Design and build:

Comparing Sonos Arc vs Playbar, the Arc is larger and heavier than the Playbar. While the Arc is ideal for 65 to 75” TVs, you can connect the Playbar with 55-65” TVs. You can easily mount these bars on wall but you need to purchase the mounting kits separately. Sonos Arc is made of plastic and has plastic grilles. The Playbar is made of plastic that has metal grilles on both sides and cloth-type grille on front and top. While both these soundbars has great build quality, the Playbar with cloth grille should be used carefully.

Performance:

Comparing Sonos Arc vs Playbar, the Arc has 5.0.2 channels whereas the Playbar is a 3.0 soundbar. The Arc has 3 tweeters and 8 woofers. It has side-firing drivers for a powerful and immersive soundstage with good directivity. There are also a center channel and front left and right channels. Along with these, the bar has 2 dedicated upward firing drivers for Atmos effect. It has crisp and clear dialogues that is much needed if you watch TV shows, new, or dialogue-heavy contents.

Compared to the Playbar, the Arc has better surrounds. Overhead effects are prominent and you can feel good sense of height effect above you. It has deep and tight low ends. The Playbar has 3 tweeters and 6 midrange woofers. Two drivers are angled so that it can deliver a broader soundfield in the room. A dedicated center channel ensures clear and loud vocals.

Despite being a 3.0 soundbar, the bar sounds rich, full and produces more warmer sound. It has amazing soundstage that makes movies enjoyable. Between the two, the Playbar has a higher SPL and can get louder. Both these bars are suitable for large rooms. They both work with Trueplay to optimize the sound. They come with dialogue enhancement options and night mode.

That said, the Arc maintains consistency and remains clear when you crank up the volume. Low ends of the Playbar are adequate but you can hear dramatic improvement with a sub. While the bar has good tonal balance and great sound performance, it seems to have a bit less-direct nature.

Features:

Sonos Arc vs Playbar comparison shows the Arc is packed with smart features that are missing in the Playbar. Sonos Arc work with Sonos Voice Control along with built-in voice assistants. It allows you to ask different Sonos product different things at the same time. You can use it to play song from some specific music services. This is much needed and useful if you have a Sonos ecosystem.

With Sonos Arc, you can play high-quality audio, Apple Music lossless files and etc. It also supports Apple Airplay 2 which is missing in the Playbar. However, you can group the bar with an Airplay compatible speaker from Sonos in order to make it work. Since both soundbars support Wi-Fi, streaming through different sources are is quite easy. You can play contents from internet radio and streaming services. Some well-known apps are Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer and Spotify.

Connectivity:

Comparing Sonos Arc vs Playbar, the Arc has HDMI eARC, optical adapter and 1 ethernet port. The Playbar does not have any HDMI port. It has 1 optical port and 2 ethernet ports. Due to the HDMI port, the Arc supports Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital and other Dolby signals through it. This is not supported by the Playbar.

Both these soundbar support Wi-Fi for wireless connectivity. However, the Playbar does not support Apple Airplay and Spotify Connect. This makes the bar less versatile compared to the Arc.

Compatible device:

To create a home theater, you can add Sonos One and Sub to the Playbar. These can be also added to the Arc if you have one. While the Sonos Arc works with S2 OS, the Playbar works with both S2 and S1 OS.

Control options:

Comparing Sonos Arc vs Playbar, the Arc has touch sensitive buttons to control functions like play/pause, volume up/down and microphone. With HDMI CEC support, using the TV remote for the bar is easy. It uses Sonos S2 app that is available is Android and iOS. The Playbar has buttons on the side of the bar for basic controls like play/pause and volume up/down.

While none of the bars come with remote control, the Playbar can use the Sonos Controller app to use the TV remote for the bar.Another difference between the Arc and Playbar is, the Arc comes with built-in microphone so controlling the bar with voice assistants like Google Assistant and Alexa is quite easy. Playbar does not have any microphone. It can work with 3^rd party voice enabled devices.

Cost:

Sonos Arc vs Playbar, which one is cheaper? The Playbar is less costly than the Sonos Arc. Sonos Arc is almost double the price but it also comes with more features, Atmos drivers and good sound performance.

FAQ:

Should I add a subwoofer with Sonos Arc?

Although Sonos Arc is a good sounding bar with impactful lows, adding a subwoofer will make huge improvements. This will make music and movies more powerful and impressive. It will also improve gaming sound.

Is Sonos Playbar powerful enough as a standalone bar?

Sonos Playbar is an older model but it is popular. As a standalone bar, it is capable of producing room-filling sound even in large spaces. The bar can get loud, it is rich and balanced. It makes music and movies sound amazingly detailed.