos.
The Sonos Ace Ultra surprised me with its premium over-ear built, that comes with a Sonos-designed 40mm driver, Adaptive ANC powered by ten microphones, and up to 35 hours of battery life (with ANC) on.
What made it stand out from the saturated market of headphones is its Headphone Engine 2 — a new hardware that lets you link the headphone directly into the Sonos system.
I can’t tell you how this made viewing such a breeze especially when my open-concept home can often turn into a cacophony of sounds coming from different devices.
Image courtesy of Sonos.
I was watching an episode of Taskmaster when my father started watching his micro-drama loudly on his phone, turning my viewing experience into one peppered with people yelling in Mandarin. With the Sonos Ace Ultra however, I was able to push the audio from my show to my headphones easily, without getting off the sofa to do so!
While I can’t say if I am 100% ready to trade in my current pair of headphones for the Sonos Ace Ultra yet, I do believe it is one of the strong choices out there, that truly lasts in comfort and battery life.
