Sonos Ray
Soundbars

Ray

Sonos

Released May 1, 2022 · Analysis updated Mar 12, 2026

Sonos Ray Soundbar with compact design, easy setup, and good sound quality for its size, featuring nicely balanced sound and excellent vocal clarity. The Sonos Ray scores 80/100 based on 25 expert reviews in the soundbars category. Coverage includes reviews from Wired, Pickr, Cnet, and Theguardian.

Critic Score

What's this?
80

based on 25 expert reviews

WiredPickrCnetTheguardianCgmagonline+20 more

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Pros

  • Compact design(10)
  • Easy setup(9)
  • Good sound quality for its size(7)
  • Nicely balanced sound(7)
  • Excellent vocal clarity(5)

Cons

  • No hdmi connectivity(23)
  • Limited features(15)
  • No dolby atmos support(7)
  • No sonos voice control(5)
  • High price(3)

25 Expert Reviews

90
Sep 10, 2022

The Sonos Ray is a small but fierce soundbar option for smaller spaces, or those looking to slowly build their sound system up with quality pieces.

90
May 31, 2022

Well designed and next to impossible to fault, the entry-level Sonos Ray is one of the more accessible and expandable soundbars yet.

85

The $279 Ray is the closest thing yet to a Sonos One speaker in soundbar form, and that's high praise.

85
May 31, 2022

The Ray is a compact, high-quality sound upgrade for your TV from Sonos that sounds miles better than most all-in-one soundbar systems at under £300.

85
Jul 6, 2022

The Sonos Ray delivers excellent audio quality and dialog clarity in a compact, stylish design, making it a great entry-level soundbar despite some limitations like the lack of HDMI input and Atmos su...

85
May 31, 2022

The Sonos Ray delivers strong audio performance and smart features at an affordable price, making it an excellent starter soundbar despite lacking some premium features.

85
May 31, 2022

The Sonos Ray offers a lovely design, great sound quality for its size and a range of excellent features for its affordable price.

85
May 31, 2022

Simpler, cheaper and smaller than the other soundbars in the Sonos range, the Sonos Ray is built with one main job in mind: making poor-quality TVs sound better.

85
Jun 10, 2022

The Sonos Ray is a compact, sleek soundbar that delivers excellent dialogue clarity and good overall sound quality, making it a great choice for smaller TVs or secondary rooms.

83
Mar 10, 2025

Almost three years since its launch, the Sonos Ray remains one of the best budget soundbars available, particularly if crisp and clear dialogue is your priority.

83
May 1, 2022

The Sonos Ray is a major sound upgrade compared to the built-in speakers of just about any TV, and gets a massive recommendation on the front.

82

The Sonos Ray is a compact and affordable soundbar that delivers impressive sound quality and easy integration with the Sonos ecosystem, making it a great choice for those looking for a budget-friendl...

82
Jul 20, 2022

The Sonos Ray is a compact, minimalist soundbar that delivers surprisingly good sound quality for small spaces, though it lacks some features found in larger models.

80
Jul 25, 2022

The Sonos Ray is an affordable route into Sonos's multi-room ecosystem, offering clear dialogue and vocals despite its compact size and digital optical-only connection.

80
May 31, 2022

The Sonos Ray is a quality compact soundbar with superb sound quality and lovely design, but its lack of HDMI and Dolby Atmos support, along with remote control limitations, may make it less appealing...

78

The Sonos Ray is an affordable soundbar with excellent vocals and compact design, though it lacks some advanced features like Dolby Atmos and HDMI eARC.

78

The Sonos Ray is the company's most affordable soundbar yet and a great entry to its ecosystem.

75

The Sonos Ray is a compact and easy-to-use soundbar that delivers good sound quality for its size, though it lacks HDMI connectivity and has limited bass response.

75
Jun 1, 2022

The Sonos Ray offers fantastic voice clarity and crisp sound, but this optical-only soundbar isn't without frustrations.

75
May 31, 2022

The Sonos Ray is a compact, well-built soundbar with good sound quality, but its lack of HDMI and higher price compared to rivals hold it back.

75
Aug 3, 2022

The Sonos Ray is a wonderful, punchy speaker that sounds brilliant in small spaces.

75
Jul 23, 2022

The Sonos Ray is a compact soundbar that delivers good sound quality for its size, but its lack of HDMI and Dolby Atmos support may be dealbreakers for some users.

73
Aug 16, 2024

The Sonos Ray soundbar delivers quality sound but lacks extra features, making it a simple but effective option for those prioritizing audio over connectivity.

70
Dec 28, 2022

While the Sonos Ray lacks HDMI connectivity, it delivers surprisingly big sound for its compact size and offers excellent vocal clarity, making it a solid starter soundbar despite some limitations.

65

The Ray is the smallest, most affordable soundbar that works with any Sonos multi-room system, but it's a bit too pricey for its bass-light performance and relative lack of features.