Best compact soundbar for apartments
Sonos Ray
Reviewed
The Ray is the compact pick: short enough for a small TV stand or a bedroom, with sound quality and dialogue clarity well beyond its size and a profile that won't dominate the room. It's the apartment-friendly choice — clear at low and moderate volumes where you're not trying to shake the walls — and like all Sonos it can grow, pairing with a Sonos Sub Mini and Era rears down the line. The honest limits: it connects by optical rather than HDMI eARC (so no one-remote ARC convenience or passthrough), and there's no Atmos or built-in bass thump. For small spaces and considerate listening, that's the right set of trade-offs.
$219
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What we like
- ✓Compact — fits small TVs, bedrooms, and apartments
- ✓Clear sound and dialogue at low volumes
- ✓Neighbor-friendly without losing clarity
- ✓Expandable with Sonos Sub Mini and rears
- ✓Tidy, unobtrusive design
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