The cheapest Sonos soundbar is a massive upgrade on your TV's speakers – and it's down to a great price right now

The Sonos Ray soundbar photographed on a white desk in front of a Philips OLED TV
(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

The Sonos Ray is the American audio brand's cheapest soundbar, and while it doesn't feature any fancy 3D audio processing capabilities, it focuses on getting the basics right.

Most importantly, it sounds way better than the built-in speakers of most TVs on the market right now.

Launched in 2022, it has remained in our best budget soundbars list for quite some time, and it's seen a few price decreases in the last two years. And it can be picked up for just £189 at Amazon right now.

We have seen it drop lower during the Black Friday sales but this is still a sizeable £90 discount compared to the initial launch price.

It's worth noting that this deal is exclusive to the white model. The black Sonos Ray can be picked up for £10 more if you prefer that finish.

Sonos Ray
Save £90
Sonos Ray: was £279 now £189 at Amazon

The Sonos Ray is a no-frills smart soundbar that prioritises simplicity over Dolby Atmos audio, offering a significantly reduced price compared to its Beam and Arc siblings. The Ray aims to deliver an improved sonic experience compared to your TV's built-in audio system – and it does so admirably.

The Ray is something of an oddity in the Sonos lineup. The audio brand is known for its flagship Dolby Atmos soundbars and premium wireless speakers, so when news broke that it would be launching a budget soundbar, it's fair to say that there were quite a few sceptics around.

In practice, the Ray proved to be a plucky and likeable soundbar that scored four stars in our AV testing room. We approved of its "excellent vocal clarity", "detailed high end", and "punchy, forthright projection". We agreed that Sonos had fulfilled its brief to deliver a simple yet effective soundbar to replace your TV's speakers.

Despite it being an affordable alternative to pricier 'bars, Sonos kept its smart functionality intact, including compatibility with the Sonos app. This means that you can stream music directly to the bar via the app and link it to an existing Sonos multiroom system.

Furthermore, it has full compatibility with other Sonos products. This means that you can link the Ray to the Sub Mini and a pair of Era 100 wireless speakers to create a full surround sound system.

Naturally, not all features from the pricier models are included here. This soundbar relies on an optical connection rather than HDMI ARC, and there is no support for voice control via the likes of Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.

That being said, this is still a pleasingly straightforward and effective soundbar that can be yours for £90 off the original launch price right now at Amazon.

MORE:

Read our full Sonos Ray review

And check out our picks for the best soundbars

And find the best soundbar deals here

Senior Staff Writer

Lewis Empson is a Senior Staff Writer on What Hi-Fi?. He was previously Gaming and Digital editor for Cardiff University's 'Quench Magazine', Lewis graduated in 2021 and has since worked on a selection of lifestyle magazines and regional newspapers. Outside of work, he enjoys gaming, gigs and regular cinema trips.

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