Sonos Beam Gen 2 Black
Score: 62/100
Sonos RAYG1US1BLK
Score: 66/100Rankings
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.
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
3best | 2 | |
| ↓ lower better | 2.8 kg | 1.95 kgbest |
1 countbest | — | |
1 yearsbest | 1 yearsbest |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
Physical Specs(1) | ||
Weight (kg) | 2.8 kg | 1.95 kg |
Audio Performance(2) | ||
Channels | 3 | 2 |
Supported Audio Formats | 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 | Black | Matte |
Products in the top-left offer the best value (high score, low price).
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.
“Love the Sonos Beam... Great quality sound in a small package... I have them on both my big screen TVs.”
“Expensive but worth it”
“Much better than my TV speakers”
