If you want to enjoy great cinema sound in your own living room, you have a large selection of devices thanks to modern home cinema technology. The US manufacturer Sonos alone has several soundbars for different room sizes (and budgets) on offer. The Sonos Ray is the newest and most affordable member of the home theater family. The OÖN editorial team tested how good the sound is at a low price.
Design: Anyone who is familiar with the other Sonos soundbars (Arc and Beam) will be surprised by the compact and slim design of the Sonos Ray. While the larger devices draw a lot of attention, the Ray nestles almost inconspicuously in front of the TV set. Or even lower in some cases. If the TV stands are high enough, the small soundbar actually fits under the TV.
What is the catch? If you consider that you have to pay significantly more for the Arc (999 euros) and Beam (499 euros) than for the Ray (299 euros), the question arises as to how the price difference is noticeable. First of all, it should be mentioned that the Sonos Ray has to make do with an optical cable as a connection to the television or set-top box. There is no HDMI connection that is otherwise common in soundbars. The result: the Ray does not offer Dolby Atmos sound.
The advantages of the Sonos system: As usual with Sonos, the soundbar is also integrated into the home network via WLAN (or optionally via cable). If you already have a Sonos system, you can add the soundbar to the speaker family as usual via an app. The practical Trueplay function is also on board. The soundbar adjusts its sound depending on the size and furniture of the room.
Sound quality: It seems almost self-evident that the Sonos Ray cannot keep up with the Arc, which is 700 euros more expensive. But at least anyone watching a Hollywood blockbuster or their favorite series will by no means be disappointed. In TV mode, the device does a great job despite its small size. The Sonos Ray also delivers a noticeable improvement, especially with TV sets whose loudspeakers are weak. The situation is different when playing music. The weak bass is noticeable here, which makes the overall sound look rather thin.
Source: Nachrichten
