Bower & Wilkins Panorama 3 vs Sonos Arc

B&W Panorama 3 Dolby Atmos 3.1.2 Soundbar

Comparing Bowers & Wilkins Panorama 3 vs Sonos Arc, the Arc is slightly less priced and shows an overall enhancement in performance. With more number of channels, the bar can deliver a strong bubble of sound around the user from sides and top. It is a good option for multiroom audio.

Panorama 3 is an excellent all-in-one soundbar that is great for users who do not want to add external speakers. The bar is average in terms of height sense and surrounding sound. However, it is expected from a 3.1 channel bar. Overall, the bar shows brilliant performance, but it might have some glitches. At such a price point, it is packed with features, connectivity options and enjoyable performance.

Our Verdict:

Comparing Bowers & Wilkins Panorama 3 vs Sonos Arc, the Sonos Arc has better performance. Sonos Arc is great for users who think Bluetooth is a must have for them. It can give a consistent performance throughout the frequency range.

If you do not like tweaking the sound and instead want something with good out-of-the-box accuracy, then B & W Panorama 3 is best for you. Choose the Panorama 2 if Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Google Assistant is your first priority. Both these soundbars can play contents from online music streaming services and internet radio so they are quite versatile.

B&W Panorama 3 Dolby Atmos 3.1.2 Soundbar

Pros

Stylish and elegant design
Built-in Alexa
Easy setup
HDMI and optical
User friendly mobile app

Cons

No dedicated subwoofer

Sonos Arc 5.0.2 Black

Pros

Sleek and minimalist design;
Easy setup and use;
Multi-room audio;
Voice control.

Cons

Only one HDMI port;
No physical remote;
May have an issue for Blu-ray or DTS media.

Where to Buy

Amazon

Buy on amazon

Ebay

Buy on Ebay

Ali-Expess

Wallmart

Buy on Wallmart

Advance Comparison

Model

B&W Panorama 3 Dolby Atmos 3.1.2 Soundbar

Sonos Arc 5.0.2 Black

Brand Name

Bowers & Wilkins

Sonos

Rating

Mixed Usage

6.2

7.8

SOUND QUALITY

6.9

7.6

BASS ACCURACY :

7.6

AUDIO & VIDEO LATENCY:

8.5

9.3

AUDIO ENHANCEMENT FEATURES:

6.6

BUILD QUALITY :

7.5

GENERAL

Number of Channel

3.1.2 Channel

5.0.2 Channel

Placement Type

Table-top , Wall-mountable

Connectivity Type

Both (Wired & Wireless)

Subwoofer Feature

Without Subwoofer

Rear Speaker

N/A

Central Channel Speaker

Yes

Audio Enhancement Features

Yes

HDMI input/output

N/A

Analog Audio In 3.5mm (Aux)

N/A

Loudness

High Volume ( > 92db )

Warranty

24 months Months

12 months Months

Connectivity:

Digital Optical Audio Input ( Toslink )

1 Optical Audio Input

Adapter into HDMI ARC

HDMI ARC

1 (shared)

HDMI Out

None

Full HDMI In

None

Analog Audio In 3.5mm (Aux)

None

RCA Ports

USB Port

None

Ethernet Jack

Yes

Audio Quality ( Tested )

Dialogue & Vocal Accuracy

Frequency deviation is more than standard deviation (3.4 dB). But fair enough for small room.)

Frequency deviation from target is less than standard error (3.4 dB ); which means soundbar is very good to reproduce dialog and instrumental music

Bass Accuracy ( for music, film scores, movies, and games)

Soundbar 's Low-Frequency-Extension is more than 35 Hz. Which means It can reproduce the deep thump and rumble in the low-bass accurately.

3- Dimensional Sound Accuracy ( Sound Stage)

soundstage has good focus overall but but some sound tracks seem to be bit more diffused and lack separation.

audio seems to be coming from a more accurate pinpoint location

Total Harmonic Distortion ( Center Channel )

It has dedicated center channel speaker and Total Harmonic Distortion of center channel @80dB is less than standard value(>0.7). So soundbar produce more clear and accurate audio of the dialogue in movies.

Surround Sound Imaging ( Rear Channel )

No dedicated or alternative channel for surround content. So it downmixes surround content to stereo.

No dedicated rear channel (7.1 channel) but surround content produced by side-firing speakers on the bar is quite impressive and sounds seem to be coming from above you, behind you and on the sides.

Streo Dynamics ( Loudness ):

Dynamic Range Compression @ Max Volume is little bit more than standard deviation (<2 dB) and maximum valume is over 92 dB SPL

Audio & Video Latency

Here no visible latency via ARC (63 ms) and Optical (22 ms) but visuals difference may found via Full HDMI Input (N/A).

Here no visible latency via ARC (25 ms) and Optical (21 ms) but visuals difference may found via Full HDMI Input (N/A).

Audio Enhancement Features:

Digital Room Correction:

N/A

Yes

Auto Volume Adjustment/ Night Mode:

N/A

Yes

Equilizer Options:

None

Bass Adjustment ( Thump & Punch of sound)

Yes

Treble Adjustent ( Brightness and Clarity od Audio)

Yes

Surround Level Adjustment:

N/A

Virtual Surround Effect:

N/A

Supported Audio Format ( HDMI ARC)

eARC Standard

Yes

Dolby Atmos

Yes

Dolby Digital

Yes

Dolby Digital Plus

Yes

DTS

N/A

Yes

DTS: X

N/A

Dolby True HD ( eARC only )

Yes

DTS- HD MA (eARC only)

N/A

5.1 PCM ( eARC only )

Yes

Supported Audio Format (Full HDMI In' port ):

Dolby Atmos :

N/A

DTS:X :

N/A

Dolby Digital :

N/A

Dolby Digital Plus:

N/A

DTS :

N/A

Dolby TrueHD :

N/A

DTS-HD MA :

N/A

5.1 PCM

N/A

Audio Format Support ( Optical Port ):

Dolby Digital :

Yes

DTS :

N/A

Yes

Build Material

Enclosure

Acoustic Suspension

Finish

The back and the bottom of the bar are made of solid, sturdy and premium plastic, and there's a tight fabric that wrap round the sides.

The bar is mostly made of plastic. It is an impressive build quality. Which feels solid and sturdy.

Color

Black

Soundbar Width

47.4

44.9

Soundbar Height

2.5

3.4

Soundbar Depth

5.3

4.7

Subwoofer Width

N/A

Subwoofer Depth

N/A

Drivers Specs

Tweeter Size and Type :

0.75

Soft-Domes (3)

Midrange Size & Types:

Not Given

Woofer Size & Type :

Elliptical Cones (8)

Subwoofer Driver

None

Other

Where to Buy

Amazon

Buy on amazon

Ebay

Buy on Ebay

Ali-Expess

Wallmart

Buy on Wallmart

Comparatives Review

Design and build:

Comparing Bowers & Wilkins Panorama 3 vs Sonos Arc, the Panorama is slightly longer in width than the Sonos Arc. They are both ready to pair with large TVs of 70 to 80” sizes. Sonos Arc is available in black and white, while Panorama 3 only has black color. They are suitable for wall mounting which will give the room a clean look. The Panorama 3 is made of plastic and has fabric covering that might attract dust. It is a good option if you seek a bar of lower height.

Sonos Arc has a plastic body and plastic grille. Overall, the soundbars have good build quality but we feel the fabric covering needs additional care and maintenance.

Performance:

Comparing Bowers & Wilkins Panorama 3 vs Sonos Arc, the Panorama 3 has a 3.1.2 channel configuration while the Sonos Arc is a 5.0.2 bar. In terms of performance, the Arc has better and more impactful Atmos effects. On the other hand, the Panorama 3 can get louder than the Sonos Arc. However, we suggest placing these bars in compact spaces.

Sonos Arc has 11 drivers that includes front, sides, center and height. Unlike Panorama 3, the Sonos Arc has Trueplay Tuning room calibration feature. It has good separation and can produce room-filling sound. Compared to its size, the bar sound big and spacious. With upward firing drivers, the Atmos effects are truly prominent and shows its presence while watching movies. Movie effects and soundtrack are produced with accuracy. With side-firing drivers, the bar can produce broad and accurate soundstage. It follows the action on screen.

Low ends are well controlled and give a decent oomph. However, it will not be room shaking. The surrounds are immersive and engaging. However, it can be improved dramatically with the addition of surrounds. Voice reproduction sounds loud and clear. Along with movies, the bar shows impressive performance with music thanks to tonal evenness.

Panorama 3 has a total of 13 drivers including 2 4” subwoofer. The built-in subwoofer drivers deliver clean, tight and powerful bass. In terms of height effects, it can create a good sense of height. The result is decent and enjoyable. The soundbar delivers detailed and dynamic sound. It has a decent soundstage that is wide but overall, the performance is average. While playing music, the audio sounds rhythmic, balanced and warm. Instrumental sounds and voices in music sound quite accurate.

The bar has crystal clear dialogues thanks to titanium dome tweeters. This means it is great for dialogue-heavy contents. For surrounds, the bar shows average performance. You might not feel the sound engulfing you from all around, but it will still be better than TV speakers. The bar has good tonality and details. Overall, the performance is likeable.

Features:

Both these bars can be a part of multiroom system. The Panorama 3 works with B&W's Formation & Zeppelin wireless multiroom system. It allows maximum of 6 speakers in a single mesh network. Sonos Arc can be a proud addition to the Sonos multiroom whole house audio. It allows to you make 16 groups with 32 devices. It will work with Sonos S2 OS products.

Along with voice assistants, Sonos Arc has Sonos Voice Control to give commands to other Sonos products in the house. Comparing the Bower & Wilkins Panorama 3 vs Sonos Arc, the Panorama 3 is not future proof. Sonos Arc is expandable, and you can connect additional devices like Sonos Sub and Era 100 or 300 surrounds.

Connectivity:

Connection ports are almost similar but none of them have HDMI In which means you can not connect gaming consoles between the TV and bar. Bower & Wilkins Panorama 3 has HDMI ARC, optical port and Ethernet port. The Sonos Arc has HDMI-to-optical adapter, HDMI eARC/ARC and ethernet port. While Panorama 3 has both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, the Arc only has Wi-Fi. The Panorama 3 allows connection with a total of 8 Bluetooth devices.

Control options:

On the top of the Panorama 3, there are touch sensitive controls including multifunction button, volume up and down, play/pause and voice assistant. With Sonos Arc, you can do the following: play/pause mute mic, volume up/down, next/previous track. None of the soundbars have remote control. Instead, they use mobile apps. Panorama 3 has Bower & Wilkins Music app and Arc has Sonos S2 app.

For voice control, the Sonos Arc has both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. The Panorama 3 only has Alexa built-in. If Google Assistant is your preference, then go for the Sonos Arc bar.

Settings:

Comparing Panorama 3 vs Sonos Arc, the Arc wins in terms of settings and options. It has voice mode, night mode and height level options. They both have bass and treble adjustments.

Cost:

Comparing Sonos Arc vs Bowers & Wilkins Panorama 3, the Panorama 3 is slightly less costly than the Arc. They are both available for under $1000.

FAQ:

How to improve the bass response of Panorama 3 and Sonos Arc?

With Panorama 3, you do not have the option to connect external subwoofer. So, for this bar, you can simply adjust the bass level to improve the low ends. Sonos Arc has the option to include the Sonos Sub which will boost the bass further. It also has bass level adjustment.