Sound bars and audio system in contrast

The marketplace for multi-room speakers has grown considerably lately, however there are some manufacturers which were doing the work for a few years, like Sonos. The corporate has been round for over 20 years and gives among the finest app platforms on the market, with assist for most of the massive streaming companies.




There are a number of audio system throughout the Sonos sound system vary, and there are three soundbars and two wi-fi subwoofers too. Allow us to show you how to work out which is the most effective Sonos speaker(s) or soundbar for you.



Our suggestions: Which is the most effective Sonos speaker to purchase?

We have reviewed – or seen and heard – your complete Sonos line up and these are the three merchandise we’d extremely suggest shopping for in case you’re out there for a Sonos speaker or soundbar.

  • Sonos / Pocket-lint

    Sonos Period 100

    The Sonos Period 100 is among the latest Sonos audio system accessible, changing the wonderful Sonos One. It delivers glorious sound high quality for it measurement, gives a stunning design and there are many options on board. The Period 100 is the right beginning place to a Sonos system, or an awesome addition to an present one.

  • Sonos Roam

    Sonos / Pocket-lint

    Sonos Roam

    The Sonos Roam is a conveyable Bluetooth speaker, while additionally serving as a standard Sonos speaker when on Wi-Fi. Regardless of its small measurement, it gives nice sound, together with a variety of options like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, in addition to Sound Swap. It is a superb 2-in-1 speaker and there are a number of color choices too.

  • Sonos Beam Gen 2

    Sonos / Pocket-lint

    Sonos Beam (Gen 2)

    The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is not as totally fledged because the Sonos Arc soundbar, but it surely gives digital Dolby Atmos, a stunning compact design and it is available in two color choices of white or black like most Sonos audio system. There are additionally loads of options on board, like Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, and it is an awesome worth.

Whereas the above are our prime suggestions, it in fact will depend on what you’re searching for. With that in thoughts, here is a run down of the merchandise you may discover throughout the Sonos vary and why you would possibly purchase them relying on what you’re searching for.

Sonos Period 100

Sonos Era 100 - tag-3

Sonos / Pocket-lint

Sonos Period 100

Nice place to begin

The Sonos Period 100 is among the latest Sonos audio system accessible, changing the wonderful Sonos One. It delivers glorious sound high quality for it measurement (from what we’ve heard thus far), gives a stunning design and there are many options on board. The Period 100 is the right beginning place to a Sonos system, in addition to an awesome addition to an present one.

Professionals

  • Beautiful compact design
  • New intuitive controls
  • Nice efficiency
Cons

  • No Google Assistant
  • Costlier than Sonos One

The Sonos Era 100 is among 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 variety of additional options, together with Bluetooth capabilities, stereo sound as a substitute of mono and a contemporary design that is extra trendy and seamless.

There isn’t 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 good sound efficiency from its measurement. 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

Sonos Era 300 - tag-3

Sonos / Pocket-lint

Sonos Period 300

Dolby Atmos assist

The Sonos Period 300 has a singular design. Some will like it, others won’t be so positive, however you may’t deny it is totally different and we love a bit of various. It isn’t nearly what it appears to be like like although. The Period 300 sounds nice and it is packed stuffed with options, together with Bluetooth and Dolby Atmos assist.

Professionals

  • Distinctive design
  • Nice efficiency
  • Bluetooth and USB-C line-in
Cons

  • Fairly costly
  • No Google Assistant

The Sonos Era 300 is the corporate’s all-singing, all-dancing speaker that launched alongside the smaller Period 100 a little bit increased 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, but it surely 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 color choices. You’ll be able to 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

Sonos Five - tag

Sonos / Pocket-lint

Sonos 5

Excellent sound

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 exhibits what 20 years of expertise can ship. It is a super solution to begin a Sonos multi-room system, or add a badass centrepiece to an present one.

Professionals

  • Glorious sound high quality
  • Nice options
  • Strong construct high quality
Cons

  • Costly
  • No Bluetooth
  • No direct Amazon Alexa/Google Assistant assist

The Sonos Five is the largest speaker within the Sonos line-up. It options capacitive contact controls and will be positioned vertically or horizontally. There is no such thing as a built-in voice management from Alexa or Google Assistant, and there isn’t any Bluetooth or Dolby Atmos assist just like the Period 300, however there’s 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 encompass 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

Sonos Ray - tag

Sonos / Pocket-lint

Sonos Ray

Nice worth

The Sonos Ray is a soundbar that gives a stunning design, nice sound high quality for its measurement and a variety of fantastic options, largely because of being a part of the broader Sonos system.You may make some compromises by choosing the Sonos Ray over its costlier siblings and there’s a smaller soundstage total, however the Ray continues to be nicely price contemplating in the proper setup.

Professionals

  • Compact design
  • Good vary of options
  • Fast setup
Cons

  • Not as sturdy at decrease volumes
  • No HDMI ARC or eARC

The Sonos Ray is the corporate’s funds soundbar and whereas it misses out on some features compared to the Sonos Beam, it is an awesome improve to your TV sound for worth. It makes use of optical as a substitute 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 aren’t any good assistants on board and the soundstage is not as vast because the Beam, nor are there options like Atmos, however the Ray is a implausible soundbar for its measurement.

Sonos Beam (Gen 2)

Sonos Beam - tag

Sonos / Pocket-lint

Sonos Beam (2nd Gen)

Nice efficiency, compact design

Professionals

  • Compact measurement and glorious sound
  • Digital Dolby Atmos assist enhances immersion
  • A number of voice assistants supported
Cons

  • Not nearly as good when at decrease volumes
  • Costlier than authentic Beam
  • Including further audio system for true encompass is expensive

The Sonos Beam (2nd Gen) is an improve to the unique Beam compact soundbar, including assist for digital Dolby Atmos, a speaker grille that matches the Arc and assist for not simply HDMI ARC however HDMI eARC too, just like the Arc. It gives all of the options of a Sonos speaker however TV smarts too, like the unique Beam and Ray, whereas there’s built-in Alexa and Google Assistant voice management, in addition to AirPlay 2 assist too.

The Sonos Beam (2nd Gen) works with all different Sonos merchandise in a multi-room setup and may also be paired with the Sub and different audio system – besides Transfer and Roam – for a 5.1 encompass sound setup, however maybe essentially the most engaging factor is that it is less expensive than the Arc.

Sonos Arc

Sonos Arc - tag

Sonos / Pocket-lint

Sonos Arc

Nice for Dolby Atmos

The Sonos Arc presents an exemplary sound expertise even with out Dolby Atmos. With Alexa and Google Assistant built-in, plus AirPlay 2 and Sonos’ personal feature-filled music platform, you’ve your self a really compelling speaker system to raise your leisure no finish, even whether it is on the dear aspect.

Professionals

  • Glorious Atmos expertise
  • Alexa and Google Assistant on board
  • Simple to setup and combine with Sonos multiroom answer
Cons

  • Requires appropriate TV for Dolby Atmos assist
  • No supply enter
  • 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 recent design aesthetic, with smooth, curved edges and rounded ends that look much like the Sonos Transfer speaker in case you have a look at that from above, tying it in with the remainder of the Sonos household.

There are a stack of speaker drivers inside, with centre, left and proper channels, plus a pair angled for a wider encompass impact than the Beam (for instance). Two further drivers are angled upwards to ship Dolby Atmos additional channels to your ceiling and right down to the seating place to envelope you in immersive audio. You’ll be able to add two Sonos Period 300 audio system as surrounds for a 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos expertise.

Sonos Sub Mini

Sonos Sub Mini - tag

Sonos / Pocket-lint

Sonos Sub Mini

Good for additional punch

The Sonos Sub Mini is a stunning wanting subwoofer, with a press release design that makes it stand out from the gang of conventional black packing containers for one thing a little bit totally different. It gives nice efficiency, delivering additional depth to music when required and enhancing motion scenes in films with added punch, to supply a extra sensible and immersive expertise.

Professionals

  • Nice design
  • Glorious options
  • Strong efficiency
Cons

  • Restricted to Sonos system
  • Not the most affordable
  • Not essential for all

The Sonos Sub Mini is designed to be paired with the smaller audio system within the Sonos portfolio, or the smaller soundbars. It isn’t as highly effective because the bigger Sonos Sub, but it surely nonetheless gives a frequency response right down to 25Hz, it is lighter than the larger Sub and it has a stunning neat design.

It may possibly solely be positioned upright, but it surely is available in black and white and it makes distinction in terms of watching films.

Sonos Sub

Sonos Sub - tag

Sonos / Pocket-lint

Sonos Sub (Gen 3)

Nice for bass

The Sonos Sub is not for everybody, nor will it’s essential for everybody, however it’s a machine that’s all about sound and it is a superb addition to the Sonos system in case you can afford it. For these intrigued sufficient to pay double what you’d an everyday sub-woofer, you will not be upset.

Professionals

  • Nice bass
  • Simple setup
  • Glorious addition to Sonos system
Cons

  • Large and heavy
  • Shall be too loud for some
  • Costly

Just like the Sonos Sub Mini, the Sonos Sub is an extension of Sonos audio system and soundbars and its intention is so as to add extra depth to the whole lot you hear by introducing extra bass, providing a frequency response right down to 25Hz. You’ll be able to stand the Sonos Sub upright or lay it flat giving it extra flexibility than the Sub Mini, and it options built-in rubber toes, in addition to optionally available toes.

Audio settings are mechanically adjusted to steadiness the Sub and the paired Sonos element and like the remainder of the Sonos system, the Sub will be managed utilizing the Sonos app and it’ll join wirelessly to your private home community so you may place it wherever you select. It is extra highly effective than the Sub Mini, but it surely’s much more cash too so you need to actually need that additional bass.

Sonos Roam SL

Sonos Roam SL - tag

Sonos / Pocket-lint

Sonos Roam SL

Nice worth

The Sonos Roam SL is a superb transportable Bluetooth speaker that’s good for these trying to begin a Sonos system however who nonetheless need the flexibleness to take their speaker out of the house.

Professionals

  • Beautiful design
  • Nice sound efficiency
  • Good worth
Cons

  • Some options lacking
  • No good assistants
  • Fewer color choices than Roam

The Sonos Roam SL has the identical design and sound structure because the Sonos Roam, but it surely does not provide a microphone and subsequently misses out on a couple of features. There aren’t any good assistants on board, and the Sonos Roam SL does not have Sound Swap or computerized Trueplay tuning, but it surely nonetheless switches mechanically between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and it delivers nice sound in a small package deal.

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

Sonos Roam - Tag

Sonos / Pocket-lint

Sonos Roam

Glorious portability

For these already invested in Sonos, the Roam is a no brainer as an addition. It permits you to convey your Sonos system with you wherever you go. For these contemplating a Bluetooth speaker and questioning if the Roam is well worth the funding – it delivers the whole lot a Bluetooth speaker ought to, plus a lot extra.

Professionals

  • Light-weight and really transportable
  • Glorious sound high quality for measurement
  • Water-proof
Cons

  • Rubber ends dent
  • No accompanying case
  • Battery life a little bit 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 computerized switching between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth – which the larger Move doesn’t – permitting for a extra seamless listening expertise when transferring from outdoors to inside, and vice-versa.

Together with all the usual Sonos options, the Roam additionally has a function known as Sound Swap and it comes with each Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, in addition to AirPlay 2 and Automatic TruePlay. It may possibly’t be used as surrounds or paired to a Sub, however it’s small, gentle, very transportable and sounds nice.

Sonos Transfer

Sonos Move - tag

Sonos / Pocket-lint

Sonos Transfer

Glorious options and efficiency

There are different nice transportable Bluetooth audio system on the market – together with Sonos’ personal Roam that’s far smaller and higher designed for fixed portability – however there are none fairly just like the Sonos Transfer when it comes to sound output and options, particularly not for these already invested within the Sonos system.

Professionals

  • Glorious sound high quality
  • Sturdy and water-resistant design
  • Loads of options
Cons

  • Heavy so not that transportable
  • Cannot use as surrounds
  • Not the most affordable

The Sonos Move is the bigger of the 2 transportable audio system from Sonos, providing Bluetooth audio capabilities alongside Wi-Fi. When in Bluetooth mode – there is a toggle change on the rear – the Sonos Transfer permits you to pair your machine to it and stream audio, as you’d some other Bluetooth speaker. When in Wi-Fi mode, the Sonos Transfer gives all the identical options you’d count on from a Sonos speaker, managed utilizing the Sonos app.

It gives computerized Trueplay tuning so in case you transfer the Transfer, it should mechanically tune itself to its environment, and there’s Apple AirPlay 2 on board too. Moreover, the Sonos Transfer has built-in Google Assistant and Alexa voice management, it’s IP56 water and dust resistant so you may convey it wherever you are going and the battery lasts round 10 hours.

Sonos Ikea Symfonisk vary

Best Sonos Speaker image 1
Sonos / Ikea

Sonos and Ikea teamed up collectively to supply the Symfonisk vary of audio system, of which there are a couple of choices. There’s the Symfonisk Wi-Fi Book Shelf Speaker, the Symfonisk Desk Lamp Speaker and the Symfonisk Image Body Speaker too.

All provide all the identical options as most of the different Sonos audio system, together with Trueplay tuning, multi-room audio, compatibility with over 100 music companies, the flexibility to stereo pair two of the identical and voice management by way of an Alexa or Google Assistant-enabled machine.

The Sonos Ikea Symfonisk audio system are managed by way of the Sonos app however they’ve twin capabilities in that the E-book Shelf speaker generally is a bookshelf too, in addition to positioned vertically or horizontally, the Symfonisk Table Lamp Speaker is a lamp in addition to a speaker and the Image Body is a bit of artwork and a speaker. All are AirPlay 2 appropriate.

The Symfonisk Wi-Fi E-book Shelf Speaker is the most affordable solution to begin a Sonos system, providing an honest sound for the value and measurement. The Symfonisk Desk Lamp Speaker is costlier, as is the Symfonisk Picture Frame Speaker, however they each provide good sound and purposeful designs.

Fast abstract

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 couple of additional tips like Dolby Atmos and spatial audio assist. You’ll be able to read how the Era 100 and Era 300 compare in our separate function and we have additionally lined how the Era 100 compares to the Sonos One elsewhere. In case you’re excited about the usual Sonos Wi-Fi audio system, you may bounce straight to extra about them by clicking here.

Sonos soundbars

Sonos has three soundbars in its providing, together with the funds 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. Inside the residence theatre 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. In case you’re within the Sonos residence theatre merchandise, you may bounce straight to extra about them by clicking here.

Sonos transportable 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. We have got a function evaluating the 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. In case you’re within the Sonos transportable audio system, you may bounce straight to extra about them by clicking here.

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 affordable solution 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. In case you’re within the Sonos Ikea Symfonisk audio system, you may bounce straight to them by clicking here.

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