Sonos Beam vs LG SN8YG

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Votes 6 6
Rating 4.6 4.6

Beam vs SN8YG comparison chart

Overall
Sonos Beam
6
LG SN8YG
6.8
8
8
Multichannel surround
4
10

Sonos Beam vs LG SN8YG review

Sonos Beam
vs
LG SN8YG

Let's take a look at the comparison between Sonos Beam and LG SN8YG. It will become clear that among these two devices, the SN8YG is more suitable for the role of a home soundbar. According to the results of our comparison, Beam received 6 points out of 10 possible, and SN8YG was rated 6.8 points.

Advantages Sonos Beam over LG SN8YG

  • We do not know advantages

Advantages LG SN8YG over Sonos Beam

  • Separate subwoofer provided
  • Available the Apple Music service
  • Supports object-oriented sound with Dolby Atmos technology
  • Surround sound with DTS:X support
  • Supports external media connection via USB
  • HDMI ARC supports

Audio features

The Beam is rated 6 of 10 against 7 for the SN8YG according to the audio features rating.

Beam
6
SN8YG
7

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 Beam and the SN8YG.

There are stereo soundbars and multichannel ones. It is with the help of multichannel devices that you can get volumetric sound. It is worth noting one of the main differences, the Beam has 3.0 channels, while the SN8YG has 3.1.2 channels.

Beam SN8YG
Built-in channels3.03.1.2
Amplification typeactiveactive
Output power, WN/A440 (overall)
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 SN8YG comes with an external subwoofer. Competitors support wireless connection to a separate external subwoofer.

Beam SN8YG
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 Beam received rating 4 out of 10 for multichannel audio processing, but the SN8YG, in the same category, earned 10 out of 10 points.

Beam
4
SN8YG
10

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 LG SN8YG.

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. The manufacturer has implemented DTS:X technology only in SN8YG.

Beam SN8YG
Dolby Atmos
Dolby (other)Dolby DigitalDolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TruHD
DTS:X
DTS (other)has notDTS HD, DTS Digital Surround

Streaming services

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

Beam
6
SN8YG
0

The popular Spotify service cannot be used on both soundbars.

Beam SN8YG
Apple Music (AirPlay)AirPlay 2
Amazon Music
Spotify
Other streaming servicesPandora, Tuneln, Chromecasthas not

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: Sonos Beam was rated 6 out of 10, and LG SN8YG was rated 8 out of 10.

Beam
6
SN8YG
8

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 both devices.

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 Beam has 1/0 HDMI inputs/outputs, but the SN8YG got 1/1 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 a feature unique to LG SN8YG.

Beam SN8YG
WI-FI
Bluetooth
Ethernet (RJ45)10
NFC
HDMI input/output1/01/1
HDMI ARC
HDMI eARC
HDMI CEC
Optical digital input/output1/01/0
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.

Beam SN8YG
Voice controlAmazon Alexa, Google AssistantGoogle Assistant
App control
Microphone
Remote control
Multi-room

Dimensions

Beam SN8YG
Size (Wx H x D), cm/in65 x 6.8x 10/25.6 x 2.7 x 3.9104 x 5 x 10.1/41.7 x 2.2 x 4.7
Weight, kg/pounds2.8/6.24/9.7
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