Sonos Beam (Gen 2) vs. Sonos Ray Soundbar: Which Should You Buy?

Sonos makes a few of the best soundbars you should purchase, together with its mid-tier Sonos Beam (Gen 2) and the inexpensive Sonos Ray. However although they share comparable options and styling, there are some massive variations between these two soundbars past their value. Observe under to see which is best for you.

Pricing and Worth

• Sonos Beam (Gen 2): $449 MSRP
• Sonos Ray: $279 MSRP

Earlier than we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s focus on the underside line. The Sonos Beam (Gen 2)‘s $449 value level places it in the midst of the lineup, about half the worth of the corporate’s flagship soundbar, the Sonos Arc.

That sum will get you a formidable function set, together with the choices you’d anticipate from Sonos, like the power so as to add different Sonos audio system as you go to create a encompass sound or multi-room audio system, handy tuning and good options by the Sonos app, and even virtualized Dolby Atmos. (The Beam doesn’t supply devoted upfiring drivers for Atmos just like the Arc.)

The Sonos Ray goals to pack within the worth as effectively, providing a strong serving to of the options you’ll get from its siblings, together with networking and good options, for effectively below $300. To get so inexpensive, nevertheless, the Ray cuts some comfort choices resembling an HDMI ARC/eARC connection, in addition to any Dolby Atmos assist.

How vital these options are to you’ll rely upon how you plan to make use of your soundbar. But it surely’s value conserving in thoughts that, whereas the Sonos Beam is pricier, it’s additionally the extra versatile bar in relation to the way it each sources and delivers your TV’s audio sign.

Design and Construct

Sonos Beam Gen 2’s design specs:

• Dimensions: 2.72in x 25.63in x 3.94in (69mm x 651mm x 100mm)
• Weight: 6.2lb (2.8kg)
• Colours: Black, White

Each the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) and the Sonos Ray are constructed to be not solely trendy and minimalist but in addition extraordinarily handy in relation to becoming into your setup. Their white or black coloration schemes help you tailor both bar to your own home decor, whereas neither possibility rises above three inches excessive, making them simple to suit under most TVs.

Sonos makes use of superior acoustic strategies together with digital sign processing to make both bar’s soundstage increase past its dimension. However the Beam (Gen 2) is especially efficient on condition that it suits a comparatively immersive digital Dolby Atmos into an acoustic chamber that hardly expands previous 25 inches broad (extra on that later).

Sonos Ray’s design specs:

• Dimensions: 2.79in x 22in x 3.74in (70.9mm x 558.8mm x 95mm)
• Weight: 4.29lb (1.95kg)
• Colours: Black, White

The Sonos Ray can be an audio acrobat, squeezing a strong punch of cinematic sound from its personal micro-sized body. It employs a distinct acoustic design sample than its predecessor to offer it some additional groove for its dimension, rising in a crescendo sample from again to entrance. As such, it stands a smidge taller than the Beam (Gen 2), although its width is three inches shorter.

Each soundbars share comparable aesthetics and design cues elsewhere, together with their glossy matte-plastic exteriors, metallic grilles up entrance, and a small management heart of touch-ready keys on their topsides.

Connectivity

Sonos Beam (Gen 2)’s connectivity choices:

• Inputs: HDMI ARC/eARC, Ethernet, digital optical (with converter)
• Wi-fi Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Spotify Join, Apple AirPlay 2

As touched on above, connectivity accounts for one of the vital vital variations between these two techniques. Each soundbars supply simple setup and wonderful community options over Wi-Fi and Ethernet, together with Apple AirPlay 2 and Spotify Join. However the Beam (Gen 2) makes use of HDMI ARC/eARC for TV connection whereas the Sonos Ray solely helps digital optical connection.

In the event you’re scratching your head concerning the distinction, there are two key causes HDMI ARC/eARC is superior. First, it permits for the transmission of upper bandwidth alerts and encompass sound codecs. The newer eARC connection helps Dolby Atmos decoding in each its lossy (Dolby Digital Plus) format and—for newer TVs with eARC assist—lossless Dolby Atmos by way of Dolby TrueHD.

Second, and maybe most notably for day by day use, HDMI ARC/eARC permits for simple communication along with your TV over CEC (Consumer Electronics Communication). This implies you should use nearly any TV distant for automated management of your soundbar’s energy and quantity so long as CEC is engaged in your TV.

For its half, the Sonos Ray’s limitation of digital optical connection means it helps solely lower-bandwidth audio codecs with restricted encompass sound decoding. With out an HDMI connection, the Ray additionally gained’t mechanically detect your TV distant, which means you could have to get artistic in relation to controlling the system (extra on that under).

In fact, if in case you have an outdated TV with out HDMI ARC, your solely possibility will probably be an optical connection. Nonetheless, this limits the Ray’s future-proofing whenever you do decide to upgrade your TV.

One different level of be aware: In true Sonos style, neither soundbar helps Bluetooth connections, providing solely Wi-Fi streaming. That mentioned, community options like the power to attach a number of Sonos audio system in a bunch assist to make up for this omission.

Controls and Options

Maybe the largest benefit of getting any Sonos soundbar is its outstanding versatility in relation to each controlling and increasing your own home audio system.

Whether or not you select the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) or Ray, the S2 app (accessible for Mac, Home windows, iPhone/iPad, and Android) will get you linked to your community in minutes and initiated into the Sonos ecosystem. This lets you join different Sonos audio system just like the Sonos One, IKEA Symfonisk bookshelf speakers, and even moveable audio system just like the Sonos Roam right into a multi-room audio system or encompass sound system.

You possibly can simply add audio system like a subwoofer (for a price, after all), together with the Sonos Sub Mini to beef up the bass. All audio system are controllable by way of your smartphone with the app. These with iPhones may even tune their soundbar to their listening house by way of Sonos TruePlay.

With regards to soundbar controls, Sonos’ unified software program makes the method almost similar for both bar. You possibly can tune the bass and treble, have interaction settings like Night time Mode, swap to and management audio from totally different sources, and stream from a number of streaming providers all out of your cellphone.

That’s an excellent factor, contemplating Sonos soundbars don’t include their very own distant management. As such, everytime you aren’t utilizing the Sonos app, your soundbar will probably be reliant in your TV’s distant, and that’s the place the Sonos Ray is at a slight drawback. With out HDMI ARC/eARC, the Ray must be programmed to learn the sign immediately from an IR (infrared) TV distant.

That takes just a few additional steps to arrange, and since the Ray depends on IR, some newer remotes is probably not appropriate. (You possibly can study extra about which TV remotes will work with the Sonos Ray by checking Sonos’ remote requirements.)

One final level of distinction between the Beam (Gen 2) and Ray: good dwelling management. Whereas each soundbars assist Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for good dwelling options (in addition to Sonos Voice Management), the Sonos Ray doesn’t share the Beam’s built-in microphone. You’ll want your cellular system or a separate good speaker as a substitute to regulate your good dwelling.

Audio Efficiency

Sonos Beam (Gen 2)’s audio specs:

• Drivers: 4 elliptical midwoofers, one tweeter, three passive radiators
• Amplifiers: 5 Class-D digital amplifiers
• Supported codecs: Stereo PCM, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD, Multichannel PCM, Dolby Multichannel PCM, DTS Digital Encompass

Each of those soundbars shine in relation to audio efficiency, providing readability, presence, and energy that goes effectively past what you’d anticipate from a compact soundbar. Sonos is understood for its distinctive musicality, which is exemplified in both bar, serving up your favourite films, TV, and music with a balanced, premium taste.

That mentioned, when you’re curious in any respect about Dolby Atmos efficiency, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is the plain strategy to go. Whereas the Beam’s sound signature is on the brighter aspect, it might probably’t match bars with devoted upfiring drivers just like the Sonos Arc. Its acoustic chamber employs what Sonos calls “frequency-based psychoacoustic strategies” to digitally increase the frequencies above and past its tiny body.

The result’s a comparatively expansive soundstage that delivers some participating cinematic moments. Whereas demo tracks just like the Dolby Atmos “Amaze” brief are the obvious examples, the Beam does a advantageous job with Atmos scenes in well-produced films, too. Scott’s first trial of the size-shifting swimsuit in “Ant-Man” is a major instance, with results just like the speeding water within the bathtub and the big rave rising successfully above the bar’s nimble profile.

Whereas the Sonos Ray can’t match the Beam (Gen 2) within the Atmos division, don’t sleep on this soundbar’s wonderful audio expertise. It sounds far heftier than a bar its dimension has a proper to, punching out a stunning quantity of bass response from its small body, whereas tempering that with poise, readability, and well-defined particulars.

Going again to the “Ant-Man” instance, gunshots hit with authority, whereas the thumping wings of the a number of ant-copters (and common helicopters) supply some guttural brawn. Because of cautious design and digital compression, dialogue isn’t overshadowed or distorted, whereas the bar appears to be squeezing each bodily ounce of sound it might probably muster from its micro-sized body.

Which Sonos Soundbar Ought to You Purchase?

In the event you’re in search of a extra versatile soundbar that may develop with your own home theater, together with dabbling in some Dolby Atmos fare, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is the plain selection. Whereas it actually begs a deeper funding, its HDMI ARC/eARC connection makes it easier to make use of and management, whereas its compatibility with Dolby Atmos permits you to discover extra cinematic soundscapes now and sooner or later.

If, as a substitute, you simply need one thing small and easy that may rev up your TV sound—and you’ve got a TV distant that both makes use of IR or is understood to be appropriate—the Sonos Ray is a superb worth. Its audio high quality goes effectively past your TV sound. It’s additionally nice for music, and in contrast to loads of the soundbars in its value class, it’s community prepared and expandable to construct a full encompass system.

Relying in your wants, you actually can’t go flawed with any Sonos soundbar. All that’s left to do now’s verify your price range and pull the set off.

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