Sonos Ray

An assertive, punchy and petite soundbar with sparkling vocal clarity

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Whether you're in the market for designer clothing, lifestyle tech or bespoke furniture, hunting down luxury items on a budget is no easy task during the best of times. And at the worst of times? Even a rummage around TK Maxx can yield little more than some knockoff AirPods and a chipped Le Creuset ramekin.

We're becoming so conditioned to seeing prices for high-end goods rise while quality often drops that, when we initially heard rumours that premium electronics brand Sonos was releasing its first budget soundbar, the Sonos Ray, we couldn't help but wonder, what's the catch?

Sonos products have always had an aspirational cachet. Its elegantly crafted but expensive speakers are developed to be integrated to provide you with an expansive, seamless audio accompaniment in every part of your home, as well as immersive cinema sound in your living room. The Ray is the company's first budget soundbar and marks something of a departure for Sonos. It still maintains the company's core identity of interoperability, allowing it to form part of a wireless multi-room system using Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and/or the Sonos S2 app, but it is clearly aimed at those new to the brand. Its ultra-compact dimensions (7cm high, 56cm wide), tapered build and forward-facing speakers mean it takes up little space and removes any need for a clear line of sight for upward- and side-firing drivers, making it a practical choice for small rooms or shared spaces.

Inside sit a quartet of class-D amplifiers powering the Ray's array of four forward-facing drivers - two centrally positioned elliptical mid-woofers flanked by a pair of tweeters that fire into split waveguides. The waveguides separate and disperse high frequencies forwards and outwards for a sense of spaciousness. There is no dedicated centre channel driver, all the drivers instead sharing dialogue duties.