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Sony Ray under the tester's TV: Fits!
Photo:
Matthias Kremp / DER SPIEGEL
"How did they know that?" was my first thought when I wanted to slide Sonos' new soundbar, the "Ray", under my TV, because it fits perfectly.
The speaker box, which was bright white in the case of my test device, nestles between the tabletop and the TV with millimeter precision, so that not even a piece of paper would fit between them.
So how did the Sonos designers know which TV I have?
Although: They weren't that accurate either, the black version of the Ray would have suited me better, at least optically.
The main reason why the new soundbar from the US company, which specializes in networked loudspeakers, fits so perfectly is that it is so small.
Even compared to the equally compact Sonos Beam, the Ray has shrunk.
Next to my old Playbar, it looks like a small car next to a tour bus.
Savings have to be made somewhere
The small format is reflected in the price: At 299 euros, the Ray is the cheapest soundbar from Sonos and is priced at the same level as the Bose soundbar TV Speaker.
For this you have to accept limitations.
The Ray can only be connected to the television or a set-top box via an optical cable, it does not have an HDMI input - otherwise the common solution for soundbars.
For this reason, it cannot process Dolby Atmos sound, for example, and its volume cannot be controlled in the conventional way using the TV remote control.
So that it still works, Sonos has installed an infrared receiver.
So you can use the volume buttons on your TV remote control after all.
streaming king
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Done in just a few minutes: Installation via app and integration into a Sonos system
Photo: Matthias Kremp / DER SPIEGEL
In addition, the Ray can be integrated into the home network either via cable or WLAN and integrated into a Sonos system - or you can set one up with it.
Sonos speakers usually communicate with each other wirelessly, can be controlled via a smartphone app and grouped together so that the same music is played everywhere.
It can also be controlled from Apple devices via AirPlay 2, and you can also play music from iPhones and Android phones via Spotify Connect.
Or via the Sonos app, which allows access to dozens of streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music as well as tens of thousands of web radio stations.
However, what the Ray produces when playing music is not an audiophile treat.
In the song "Paranoid Android" by Radiohead, for example, it reproduces the mids and highs well, but the bass, which is important for the piece, is barely perceptible.
This may be sufficient as background sound, but not for conscious listening.
Fortunately, this is different when used as a soundbar, i.e. with films and series.
The small soundbar shines here with good spatial imaging and a fairly wide sound pattern, which can always be heard from the front of the box.
All-round sound sounds different.
A little more IKEA
It shines with good speech intelligibility if you have activated the corresponding function via app, which I generally recommend for all Sonos soundbars.
When playing back films, the Ray then also surprises with a depth of sound effects that is remarkable for the small box.
However, always on a neighborhood-friendly level, the Ray does not make the ground tremble.
You would have to pair them with the Sonos subwoofer for that.
But that would be an unequal pair, if only because of the prices, the Sonos Sub costs almost three times as much as the Ray.
It would make more sense to upgrade the Ray to a surround system with two loudspeakers.
This can be done in the Sonos system via app and without a cable, in the test it worked great with two Sonos One and the sound of films was significantly intensified thanks to the better spatial impression.
A cheaper solution to upgrade the small soundbar in this way would be a pair of Symfonisk bookshelf speakers from Ikea, which, at 129 euros each, are significantly cheaper than, for example, the Sonos One SL, which costs 199 euros each.
Conclusion
The Sonos-Ray is sort of a minimal acoustic upgrade for televisions.
It sounds significantly better, especially in small rooms, than the built-in speakers in many TV sets.
However, due to the lack of volume, it is a long way from real home cinema sound with thundering surround effects and a pounding deep bass.
In return, it integrates into a Sonos system and casually compensates for the missing HDMI socket with its streaming capabilities.
If you want to upgrade the sound of your TV and have music from the Internet sprinkled in your living room without having to dig deep into your pocket, you won't make a mistake with the Ray.
If you then afford two Symfonisk speakers - or retrofit them later - you get all-round sound for only 58 euros more than the next larger soundbar from Sonos, the Beam, would cost.
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