The marketplace for multi-room speakers has been steadily rising for years, however Sonos stands out among the many competitors not just for the sheer dimension of their product choice, however for constant high quality of their audio system. The corporate has been round for over twenty years and gives probably the greatest app platforms on the market, with native assist for most of the large streaming providers.
How Sonos Trueplay can upgrade your speaker game
You should utilize your iOS system to enhance the sound of your Sonos audio system with only a little bit of arm waving.
The Sonos lineup of audio system covers a large spectrum of use circumstances and worth factors, from soundbars, to subwoofers, and all the pieces in between. We have put collectively a round-up of the most effective Sonos audio system that will help you work out which is the most effective Sonos speaker(s) or soundbar for you.
We have reviewed — or seen and heard — the whole Sonos line-up and these are the merchandise we might extremely suggest shopping for when you’re available in the market for a Sonos speaker or soundbar.
The very best Sonos audio system: Our prime picks
Sonos Period 100
1. Greatest speaker total
An important start line
The Sonos Period 100 is without doubt one of the latest Sonos audio system accessible, changing the Sonos One. It delivers wonderful sound high quality for its dimension, gives a stunning design and carries loads of options on board. The Period 100 is the proper beginning place for a Sonos system, in addition to an ideal addition to an current one.
- Pretty compact design
- New intuitive controls
- Nice efficiency
- No Google Assistant
- Dearer than Sonos One
Sonos Era 100 is without doubt one of the latest audio system throughout the Sonos portfolio, changing the Sonos One and One SL. It is costlier than the outgoing One and One SL, however you get a spread of additional options, together with Bluetooth capabilities, stereo sound as an alternative of mono and a contemporary design that is extra fashionable and seamless.
There is not any Google Assistant on the Period 100 — with simply Alexa and Sonos Voice Management on board, and it does not assist spatial audio and Dolby Atmos just like the bigger Period 300, however the Period 100 sounds nice and gives sensible sound efficiency from its dimension. It additionally has all the usual Sonos options, like AirPlay 2, the flexibility to adapt EQ, assist for over 100 music streaming services, and Trueplay tuning.
Sonos Period 300
2. Greatest mid-range speaker
Nice Dolby Atmos assist
The Sonos Period 300 has a singular design that some will love and others won’t. Regardless of it is probably polarizing aesthetics, The Period 300 sounds nice, and comes packed filled with options, together with Bluetooth and Dolby Atmos assist.
- Distinctive design
- Nice efficiency
- Bluetooth and USB-C line-in
- Fairly costly
- No Google Assistant
Sonos Era 300 is the corporate’s all-singing, all-dancing speaker that launched alongside the smaller Period 100 a bit of greater up this record. It encompasses a barely totally different design to your common speaker, although it has the identical management panel on the prime because the Period 100 and there is a USB-C line-in port on the rear too, in addition to Bluetooth capabilities. It is smaller than the Sonos 5 under, however it gives assist for spatial audio and Dolby Atmos content material, designed to supply a extra immersive expertise when listening to appropriate content material.
The Period 300 additionally options AirPlay 2 assist, together with Alexa and Sonos Voice Control and it is available in black and white coloration choices. You possibly can stereo pair two collectively and so they can be utilized as rear surrounds with a Sonos Arc and a Sonos Sub for a 7.1.4 multi-channel setup.
Sonos 5
3. Greatest speaker for a bigger area
Function-rich and durable
The Sonos 5 does not have Bluetooth, Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant assist like another Sonos audio system, however these are about the one downsides we will leverage at this in any other case very good speaker. The 5 reveals what twenty years of expertise can ship. It is a great technique to begin a Sonos multi-room system, or add a badass centrepiece to an current one.
- Wonderful sound high quality
- Nice options
- Stable construct high quality
- Costly
- No Bluetooth
- No direct Amazon Alexa/Google Assistant assist
Sonos Five is the most important speaker within the Sonos line-up. It options capacitive contact controls and might be positioned vertically or horizontally. There isn’t any built-in voice management from Alexa or Google Assistant, and there is no Bluetooth or Dolby Atmos assist just like the Period 300, however there may be Apple AirPlay 2 compatibility and very good sound efficiency.
As with different Sonos audio system, you get the identical choice to pair two 5 audio system collectively for a full-fledged stereo pair, have multi-room audio, mix it with Sonos soundbars for {surround} sound, place the speaker the place you select when related to the Wi-Fi mesh community, in addition to the streaming choices and app options.
Sonos Ray
4. Greatest worth speaker
Smaller soundstage for a smaller worth
The Sonos Ray is a soundbar providing a stunning design, nice sound high quality for its dimension, and a spread of fantastic options.
- Compact design
- Good vary of options
- Fast setup
- Not as robust at decrease volumes
- No HDMI ARC or eARC
The Sonos Ray is the corporate’s finances soundbar and whereas it misses out on some features compared to the Sonos Beam, it is an ideal improve to your TV sound for a very good worth. It makes use of optical as an alternative of HDMI so it is appropriate with older TVs and it may be a standalone Sonos speaker when not in use, providing numerous Sonos options.
There are not any good assistants on board and the soundstage is not as broad because the Beam, nor are there options like Atmos, however the Ray is a implausible soundbar for its dimension.
Sonos Arc
5. Greatest good soundbar
A sensible soundbar, nice for Dolby Atmos
The Sonos Arc good soundbar presents an exemplary sound expertise. With Alexa and Google Assistant built-in, plus AirPlay 2, assist for Dolby Atmos, and Sonos’ personal feature-filled music platform, you have got your self a really compelling, if expensive, speaker.
- Wonderful Atmos expertise
- Alexa and Google Assistant on board
- Straightforward to setup and combine with Sonos multiroom answer
- Requires appropriate TV for Dolby Atmos assist
- Expensive
- Solely single-band (2.4GHz) Wi-Fi
The Sonos Arc is a 5.0.2 bar with HDMI eARC and a very re-tuned expertise over the Playbar, which it changed within the line-up. It comes with a more moderen design aesthetic, with glossy, curved edges and rounded ends that look much like the Sonos Transfer speaker when you have a look at that from above, tying it in with the remainder of the Sonos household.
Moreover, there is a stack of speaker drivers inside, with middle, left and proper channels, plus a pair angled for a wider {surround} impact than the Beam (for instance). Two extra drivers are angled upwards to ship Dolby Atmos further channels to your ceiling and right down to the seating place that envelopes you in immersive audio.
You possibly can add two Sonos Period 300 audio system as surrounds for a 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos expertise.
Sonos Sub (Gen 3)
6. Greatest speaker for bass
Massive and bass-heavy
The Sonos Sub is not for everybody, however it’s a system that’s all about sound, and makes an ideal addition to the Sonos system when you can swing it. For these intrigued sufficient to pony up for the price-tag, you will not be dissatisfied.
- Nice bass
- Straightforward setup
- Wonderful addition to Sonos system
- Massive and heavy
- Will likely be too loud for some
- Costly
Audio settings are robotically adjusted to steadiness the Sub and the paired Sonos element and like the remainder of the Sonos system, the Sub might be managed utilizing the Sonos app, and it connects wirelessly to your property community.
Sonos Roam SL
7. Greatest finances speaker
Nice worth in a transportable design
The Sonos Roam SL is a superb transportable Bluetooth speaker that’s good for these seeking to begin a Sonos system however who nonetheless need the flexibleness to take their speaker out of the house.
- Pretty design
- Nice sound efficiency
- Good worth
- Some options lacking
- No good assistants
The Sonos Roam SL has the identical design and sound structure because the Sonos Roam, however it does not supply a microphone and subsequently misses out on a couple of features. There are not any good assistants on board, and the Sonos Roam SL does not have Sound Swap or automated Trueplay tuning, however it nonetheless switches robotically between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and it delivers nice sound in a small bundle.
Apple AirPlay 2 vs AirPlay: Differences and perks explained
AirPlay 2 improves upon Apple’s authentic AirPlay, together with multi-room audio, listening to totally different songs on totally different audio system, and extra.
There’s AirPlay 2 on board, waterproofing, and it’ll change seamlessly between being a part of your Sonos system and being a Bluetooth speaker as you progress round.
Sonos Roam
8. Greatest transportable speaker
Packs a punch on the go
For these seeking to take your music on the go, the Roam is a no brainer. For these contemplating a Bluetooth speaker and questioning if the Roam is well worth the funding — it delivers all the pieces a Bluetooth speaker ought to, plus a lot extra.
- Light-weight and really transportable
- Nice sound high quality in a compact dimension
- Water-resistant
- No accompanying case
- Battery life a bit of under claimed
The Sonos Roam is the smaller of the transportable, Bluetooth audio system from Sonos and the smallest Sonos speaker accessible (alongside the Roam SL), in addition to one of many smartest. It gives automated switching between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth – which the larger Move doesn’t – permitting for a extra seamless listening expertise when shifting from outdoors to inside, and vice versa.
Together with all the usual Sonos options, the Roam additionally has a function referred to as Sound Swap, and it comes with each Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, in addition to AirPlay 2 and Automatic TruePlay. It may’t be used as a part of a {surround} system or paired to a Sub, however it’s small, mild, very transportable and sounds nice.
The underside line: What’s the finest Sonos speaker?
Primarily based on our years of listening and testing, we have discovered that the most effective Sonos speaker total is the Sonos Period 100, because of its nice sound and ease. This speaker is definitely the most effective for Sonos novices to start out constructing their final dwelling surround-sound system.
Sonos Period 100
Editor’s Selection
Nice start line
The Sonos Period 100 is without doubt one of the latest Sonos audio system accessible, changing the wonderful Sonos One. It delivers wonderful sound high quality for it dimension (from what we’ve heard up to now), gives a stunning design and there are many options on board. The Period 100 is the proper beginning place to a Sonos system, in addition to an ideal addition to an current one.
What are the several types of Sonos audio system?
Conventional Sonos audio system: The non-portable audio system throughout the Sonos line up embody the Sonos Period 100, Period 300 and the Sonos 5. The Period 100 replaces the Sonos One and One SL and brings Bluetooth capabilities, whereas the Period 300 sits under the bigger Sonos 5, however gives a number of further methods like Dolby Atmos and spatial audio assist.
Sonos soundbars: Sonos has three soundbars in its providing, together with the finances Sonos Ray, designed for smaller TVs, the Sonos Beam (2021, Gen 2) that has digital Dolby Atmos assist and the all-singing, all-dancing Sonos Arc with full Dolby Atmos assist. Throughout the dwelling theater line-up, there’s additionally the Sonos Sub and the Sonos Sub Mini, with the latter providing the identical low frequency response however a bit much less energy than the bigger Sub.
Transportable Sonos audio system: There are three transportable audio system within the Sonos line up. These embody the Sonos Transfer, the Sonos Roam and the Sonos Roam SL. There are a number of differences between the Sonos Roam and Sonos Move, however in a nutshell, the Roam is an ultra-portable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi speaker that’s smaller and cheaper than Transfer, and the Roam SL is a Roam with out the built-in microphones and good assistants.
Sonos Ikea Symfonisk audio system: Along with the transportable Sonos audio system and the usual Sonos audio system, the corporate additionally collaborated with Ikea to supply the Symfonisk vary of audio system. There’s the Wi-Fi Bookshelf Speaker, which is a speaker that doubles up as a bookshelf and the most cost effective technique to enter the Sonos system. In the meantime, the Desk Lamp Speaker doubles up as a desk lamp and the Image Body Speaker doubles up as a bit of artwork. All of the Symfonisk audio system work as conventional Sonos audio system whereas additionally that includes Trueplay tuning, multi-room audio, and compatibility with over 100 music providers. Additionally they supply voice management through Alexa or Google Assistant in addition to AirPlay 2 compatability.
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