Sonos Ray Review: Small Bar, Real Sound

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.

Still choosing?

• Sonos vs Samsung Soundbar: Whole Theater vs Best Single Bar

Our soundbar picks

• Sonos Arc Ultra
• Samsung HW-Q990F
• Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar
• Sonos Ray