High-end Bose earbuds, budget-friendly hi-fi options from Monitor Audio and Musical Fidelity, a Sonos competitor boasting Dolby Atmos compatibility, and additional impressive offerings in the realm of audio technology.
In the realm of audio technology, two new products have recently made their debut: the Sonos Arc Ultra and the Marshall Heston 120 soundbar. While both offer unique features and designs, a comparison reveals that the Sonos Arc Ultra outperforms the Marshall Heston 120 in overall sound quality and Dolby Atmos performance.
Sound Quality and Performance
The Sonos Arc Ultra provides deep, distortion-free bass using innovative Sound Motion woofer technology and excels in dynamic expression, delivering strong impact and room-filling immersive sound that truly leverages Dolby Atmos capabilities. On the other hand, the Marshall Heston 120 delivers clear dialogue and tonal balance but struggles with harsh trebles, limited bass extension, and weaker dynamic expression, resulting in less impactful explosions and surround effects that sound flat or localized near the TV rather than enveloping the room. Its Atmos implementation is considered less immersive.
Features and Connectivity
The Marshall Heston 120 supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, offers HDMI eARC plus a dedicated HDMI 2.1 input (4K/120Hz passthrough), RCA inputs, and extensive streaming options like Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Bluetooth 5.3, AirPlay 2, and Chromecast. It also features user-replaceable parts aligned with sustainability goals. In contrast, the Sonos Arc Ultra supports Dolby Atmos only (no DTS:X), lacks HDMI inputs—only eARC passthrough—but shines with Sonos’s ecosystem support including voice assistants (Alexa, Google Assistant), advanced Trueplay room correction, and seamless multi-room integration. It relies heavily on its software features and smart voice control.
Design
The Marshall embraces a bold, vintage rock amp aesthetic with woven grille, leather trims, and metal knobs, likely to stand out visually but may be distracting in dim movie-watching environments. It is quite large (110 cm wide). The Sonos Arc Ultra, on the other hand, has a minimalist, subtle design (118 cm wide, 7.5 cm high) that blends into most living rooms.
Price
Both are similarly priced around $999/£900/AU$1799.
Summary
If sound quality, immersive Atmos experience, and smart features are your priority, the Sonos Arc Ultra is superior. If you want broader audio format support, more connectivity options, and a distinctive design with decent sound performance, the Marshall Heston 120 is a strong contender but falls short of Sonos in Atmos immersion and dynamic impact.
Additional Launches
Monitor Audio has launched a new series of speakers, the Bronze Series 7G, and review samples have been requested for testing. The Musical Fidelity B1xi stereo amplifier has also been launched and is available for purchase, placing it in competition with the Arcam A5 and Rega Brio Mk7.
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(The Marshall Heston 120 soundbar has issues with precision, particularly in creating the Dolby Atmos "dome of sound" effect.)
- The Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar, with its impressive Sound Motion woofer technology, offers deep, distortion-free bass and high dynamic expression, resulting in room-filling, immersive sound.
- In contrast, the Marshall Heston 120 soundbar delivers clear dialogue and tonal balance but falls short in bass extension and dynamic expression, leading to less impactful sound effects.
- The Sonos Arc Ultra is superior in Atmos performance, creating an immersive soundscape, while the Marshall Heston 120's implementation of Atmos is considered less immersive.
- The Marshall Heston 120 supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, offering a variety of streaming options and user-replaceable parts, whereas the Sonos Arc Ultra only supports Dolby Atmos and focuses on software features and smart voice control.
- The Marshall Heston 120 sports a bold, vintage rock amp aesthetic, while the Sonos Arc Ultra offers a minimalist design that blends into most living rooms.
- Both the Sonos Arc Ultra and the Marshall Heston 120 are priced around $999/£900/AU$1799.
- If you prioritize sound quality, smart features, and an immersive Atmos experience, the Sonos Arc Ultra is the better choice.
- The Marshall Heston 120, with its broader audio format support, more connectivity options, and unique design, may appeal to those seeking decent sound performance with some distinct features.
- Monitor Audio has launched a new series of speakers, the Bronze Series 7G, and review samples have been requested for testing.
- The Musical Fidelity B1xi stereo amplifier has been launched, positioning it in competition with the Arcam A5 and Rega Brio Mk7 in the market.
- Recent news in the audio technology world includes the launch of the Sonos Arc Ultra and the Marshall Heston 120 soundbars, as well as new speakers from Monitor Audio and a new stereo amplifier from Musical Fidelity.
- The world of consumer electronics continues to evolve, with new product launches in audio technology, wearables, lifestyle, home-and-garden, home improvement, gadgets, technology, books, shopping, movies-and-tv, and entertainment sectors, like sports and sports-betting.
