You can easily improve the sound reproduction with the soundbar.
More and more people have acquired a sound bar or are considering acquiring one. Competition on the market has intensified, which has also had a positive effect on prices for consumers.
Sonos recently introduced its new Ray soundbar, the price of which is 299 euros. Ray’s idea is to offer an easy-to-use and affordable sound solution by Sonos standards for homes where the TV sounds are still played through the TV’s own speakers.
We tested the new soundbar on its own, but also together with a pair of Sonos One SL speakers. Sonos sells such a surround package for 697 euros, which is a competitive price, especially when it comes to sound quality. But more on that later.
Sonos Ray is available in white and black. Sonos
The Sonos Ray is Sonos’ most affordable soundbar and is clearly aimed at a larger audience. It’s a really simple speaker that doesn’t take many minutes to install. The soundbar’s only connections are power, optical and ethernet.
After connecting the wires, the sound bar is ready for use. Ray can also be connected to the network via Wifi, which is worthwhile, because this way you get the most out of the device.
Commissioning was really easy and it can be done without major adjustment. When the sound bar is connected, the sound starts playing immediately. The remote control works to adjust the volume, but it can also be done with the touch buttons on top of the soundbar.
Sonos is introducing its own voice assistant to the world, but it is not coming to Finland, at least in the near future.
The viewing experience was improved by throwing
If you’re used to watching TV only with its own speakers, the difference is like night and day when you turn on a soundbar. The viewing experience is clearly better just in “basic viewing”.
Ray’s sound quality is at a very good level for its price. On its own, it offers a well-balanced whole, although the bass reproduction could be improved a bit. In the price category of around three hundred euros, for example, JBL does better in this regard.
Ray does not support Dolby Atmo, but it does support Stereo PCM, Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS Digital Surround. Ray also supports Airplay, but there is no bluetooth support in the device, which is worth keeping in mind if you want to use Ray as a general home speaker.
The touch buttons are found on the top of the Sonos Ray. Sonos
The listening experience with Ray remains pleasant as a whole. Programs and movies with a lot of talking work well on Ray. The elements are directed forward, so the sound bar can be placed inside the TV stand. However, this also affects the fact that Ray does not succeed in taking over the space, but the sound is separated from the incoming one point.
Trueplay tuning technology helps to get a better listening experience, but it requires an iPhone, because Android phones are not supported. This is a significant minus for Sonos, and Android support for Trueplay has not been brought, even though Sonos has asked about it. Sonos will notify you on their support page thus:
“If you don’t have a supported device, you can borrow a device from someone else so that you can tune your product using Trueplay”, that is, in practice, asking if your friend could lend you their iPhone.
When you think about Ray’s uses, it is really suitable for an apartment building. The bass doesn’t rumble, and there’s no need to shout at the TV when Ray reproduces sounds more clearly even at lower volumes. Through the Sonos application, it is also possible to activate the Night Sound function, which reduces the volume of loud sounds. This is certainly also helpful in families with children, where the smaller ones go to bed early.
If you are already familiar with the Sonos system, you know how easy it is to use different devices via the app. Ray also works in other uses than as a TV speaker. It can be used to play music, where Ray also works well.
As part of a larger whole
As it is, the Sonos Ray is certainly sufficient for many, but if you are ready to invest just under 700 euros in the sound reproduction of the TV, you can build a more extensive sound system with two Sonos One SL small speakers. Sonos sells such a package in its online store.
If the listening experience is already greatly improved with a soundbar alone, with a few small speakers you can take the listening experience to a whole new level.
Sonos One SL speakers are compact and easy to install. Janiko Kemppi
Sonos has created an ecosystem where it is easy to connect speakers via an app. The One SL speakers are connected to a home network, after which they can be used like Ray as universal speakers for listening to music.
The installation process is really easy, and when you have connected the One SL speaker pair as part of your own Sonos system, the application automatically suggests a surround installation. The application automatically combines the speakers into a whole, and the user practically does not have to do anything.
If possible, you should use Trueplay as an aid when connecting additional speakers, because this way the speakers do not have to be as far from the listener. Trueplay also makes installing speakers easier. The phone’s microphone is used for tuning, to which sound is played from the speakers, based on which the distances are automatically recognized.
It’s really easy to notice the strengths of the surround system right away. Especially for movies, the difference is noticeable compared to just a Ray sound bar, let alone TV speakers. The difference is actually so great that it is really difficult to go back to the previous system after using it.