Sonos Beam Gen 2 vs Harman Kardon Enchant 900: which entry-level Dolby Atmos soundbar is better?
Harman Kardon
Enchant 900
Communication x 1 HDMI in, x 1 HDMI out (eARC), optical, Bluetooth 5.3
Format support Dolby Atmos, DTS HD Master Audio
Voice control? No
Dimensions (hwd) 6.5 x 87 x 13cm
Weight 3.5 kg
While the Enchant 900 delivers a focused and powerful sound experience, it doesn’t offer the detail and finesse needed to surpass the class leader.
Benefits
- The intensity, the overall sound is powerful
- The filling of the rooms is also open
- Clean, moving words
Evil
- Heavy treble when pushed
- Bass are not defined as competitors
- Not the most subtle ones
Communication x 1 HDMI (eARC), optical, Bluetooth 5.3
Format support Dolby Atmos
Voice control? No
Dimensions (hwd) 7 x 65 x 10cm
Weight 2.8kg
Sonos’ Dolby Atmos soundbar is still the best soundbar we’ve tested at this level, continuing to amaze with its streamlined performance and music.
Benefits
- Effective management of Dolby Atmos
- A warm, refined sound
- Smart streaming
Evil
- Only one HDMI port
- It does not support DTS:X
Harman Kardon’s latest Atmos installation challenges the award winner with the Enchant 900. As the Sonos model gets a bit longer in the birds, we’ve been waiting in silence to see if the long-time champion will be dethroned by a newcomer.
The article continues below
So which of these soundbars is the best buy? We’ll break down the arguments below.
Sonos Beam Gen 2 vs Harman Kardon Enchant 900: price
The Harman Kardon Enchant 900 launched at £430 / $560 / AU$800, but the price has risen slightly at most UK retailers to £449.
At this price, it’s a direct competitor to the Sonos Beam Gen 2, which is also available for £449 / $449 / AU$649. It was launched at this price and, although we’ve seen it drop during the deal season, it tracks this price very closely most of the time.
Both models are in the entry-level Dolby Atmos soundbar market and nothing separates them on price.
**Winner: draw**
Sonos Beam Gen 2 vs Harman Kardon Enchant 900: design
Both are soundbars that sport simple, compact designs, although they take two different approaches.
The Harman Kardon model features a smooth fabric covering the top panels, with a metal strip that separates them.
That’s in contrast to the rounded ends of the Sonos Beam Gen 2 with a perforated polycarbonate grille facing the listener.
The Sonos model is slightly taller than the Enchant 900, measuring 7 x 65 x 10 cm (hwd) compared to the Harman Kardon’s 6.5 x 87 x 13 cm. With those dimensions, both sound bars should fit under your TV perfectly without blocking the screen.
On the front of the bar, the Enchant 900 features a dot display that can be dimmed or completely turned off. You can see when the volume, bass level, or output is changed here. That makes navigation a breeze, especially compared to the Sonos that don’t show a display.
There’s no remote with the Sonos Beam Gen 2, but it can be controlled via the Sonos app (more on this soon) or your TV remote. The Enchant 900, on the other hand, features a remote control with a premium, smooth feel.
Using this remote control you can turn on Bluetooth, change the output, adjust the volume and source, or adjust the bass and surround settings.
While some may prefer a Harman Kardon remote control, both models offer a subtle yet stylish design. We call that a drag too.
**Winner: draw**
Sonos Beam Gen 2 vs Harman Kardon Enchant 900: features
Under the hood, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 packs a single center tweeter and four elliptical mid-woofers each powered by Class D amplifiers to create a 5.0 channel configuration.
With the Harman Kardon Enchant 900, there are nine drivers, including four racetrack drivers and three tweeters. You’ll find two firing drivers, and a soundbar boasting a 5.1.4 channel system.
Both bars offer Dolby Atmos, but the Harman Kardon Enchant 900 supports DTS HD Master Audio and the Sonos Beam does not.
Behind the bars, you will find their virtual communication offerings. Both models have an HDMI eARC port, but the Harman Kardon offers an additional HDMI input. That appeals to those who don’t want to put all the communication through their TV.
Both use wi-fi as well, so you can stream using platforms like Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and Amazon Music Ultra HD.
Both soundbars have apps: the Harman Kardon One and the Sonos app, respectively. These act as an all-in-one hub for bars, with access to EQ controls and more advanced sound settings. None of the soundbars offer preset sound modes, so if you want to adjust the balance you rely on these controls.
The apps also offer room calibration to fine-tune the sound in your space, which is easy to do on any model.
But Harman Kardon’s better connectivity options and surround sound support make it a strong performer when it comes to features.
**Winner: Harman Kardon Enchant 900**
Sonos Beam Gen 2 vs Harman Kardon Enchant 900: sound
Now for the main event: how do these models sound? We’ve compared two soundbars, so we know first hand how they compare.
Starting with Harman Kardon, we are brought powerful, exciting sound that enhances our listening experience. The soundbar’s Dolby Atmos presentation is reasonably accurate and clean, all while delivering a great sense of scale.
If you watch King and Ruler: The Far Side of the Worldfor example, we note: “As small boats row away from a large ship, we can still hear where the boats are, even when they have left the hull.”
We find that the Enchant 900 is not a subtle soundbar, however, especially in the treble department where it can surpass other frequencies.
As well as this, the low frequencies sound blobby with the Enchant 900, leaving us with an unsatisfying lack of punch, especially when playing our classic bass test – Chapter 2 Blade Runner 2049.
We play the same scene with the Sonos Beam Gen 2, which delivers bass with tighter, more structured precision that delivers more impact.
Sonos doesn’t have the same sense of scale as the Harman Kardon, but it counts with authentic sound performance that ultimately surpasses its rival.
Transition to film Bohemian Rhapsody for Sonos, we find: “The sound of each instrument sounds natural and unprocessed, no matter where it sits in the picture, and when the camera hovers over the audience there is a real wide sense of movement and atmosphere.”
For music, Harman Kardon’s pleasing performance continues but problems with bass and treble persist.
About Aurora The churchyardthe sound bar creates a great sense of anticipation by building from a quiet vocal to a bass-heavy chorus, and maintains the excitement of the song with its focused sound. But the embarrassing interpretation of Aurora’s voice makes the track sound harsher than it should be.
Listening to the same track with a Sonos bar, the Beam Gen 2 model sounds more natural and balanced with unusual music that is hard to find in a sound bar at this price.
While the Harman Kardon model offers more range and excitement, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 is the best performer for its subtle and musical delivery.
**Winner: Sonos Beam Gen 2**
Sonos Beam Gen 2 vs Harman Kardon Enchant 900: the verdict
Despite Harman Kardon’s release of the Sonos Beam Gen 2 in terms of room-filling sound, it doesn’t have the audio chops to surpass the class leader here.
The Enchant 900 offers better physical connectivity, which will be a draw for those who don’t want to plug everything into their TV.
However, considering that both models are priced the same, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 remains the winner in this Dolby Atmos soundbar category.
**Overall Winner: Sonos Beam Gen 2**
MORE:
Here is our review of Sonos Beam Gen 2
Check it out Harman Kardon Enchant 900 review
And here you are The best soundbars for Dolby Atmos
