Sonos Simplified: Which Sonos Speakers are Right for You?

Similar to the original Play:1 in size and sound, the Sonos One comes with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant built-in, so you can control your music with simple voice commands and access all of Alexa's awesome skills (get weather and news updates, turn the lights on and off, etc.). The One also gives you voice control over other Sonos speakers in your home, so if you have a One SL (which doesn't have voice built-in) in the kitchen, you can tell the One to play a song through that speaker. Pretty cool.

Other features we like:

• Capacitive touch controls, so you can change songs and adjust the volume with simple swipes and gestures.
• Humidity resistant (perfect for damp environments, like a bathroom or kitchen).
• Pair two Ones together for stereo sound.
• Use two Ones as home theater rear speakers when you add to a Sonos Sub and Arc or Playbase.
• Can mount on a wall or stands with compatible accessories.

Check out our full review of the Sonos One here.

The Sonos One SL is a powerful microphone-free speaker that gives you the same rich, room-filling sound and all of the same features as the Sonos One, just without voice control built-in. The "SL" stands for speechless - so Sonos quite literally dropped the mic on this one. You can control the One SL with the Sonos app or Apple AirPlay 2. If you already have voice control capabilities or simply don’t need it, the One SL is the way to go.If you already have voice control capabilities or simply don’t need it, the One SL is the way to go. (Watch our video on the Sonos One SL here.)

The compact design fits just about any space and is humidity resistant so you can even put it in the bathroom. Pair it with another One SL in the same room for true stereo separation and more detailed sound or use as home theater rears in a 3.1 or 5.1 system.

If you're looking for voice control, simply include at least one other Sonos smart speaker in your setup, like or the Beam or the One. Or you can use Amazon Echo and Google Home products to control One SL with your voice. There is no benefit to having multiple products with built-in voice control in the same room. With the One SL at a lower price point than the One or the Beam, this allows you to save some money on the rest of your system.

Check out our full review of the Sonos One SL here.

The largest speaker in the Sonos family designed for delivering the richest audio into larger rooms. The Five sounds incredible on its own, but it is designed to work best as a stereo pair, thanks to the six Class-D amplifiers and six dedicated speaker drivers inside. And depending on how you orient the Play:5, you'll get a different audio experience: lay it horizontally for a wide sound stage or vertically to create a more direct sound stage.

But how is the Sonos Five different than its predecessor, the Play:5? To start, it's got a chic new monochromatic look and new technology focused on increasing memory and processing power to provide improved performance. Enhanced TruePlay, Sonos' proprietary tuning technology, optimizes the sound for the unique acoustics of your room, calibrating the height channels for precise localization.

One of our go-to ways to use the Five: Pair two of them in stereo and connect them to a turntable (with built-in preamp) via the in-line port for a competitive 2-channel setup that doesn't take up much space and that gives you the flexibility of going right from your favorite record, to your favorite digital streaming service. If your turntable doesn't have a built-in preamp, just add an in-line phono preamp.

Other features we like:

• Three woofers and sealed design deliver big bass.
• Top-panel touch controls.
• Ability to connect to almost any audio source (turntable, MP3 player, etc.) via the line-in.
• Connects to Amazon Echo or Dot for Amazon Alexa capabilities and voice control.
• Pair two Fives together for stereo sound.
• Use two Fives as home theater rear speakers when you add to a Sonos Sub and Arc or Playbase.
• Can mount on a wall or stands with compatible accessories.

Watch our video on the Five here.

The new Sonos Era 100 is a voice-controlled wireless smart speaker and represents the first significant audio upgrade that Sonos has made to its smaller speaker lineup in quite some time. Sonos touts it as the "next-gen home bookshelf speaker". We will back that. Not only does it have a new design, but there are plenty of new features and connectivity options that demonstrate Sonos' commitment to innovation for not just the audio quality, but for the user. The Era 100 totally shifted the soundscape of Sonos' small entry level speaker with this new design. It’s not just going to have a 47% faster processor to handle the demand needed for Voice Control, High Resolution Audio, or using their Phase array technology when it’s a rear speaker.

The Sonos Era 100 comes in black or white matte finish and weighs a little under five pounds. At around 7” H x almost 5” W x and 5” D, it’s taller than the One and the Play:1 by almost an inch and comes in at about a pound heavier. The difference in the body is that it’s not as much of a rounded off square and is a lot more oblong/cylindrical with a wraparound grille. It's super clean and minimalistic.

Something that the Era 100 (and Era 300) have that the One and Play:1 did not have, is the addition of Bluetooth as an input. Bluetooth 5.0 to be exact. It is a concurrent Bluetooth input just like on the Sonos Roam where it will stay on your network and be available via Bluetooth (unlike the Sonos Move). The Bluetooth input can be shared to any room in your Sonos ecosystem, so you’re not limited to a single player.

We really appreciate the new look and sound of the Era 100. We're glad that Sonos has finally upgraded the audio in their smallest form speaker. Check out our full review of the Sonos Era 100 here.

The new Sonos Era 300 is a voice-controlled wireless smart that introduces Spatial Audio to the SONOS ecosystem. The Era 300 immerses you in rich, room-filling sound that adapts to any space, lets you stream all your favorite music services with the touch of a button, and control everything from your smartphone. The new Sonos Era 300 speaker is finally going to fill the gap between the Sonos Five and the Sonos One. Not only does it have a new design, but there are plenty of new features and connectivity options that demonstrate Sonos' commitment to innovation for not just the audio quality, but for the user.

The Sonos Era 300 comes in a black or white matte finish and weighs almost 10 pounds. It’s short and stout a little over 6 inches tall, 10 inches wide and a little over 7 inches deep. But don't let the word "stout" turn you off. It is, in fact, quite a sleek and elegant design. Something that the Era 300 (and Era 100) have that the One and Play:1 did not have, is the addition of Bluetooth as an input. Bluetooth 5.0 to be exact. It is a concurrent Bluetooth input just like on the Sonos Roam where it will stay on your network and be available via Bluetooth (unlike the Sonos Move). The Bluetooth input can be shared to any room in your Sonos ecosystem, so you’re not limited to a single player.

The Era 300 was designed to not just be a standard speaker but a spatial audio speaker, so you’ll be able to enjoy Dolby Atmos music from streamers like Amazon Music. Spatial Audio is the new buzz word immersive, 360-degree sound, or digital surround sound, where the sound seems to envelope you from all around. We really appreciate the funky look and sound of the Era 300 and we're glad that SONOS introduced an Atmos Speaker that wasn’t a soundbar.

Watch our video on the Era 300 here.

The Arc Dolby Atmos sound bar is the long-awaited sound bar update from Sonos. It's sleeker and sexier with curved edges and less overall depth than it's best-selling predecessor, the PLAYBAR. This 3D sound-enabled sound bar features 11 high-performance drivers for bass, clear dialogue, and a realistic 5.0.2 sound experience.

This multipurpose piece let's you play your music, check the news, set alarms, and more with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa voice control built right in. Stream music, radio, and podcasts from your favorite services with the Sonos app or Apple AirPlay 2 when the TV is off. But, let's be real, this is a sound bar first and foremost... and, we're impressed.

The most obvious difference between the Sonos Arc and the Playbar (aside from cosmetic), is the addition of Dolby Atmos. Arc's 3D Dolby Atmos sound comes from its upward-firing drivers that create a multi-dimensional soundstage that moves around you. Arc's advanced processing creates five channels that deliver sound to your ears from all directions at the exact right moment. And, Sonos' Trueplay tuning technology optimizes the sound for the unique acoustics of your room, calibrating the height channels for precise localization.

Other features we like:

• Control it with your remote, the app, Apple AirPlay 2, or your voice (via Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa voice control built-in)
• Mount it with the optional mount, place it under or directly in front of the TV on a shelf or console.
• Built for TVs larger than 49"
• Requires a TV that supports Dolby Atmos and Atmos-encoded content.
• Turn on Speech Enhancement in the app to clarify dialogue when characters talk quietly or action intensifies.
• Expand your system by wirelessly connecting a Sub for deeper bass and a pair of matching rear surrounds for an even more immersive listening experience.

Watch our video review on the Sonos Arc here.

The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is one of the most compact sound bars available, yet with Dolby Atmos capability, it delivers one of the biggest bang-for-the buck ratios around. The Beam Gen 2 has a new, more powerful processor that works with its five drivers to create a soundstage that is remarkably wide and extraordinarily high; it’s the perfect Dolby Atmos multichannel system for small to medium-sized rooms.

Connecting the Beam Gen 2 to your TV and integrating it into your home theater system couldn’t be easier, with just a single HDMI eARC cable connection. The Beam Gen 2 adds additional multichannel audio abilities to your system, such as DTS — so you can enjoy the full capabilities of your Blu-ray disc collection — and 3D music, which lets you immerse yourself in the latest releases from top artists in Apple Music, Tidal, and Amazon Ultra HD.

The Beam Gen 2 does a great job playing multichannel content on its own. But when you add a Sonos Sub and Sonos One SL speakers, the Beam Gen 2’s processing power is freed up to make the sound even better. And since all Sonos connections are wireless, you’ll have your dream system up and running in no time.

Built-in Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice control makes the Beam Gen 2 the perfect centerpiece for your digital home. NFC device pairing makes sharing content from your phone, tablet, or other devices super simple. Apply AirPlay2 makes iOS device integration even easier and more powerful. (Read more about the Sonos Beam Gen 2 in our review here.)

Other features we like:

• Improved vocal and dialogue clarity
• Polycarbonate grill withstands the challenges of family room activities
• Makes your system ready to play multichannel high-resolution audio formats coming in the near future
• White finish option includes white cables
• Versatile placement (easily mount it to the wall or place the Beam on the media cabinet in front of or below your TV)

Watch our video review of the Sonos Beam here.

The Ray is Sonos’ most affordable and compact soundbar to date. The Ray utilizes a speaker array that uses four Class-D digital amplifiers, has two tweeters (off center), two elliptical Mid-woofers (centered), and proprietary low-velocity ports as part of Sonos’ bass reflex system to help lower distortion. Sonos also put in two split waveguides at the tweeter locations that expand the soundstage so the tweeter sound spreads wider and encompasses the room. All of the speaker elements are front facing, meaning you can tuck away the Ray in a TV cabinet without interfering with its sound quality (not something you can do with the ARC and probably shouldn’t with the Beam).

If you have a compatible iOS device, you can take advantage of Sonos' Trueplay tuning to adapt the sound to the acoustics of your space and ensure that you’re always hearing your content the way it was meant to be heard.

If you want a full surround experience, we’d suggest you consider adding a matching pair of speakers for rears and a Sub. The Sonos One, One SL, and Sonos Five will work as surrounds and the Sonos SUB would be your go-to subwoofer. You can also use the Sonos AMP to power in-wall, in-ceiling, or other passive speakers as surrounds.

Other features we like:

• Improved vocal and dialogue clarity
• Makes your system ready to play multichannel high-resolution audio formats coming in the near future
• White finish option includes white cables
• Versatile placement (easily mount it to the wall or place the Ray on the media cabinet in front of or below your TV)

Watch our video review of the Sonos Ray here.

This powerhouse subwoofer adds a healthy layer of bottom end to all of your home entertainment; sound that you can hear and feel; deep full bodied bass that rattles the floorboards and shakes the walls. With the touch of a button, the Sonos SUB easily connects to all of your other Sonos speakers using your home’s WiFi network, making it easy for you to build the home audio system of your dreams. This wireless subwoofer contains two force-cancelling speakers to deliver all the sound without buzz or rattle.

Other features we like:

• Recommended for Arc, Beam, Five, One, One SL, and Amp (with bookshelf speakers) when you want the bass to be present.
• Can be positioned standing up or laying flat on the floor for placement under furniture.
• Simple, one-button setup.
• Add the Arc, Beam, or Playbase for 3.1 home theater sound — and add two Sonos One SL speakers in the rear for 5.1 surround home theater sound.

Sonos' Sub Mini is the smaller, more affordable subwoofer in the Sonos lineup - standing at just 12-inches tall. The Sub Mini comes in the traditional Sonos colors of white and black and weighs less than half of the Sub (Gen 3). Its smaller size and rounded profile makes it very easy to tuck away in your room, but its slick design isn’t something you’ll need to hide. For Sonos users that already have the Beam or the Ray, the Sub Mini is a better price match to complete your compact Sonos home theater system. Add the Beam or Ray for 3.1 home theater sound — and add two Sonos Ones or One SL speakers in the rear for 5.1 surround home theater sound.

Other features we like:

• Recommended for Beam, Ray, One, One SL, and Amp (with bookshelf speakers) when you want the bass to be present.
  
• The Sub Mini is a sealed sub, which may not drop as low as a ported sub, but it can produce more accurate bass response.
  
• Dual, custom woofers generate the full-toned low frequencies and advanced processing that further enhance the bass response.
  
• Simple, one-button setup.

Check out our full review of the Sonos Sub Mini Subwoofer here.

The Sonos Move is the first ever portable speaker from Sonos offering the convenience of a built-in battery and Bluetooth. That also makes it the most flexible speaker in the Sonos family with three real use cases: 1) Add it to your existing Sonos network in your home and continue to expand your multi-room audio system as another tabletop speaker. The Move integrates seamlessly with other Sonos speakers. 2) Take it outside by the pool or patio - thanks to its durable, weatherproof design and IP56 rating - and continue streaming music via your Sonos network (so long as you still have a wifi signal). 3) Here's the standout differentiator: switch it over to Bluetooth mode and take it with you wherever you go. So you can move with your Move.

Now, this product is not a replacement for your pocket-sized portable Bluetooth speaker that you might use for your camping and canoe trips. At 6.6 pounds and 10 inches tall, the Move is not a speaker to shove in your backpack or suitcase. But, it does have the flexibility to place where you want it, take it outside, and play music beyond the reach of your WiFi network.

We break this portable speaker down further in our video review of the Sonos Move.

The Roam is Sonos' first ever compact portable Bluetooth and WiFi smart speaker. And, while smaller and lighter than anything else in the Sonos family of speakers, Sonos still managed to pack an amazing Sonos-worthy feature set into something weighing in at less than a pound.

Like its sibling, the Move, the Sonos Roam is equipped with Bluetooth, WiFi, and AirPlay2 for iOS users. So, you can wirelessly stream with the Sonos App if you're on your WiFi network, connect directly from your iOS device with AirPlay 2, or pair directly to your mobile device. Plus, being a part of the Sonos family, you can easily group the Roam with other Sonos products on your network for that true Sonos multi-room experience. A new Group + Swap feature lets you easily "swap" your music to and from the rest of your Sonos system. (Of note, the Roam cannot be used as surrounds in a Sonos Home Theater setup.). And, you can control it all with your voice via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant built-in. And yes, there is an option to disable the microphone for the voice assistant for privacy reasons.

A dual-orientation form factor lets you place it vertically to take up less space on a surface or horizontally, which comes in handy for uneven surfaces you might encounter when outdoors (grass, sand, you get it). An included 90-degree USB-C cable is designed to support both orientations, plus, the Roam can be charged wirelessly on any Qi-compatible charger. A third charging option is the wireless charging base (sold separately).

While the Move is the speaker we'd use if we were hosting the party, the Roam is the speaker we'd bring with us to the party since it's small and rugged enough to throw in a bag and carry with you. A 10-hour playback time from a single charge gives you plenty of time to hang by the pool. And, an IP67 waterproof rating means you can relax if your speaker takes an accidental slip into the pool.

Watch our full video review on the Sonos Roam here.