Sonos Ray soundbar: Everything you need to know
The rumours were true and the Sonos Ray is the firm’s smallest and cheapest soundbar to date. Not all the leaked information was correct though, so here’s everything you need to know.
Announced alongsideSonos Voice Control(although you can’t use that on the Ray) and new Roam colours, the Ray is another move for the multi-room company into the cheaper end of the audio market meaning a Sonos soundbar might finally be within your budget.
When is the Sonos Ray release date?
The Verge was certainly right in the Sonos Ray release date which is7 Junein the US, UK, Canada and plenty more countries.
Mexico, Colombia, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Eastern Europe, Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
Sonos says that China, Japan, and India are “to follow.”
The wait for theSonos Headphonesgoes on.
How much does the Sonos Ray cost?
Rumours of a $249 price tag were a little off as the Sonos Ray actually costsUS$279and£279 or €299in the UK and Europe.
You canpre-order it now from the Sonos store.
That still makes it the cheapest Sonos soundbar with theSonos Beam(gen 2) coming in at $449/£449/€499. The flagshipArcis even more expensive at $899/£899/€999.
What are the Sonos Ray specs?
The Sonos Ray is also known by its S36 model number andcodename ‘Fury’. It, like most Sonos products, is offered in matte black and white colours and keeps things simple with touch-sensitive buttons on top and a status LED on the front.
Given the lower price compared to the Beam, the Ray is smaller in size (559mm long vs 651mm) and comes with fewer drivers. It has two tweeters and two full-range midwoofers driven by Class-D amplifiers along with a bass reflex system.
Sonos says: “Custom-designed waveguides project sound from wall to wall, and advanced processing accurately positions elements throughout your room so you feel like you’re at the center of the story.”
“A new bass reflex system with a proprietary design delivers thrilling lows with perfectly weighted bass, while custom acoustics precisely harmonize mid and high-range frequencies.”
The Ray lacks microphones to use voice assistants, including the new Sonos Voice Control, as well as things like Dolby Atmos. It doesn’t have the SL branding (means speechless) like some Sonos products, presumably because there isn’t a regular version that does have mics.
There’s not even an HDMI port foreARC(Enhanced Audio Return Channel) so you’ll have to use an optical connection instead just like the Sonos Playbar. The other ports are power and Ethernet and the Sonos Ray doesn’t have Bluetooth like the portableSonos MoveandRoammodels do but does support Apple AirPlay 2.
It supports Stereo PCM, Dolby Digital and DTS Digital Surround formats and in terms of features it has a Night Sound, Speech Enhancement, adjustable EQ and Trueplay. That’s not to be confused with Auto Trueplay so to tune the Ray to your room you’ll need to use a phone.
If you don’t bother with Trueplay, the Ray’s angled design with a forward-facing grille is designed to allow the soundbar to be tucked into a media stand without interference from nearby surfaces.
You can pair the Sonos Ray with a Sub or rear satellite speakers to create a surround sound system just like other Sonos soundbars if you like. The Verge’s leaked information about the Ray having the ability to be a rear-mounted surround speaker (in a vertical orientation no less) is not true.
Sonos told Tech Advisor, “We don’t comment on speculation/rumour but Ray is a soundbar that lives at the front of the room alongside a TV.”
Check out our guide to thebest Sonos speakers.
Author: Chris Martin, Reviews Editor, Tech Advisor
Chris got his break as a reporter at infamous site The Inquirer and has been at Tech Advisor for more than 12 years. With a BA degree in Music Technology, audio is his specialism, but over the years he has reviewed all kinds of gadgets, from smartwatches to mesh Wi-Fi to coffee machines.
