LG SN5Y vs Sonos Arc

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Votes 1 1
Rating 5 5

SN5Y vs Arc comparison chart

Overall
LG SN5Y
6
Sonos Arc
7
8
8
Multichannel surround
5
4

LG SN5Y vs Sonos Arc review

LG SN5Y
vs
Sonos Arc

Choosing a soundbar is not an easy task and the LG SN5Y vs Sonos Arc comparison is meant to help you with that. As a result, it is clear that Arc is much better designed and has a better sound performance than SN5Y. According to the results of our comparison, SN5Y received 6 points out of 10 possible, and Arc was rated 7 points.

Advantages LG SN5Y over Sonos Arc

  • Separate subwoofer provided
  • Available the Apple Music service
  • Supports external media connection via USB

Advantages Sonos Arc over LG SN5Y

  • Available the Amazon Music service
  • Stream music with Spotify
  • Supports object-oriented sound with Dolby Atmos technology
  • Wireless connection via Wi-Fi

Audio features

The SN5Y is rated 6 of 10 against 5 for the Arc according to the audio features rating.

SN5Y
6
Arc
5

It worth understanding the difference between the two types of amplification: a passive soundbar does not have its own amplifier and receives amplification from the signal source, while an active soundbar has a built-in amplifier. The same active type of amplification is used in the SN5Y and the Arc.

There are stereo soundbars and multichannel ones. It is with the help of multichannel devices that you can get volumetric sound.

SN5Y Arc
Built-in channels2.1N/A
Amplification typeactiveactive
Output power, W400 (overall)N/A
Separate speaker (in package)00
Separate speaker connectionswirelesswireless

Subwoofers

Soundbars can have a built-in or external subwoofer. The first type is inseparable from the soundbar body, but for the second, you can choose a good location for deep bass. The SN5Y comes with an external subwoofer. Competitors support wireless connection to a separate external subwoofer.

SN5Y Arc
Built-in subwoofer
Separate subwoofer (in package)
Separate subwoofer connectionswirelesswireless

Multichannel surround

Unlike stereo, when reproducing multichannel sound, each specific direction of sound corresponds to its dedicated channel with a separate independent loudspeaker, which creates a three-dimensional sound stage. The SN5Y received rating 5 out of 10 for multichannel audio processing, but the Arc, in the same category, earned 4 out of 10 points.

SN5Y
5
Arc
4

The peculiarity of Dolby Atmos is that this format is object-oriented, that is, each object of the audio signal is sounded separately and linked to its spatial location. Dolby Atmos surround sound support is implemented only in Sonos Arc.

DTS:X is an algorithm for processing sound scenes by the processor, linking directly to objects, rather than channels, and calculating the optimal distribution of sound output in a room. This ability to reproduce surround sound with DTS:X technology is not implemented in any of the soundbars in this comparison.

SN5Y Arc
Dolby Atmos
Dolby (other)Dolby DigitalDolby Digital
DTS:X
DTS (other)DTS Digital Surround, DTS Virtual:Xhas not

Streaming services

The possibility to listen online to millions of songs from one device has become a reality thanks to streaming services.

SN5Y
0
Arc
10

The popular Spotify service is available on the Arc.

SN5Y Arc
Apple Music (AirPlay)AirPlay 2
Amazon Music
Spotify
Other streaming serviceshas notPandora, Tuneln, iHeart, Chromecast

Connectivity

The existence of a sufficient number of current connectors significantly expands the functionality of the device. For example, only through HDMI is it possible to implement the transfer of object-oriented formats, and the presence of a Bluetooth connection will allow remote control, etc. The devices received different ratings for connectivity: LG SN5Y was rated 8 out of 10, and Sonos Arc was rated 7 out of 10.

SN5Y
8
Arc
7

The presence of Wi-Fi in the soundbar allows you to get rid of wires when connected to a sound source and get minimal audio latency when playing content from streaming services. Wireless connection via Wi-Fi is possible on the Arc.

Bluetooth connection is now one of the main communication protocols for speaker systems, which provides excellent quality and minimal audio latency. The availability of Bluetooth protocol, we can see in both models. The SN5Y has 1/1 HDMI inputs/outputs, but the Arc got 1/0 HDMI inputs/outputs from the manufacturer.

HDMI ARC is a very usefull technology that creates a two-way communication channel between a TV and another device. This is convenient since there is no need to use optical and other cables in the system. HDMI ARC is basic for both soundbars.

SN5Y Arc
WI-FI
Bluetooth
Ethernet (RJ45)01
NFC
HDMI input/output1/11/0
HDMI ARC
HDMI eARC
HDMI CEC
Optical digital input/output1/00/0
USB1 (USB 2.0)
Coaxial digital input/output0/00/0
Analog audio input/output (RCA)0/00/0
Headphone output00
Subwoofer output00

Features

Voice control is designed to make operating the device more convenient. This allows you to control basic soundbar functions from anywhere in the room.

Proprietary applications allow you to control your soundbars remotely. This is possible both via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The ability to control the soundbar using the application is implemented in each of the competitors. Both soundbars have a built-in microphone.

Some soundbars can be part of a multi-room system and it is an affordable solution for sounding the whole house. However, it is impossible to create a multiroom system based on each of these soundbars.

SN5Y Arc
Voice controlGoogle AssistantAmazon Alexa, Google Assistant
App control
Microphone
Remote control
Multi-room

Dimensions

SN5Y Arc
Size (Wx H x D), cm/in88.9 x 5 x 7.6/35 x 2.2 x 3.4114 x 7.6 x 10.1/45 x 3.4 x 4.5
Weight, kg/pounds2.2/5.26.2/13.7
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