If you're shopping for a soundbar, you've probably stumbled upon Sonos. The company is responsible for many of the best soundbars of 2024, thanks to a combination of rich audio, time-tested reliability, and (fairly) reasonable prices. Sonos soundbars are great for home theaters, but they're just as capable of serving as a dedicated sound system for your favorite music, making them a hot commodity among all types of shoppers.
But which Sonos soundbar is the best? Many specs are shared across all devices in its lineup, which can make it difficult to figure out which is best for your needs. Should you opt for the expensive Sonos Arc? Or would you be better served by the affordable Sonos Ray? And what about the mid-range Beam – is it good enough to serve as the anchor of your home theater?
Here's a closer look at the best Sonos soundbars of 2024 to help you pick the right one.
Sonos Arc
The best overall Sonos soundbar
- Excellent surround sound
- Easy and simple setup
- Decent Dolby Atmos from a single speaker
- Choice of Alexa or Google Assistant
- No HDMI inputs
- Not ideal for all music genres
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Dolby Atmos | Yes |
| TV Size | Over 50 inches |
| HDMI eARC | Yes |
The Sonos Arc isn't cheap, but if you're concerned about audio quality, it's worth every penny. Easy to install, easy to optimize, and capable of syncing with other audio gear for enhanced sound, it's an easy recommendation for shoppers who need the best soundbar in the Sonos lineup.
Built with up-firing drivers and support for Dolby Atmos, it's equipped to handle whatever you throw at it. The soundbar produces incredible sound, and it's able to lend a directionality to each effect that makes it feel like you have speakers placed throughout the room. Coupled with support for HDMI eARC, touch controls, and voice support, the Sonos Arc is hard to beat.
Of course, the biggest drawback to the Arc is its price. At $900, it's much more expensive than the Beam and Ray. But if you don't want to compromise on quality, the Sonos Arc deserves a closer look.
Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
The best mid-range Sonos soundbar
- Dolby Atmos support
- Room-filling sound
- Easy installation
- Lacks hardware found on the Arc
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Dolby Atmos | Yes |
| TV Size | Up to 65 inches |
| HDMI eARC | Yes |
Clocking at nearly half the price of the Arc, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is a good middle ground between performance and pricing. You're still getting support for Dolby Atmos, but it doesn't offer as many digital amplifiers, tweeters, or midwoofers as the Arc, which makes it less appealing to dedicated audiophiles. Still, for an upgraded home theater or folks not ready to drop $900 on the best soundbar, the Beam (Gen 2) is mighty enticing.
Just like the Arc, the Beam is easy to install and works with the Sonos app so you can customize its EQ. It also supports HDMI eARC. And since it doesn't pack in as much hardware, the Beam is much more compact – making it ideal for cramped spaces or smaller TVs.
Other notable features include Trueplay to optimize the acoustics for your room, support for Apple AirPlay 2, and voice controls for enhanced usability. If you're not glued to Sonos, be sure to check out our roundup of the best soundbars of 2024, as it include several great alternatives to the Beam in this price range.
Sonos Ray
The best budget Sonos soundbar
- Compact for versatile placement
- Impressive sound for its size
- Expandable to a full 5.1 system
- Easy setup and control
- Pricey for a small soundbar
- Lacks a bit of midrange detail
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Dolby Atmos | No |
| TV Size | Up to 55 inches |
| HDMI eARC | No |
This tiny soundbar is just 22-inches wide, making it perfect for rooms of all sizes, though it's best used with small TVs or gaming setups. It doesn't support Dolby Atmos, but at less than $300, that's a minor compromise.
Built with four Class-D digital amplifiers, two tweeters, and two midwoofers, the little Sonos Ray pumps out big sound. You can adjust its performance with the Sonos app via an adjustable EQ, and it also benefits from Trueplay to help measure the acoustics of your room and optimize its output. And while it doesn't support Atmos, it does work with DTS Digital Surround and Dolby Digital. Like the other soundbars, this one supports Apple AirPlay 2. It also plays nicely with other Sonos products, allowing you to add speakers and slowly build up your surround system over the years.
It's not nearly as well-rounded as the Arc, but you'd be hard-pressed to find another soundbar in this price range that's as versatile as the Ray.
How we chose the best Sonos soundbars
Sonos makes a handful of soundbars, and all of them are easy recommendations. However, they're all designed for different purposes – and different budgets. Here's a look at how we chose the best Sonos soundbars for 2024.
Sound quality
Above all else, a soundbar needs to produce incredible sound. Whether you're listening to quiet dialogue or booming explosions, a soundbar should be able to hit all the right notes. We also took into account how whether or not these Sonos soundbars can sync with other devices to create a robust sound system for your home.
Design
Let's face it – soundbar design is pretty boring. They're essentially long tubes stuffed with speakers and drivers and other audio components, and it's hard to make a soundbar look striking. Still, you're going to be seeing the device whenever you watch TV, so it's important that it's not so flashy it distracts from the action but not so clunky it's an eyesore. Sonos doesn't make cheap, clunky products, so this category was largely a tossup, as all its products are equally well designed.
Pricing
The more expensive a product, the more it should offer. We considered how much bang for your buck you're getting with every Sonos soundbar to ensure this list contains the perfect soundbar for every budget. If a product was overpriced and didn't pack in enough premium features, it was left out of the roundup.
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