Sonos’ New Budget Soundbar Just Got Its Name

As previously reported, at 550mm wide, 69mm deep, and 100mm tall, the Sonos Ray will have a smaller footprint than even the Sonos Beam — which as of today is the most compact soundbar available from the company. The entry-level positioning of the Sonos Ray also means it could miss out on features like Dolby Atmos, HDMI support, and in-built microphone support.

What the Sonos Ray does not miss out on includes support for Dolby Digital audio — with the option to make it part of a larger 5.1 setup when paired with other Sonos systems. This ability to pair with other devices within the Sonos ecosystem also lets users circumvent the issue caused by the lack of inbuilt microphones on the speakers themselves. This way, the Sonos Ray will indirectly support Amazon Echo and Google Nest speakers, with voice control via both company’s virtual assistants. Of course, you’ll also be able to fully control it via the Sonos app. 

The Sonos Ray is also likely to get fewer driver units compared to its more expensive siblings. Existing users of Sonos’ higher-priced Beam or Arc soundbar models could potentially pair the Ray to their existing setup and use them as rear surround speakers, it’s suggested. For this purpose, the Sonos Ray is also expected to support vertical wall mounting.

While we still do not have a confirmed launch date for the Sonos Ray, current expectations are that the device will officially join the line-up in June 2022.