Sonos Ray review: Sonos' budget bar gets all the basics right

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Sonos Ray soundbar — The Sonos Ray arrives in a alternative of either white or black (Credits: Sonos)

In the early times of Sonos, the multi-home streaming firm drew plenty of comparisons to Apple.

Not just for the reason that the goods have been smooth, fashionable and only available in black and white – but also mainly because they were high-priced.

That is however the scenario with the the vast majority of Sonos’ wares but, like Apple, the corporation is now having advantage of trickle-down tech to supply new solutions at competitive price ranges.

So it is with the Ray, the most recent soundbar that takes its location alongside the Arc and Beam (Gen 2) in the Sonos line-up. Contrary to the £899 flagship Arc and £449 Beam, the £279 Ray soundbar is positioned as Sonos’ very first ‘affordable’ option.

All right, terrific. Does that indicate corners have been lower? Very well, undoubtedly not wherever the seem is involved.

Inside is a pair of midwoofers and two tweeters, the latter of which capabilities a Sonos-designed waveguide that focuses on sending greater frequencies forward and outwards. That performs to fill a room as much as possible and indicates items like screeching tyres, bullet shots and dialogue are pin sharp.

Even the bass – which you may well think would endure – is properly represented right here. The Ray doesn’t have the same Dolby Atmos, 3D-audio technology of the Arc or Beam Gen 2, but the business states it has produced an fully new bass reflex process for this bar.

The effects are a pleasantly rounded audio coming out of a product which is rather compact at 22-inches extensive (the Beam is 25.5-inches). And whilst Sonos suggests it’s intended for little-to-medium rooms, I just can’t imagine you’d have trouble packing out a good sized lounge with sound.

When it will come to structure, the Ray seems good and (possibly in the accessible black or white) can assimilate itself properly with any kind of household decor. It has a a little bit trapezoidal with angled sides and the Sonos emblem on the front. The speaker grille only runs along the front, alternatively than about the sides and the back again like with the Beam and the Arc. That implies you can safely stow the Ray inside of a cupboard or concerning dividers with no worrying that you’re going to get rid of some of the seem.

Modest rubber ft have been placed on the bottom of the Ray, and it can also be wall-mounted if that is your desire. A cutout at the base reveals the IR sensor so youcan use your Television set remote control when you have registered it by way of the Sonos app.

Of system, like all Sonos speakers, it can be instantaneously tethered to any of the company’s other products you occur to have unfold all around your home. The Ray will operate as a different speaker in your arsenal when you’re not applying it to perform audio from the Tv.

That features is a major section of why you might want to consider the Sonos Ray. Even though this is an very affordable Sonos solution, there are still more cost-effective soundbars out there. But if you’re on the lookout to insert a sounbar to an supplemental Television set and now use Sonos, then it tends to make sense.

So, what has Sonos dropped in purchase to get the Beam to that lessen rate? Effectively, as stated, there’s no Dolby Atmos on board and neither is there any kind of voice assistant help. You will detect a conspicous deficiency of microphones on the best of this soundbar when compared to Sonos’ others.