Sonos PLAY:1 Multi-Room Digital Music System Bundle
Score: 53/100
Sonos Arc Ultra
Score: 89/100Rankings
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 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.
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
1best | — | |
| ↓ lower better | 6.804 kg | 5.9 kgbest |
— | 1 countbest | |
0.25 yearsbest | — |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
Physical Specs(1) | ||
Weight (kg) | 6.804 kg | 5.9 kg |
Audio Performance(1) | ||
Supported Audio Formats | 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, Stereo PCM, DTS Digital Surround |
Design & Build(1) | ||
Finish | Black | matte |
Products in the top-left offer the best value (high score, low price).
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.
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.
“Rich, detailed, spatially expansive sound with deep, tuneful bass.”
“Sleek matte design that blends into modern living spaces.”
“Bluetooth 5.3 and AirPlay 2 make streaming a breeze.”
