Sound bar vs built-in Dolby Atmos

[this is my username]

I've got a 50" Hisense 4K UHD QLED TV - so a budget version of a decent TV. It apparently has Dolby ATMOS sound.

I'm thinking of getting a sound bar as I've heard it's the thing to do. There are some decent deals to be had on the first generation Sonos Beam which doesn't support ATMOS. Being a cloth-eared non-audiophile, am I likely to be better off with the built in ATMOS system or the non-ATMOS Beam?

My primary goals are clearer dialogue and a punchier audio experience when watching films.

[Luke.]

Go for the Beam, it's great. And if you can get a couple of Sonos 1s for rear surround sound.

[Lucid_AV]

this is my username said:

I've got a 50" Hisense 4K UHD QLED TV - so a budget version of a decent TV. It apparently has Dolby ATMOS sound.

If ATMOS is the way you decide to go then you'll need to make sure that both the TV and soundbar have a minimum of an ARC HDMI connection. Without this then you won't be be to access the audio signal with the ATMOS info embedded.

this is my username said:

I'm thinking of getting a sound bar as I've heard it's the thing to do. ....... My primary goals are clearer dialogue and a punchier audio experience when watching films.

That should do it. The quality of the final result though will depend on your budget.

this is my username said:

I'm thinking of getting a sound bar as I've heard it's the thing to do. There are some decent deals to be had on the first generation Sonos Beam which doesn't support ATMOS. Being a cloth-eared non-audiophile, am I likely to be better off with the built in ATMOS system or the non-ATMOS Beam?

Where you're working with a fixed budget then it makes sense not to spread it too thinly. The technical differences between an ATMOS and a non-ATMOS soundbar is in the number of speaker drivers, the amplifiers to power them, the extra processing electronics to drive the amps with an ATMOS signal, and the cost of the licencing fee to Dolby Labs for the rights to use the Atmos tech'. It stands to reason then that having to pay for all that means spreading the budget more thinly than with a non-ATMOS bar at the same price. What is your budget?

[this is my username]

It looks like I can get a first generation Sonos Beam for £250 - that would be the top end of my budget.

[Lucid_AV]

Do that then. Don't waste your money and compromise the basic performance by trying to get ATMOS.

[wax lyrical]

To get ATMOS on the Sonos Beam 2, you need a TV with an E-Arc HDMI connection, not the standard 'ARC'.

Lucid_AV said:

Do that then. Don't waste your money and compromise the basic performance by trying to get ATMOS.

[Richyvrlimited]

wax lyrical said:

To get ATMOS on the Sonos Beam 2, you need a TV with an E-Arc HDMI connection, not the standard 'ARC'.

For ATMOS passthrough on anything you need e-ARC