I had a great surround sound system when I was in college.
Or so I thought.
Back then (1995 to 1999) soundbars did not exist.
We had to get large side speakers and a center speaker to do the work of the soundbar.
And the sound quality still didn’t even come close to the top soundbars on the market today.
Especially two of the absolute best: the Sonos Arc and the Vizio Elevate.
Which of the two is the better buy?
That depends entirely on your needs and preferences.
Keep reading for a full comparison of the Vizio Elevate vs Sonos Arc soudbars. We will help you figure out which one is the right choice for you.
Vizio Elevate Vs Sonos Arc
We will begin our comparison of the Sonos Arc vs Vizio Elevate by looking at each individually, before comparing them directly, examining the strengths of each, and determining who would be best served by which one.
The Vizio Elevate
Innovative rotating speakers. A gravity-defying docking base for VIZIO OLED. And a sleek anodized aluminum enclosure that enhances your room with powerful beauty. This is an award-winning sound system. The Dolby Atmos sound bar is designed to stun your senses in every way.
Vizio makes a lot of money from its Smart TVs, mostly from advertising. But this bar is doing a great job on the market, mostly just because of the curious rotating speaker system.
Many consumers want to try it simply out of curiosity. Of course, these rotating speakers come with the best Dolby Atmos experience. In other words, they’re not just a gimmick. They also sound great.
This model has a 5.1.4 system though which you can enjoy a great sound experience. The most interesting feature are the vertical firing speakers located on the outer edges of the bar.
These can automatically rotate upwards when some Dolby Atmos and DTS: X content is being played and then return to their original position, to contribute to enhanced playback of regular stereo and surround sound sources.
This 5.1.4 system also has all kinds of connectivity methods, so you don’t run out of options. Also, when you connect this soundbar to your TV via HDMI eARC, a control menu will appear for you to configure the Elevate soundbar settings directly from your TV screen.
What is clear is that this sound bar is a breath of fresh air for the sector, offering a complete and perfect product to enjoy the best Dolby Atmos sound, or watch any content in stereo, thanks to its speakers that rotate depending on the sound you send them.
The Sonos Arc
Put yourself at the center of shows, movies, and games with crystal clear dialogue and two height channels that create an impressive sense of spaciousness.
When the TV is off, stream music and more from all your favorite services. Easily control the soundbar with your existing remote, the Sonos app, your voice, and Apple AirPlay 2.
Build out a full surround system with a subwoofer and pair or rears, and add more speakers around your home for multiroom listening. Everything works together over WiFi.
The Sonos Arc is an efficient soundbar capable of doing a good job of pretty much everything it was built for. The bar speaker setup itself allows for a wide soundstage, but lacks some bass.
The result is an overall brilliant sound profile, but one that may not be ideal for all music genres. Of course, you can pair it with a Sonos Sub to round out the sound profile. That’s what I did in my living room Sonos setup.
On the more optimistic side, it is compatible with Atmos, to ensure an immersive experience when watching movies.
This is a 5.0.2 channel audio system that includes 8 elliptical woofers and 3 precisely angled silk dome tweeters, and it is powered by 11 class D digital amplifiers.
The center channel uses two woofers and a single tweeter, each of the left and right channels uses a single woofer and tweeter placed at an angle, while a single woofer is used for each of the side channels. Finally, a woofer is used for each of the Atmos channels that are activated.
Sonos seems interested in using side-firing woofers. We saw it on the Beam too, but it’s used here, even though the Arc is a much longer soundbar.
They do have certain advantages, as they can extend sound beyond the physical limits of the soundbar itself, without the use of virtual technology.
Differences Between the Sonos Arc And Vizio Elevate
The Vizio Elevate speakers can rotate to provide a better listening experience with 5.1.4 channels. There is much more room for wired connectivity. Also, in addition to Dolby Atmos, it has DTS:X support and a remote control.
On the other hand, the Sonos Arc can link with other speakers and subs wirelessly, especially other Sonos products.
There are Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands. The Trueplay feature automatically calibrates the EQ settings to make the best 5.0.2 sound for the room in which the speakers are located.
Similarities Between The Vizio Elevate And Sonos Arc
Both are flagship soundbars that offer amazing sound quality, great connectivity, and boast a beautiful design.
Their prices are also quite similar, as well as the subs and speakers with which you can combine them, although Sonos offers a wider range of compatible speakers.
Advantages Of The Vizio Elevate
- Its speakers can rotate to offer you the best surround sound
- Built-in compatibility for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Chromecast
- There are 4 EQ presets
- A very wide and focused soundstage
- Lots of connectivity
- Amazing for music and movies
- Includes subwoofer and rear speakers for the same price as just the Arc
Advantages Of The Sonos Arc
- Attractive, curved design
- Clear voices in dialogue-heavy content
- Built-in Alexa and Google Assistant
- Integrates with existing Sonos systems
- Dynamic, detailed, and with weight
- All the usual Sonos smart features
- An all-in-one unit that doesn’t need a subwoofer (but a sub does improve the sound)
- Packed with features, like a multiroom experience
Why Get A Vizio Elevate?
The most powerful and striking Vizio is the Elevate Soundbar, a Dolby Atmos and DTS: X compatible device capable of working with 5.1.4 channel signals that has the curious characteristic of having speakers on its sides that rotate upwards to emit sound towards the ceiling on the Atmos tracks.
In this way, when we reproduce stereo or 5.1 content, the speakers point directly at us, generating conventional surround sound.
But when we play movies with Dolby Atmos and DTS: X sound, the speakers rotate thanks to small motors and focus their drivers towards the ceiling.
The bar integrates 2 two-way speakers at the ends, as well as a center channel with a dedicated tweeter to better focus dialogues. It also has two drivers for bass accompanied by two passive radiators that improve low frequencies.
In addition, an 8-inch external wireless subwoofer is included with a frequency response that drops to 30 Hz, achieving a combined total sound pressure (bar plus subwoofer) of 107 dB. It also comes with two external satellite speakers to be placed behind the viewer’s position.
Why Get A Sonos Arc?
The Sonos Arc is a big, sleek, premium soundbar that sounds as good as you’d expect. It looks good, and while it’s about the length of a 55-inch TV, it’s not too thick or tall.
That makes it easy to mount on a wall or a TV stand. Similarly, it’s easy to set up and use, can be paired with other Sonos speakers, and has extensive compatibility with music services.
Normal TV programming sounds good, with super-clear vocals, but it really comes into its own when playing a Dolby Atmos soundtrack, with truly immersive, fully-rendered sounds with surprisingly good treble elements.
The Arc is one of the most expensive products from this American manufacturer. As expected, its sound quality and usability are above other Sonos bars.
Even if you’re not using Dolby Atmos features, the soundbar has a great feature set and great sound for everything from jazz to rock to action-heavy movies, so you can rest assured of your (rather sizable) investment without giving it much thought.
Sonos Arc Vs Vizio Elevate: Final Thoughts
Both the Vizio Elevate and the Sonos Arc are excellent soundbars. You can’t go wrong no matter which one you buy.
In general, I would say the better buy depends on what else you have and what else you want to use it for. If you just want a surround sound system, go with the Vizio.
But if you want the ability to send music to any room in your house, and to play music from a variety of sources, even components like a computer or record player, then the Sonos is the better choice. It is the product I own, just to be completely transparent.
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