The best Sonos speakers rank among the top tier of portable Bluetooth speakers, wireless speakers, soundbars and home audio systems you can buy today, combining high-quality audio with slick and minimal designs.
All of the best Sonos speakers are compatible with each other, which makes them an easy choice for anyone looking for a non fussy multi-room audio setup that minimizes annoying cables. Although a Sonos soundbar on its own will upgrade your TV's audio to be one step closer to achieving an enhanced surround sound, you'll get the most out of your audio setup if you add the company's speakers and subwoofers to create a bespoke wireless sound system that suits your home and your sonic tastes. This is something you can do gradually, adding and swapping Sonos devices as needed.
We've tested all the best Sonos speakers over the years, and they regularly feature in our roundups of the best wireless speakers and best soundbars you can buy. In our guide below, we've selected the best Sonos speakers and the best Sonos soundbars for different needs and budgets. We expect this guide to get a shake-up when Sonos' long-rumored Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar launches. This elite, all-in-one soundbar is expected to replace the Sonos Arc and bring much improved Dolby Atmos power. Rumors suggest it might be launched towards the end of 2024. Watch this space.
The Quick List
Get stuck in right away with our easy-to-browse list of the best Sonos speakers for different needs. You can click to instantly jump to more full write-up of each model.
Best for most people
This small(ish) and flexible speaker offers great detail, clarity and volume, with plenty of connectivity options. The ideal all-rounder, for a good price.
Best portable Sonos
A classy portable, waterproof speaker with powerful bass and excellent connectivity, including both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, so it works like a regular Sonos home speaker.
Best mid-range soundbar
A small yet powerful option with Dolby Atmos and a wide soundstage. Perfect to boost the audio of your TV, but also fits well with the Sonos ecosystem as a music player.
Best for spatial audio
A high-quality, super flexible speaker with Dolby Atmos effects offering rich and detailed audio that fulls a room. There are good connectivity options, including Bluetooth.
Best Dolby Atmos soundbar
If you want to boost your TV's audio with an impressive and premium Dolby Atmos experience, get the Arc. It's an all-in-one soundbar offering dynamic and powerful sound.
Premium and portable
A portable speaker that pumps out well-detailed and finely balanced sound with plenty of volume. It's a great home speaker, with bonus 24-hour battery and waterproofing.
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Best for hi-fi sound
If you want Bluetooth or portability, look elsewhere. But this is the option for those who want to focus on expansive, hi-fi-like, room-filling sound. It has a 3.5mm line-in, too.
Best cheap soundbar
A nice-looking soundbar offering big and well-balanced sound, especially considering its compact size and affordable price – at least as far as Sonos tech is concerned.
I've been testing and reporting on cutting-edge audio products since 2012, including many of the break-out wireless speaker systems over the last decade. I've tested nearly ever Sonos speaker over the the last few years, and have used all of Sonos' current soundbar range – and I had a Sonos surround system at home for several years. I've used my experience to put together this guide, working with our other AV editors and reviewers.
Recent updates
23 September, 2024
Added the Sonos Roam 2, reflecting our recent review. Added information about the Sonos Arc Ultra leaks.
The best Sonos speakers of 2024
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Below you'll see our full write-ups for each of the best Sonos speakers in our list. We've tested each one extensively, so these recommendations are based on real-world experience.
The best for most people
The Sonos Era 100 is one of the newest Sonos speakers alongside the Sonos Era 300. Rather than offering the best in spatial audio and immersive sound like the Era 300, the Era 100 is cheaper, smaller and designed to replace the Sonos One – which was at the top of our list, but has been discontinued (if you see any for a great price, consider snapping them up!).
The Sonos One is such a fantastic speaker and the Era 100 has a lot to live up to. That's why it targets everything about the Sonos One that could do with an improvement. The Era 100 has a wider soundstage and more bass, which means a fuller dynamic range. It also adds Bluetooth, allowing you to play music to it from any wireless device and there's an adapter to add 3.5mm line-in, so you can connect to wired music sources.
These improvements are welcome, but if you already have a Sonos One, don't add up to being too much of an upgrade, so you should probably stick with the old speaker. But in the context of the current Sonos line-up, the surprisingly amount of power, the strong detail and clarity, and compact size make this a great choice for the vast majority of people.
Read our full Sonos Era 100 review
The best portable Sonos
The Sonos Roam 2 is the best portable Sonos speaker for most people, thanks to its much power price and smaller size compared to the Sonos Move 2. It delivers powerful sound from a rugged design, with excellent connectivity features and a nice dose of smart home control.
Priced at $179 / £179 / AU$299, the Sonos Roam 2 is the cheapest way to buy into the Sonos ecosystem, although we should note that this isn't cheap compared to the best Bluetooth speakers, but the Sonos Roam comes with a few extra tricks up its sleeves compared to those – as you'd expect from a Sonos device.
With both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, the Sonos Roam 2 works as a go-anywhere speaker as well as part of your wider multi-room Sonos system – and with Alexa onboard, it doubles up as a smart speaker too.
Obviously, the sound here isn't as good as Sonos' larger and more expensive speakers, but we said that it offers "excellent sound that punches far above the sheer size" in our review. You get fulsome bass, and enough detail to let songs express themselves, even at relatively high volume – there's very little distortion.
In spite of its (relatively) low price, you’re getting a lot for your money here – and it's a great way to delve into the Sonos ecosystem for first-timers.
Read our full Sonos Roam 2 review
The best mid-range soundbar
If you're tight on space, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is the best soundbar you can buy from Sonos, as well as the best mid-range choice if you want to invest in a soundbar but not go as cheap as the Sonos Ray or as premium as the Arc.
Its compact size means it will easily slot beneath your TV, whether you pop it on a TV stand or mount it to your wall, and its sleek design means it won't look out of place with your decor.
It improves on the company’s original Sonos Beam soundbar with virtual Dolby Atmos, HDMI eARC compatibility, and a refreshed design.
While it doesn't have the upfiring tweeters necessary for 'true' Dolby Atmos (resulting in a sonic height less impressive than that of the Sonos Arc), the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) still boasts a wide soundstage and an immersive audio performance.
HDMI eARC compatibility allows for hi-res audio streaming, making it ideal for listening to music, too. For a small soundbar, it's got a surprisingly solid amount of bass to it, though it's far from having the same nuance and power that a subwoofer delivers – the soundbar can fill a surprisingly large space, but the bass is where you'll feel it lacking in energy a little.
Still, if you want super-clear, cinematic sound from a smaller soundbar, the Beam 2 is a superb choice, and handles music far better than most non-Sonos soundbars.
Read our full Sonos Beam (Gen 2) review
The best for spatial audio
The Sonos Era 300 is the first speaker from the company with Dolby Atmos support (although not the first soundbar, we’re looking at you Sonos Arc). It has up- and side firing speakers, which create spatial audio.
This is a premium speaker through and through. At $449 / £449 / AU$749 it isn’t cheap, but during our testing we commented that we’ve tested more expensive wireless speakers, making the Era 300 good value in our books. This is largely down to the fact you get an array of drivers and processing skills.
In our Sonos Era 300 review we wrote: “it delivers more expansive sound than any one-box speaker I've heard to date – even with just stereo music, there's such a clear sense of left and right channels feeling separate and distinct.” This is why the Sonos Era 300 is our top pick if you’re look for immersive, spatial audio in a Sonos speaker design rather than a soundbar. The speaker doesn’t just offer fantastic height and a wide soundstage, but offers a rich, detailed and powerful sound.
Bluetooth works well and makes the Sonos Era 300 more accessible for more of your devices. There’s also Hi-Res support from compatible devices too, which is a welcome addition.
Read our full Sonos Era 300 review
The best Dolby Atmos soundbar
The best Sonos soundbar you can buy for sheer sound quality is the Sonos Arc – and it's one of the best soundbars we've tested overall, especially if you want Dolby Atmos.
That's because the Sonos Arc comes with support for the Dolby True HD and Dolby Digital Plus sound codes to deliver the best quality lossless audio from your Blu-ray discs and streaming services. It then enhances the 3D soundscape using Dolby Atmos object tracks to bounce certain sounds off the walls around you so they feel like they’re coming at you from a far wider and taller soundscape.
While all this might sound complicated, the Sonos Arc setup couldn’t be simpler, involving just a couple of steps on the smartphone app. The minimalist cable connections and all-in-one system construction add to this no-fuss feeling and streamlined aesthetic, still making the Arc one of the best soundbars you can buy in 2024.
It's also great for listening to music, so if you want an all-in-one home audio solution, the Sonos Arc is well worth considering. Having said that, it appears that a new version is on the way, called the Sonos Arc Ultra. A lot has leaked about this soundbar, including expected speaker upgrades and what kind of price to expect, so it may affect your decision to buy the Arc now. Read everything we know so far in that link.
Read our full Sonos Arc review
Premium and portable
Where the Sonos Roam is optimized for using on the go, the Sonos Move 2 is a great Bluetooth speaker to use around the home and in your garden, packing a premium audio experience into a portable design.
With powerful speaker drivers, multi-room capabilities and smart audio-tuning tech that tweaks the output based on the speaker's immediate surroundings, the Sonos Move is engineered better than your average Bluetooth speaker. It's a versatile speaker, one that stands solidly alongside the built-for-home Sonos speakers that the company made its name on.
It’s not perfect – it’s heavy as a byproduct of its incredible sound, and it’s expensive due to its rich feature set. But if you’ve got the money, it’s hard to fault the Sonos Move 2 when it comes to providing loud and classy sound wherever you can carry it.
Read our full Sonos Move 2 review
The best for hi-fi sound
When the Sonos Era 300 was first rumored to be coming soon, we assumed it would replace the Sonos Five. Now the Era 300 is out we know that isn't the case. The Sonos Five is still the biggest option from Sonos and one we'd suggest you consider if you're looking for hi-fi power over the Era 300's spatial audio precision.
It's a large and bulky speaker as far as Sonos tech goes. It doesn't support spatial audio but is designed for stereo output instead. It has a 3.5mm line-in and supports external devices, like turntables.
There's Apple AirPlay 2 with the Five, but no Bluetooth. You also won't find microphones or voice controls – but you can connect it up to another Sonos speaker with a mic and control it that way.
Sound-wise it gets loud, really loud, without going too bass-heavy. There's an impressive soundstage too and clear, defined vocals.
If you want the best speaker for your home, we'd recommend the newer Sonos Era 300 over the Sonos Five. It has Bluetooth connectivity, spatial audio and is smaller and lighter than the Five. But if spatial audio isn't a deal-breaker for you and you want loud, detailed and powerful sound, it's an older but good option.
Read our full Sonos Five review
The best cheap soundbar
The Sonos Ray is the cheapest Sonos soundbar in Sonos' range. Yes, it's lacking a few features to allow the drop in price and it's in an even smaller and more room-friendly frame then the Beam.
Don't expect the Sonos Ray to compete with the best soundbars on the market. Instead, it's for those who want to boost their TV's audio and hear better vocals and more details rather than experience big Dolby Atmos sound in a home theater setup.
In our review we said that we were impressed a device so small could put on "a pretty stunning amount of sound, balancing weighty bass with detail in speech." This was the case whether it was paired with a small TV up to a medium-sized 50-inch display. It doesn't use an HDMI ARC port to get the sound from your TV but an included optical cable instead. This is good in that optical works with basically any TV. It's great with music too, and has Sonos' full multi-room streaming tech built-in.
Although the Sonos Ray is cheap by Sonos standards, you will find soundbars that offer similar quality at lower prices. But many of them are physically bigger and it's the compact size of the Ray that's a draw.
Read our full Sonos Ray review
Also consider these options
Sonos Arc Ultra: It might not be here yet, but the Sonos Arc Ultra is rumored to be the name of the next high-end Dolby Atmos soundbar from Sonos. Expected to be the successor to the Sonos Arc, it looks likely this is going to be an elite all-in-one soundbar. Features could include improved Dolby Atmos 3D spatial audio positioning effects, as well as Sonos' next-gen speaker tech that was previously called Mayht HeartMotion. This serves to provide better bass without a subwoofer. While there's nothing official about the Sonos Arc Ultra's release date – or any confirmed details for that matter – we expect it to launch launch later in 2024, probably in October or November.
Sonos One: The Sonos One is still a great speaker. But only if you can find one, as this model has now been discontinued. Take a look at our Sonos One review to find out why we still recommend it years later.
Sonos One SL: If you want a pair of rear speakers to pair with a Sonos soundbar, you should take a look at our full Sonos One SL review. This speaker has all the specs of the Sonos One sans the inbuilt voice assistant, so you don't have to worry about Alexa or Google Assistant listening in on your conversations. It's also a little cheaper than the Sonos One – but again, has now been discontinued.
Sonos Sub and Sonos Sub Mini: Another great addition to a Sonos home cinema setup is the Sonos Sub, a wireless subwoofer that will boost the bass of the rest of your setup. Inside the glossy cabinet are two force-cancelling speakers positioned face to face to avoid cabinet buzz, dual acoustic ports and two Class-D digital amplifiers specially tuned for the hardware. And definitely take a look at our Sonos Sub Mini review if you want a cheaper and smaller bass option – we've tested the Sub Mini with all three Sonos soundbars.
Sonos Amp: Want to create a proper surround sound system? Check out our Sonos Amp review. This is the brand's wireless music streaming amplifier. This versatile device lets you wirelessly connect two speakers to your TV for stereo sound, or power two standard, passive speakers of your choosing. You can even add in a second Amp for a four-speaker setup. The latter is actually the better choice, sonically speaking, as it enables you to create a system using four identical speakers, or at least four from the same range. That will make for a far more consistent surround sound presentation than mixing traditional hi-fi speakers and Sonos’s wireless speakers – plus, it means you can use your existing stereo speakers instead of shelling out for a new pair. And yes, we really are talking four-speaker systems here: the Amp is designed to work without a dedicated center channel. Instead, it creates a so-called ‘phantom’ center through clever processing.
Sonos Ace: Sonos' first headphones. In our Sonos Ace review, we dig into all the ways these over-ear headphones do (and don't) work with your other Sonos hardware.
Best Sonos speakers: FAQ
How much do Sonos speakers cost?
Sonos speakers tend to be fairly priced and good value. However, Sonos does sometimes increase its prices and certainly isn't considered a budget brand. Here's how the prices of its best soundbars and speakers stack up:
- Sonos Era 100: $249 / £249 / AU$399
- Sonos Roam 2: $179 / £179 / AU$299
- Sonos Beam (Gen 2): $449 / £449 / AU$699
- Sonos Era 300: $449 / £449 / AU$749
- Sonos Arc: $899 / £899 / AU$1,499 ($899, AU$1499)
- Sonos Move 2: $449 / £449 / AU$799
- Sonos Five: $549 / £499 / AU$799
- Sonos Ray: $279 / £279 / AU$399
How do Sonos speakers work?
Sonos speakers all work together within a wider ecosystem, and each device is controllable via the brand’s S2 app. The app lets you add and remove Sonos devices from your setup as you please, while making it easy to adjust your music playback and stream content from your phone.
This means you can make your wireless Sonos setup as big or as small as you want. Pretty much any configuration you can think of is possible, from multiroom audio systems with speakers built into your ceilings to modest home cinema solutions with soundbars and rear stereo speakers.
Which Sonos speaker should I buy?
If you're looking for an easy way to play your music, the Sonos One wireless speaker will do the job if you can find one. But it's now discontinued.
Those with audiophile tendencies may want to try the Sonos Amp with two stereo speakers (Sonos or otherwise) or the newer Sonos Era 100 and Sonos Era 300 with spatial audio.
For music on the go, check out the brand's portable Bluetooth speakers, the Sonos Move 2 and the Sonos Roam. Or, if you want to boost your home theater setup, the Sonos Arc, Sonos Beam (Gen 2) and Sonos Ray will sound far more powerful than your TV’s built-in speakers.
From there, you could expand your system to include a couple of Sonos One SLs as rear speakers, and a Sonos Sub to emphasize the bass frequencies.
Can I use Sonos speakers with an Android device?
You can, but with most Sonos speakers you'll miss out on one of the Sonos ecosystem's best features: TruePlay. The room calibration feature tunes the sound of Sonos speakers to the dimensions of your room. With most Sonos speakers, it only works with iOS devices. You could always borrow a friend's iPhone to setup your new Sonos speaker, though.
This problem is also solved with the newer Sonos Era 100 and Era 300 speakers, which have TruePlay customization on the speakers themselves, so you don't need another device to set it up.
How we test Sonos speakers
We've tested a range of Sonos speakers over the years, so you can be sure that the models in this guide have been thoroughly vetted by the TechRadar team.
Testing how well a Sonos speaker works in the company's ecosystem is just as important as testing how it sounds, which is why we always test Sonos speakers within an existing setup. For instance, alongside a Sonos Arc and a Sonos Sub.
We use a number of audio sources and music genres during the testing process to build a full picture of a speaker's sound profile, from hi-res audio files to streaming Spotify over Bluetooth.
For portable speakers, like the Sonos Move 2 and Sonos Roam, we also run down the battery life of these speakers to see if they match up to the manufacturer's claims, and use them in a range of environments to make sure they can withstand outdoor conditions.
