Battle between Marshall Heston 120 and Sonos Arc Ultra: Which Dolby Atmos soundbar provides the best investment?
In the realm of premium Dolby Atmos soundbars, two powerhouses stand out: the Sonos Arc Ultra and the Marshall Heston 120. Both offer an array of features designed to enhance your home entertainment experience, but which one comes out on top in terms of sound quality and performance?
Dolby Atmos and Sound Immersion
The Sonos Arc Ultra, with its 9.1.4-channel setup and advanced Sound Motion woofer technology, delivers superior Dolby Atmos immersion. The deep, distortion-free bass and dynamic sound it produces effectively fills the room, creating a fully immersive experience. In contrast, the Marshall Heston 120's 5.1.2 configuration results in less expansive Atmos effects, often confining sound near the TV rather than creating a fully immersive environment [1][2][4].
Bass Quality and Dynamics
The Marshall Heston 120 offers substantial bass with good rhythm, but critics note it lacks extension, tonal nuance, and the punch required for impactful effects like explosions or gunfire. This results in somewhat flat and less thrilling dynamic shifts. The Sonos Arc Ultra, on the other hand, boasts a deeper, more precise, and distortion-free bass due to its innovative woofer design, contributing to a more visceral and engaging audio performance overall [1][2][3].
Dialogue and Tonal Balance
The Heston 120 excels in dialogue clarity and midrange balance, maintaining vocal intelligibility and emotional resonance. However, it sometimes suffers from harsh treble and sibilance issues during dramatic speech. The Sonos Arc Ultra offers a balanced and natural sound profile, aided by its Trueplay room calibration, ensuring consistent performance across environments [2][1].
Connectivity and Features
The Heston 120 boasts a broader connectivity range, with HDMI eARC, a dedicated HDMI 2.1 input, RCA inputs, and extensive wireless streaming options including Bluetooth 5.3. The Sonos Arc Ultra, however, relies solely on eARC and lacks HDMI inputs. Yet, it benefits from a robust ecosystem with multiple voice assistants and advanced room correction that enhances sound reproduction [1][2].
Design and Build
The Marshall Heston 120 stands out visually, mimicking Marshall's iconic guitar amps with leather trims and metal knobs, making a bold aesthetic statement. The Sonos Arc Ultra, on the other hand, opts for a minimalist, subtle design with a lower height, likely to avoid screen obstruction [1][3].
Price
Both soundbars are premium offerings, with the Sonos Arc Ultra priced at £999 / $999 / AU$1799 and the Marshall Heston 120 at £900 / $1000 / AU$1799.
In conclusion, while the Marshall Heston 120 delivers good dialogue clarity and a distinctive design, its limitations in Dolby Atmos immersion, treble harshness, and bass refinement make it less compelling than the Sonos Arc Ultra. The Sonos Arc Ultra is the better choice for users prioritizing advanced immersive sound, refined bass performance, and smart features, justifying its slight price premium [1][2][3].
[1] TechRadar - Sonos Arc Ultra vs. Marshall Heston 120
[2] What Hi-Fi? - Sonos Arc Ultra vs. Marshall Heston 120
[3] CNET - Sonos Arc Ultra vs. Marshall Heston 120
[4] Tom's Guide - Sonos Arc Ultra vs. Marshall Heston 120
- When considering the speaker systems Sonos Arc Ultra and Marshall Heston 120, the Sonos Arc Ultra, equipped with advanced Sound Motion woofer technology, promises superior Dolby Atmos immersion.
- The Sonos Arc Ultra's 9.1.4-channel setup results in a more expansive Atmos effect, filling the room rather than confining sound near the TV.
- The Sonos Arc Ultra's innovative woofer design delivers a deeper, more precise, and distortion-free bass, contributing to a more visceral and engaging audio performance.
- The Heston 120's substantial bass lacks extension, tonal nuance, and the punch required for impactful effects, resulting in somewhat flat and less thrilling dynamic shifts.
- The Heston 120's design is visually striking, mimicking Marshall's iconic guitar amps, while the Sonos Arc Ultra opted for a minimalist, subtle design to avoid screen obstruction.
- Both soundbars are premium offerings, with the Sonos Arc Ultra priced slightly higher compared to the Marshall Heston 120.
- The Sonos Arc Ultra presents a better choice for users prioritizing advanced immersive sound, refined bass performance, and smart features, justifying its slight price premium.
