Rankings
The Sonos Arc Ultra paired with the Sub 4 delivers a premium 9.1.4 Dolby Atmos home-theater experience, featuring extensive codec support, Trueplay calibration, and sleek matte design. It excels in immersive audio and connectivity but is limited by a single HDMI port and the heft of the subwoofer.
The Sonos Era 100 is a compact, AC-powered smart speaker that offers true-stereo sound, modern Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, and deep integration with the Sonos ecosystem. It excels in sound quality and smart-home features but lacks Google Assistant and portability.
The Sonos Sub Mini is a compact, wireless subwoofer that adds surprisingly deep bass to Sonos setups, ideal for small-to-medium rooms.
The Sonos Five is a high-fidelity, Wi-Fi-only speaker with six Class-D amplifiers, delivering powerful, room-filling sound and deep bass, ideal for Sonos-centric homes.
The Sonos Ray is a compact 2.0 soundbar that delivers clear dialogue and balanced music, integrating smoothly with the Sonos ecosystem via Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and AirPlay 2. Its small footprint and easy setup suit small rooms, but the lack of HDMI, Dolby Atmos, and deep bass limit home-theater capabilities.
The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is a compact 3-channel smart soundbar that adds Dolby Atmos, eARC, and robust voice-assistant integration, making it ideal for small-to-medium rooms and existing Sonos setups. While it delivers clear dialogue and immersive sound, it lacks Bluetooth, Android Trueplay, and deep bass without an additional subwoofer.
The Sonos PLAY:1 is a compact Wi-Fi speaker offering clear mids and highs, integrating into the Sonos multi-room ecosystem with support for numerous audio formats. Its lack of deep bass, Bluetooth, and 5 GHz Wi-Fi, along with a limited warranty, make it less suitable for bass-heavy or portable use.
The Sonos Sub 4 is a premium wireless subwoofer that delivers deep, precise bass down to 25 Hz and integrates flawlessly with the Sonos multi-room ecosystem. Its force-canceling drivers and app-driven calibration provide clean low-frequency performance, though its size, glossy finish, and limited connectivity may deter non-Sonos users.
| Attribute | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
— | — | 100 wattsbest | — | — | — | — | — | |
25 Hzbest | 25 Hzbest | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
— | — | 2 | — | — | 1 | 3best | 2 | |
| ↓ lower better | 12 kg | 6.346 kg | 2.02 kg | 6.35 kg | 5.9 kg | 6.804 kg | 2.8 kg | 1.95 kgbest |
— | — | — | — | 1 countbest | — | 1 countbest | — | |
1 yearsbest | 1 yearsbest | 1 yearsbest | 1 yearsbest | — | 0.25 years | 1 yearsbest | 1 yearsbest | |
— | — | 1 countbest | — | — | — | — | — |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Physical Specs(1) | ||||||||
Weight (kg) | 12.0 kg | 6.346 kg | 2.02 kg | 6.35 kg | 5.9 kg | 6.804 kg | 2.8 kg | 1.95 kg |
Warranty & Support(1) | ||||||||
Warranty Period (years) | 1 years | 1 years | 1 years | 1 years | — | 0.25 years | 1 years | 1 years |
Connectivity(2) | ||||||||
Bluetooth Version | — | — | 5.0 | — | 5.3 | — | — | — |
Ethernet | true | true | false | true | true | true | true | true |
Audio Performance(2) | ||||||||
Channels | — | — | 2 | — | — | 1 | 3 | 2 |
Supported Audio Formats | — | — | Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo | — | Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, Multichannel PCM, Stereo PCM, DTS Digital Surround | MP3, iTunes Plus, WMA, AAC, AAC+, Ogg Vorbis, Audible, Apple Lossless, FLAC, WAV, AIFF | Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, Multichannel PCM, DTS Digital Surround | Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS Digital Surround |
Design & Build(1) | ||||||||
Finish | High-gloss black | Matte white | semi‑matte | Black matte | matte | Black | Black | Matte |
Products in the top-left offer the best value (high score, low price).
Professional reviewers commend the Sonos Sub for its deep, precise bass, seamless integration with the Sonos app, and innovative force-canceling driver design, while noting its high price and limited compatibility with non-Sonos systems.
Everyday users overwhelmingly appreciate the noticeable bass boost and wireless convenience, but complain about the glossy finish's fingerprints, large size, and lack of physical controls or broader connectivity.
“punches above its weight”
“adds dramatic depth to movies and music”
“automatic reconnection when moved”
Reviewers praise its deep bass and force-canceling design, while noting iOS-only calibration and limited power for larger spaces.
Users love the punchy bass and wireless convenience, but are frustrated by the iOS-only Trueplay and inability to place it horizontally.
Professional reviewers rate the Era 100 highly, praising its dual tweeters, larger woofer, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 and Trueplay tuning, while noting the missing Google Assistant and modest bass.
Everyday users love the rich stereo sound, easy setup and Sonos app, but frequently mention the absence of Google Assistant, limited bass and the need to buy adapters separately.
Reviewers commend its studio-quality sound and Trueplay calibration, while noting the lack of Bluetooth and 5 GHz Wi-Fi as drawbacks.
Users love the rich, full-bodied sound and humidity resistance, but complain about missing Bluetooth and occasional Wi-Fi hiccups.
Reviewers praise the Arc Ultra for its clean, precise, three-dimensional soundstage and deep bass, while noting the lack of HDMI inputs and limited DTS support.
Users love the crystal-clear dialogue, powerful bass and seamless Sonos integration, but many mention the missing HDMI inputs and the Sub 4's weight.
Professional reviewers commend the PLAY:1 for its straightforward setup, clear mids and highs, and solid value, positioning it as a near-perfect entry-level multi-room speaker. The main criticism across reviews is the woofer's inability to handle deep bass at high volumes.
Everyday users consistently praise the speaker's easy installation, reliable app control, and warm vocal reproduction, especially for podcasts and smaller rooms. Recurring complaints focus on bass limitations, lack of Bluetooth, and concerns about discontinued support.
Professional reviewers praise the Beam's premium sound quality, clear dialogue, and effective Dolby Atmos implementation, while noting drawbacks such as the absence of Bluetooth, limited Android support for Trueplay, and lack of DTS:X support.
Everyday users overwhelmingly appreciate the Beam's clear dialogue, easy HDMI ARC setup, reliable Wi-Fi and AirPlay 2 streaming, and sleek design, though they complain about missing Bluetooth, Android Trueplay limitations, occasional eARC issues, and modest bass without a subwoofer.
Professional reviewers commend the Ray for its compact footprint, clear and balanced sound, and effortless integration into the Sonos ecosystem, noting it as a solid upgrade over built-in TV speakers. However, they criticize the absence of HDMI, Dolby Atmos, and deep bass.
Everyday users appreciate the Ray's noticeable improvement over TV speakers, easy app-based setup, and sleek look, especially when paired with existing Sonos gear. Common complaints focus on the missing HDMI connection, weak bass that often requires a separate Sub, and the lack of built-in voice assistants or Bluetooth for direct phone playback.
