Sonos announces entry-level Ray soundbar for $279, coming on June 7th
Posted: Sun May 15, 2022 5:23 am
https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/11/2306 ... lease-date
The budget Sonos soundbar is designed to sound good wherever you put it.
The Sonos Ray is smaller than the Beam and Arc.
Sonos this afternoon officially announced its Sonos Ray soundbar. Matching the specs and design that The Verge first reported last month, the company’s new entry-level soundbar will be priced at a slightly higher-than-initially-planned $279 when it goes on sale on June 7th. (Hey, maybe Sonos is feeling inflation just like the rest of us.)
The Ray is being positioned as ideal for first-time soundbar buyers who want to upgrade their TV’s lackluster built-in speakers. It’s capable of outputting Dolby Digital audio — there’s no Atmos — and connects to TVs via an optical cable. Sonos is leaving HDMI and eARC for its more expensive Beam and Arc products. Gamers should note that soundbars that rely on an optical connection can sometimes exhibit a slight audio delay. But I think Sonos figures that anyone with an Xbox Series X or PS5 plugged into their TV is likely to opt for the Beam or Arc instead.
The Ray has two tweeters that handle high frequencies. And as seen in our original render, the soundbar has split waveguides at the left and right sides to route sound “from wall to wall.” In the center are two midwoofers that “ensure faithful playback of mid-range frequencies and solid bass.” Sonos says that because its acoustic elements are all forward-facing, the Ray is designed to perform well sonically no matter where it’s placed — including when it’s tucked into a media stand.
The budget Sonos soundbar is designed to sound good wherever you put it.
The Sonos Ray is smaller than the Beam and Arc.
Sonos this afternoon officially announced its Sonos Ray soundbar. Matching the specs and design that The Verge first reported last month, the company’s new entry-level soundbar will be priced at a slightly higher-than-initially-planned $279 when it goes on sale on June 7th. (Hey, maybe Sonos is feeling inflation just like the rest of us.)
The Ray is being positioned as ideal for first-time soundbar buyers who want to upgrade their TV’s lackluster built-in speakers. It’s capable of outputting Dolby Digital audio — there’s no Atmos — and connects to TVs via an optical cable. Sonos is leaving HDMI and eARC for its more expensive Beam and Arc products. Gamers should note that soundbars that rely on an optical connection can sometimes exhibit a slight audio delay. But I think Sonos figures that anyone with an Xbox Series X or PS5 plugged into their TV is likely to opt for the Beam or Arc instead.
The Ray has two tweeters that handle high frequencies. And as seen in our original render, the soundbar has split waveguides at the left and right sides to route sound “from wall to wall.” In the center are two midwoofers that “ensure faithful playback of mid-range frequencies and solid bass.” Sonos says that because its acoustic elements are all forward-facing, the Ray is designed to perform well sonically no matter where it’s placed — including when it’s tucked into a media stand.