For a 25m2 open kitchen + living room, do you think it is better to have a Beam+One or Ray+One? I prefer to go with 1 each because I don't need a HT setup. Many thanks!
Great review ! Seeing it I decided to buy a Sonos Ray ! I really liked the stand that you have used for the Ray while you were testing and during the sound tests at the end. Could you please share a link for it ? Thank you !
Pete, superb review. As an Playbar owner looking to upgrade to Arc or maybe Beam Gen2, it would be nice if you could compare the Playbar with the newer Sonos soundbars.
Never a dull moment with Pete, always a deep dive into the product with awesome info., but for those who are planning to set Ray as a PC speaker, I can tell you it's a nightmare and all-in-all it felt like a stereo speaker for 300EUR, and if your mobo does not have an SPDIF port, you'll need to buy a soundcard with a toslink/SPIDF out so that's +$58-$115 on top, and the worst part, I would get constant static sounds after 15 minutes while gaming (using the SPIDF module plate, not the best idea) even though all drivers were up-to-date including the USB/Audio fixes, so if you are planning to buy for your gaming rig it's a bad idea, but if you are on a budget for a soundbar for your TV meh! maybe consider something else with the same price range with better/extra features :)
Good feedback Omar. Thanks for that. I am personally not for the idea of an external soundcard as that tends to pick up all sorts of electrical hum and noise due to shielding being an afterthought. I'd say do this only if you have an optical output already on the PC.
I have one of these on order and will be putting it in the bedroom. Due to the lay out it will be slightly more to the left of the room but the calibration should sort that out.
I'm thinking about setting this up with 2 sonos ones. Do they work together as surround sound for the TV and music seemlessly? I read a comment somewhere that it wasn't as seemless bc you have to toggle how they are bonded when you go back and forth from TV to music. Maybe i misunderstood the comment. Thoughts?
Purely from a resale perspective, I think the ray will retain value a lot better and longer than the katana. Not to mention you will be able to upgrade the ray over time. But then again the katana is a whole lot cheaper. If budget is less of a concern, go for the ray. If you absolutely have a budget that you’ve got to work within, then the katana will work.
@@PeterPee the Katana v2 vs the Ray price difference not very big at least in SG ($479 vs $529). But after testing it... I decided to buy the beam gen 2 instead. The length fits much more symmetrical under a 32" monitor and the sound stage seems larger vs the ray. Lastly, I hope that next gen motherboards/GPU comes with eArc ports so that it natively supports Dolby Atmos instead of having to get a TV. Thanks for the tips Uncle Peter!!
Your videos are great. Thanks for all your info. Could you kindly do a true sound comparison with the gen beam 2 with the VR mic do get apples to apples comparison between the 2? Thanks
Second this, I was aware the atmos stuff wasn’t true, but maybe that’s coming in a future update. Would be good to hear Pete’s thoughts on using the ray for rears and also with a sub, maybe even dual subs because who doesn’t want to see that?! Interested in adding rears & a single sub to my arc soon, hence the baited breath :-)
@@saints25759 I see Sonos got their hooks into you lol! The optimist in me likes to think the atmos-rear stuff will come along to the ray in a software update at some point, but I may play it cool & just add the sub first!
Great video as usual. I need your valued knowledgeable opinion. Between the ray or beam gen 1 which would you buy if price is same ? Thanks appreciate your attention.
Can anyone explain what we’ll miss out in terms of CEC with the Ray, since it is missing a hdmi input? I guess we can still adjust volume on the tv? But is there anything else that you could do with the Beam in that regard that can not be done with the Ray?
I still have my playbar which only has an optical input. Honestly if you have an Apple TV or any device where you can configure your remote to control the sound bar, you’re good to go. I haven’t missed the CEC on my playbar. You just won’t get Atmos since higher bandwidth is required for that, hence Beam 2 and Arc are via HDMI
Yeah. You’ve got to jump through a few more hoops but follow the instructions carefully and you should be able to pair your IR remote for the tv to control the volume on your soundbar. Ray in this case, without relying on hdmi CEC.
Great, thank you for the answers! Then it will serve my purpose well since I’m planing to use it with my Apple TV 👌🏽 I’m actually going from the Arc to the Ray since I’m moving to a smaller apartment where the Arc probably is an overkill. I was planing to switch to Beam, but since I’m not interested in Atmos, or a voice assistant, the Ray seems to be the reasonable choice. I will still keep my sub and One SLs as surrounds :)
Sonos ray vs Bose tv speaker which one do you think is over all performer for tv. Room is closer towards tv by 2.5m but left and right is open largely.
Over the tv speaker? Definitely. It’s now in my bedroom. Don’t judge me but I have a 75” TV in my bedroom and whatever wizardry is used, it definitively sounds way better than the tv speakers.
Thanks for the review Pete. Enjoy your holiday! Hope you will have a good rest! Well deserved one. When you are back, would you be interested include a segment in your video sharing whether, to be used as a pc speaker (hence no Atmos and room size is not big enough that it need the Arc to fill the room), the price premium of Sonos Arc over the Sonos Ray makes it worthwhile or is totally out of the window? This is coming from the perspective of sound quality and used mainly for gaming and movie. Thanks Pete. Keep up the good work! Safe travelling!
Terry, in terms of loudness the beam and ray will both do the job of filling up the living room. The sub, png… I’d say it depends on the volume you play at and where you place the sub. Don’t put it neat adjourning walls shared with neighbours and I think you’ll be good.
@@PeterPee Thanks for the reply. And thank you for this great review. Just to follow up on the Sub, I hope at mid-volume won't rumble my neighbor below?
I was wondering if you could help me choose the right product. I am considering buying Sonos Ray vs. Sonos One for one room - just for listening music (no TV). Would the Ray be better? Given the similar price point?
I just got the Samsung S61A and it sounds amazing more speakers than the beam and cheaper. The side speakers center are awesome plus it shoots the sound up. No Dolby Atmos but I paired it with the Samsung surrounds and is pretty cool and cheap. Sonos is very expensive and very good as well.
Did some REW measurements using airplay and the result was not good, repeating with RCA cables gave a total different result… it was on a pair play5 gen 2’s. With airplay REW did not show any low frequencies at all…
That’s a good point. There is definitely a difference between wired and wireless transmission. But given that most Sonos sound bars are not going to have 3.5mm inputs, I use airplay.
@@PeterPee given that stated difference, what I have been doing is plugging my macbook pro into my tv (via HDMI), and this allows for REW's output to be passed to the Sonos product via LPCM. Has given me the best results, IMO.
Tricky question! If you don’t have a space constraint definitely consider the beam gen 1. It’s superb value if you can find one about the price of the ray now.
Beam 2 is definitely better and it is better to add money. Instead of Ray, it is better to buy a Samsung HW-S60B / S61B. Ray's price is too high because it is technologically weak. No Dolby Atmos, DTS: X and other absurd deficiencies in the inputs.
I already pre-ordered the ray in black. I can't wait to order the mini-sub when it becomes available. Enjoy your holiday.
I can’t wait for that either! Both the mini sub and the holiday. :)
I was waiting for this
Hi Peter thanks so much for all your great reviews, I'm a big Sonos fan too. What are the best EQ settings for Sonos Ray standalone?
For a 25m2 open kitchen + living room, do you think it is better to have a Beam+One or Ray+One? I prefer to go with 1 each because I don't need a HT setup. Many thanks!
Great review ! Seeing it I decided to buy a Sonos Ray !
I really liked the stand that you have used for the Ray while you were testing and during the sound tests at the end. Could you please share a link for it ?
Thank you !
It’s just a make shift stand! Actually it’s a laptop stand to place laptops vertically. amzn.to/3GGEyKH
Pete, superb review. As an Playbar owner looking to upgrade to Arc or maybe Beam Gen2, it would be nice if you could compare the Playbar with the newer Sonos soundbars.
So unfortunately I don’t have the play at nor the play base for comparison. :(
was just gonna ask for a shoot out comparing the frequency response of the play at and the alternatives
@@PeterPee Tnx. I honestly think Playbar is still very good but would like to see the numbers.
@@DerekReynolds The only reason I would change to Arc are non-angled drivers. I think it would be louder and throw more sound into the room.
@@nevenmiskulin also HDMI for me at least is a big plus
Never a dull moment with Pete, always a deep dive into the product with awesome info., but for those who are planning to set Ray as a PC speaker, I can tell you it's a nightmare and all-in-all it felt like a stereo speaker for 300EUR, and if your mobo does not have an SPDIF port, you'll need to buy a soundcard with a toslink/SPIDF out so that's +$58-$115 on top, and the worst part, I would get constant static sounds after 15 minutes while gaming (using the SPIDF module plate, not the best idea) even though all drivers were up-to-date including the USB/Audio fixes, so if you are planning to buy for your gaming rig it's a bad idea, but if you are on a budget for a soundbar for your TV meh! maybe consider something else with the same price range with better/extra features :)
Good feedback Omar. Thanks for that. I am personally not for the idea of an external soundcard as that tends to pick up all sorts of electrical hum and noise due to shielding being an afterthought.
I'd say do this only if you have an optical output already on the PC.
Thinking about this bar + 2x symphonisk frames for a dedicated sim racing room / setup. Just need a way to mount it under the monitors
I have not tested the lag yet but apparently for digital inputs like the optical, lag should be minimal.
I have one of these on order and will be putting it in the bedroom. Due to the lay out it will be slightly more to the left of the room but the calibration should sort that out.
I'm thinking about setting this up with 2 sonos ones. Do they work together as surround sound for the TV and music seemlessly? I read a comment somewhere that it wasn't as seemless bc you have to toggle how they are bonded when you go back and forth from TV to music. Maybe i misunderstood the comment. Thoughts?
Seems like a great solution for people like me who want quality Sonos sound without breaking the bank. Great review!
Thanks! In USD it is definitely at a good price point.
Undecided between this or the creative katana V2 for solely PC use... Please help and advise Uncle Peter
Purely from a resale perspective, I think the ray will retain value a lot better and longer than the katana. Not to mention you will be able to upgrade the ray over time. But then again the katana is a whole lot cheaper. If budget is less of a concern, go for the ray. If you absolutely have a budget that you’ve got to work within, then the katana will work.
@@PeterPee the Katana v2 vs the Ray price difference not very big at least in SG ($479 vs $529).
But after testing it... I decided to buy the beam gen 2 instead. The length fits much more symmetrical under a 32" monitor and the sound stage seems larger vs the ray.
Lastly, I hope that next gen motherboards/GPU comes with eArc ports so that it natively supports Dolby Atmos instead of having to get a TV.
Thanks for the tips Uncle Peter!!
Dang. This guy knows things in ways I will never.
Your videos are great. Thanks for all your info. Could you kindly do a true sound comparison with the gen beam 2 with the VR mic do get apples to apples comparison between the 2? Thanks
Can you do a video of the Ray's paired as surrounds with an Arc. it says it helps the atmos affect with mounted vertically as rear surrounds
This was false information and isnt true
Second this, I was aware the atmos stuff wasn’t true, but maybe that’s coming in a future update. Would be good to hear Pete’s thoughts on using the ray for rears and also with a sub, maybe even dual subs because who doesn’t want to see that?! Interested in adding rears & a single sub to my arc soon, hence the baited breath :-)
@@cavellcrescent7885 Arc, rears and 2 subs here. It’s pretty intense. Also upgraded from playbar and have both beam gen 1 and gen 2’s in 5.1.
@@saints25759 I see Sonos got their hooks into you lol! The optimist in me likes to think the atmos-rear stuff will come along to the ray in a software update at some point, but I may play it cool & just add the sub first!
Ah, this one wouldn’t pan out in the near future. If anything they’d release a new product for this purpose. Not reposition the ray.
Great video as usual. I need your valued knowledgeable opinion. Between the ray or beam gen 1 which would you buy if price is same ? Thanks appreciate your attention.
I too would like to know the answer to this. I’m at a point where I can get a used ray or beam gen 1 for roughly the same price.
Can anyone explain what we’ll miss out in terms of CEC with the Ray, since it is missing a hdmi input? I guess we can still adjust volume on the tv? But is there anything else that you could do with the Beam in that regard that can not be done with the Ray?
I still have my playbar which only has an optical input.
Honestly if you have an Apple TV or any device where you can configure your remote to control the sound bar, you’re good to go. I haven’t missed the CEC on my playbar. You just won’t get Atmos since higher bandwidth is required for that, hence Beam 2 and Arc are via HDMI
Yeah. You’ve got to jump through a few more hoops but follow the instructions carefully and you should be able to pair your IR remote for the tv to control the volume on your soundbar. Ray in this case, without relying on hdmi CEC.
Great, thank you for the answers! Then it will serve my purpose well since I’m planing to use it with my Apple TV 👌🏽 I’m actually going from the Arc to the Ray since I’m moving to a smaller apartment where the Arc probably is an overkill. I was planing to switch to Beam, but since I’m not interested in Atmos, or a voice assistant, the Ray seems to be the reasonable choice. I will still keep my sub and One SLs as surrounds :)
Also thanks Pete for the best channel when it comes to anything Sonos 🙏🏽
Wonder how a pair of S Ones and the sub mini will sound.
Sonos ray vs Bose tv speaker which one do you think is over all performer for tv. Room is closer towards tv by 2.5m but left and right is open largely.
I'd honestly recommend the Bose TV speaker. It's got HDMI and it is cheaper. Not that Bluetooth is recommended but it's an option for the Bose.
So would this be an improvement on Sony TV speakers or not, apparently the small bose one isn't
Over the tv speaker? Definitely. It’s now in my bedroom. Don’t judge me but I have a 75” TV in my bedroom and whatever wizardry is used, it definitively sounds way better than the tv speakers.
Thanks for the review Pete. Enjoy your holiday! Hope you will have a good rest! Well deserved one.
When you are back, would you be interested include a segment in your video sharing whether, to be used as a pc speaker (hence no Atmos and room size is not big enough that it need the Arc to fill the room), the price premium of Sonos Arc over the Sonos Ray makes it worthwhile or is totally out of the window? This is coming from the perspective of sound quality and used mainly for gaming and movie.
Thanks Pete. Keep up the good work! Safe travelling!
Good idea. I have recently vacated another tiny room and trying to see if I can fit some sound inside that room!
@@PeterPee thanks Pete!
Hi bro, HNY, shd i get a Ray (BNIB) or SONOS GEN 1 (Like new), if they're the same price?
Sonos Gen 1. The HDMI port is important. And control is easier with the HDMI ARC port.
Hi Peter, is the Sonos Beam or Sonos Ray loud enough to fill up the living room of a 4rm Bto flat? Kindly seek your advice, thank you. 😊
In addition to Terry's question, also like to hear from Peter. Do you think my HDB neighbor will complain about me having the Sonos Sub? 😊
Terry, in terms of loudness the beam and ray will both do the job of filling up the living room.
The sub, png… I’d say it depends on the volume you play at and where you place the sub. Don’t put it neat adjourning walls shared with neighbours and I think you’ll be good.
@@PeterPee Hi Peter, Great! Many thanks for your advice. 👍🏼☺️
@@PeterPee Thanks for the reply. And thank you for this great review. Just to follow up on the Sub, I hope at mid-volume won't rumble my neighbor below?
When I was at John Lewis and demo them on the Sonos display , on my ears I could hear around 30% better volume and more clarity on the beam 2.
I was wondering if you could help me choose the right product. I am considering buying Sonos Ray vs. Sonos One for one room - just for listening music (no TV). Would the Ray be better? Given the similar price point?
If it’s purely for music. And you won’t ever want to use it for direct connection to tv or a pc, then the pair of ones will sound better for music.
@@PeterPee Thank you for your advice. I meant comparison of 1 RAY vs. only 1 Sonos One. They are prices very similary in my contry.
Hey Pete, how does an inclined ceiling of about 14 ft height should impact my soundbar choosing? Are there any options for my case in the market?
I have an inclined ceiling in my bedroom too. Just put the sound bar on the side with the higher wall.
I just got the Samsung S61A and it sounds amazing more speakers than the beam and cheaper. The side speakers center are awesome plus it shoots the sound up. No Dolby Atmos but I paired it with the Samsung surrounds and is pretty cool and cheap. Sonos is very expensive and very good as well.
Is there a way to hook this up to a m2 macbook air or m1 macbook pro?
Speaker supports airplay 2, so you can cast sound from your apple devices.
Yes. Airplay 2 will work but a bit of a lag. You could otherwise get an external usb device or dongle that will output audio via optical.
Did some REW measurements using airplay and the result was not good, repeating with RCA cables gave a total different result… it was on a pair play5 gen 2’s. With airplay REW did not show any low frequencies at all…
That’s a good point. There is definitely a difference between wired and wireless transmission. But given that most Sonos sound bars are not going to have 3.5mm inputs, I use airplay.
@@PeterPee given that stated difference, what I have been doing is plugging my macbook pro into my tv (via HDMI), and this allows for REW's output to be passed to the Sonos product via LPCM. Has given me the best results, IMO.
Sonos beam Gen 1 or Sonos Ray ?
Tricky question! If you don’t have a space constraint definitely consider the beam gen 1. It’s superb value if you can find one about the price of the ray now.
@@PeterPee I just bought the bean 1 this morning in perfect condition for $175 on Facebook market place. Thank you
Hhhmmmm. Might be a Ray over a gen s beam for my other living area.
🤯
I'm sure the bass this monster puts out will have your neighbors knocking down your door.
Beam 2 is definitely better and it is better to add money. Instead of Ray, it is better to buy a Samsung HW-S60B / S61B. Ray's price is too high because it is technologically weak. No Dolby Atmos, DTS: X and other absurd deficiencies in the inputs.