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If you're in the market for a new soundbar, there's a good chance Sonos is already on your shortlist. The best Sonos soundbars are known for excellent audio quality, but the right one for you depends on a few things, like how much space you have, how much you want to spend, and the kind of listening experience you're looking for. To make the choice easier, I tested every Sonos soundbar currently available and ranked them based on different needs.
If you want my top overall pick, the Sonos Arc Ultra is the one to beat. It's definitely a premium model, but you're getting seriously immersive Dolby Atmos surround sound along with Sonos' Sound Motion technology, which helps deliver deep bass without a separate subwoofer. If you're working with a smaller room or a tighter budget, though, the Sonos Ray is a great alternative. It doesn't have the same room-filling impact as the Arc Ultra, but it's compact, more affordable, and a smart fit for apartments, bedrooms, or smaller living spaces.
Every Sonos soundbar works through the company's mobile app, which lets you adjust audio settings, stream music, and build out a multi-room speaker system. The 2024 app redesign had a rough rollout, but most issues have since been resolved.
Our top picks for the best Sonos soundbars
Best overall: Sonos Arc Ultra - See at Amazon
Best on a budget: Sonos Ray - See at Amazon
Best midrange model: Sonos Beam (Gen 2) - See at Amazon
Best subwoofer add-on: Sonos Sub 4 - See at Amazon
Best rear speaker add-on: Sonos Era 300 - See at Amazon
Best overall
The Arc Ultra is the best Sonos soundbar available. It replaces the brand's first-generation Arc, introduced in 2020, and delivers several improvements. The Ultra is an absolute beast of an audio system, perfect for anyone seeking a powerful, all-in-one soundbar with deep bass.
This single soundbar unit can produce up to 9.1.4 channels of Dolby Atmos surround sound. It also has dedicated up-firing audio drivers to bounce sound off your ceiling, resulting in audio coming from all around the room, including above your head. In my tests, the Arc Ultra delivered an incredibly immersive experience, whether watching movies or listening to music. The sound is so expansive that I had a hard time believing it all came from just one device under my TV.
One of the Arc Ultra's secret ingredients is its Sound Motion driver. This component packs a four-motor woofer into a compact space, offering deeper bass than the original Arc without increasing the soundbar's size. The Sound Motion driver can't quite match the performance of a dedicated subwoofer, but it adds more low-end presence and depth to movies and shows, delivering a full, rich quality that few stand-alone soundbars can match.
The Arc Ultra also has exceptional dialogue clarity. The device offers an optional AI speech enhancement mode, but I rarely had to use it because the bar's internal drivers are already so well-tuned to deliver clear speech. If you do find yourself needing an extra boost, the speech enhancement emphasizes dialogue even more without muddying explosions or altering other sound effects. It offers four levels of adjustments to choose from, including one designed for listeners with hearing loss
On the downside, the Arc Ultra is Sonos' most expensive soundbar, and it's disappointing that it doesn't support DTS:X, another 3D audio format that rivals Dolby Atmos. It also lacks HDMI video passthrough, so you can't use the bar to route extra devices to your TV, like a gaming console or streaming player. But these shortcomings are small compared to all the Arc Ultra gets right. If you want a single, powerful speaker for your living room that handles all your home theater needs, the Arc Ultra is the best Sonos soundbar.
Read our Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar review.
Check out our guide to all of the best soundbars and best Dolby Atmos soundbars.
Best on a budget
Thanks to its affordable price and compact size, the Sonos Ray is the best Sonos soundbar for bedrooms, apartments, and other small spaces. It's less than half the width of the Arc Ultra and a few inches shorter and narrower than the Beam (Gen 2). But despite its small footprint, it easily outperforms the built-in speakers on most TVs — especially budget models.
Audio quality is smooth and surprisingly robust for its size. You won't get the deep bass or advanced effects found on Sonos' higher-end soundbars, but the Ray still delivers an impressively detailed sound profile that brings movies and shows to life.
Music streaming over WiFi sounds great as well and offers better fidelity than Bluetooth. Still, it's disappointing that the Ray doesn't include Bluetooth at all, which would be handy when WiFi isn't available.
Wired connectivity is another limitation. There's no HDMI port — just an optical input. This does mean it has wide compatibility among older televisions, but the Ray can't support lossless audio, Dolby Atmos, or automatic remote syncing.
Still, even with those trade-offs, the Ray remains a strong value. Its compact stature hides a level of audio performance that exceeds expectations at this price.
Check out our guide to all of the best budget soundbars.
Best midrange model
The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) serves as a middle ground between the brand's flagship Arc Ultra and entry-level Ray. It's powerful enough to fill a medium-sized space with sound, but it's not significantly larger than the Ray, so it still works well in a bedroom or smaller living room. (That's where I predominantly use it.)
Beyond size, the midrange Beam really differentiates itself from the cheaper Sonos Ray by adding an HDMI eARC port and Dolby Atmos support. This means it automatically works with many modern TV remotes and offers a wider soundstage. For under $500, the Beam punches well above its weight class. It's a proper home theater-in-a-box, perfect for most living rooms or other areas that could use an audio upgrade.
While the Beam supports decoding multi-channel audio formats with boisterous, vibrant performance, it doesn't feature any up-firing drivers. Instead, it relies on virtual processing to simulate overhead audio, which isn't as effective. As a result, you won't get the same kind of atmospheric overhead sound effects as you would on the more expensive Arc Ultra.
Still, movies sound impactful, and the Beam fills my space well, even at a volume below 50%. "Dune" is a great showcase for the Beam, with booming effects and a drum-heavy soundtrack that pounds along.
Music also sounds rich and full. It's impressive enough to serve as the DJ for home gatherings. Streaming music via WiFi through the Sonos app works well and supports a vast array of services. The soundbar also supports AirPlay for an even more immediate listening experience. That said, like the Ray, the Beam is missing Bluetooth support.
Best subwoofer add-on
If you crave more bass, the best add-on for your Sonos soundbar is a subwoofer, specifically the Sonos Sub 4. It can wirelessly connect to the Ray, Beam, or Arc Ultra, so you can hide it in the back of a room or even on its side under a couch.
The subwoofer's force-canceling drivers produce deep, commanding bass for intense, dramatic effect during movies. But the woofer never becomes unwieldy in reverberations or rattling.
If you're an especially big bass head, you can even pair the Sonos Sub 4 with a second Sub 4 or Sub 3 unit. You can learn more about dual subwoofer compatibility on the Sonos website.
Given its premium performance, the Sub 4 works best with an Arc Ultra, though you can still use it with the smaller Beam or Ray. But for those more compact bars, the less expensive Sonos Sub Mini is a great alternative. It's not ported, so it doesn't have the same audio characteristics as the Sub 4 — it's a little tighter and more punchy — but it can still add extra dimension to your home theater setup.
Best rear speaker add-on
The Sonos Era 300 is built to work as a stand-alone wireless speaker or as an add-on speaker for select Sonos soundbars. Two Era 300 units can be paired to serve as rear speakers with an Arc Ultra or Beam, creating a true surround sound experience. (The Ray is not compatible with the Era 300.)
The Era 300 features built-in drivers that fire in all directions, including upward. This allows it to provide Dolby Atmos support with audio effects that bounce off your ceiling. If you have a Beam (Gen 2) or an Arc Ultra, the Era 300 will work with them to deliver an even more convincing sense of overhead audio and a wider Dolby Atmos soundstage.
However, adding a pair of Era 300 speakers to your Sonos soundbar setup does require a fair amount of physical space, and they're a bit pricey.
If that's a problem for your room and budget, a pair of smaller, cheaper Era 100 speakers can also do a solid job as wireless rear speakers. The Era 100 also has the added bonus of working with the Sonos Ray. That said, the Era 100 lacks up-firing Dolby Atmos drivers, so its audio quality isn't as robust as the Era 300's.
How we test Sonos soundbars
I've been testing Sonos soundbars since the company's first model, the Playbar, launched back in 2013, so I've spent a lot of time with pretty much everything Sonos has released. For this guide, I went hands-on with every Sonos soundbar currently available to figure out which ones make the most sense for different use cases.
To keep things fair, I paired each soundbar with the same TV. That made it easier to hear how they performed on their own and directly compare them in the exact same setup. I paid close attention to audio quality, size, connectivity options, software features, and overall ease of use.
I didn't just test them in one spot, either. I used the best Sonos soundbars in various rooms around my house to see how they performed in different spaces. Most of my evaluations focused on movie watching, especially films with high-quality surround-sound mixes, but I also spent time with sitcoms and older movies to hear how they handled simpler audio tracks and lower-quality sources. For music testing, I streamed from my phone and used the Apple Music app on my Apple TV.
For connections, I used HDMI eARC whenever possible to get the best audio quality. The only exception was the Sonos Ray, which relies on a digital optical connection instead.
Meet the expert behind this guide:
Tyler Hayes, contributing reporter: I've been covering tech for more than a decade and reviewing audio gear for Business Insider since 2019, so I've spent a lot of time figuring out what actually makes a soundbar worth your money. When I test them, I focus on the basics first: does it genuinely sound better than your TV's built-in speakers? From there, I dig into the details like clarity, bass performance, surround sound features, and how easy everything is to use day to day. For this guide, I took a close look at Sonos' entire soundbar lineup and compared each model not only to other Sonos options, but to similarly priced competitors. My aim is to help you pick the right Sonos soundbar for your space, your budget, and how you actually like to watch and listen.
Learn more about the Reviews team at Business Insider.
Sonos soundbars FAQs
Will Sonos release new soundbars in 2026?
Unlike other tech product categories, such as phones and TVs, new soundbar models aren't always released annually. With that in mind, it's not yet clear if Sonos will launch any new soundbar models for 2026. However, we can gain some insights by looking at the brand's previous release history.
The Sonos Arc Ultra was released in 2024, while its predecessor, the standard Sonos Arc, was introduced in 2020. Given the four-year gap between models, it's unlikely we'll see a new Arc model in 2026.
The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) was released in 2021, while its predecessor, the Beam (Gen 1), was released in 2018. The Sonos Ray was released in 2022. Given their age, both the Beam and Ray could be due for upgrades, so it's possible new models are in the works. However, nothing has been confirmed.
Can you use a Sonos soundbar for music?
Yes, Sonos soundbars work great for music, and you can access services like Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon Music through the Sonos app. The best Sonos soundbars also integrate with other Sonos speakers, so you can build a whole-home music system over time.
Can you wall-mount a Sonos soundbar?
Yes, all of the best Sonos soundbars featured in this guide support wall mounting. Sonos offers mounts designed for each model, but you can also find third-party options that are less expensive. Mounting your soundbar can help declutter your setup, especially if you have limited space on your TV console.
Can you pair a subwoofer to a Sonos soundbar?
All of Sonos's current soundbars work with the brand's Sub 4 or Sub Mini subwoofers. The flagship Sonos Arc Ultra even supports dual subwoofers using the Sub 4 or Sub 3 for deeper bass. Just note that Sonos soundbars don't support subwoofers from other brands.
If you prefer a soundbar that comes with a subwoofer out of the box, check out our guide to the best soundbars with subwoofers.
Can you pair rear speaker units to a Sonos soundbar?
Sonos soundbars can connect to certain Sonos speakers to create a larger surround sound system. You can pair two Sonos Era 100 speakers with the Arc Ultra, Beam (Gen 2), or Ray for wireless rear channels. The Beam and Arc Ultra also support pairing with Sonos Era 300 speakers for an even more immersive Dolby Atmos audio experience.
If you're looking for a soundbar or speaker system that already includes dedicated rear satellites, see our guide to the best surround sound systems.
Can you pair Sonos soundbars with the Sonos Ace headphones?
Yes, the Sonos Arc Ultra, Beam, and Ray all support the brand's TV Swap feature. This lets you wirelessly connect your Sonos Ace headphones to your soundbar and switch between them seamlessly while watching TV. It's a handy way to enjoy late-night movies without disturbing anyone else.
Can Sonos soundbars play Dolby Atmos surround sound?
Both the Sonos Arc Ultra and Sonos Beam (Gen 2) support Dolby Atmos. However, only the Ultra has up-firing audio drivers to produce overhead Atmos sound effects. In contrast, the Beam uses processing to simulate overhead sounds, which isn't as convincing.
To learn more about the format, check out our Dolby Atmos guide.
Is the Sonos app reliable?
Sonos released a new mobile app in May 2024, and many customers reported issues, including glitches and missing features. However, the company has since fixed many of those problems.
When reviewing the Arc Ultra, we encountered minor issues with delayed speaker switching, but didn't encounter any major bugs. Though the Sonos app still isn't perfect, its lingering flaws aren't big enough to be a dealbreaker.
Is Sonos better than Bose?
Sonos and Bose make excellent soundbars, but which one is better depends on your specific needs.
Based on our testing, the high-end Sonos Arc Ultra outperforms the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar in terms of bass performance. Meanwhile, the midrange Bose Smart Soundbar beats the Sonos Beam in Dolby Atmos capabilities due to its up-firing drivers.
At the entry level, the Sonos Ray and the Bose TV Speaker are more evenly matched, offering very similar audio quality. However, we like that the Sonos Ray has WiFi streaming support, which the Bose lacks. That said, some buyers may prefer the Bose model because it has an HDMI port, which the Ray lacks.
Both brands support multi-room audio, but their ecosystems don't mix, so it's best to stick with one. You can learn more about Bose's speakers in our guide to the best Bose soundbars.
What other audio products does Sonos sell?
In addition to soundbars, Sonos sells wireless speakers, including the Sonos Era 100, Era 300, Move 2, Roam 2, and Five. The brand also sells over-ear headphones called the Sonos Ace. The newest speaker from the company is the Sonos Play, which you can learn about in our Sonos Play review.
Check out our guide to the best Bluetooth speakers and best smart speakers for more Sonos speaker recommendations.
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