Setting up the Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar was one of the worst tech experiences of my life, but damn it sounds incredible

The Sonos Arc Ultra in a living room, in front of plants and personal niknaks.

I. Loathe. The. Sonos. App. Sorry for that appalling punctuation, but since the firm retooled and relaunched its application last year, thousands of Sonos fans have been forced to endure audio anguish. Up until recently, it was about as dependable as a starving fox guarding a hen house.

Not long ago, we labelled 2024 as the year Sonos slipped. Why? Largely because of the redesigned Sonos app’s refusal to play ball with many of the company’s soundbars and smart speakers, like the wonderful Sonos Era 300.