Sonos Five
Score: 77/100
Sonos Ray
Score: 71/100Rankings
The Sonos Five is a premium wireless Hi-Fi speaker delivering rich bass, clear highs and a wide stereo soundstage, designed for stationary use in larger rooms. Its lack of Bluetooth, portability and reliance on AC power limit flexibility. Ideal for audiophiles and home-entertainment enthusiasts seeking high-fidelity stationary sound.
The Sonos Ray is a compact, standalone soundbar that provides clear dialogue and balanced audio with convenient Sonos app integration and features like Night Sound. However, it lacks HDMI/eARC, Dolby Atmos and has limited bass without an optional Sub, which may disappoint audiophiles. Best suited for small-room TV setups where space is at a premium and simplicity is valued.
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
| ↓ lower better | 6.35 kg | 1.95 kgbest |
2best | — | |
1 yearsbest | 1 yearsbest | |
| ↓ lower better | 11,468 cm³ | 3,760 cm³best |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
Build & Design(2) | ||
Weight (kg) | 6.35 kg | 1.95 kg |
Dimensions (H×W×D) (cm³) | 11468 cm³ | 3760 cm³ |
Products in the top-left offer the best value (high score, low price).
Professional reviewers commend the Sonos Five for its room-filling, high-fidelity sound, powerful bass, and precise stereo imaging, while noting the lack of portability, absence of Bluetooth, and reliance on AC power as drawbacks.
Everyday users love the immersive, deep bass and ultra-wide soundstage, especially when pairing two units, but many complain about the speaker's size, weight, and lack of Bluetooth limiting outdoor use.
Professional reviewers praise the Sonos Ray for delivering impressive, clear, and powerful audio despite its small size, highlighting its sleek, cabinet-friendly design and useful features like Speech Enhancement, Night Sound, and seamless Sonos app integration. However, they criticize the lack of HDMI/eARC, absence of Dolby Atmos and voice assistants, and the iOS-only Trueplay calibration, noting that the bass can feel thin without an optional Sub and that the unit is heavier than some competing compact soundbars.
Everyday users love how easy the Ray is to set up and integrate into their existing Sonos system, noting the clear dialogue, surprising bass for its size, and the convenience of Night Sound for late-night listening. Recurring complaints focus on the optical-only connection, weaker low-end bass, occasional Wi-Fi instability, and the limitation of Trueplay to iOS devices, with many feeling the soundbar is solid but not a game-changing upgrade without additional Sonos components.
“"deep bass you can dance to" - User review”
“"ultra-wide soundstage" - User review”
“clearer, more powerful audio than ever before possible by a small standalone soundbar”
