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Head-to-head · Best Dolby Atmos Soundbars Under $1000

LG SC9S vs Sonos Beam Gen 2

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

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The short answer

Sonos Beam Gen 2 comes out ahead by a clear margin (4.1 vs 3.3). Sonos Beam Gen 2 is best for: Apartment and small-room owners, and existing Sonos users, who want convincing Atmos and great music playback from one tidy cabinet without a separate subwoofer. Read the strengths below before deciding.

LG SC9S
Ranked #5 in Best Dolby Atmos Soundbars Under $1000
LG SC9S
2 sources$469.99as of Oct 11

The LG SC9S is a feature-rich 3.1.3 Atmos bar whose triple up-firing drivers and punchy subwoofer create a tall, exciting, effects-driven soundstage – especially next to an LG OLED TV. Reviewers love its scale and feature set but flag that outright sound quality lacks subtlety and refinement, and its surround imaging needs the optional rears. It's a strong pick for LG TV owners who prize immersion and integration over audiophile nuance.

Strengths
  • — Deep integration and matching design with LG OLED TVs, including WOW Orchestra
  • — Big, exciting presentation that thrills with action movies and effects
  • — Supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X
Watch-outs
  • — Sound quality lacks low-level detail, subtlety and refinement
  • — Native surround imaging is weak without the optional rear speakers
$469.99 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →
Sonos Beam Gen 2
Higher ratedRanked #2 in Best Dolby Atmos Soundbars Under $1000
Sonos Beam Gen 2
3 sources$359as of Oct 11

The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is the best compact, all-in-one Dolby Atmos soundbar under $1,000. Without any up-firing drivers it uses processing and forward-facing drivers to recreate Atmos more convincingly than many pricier bars, while delivering crisp dialogue and a warm, musical balance. It can't reach the bass depth of a system with a separate subwoofer, but for small-to-medium rooms and Sonos households it's a five-star performer.

Strengths
  • — Excellent, clearly defined dialogue thanks to an upgraded center tweeter
  • — Full Sonos ecosystem: AirPlay 2, Trueplay room tuning, multiroom and voice assistants built in
  • — Warm, refined, musical sound that handles streaming music as well as movies
Watch-outs
  • — No physical up-firing drivers, so overhead effects are simulated rather than truly height-mapped
  • — Only one HDMI eARC port and no HDMI passthrough or extra inputs
  • — Lacks the deep, physical bass of a system with a dedicated subwoofer
$359 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →

How they stack up

LG SC9S

The LG SC9S goes further than any other pick on height hardware, with three up-firing drivers versus the two in the Samsung HW-Q800D and Bose Smart Soundbar, and none in the Sonos Beam Gen 2. But where the Samsung HW-Q800D pairs its height channels with better-controlled, more refined sound, the SC9S trades refinement for spectacle, and unlike the Sony HT-A3000 it includes a real subwoofer for proper bass impact.

Sonos Beam Gen 2

The Sonos Beam Gen 2 trades the physical up-firing height drivers of the Samsung HW-Q800D and LG SC9S for clever virtualization, which keeps it far more compact but limits true overhead mapping. Unlike the Samsung HW-Q800D it ships with no external subwoofer, so it gives up deep bass, but it beats the Sony HT-A3000 for dialogue clarity and out-of-the-box Atmos convincingness, and adds the Sonos multiroom ecosystem the Bose Smart Soundbar can't fully match.

Specs side-by-side

SpecLG SC9SSonos Beam Gen 2
Channels3.1.35.0 (virtualized Atmos)
Up-firing Drivers3 (triple height)None (virtualized)
Total Power400W400W
SubwooferWireless externalNone (optional Sonos Sub)
Audio FormatsDolby Atmos, DTS:XDolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, DTS Digital Surround
ConnectivityHDMI eARC, HDMI in, Optical, Bluetooth, Wi-FiHDMI eARC, Optical (adapter), Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2
TV IntegrationWOW Orchestra (LG TVs)—
Rear Speaker ReadyYes (optional)Yes (optional wireless)
Width—25.6 inches
Room Calibration—Trueplay
Voice Assistant—Amazon Alexa, Sonos Voice Control
Dialogue Tech—Speech Enhancement
Built-in Subwoofers—Triple
Wattage—120W
Material—Polycarbonate
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