Sonos Ray Review: Small Bar, Real Sound
The Sonos Ray is the compact soundbar for apartments, bedrooms, and small TVs: clear sound and dialogue at low volumes, tidy design, and Sonos expandability. The catch is optical-only and no Atmos.
By Eran Yorkovsky · Founder, PickGrade
June 13, 2026 · Openly AI-powered
The Sonos Ray is the compact soundbar to buy when the big bars are too much — too long for the TV stand, too loud for the apartment, too expensive for a bedroom second set. It punches above its size and, like every Sonos, can grow later.
What you get
- A genuinely compact bar that fits small TV stands and bedroom furniture without overhanging or dominating the room.
- Clear, well-balanced sound that's a large step up from TV speakers, with the dialogue clarity Sonos is known for — see the dialogue guide.
- Apartment-friendly performance. It sounds good at low and moderate volumes, which is exactly what considerate listening and small rooms need.
- The Sonos ecosystem. Add a Sub Mini for bass or Era rears for surround later, and it joins any multi-room Sonos setup.
The honest limits
The Ray makes two clear trade-offs to hit its size and price:
- Optical only, no HDMI eARC. It connects via optical cable, so you don't get one-cable ARC convenience or the highest-bandwidth formats. Check the HDMI eARC guide to understand what that means for your TV.
- No Atmos, limited deep bass. There are no height channels and no subwoofer output on the bar itself; for thumping bass you'd add the Sub Mini or look at a 2.1 bundle under $500.
Who should buy it
- Apartment and small-room listeners who want better sound without disturbing neighbors.
- Bedroom and second-TV setups where a full-size bar is overkill.
- Sonos-curious buyers who want the cheapest entry into the ecosystem with room to expand.
Who should buy something else
- Want big movie bass or Atmos? Step up to the Arc Ultra or a sub-equipped system.
- Want one-cable HDMI control? A bar with eARC suits you better.
- On a strict budget but want a sub now? The Vizio V-Series 2.1 bundles one under $200.
Verdict
The Ray is the right small soundbar: clear, tidy, neighbor-friendly, and expandable. For compact spaces it's the easy pick — match it to your room with the soundbar quiz or see how it compares on the soundbars hub.