Sonos is famous for its wireless multi-room speakers but it can be hard to know which one is best for you. We explain everything you need to know about Sonos and review the speakers to help you choose the best one for your needs.
Founded back in 2002 in California, Sonos has been setting the bar and leading the way in the multi-room speaker market for a long time. Designed to be easy to use, stylish and sound great, there’s little not to like about the Sonos range of speakers (and headphones might be on the way, too).
In 2020, Sonos introduced a range of new speakers including the Sonos Arc soundbar with Dolby Atmos. There's also a new S2 app to use them with, but it comes with compatibility issues with older devices.
Sonos has also been exploring the Bluetooth route with the Move and much smaller Roam. These give you the benefit of the usual multi-room experience but can also be taken out into the garden or beyond.
Note that the prices of some speakers were increased in September 2021 by as much as £100/US$100 with little reason given.
Scroll beyond the chart for our complete Sonos buying guide explaining how the system works and how to choose the right speakers.
1. Sonos One
- Great sound
- Smart features
- Timeless design
$219
The Sonos One is a top-quality smart speaker, essentially a One SL with Alexa and Google Assistant voice-control built-in. We'd have liked some Sonos-related voice commands that most people will expect.
It's more expensive than many other smart speakers but it's worth the extra - compared to non-Sonos rivals it offers much better build quality and sound.
As an all-rounder it's a great place to start to begin building your Sonos system.
Read our full Sonos One review
2. Sonos Roam
- Highly portable
- Bluetooth & WiFi
- Astonishing sound
- Smart features
Cons
- Limited battery life
- Fairly expensive
- Bluetooth limited to music
$179
Following up from the Move, Sonos has gone truly portable with the aptly named Roam - now available in three additional colours.
While its big brother can technically go anywhere, its size and weight make it quite tricky and more suitable for taking out into the garden. The Roam is 1/6th of the size and just 430g (vs 3kg).
It's also IP67 so more durable, the clever design works in upright or landscape orientations and there's even wireless charging.
It doesn't hit full marks as the battery life is short of similar rivals and Bluetooth is limited to streaming. However, the Roam is designed to be part of a Sonos system with features like Sound Swap.
Even if you don't have any Sonos speakers yet, you could arguably just use Roams around the house for a basic multi-room setup.
Read our full Sonos Roam review
3. Sonos Move
- Portable & durable design
- Big sound
- Bluetooth connectivity
Cons
- Heavy
- Limited battery life
$399
The Move now has a smaller and more portable brother in the Roam that's a lot cheaper so it's understandable to find that the more attractive buy if you need a Sonos with Bluetooth.
However, the Move remains a solid purchase if you don't need it to go further than the garden and want more power. This is still the far better option for things like garden parties.
It also has other advantages over the Roam such as a replaceable battery and the charging base is included in the box. The battery life is also one hour longer at 11 hours.
Read our full Sonos Move review
4. Sonos One SL
- Affordable
- Great sound
- Versatile
$199
Not including the Ikea speakers, the One SL is the cheapest in the range and replaces the older Play:1 which was a staple speaker.
Not a huge amount has changed, but it didn't really need to. This is effectively the regular One without the microphones for voice control via smart assistants. So you get things like touch controls and AirPlay 2.
The One SL is the one to go for if you don't want or need Alexa or Google Assistant. For example, making a stereo pair with the One or using them as rear surrounds with one of the home theatre speakers.
Read our full Sonos One SL review
5. Sonos Beam
- Compact design
- Great sound
- Premium features
Cons
- No remote
$399
For most people, the Beam will be the easy choice when comparing the other Sonos soundbars.
It's more affordable, more compact and yet still sounds excellent. Plus it has features not found on its bigger brothers like HDMI ARC. Only those with a much larger room and budget really need to opt for the Playbar or Playbase.
Since Alexa is built-in, the Beam is also a smart speaker and a great choice if you're looking for one to sit in the living room.
Read our full Sonos Beam review
6. Ikea Sonos Symfonisk Speaker Lamp 2
- Sonos quality audio
- 360-degree sound
- Takes standard E26/27 bulbs
Cons
- No microphones
- Unusual design
- Lamp doesn't preserve power state
$169 (textile shade) | $189 (glass shade)
This speaker and lamp in one hybrid design is now in its second generation, available in a range of colour combinations as well as glass or textile shades.
Provided you like the aesthetic - which we think is improved - you get Sonos quality sound that's 360 degrees in a neat and affordable solution. It's a great option for spots around the home that lack space.
You can use a wide range of lightbulbs in the lamp, too. It's just a shame that there are no mics for digital assistant use and when it loses power, won't come back on automatically.
Read our full Ikea Sonos Symfonisk Speaker Lamp 2 review
7. Sonos Ray
- Compact design
- Clear and crisp sound
- Relatively affordable
Cons
- No HDMI Arc/eArc
- No voice controls
- Average bass
$279
The Sonos Ray has arrived as the firm's cheapest soundbar yet and if your budget can't stretch any further and sound quality is your primary concern then it's a good buy.
It's also the smallest Sonos soundbar so should be able to fit just about anywhere, or even be used with a PC instead of your TV.
There are downsides that come with the cheaper price tag though as you're limited to optical connectivity, there are no microphones for voice control and bass performance could be better.
8. Sonos Arc
- Immersive sound
- eARC HDMI
- Dolby Atmos
- Smart features
Cons
- Expensive
- No remote
- No HDMI passthrough
$899
It took a while but Sonos has replaced its original soundbar with the fantastic Arc.
Beyond all the usual features you get from Sonos devices like multi-room, the Arc is all about spacial sound thanks to drivers pointing in all directions and support for Dolby Atmos.
It's easily one of the best sounding soundbars we've ever tested and it looks rather nice too.
It also benefits from eARC HDMI, although the problem here - apart from the Arc being expensive - is making sure your TV is compatible to get the most out of the soundbar. There's also no HDMI pass-though which makes it tricky for those with limited ports.
Read our full Sonos Arc review
9. Ikea Sonos Symfonisk Bookshelf
- Cheap
- Compact & versatile design
- Sonos ecosystem support
Cons
- Limited bass
- Basic control
$119.99
Sonos hasn't managed to perfectly recreate its classic sound in the £99$99 Symfonisk, but it’s done a decent job if you don’t mind compromising a little on the bass.
Throw in the fact that you can wall-mount it to double as a bookshelf or hang it from an Ikea kitchen rack, and it's a handy little speaker for smaller homes.
These are a budget-friendly way to get into the app - though be warned, before long you’ll be eyeing up the pricier models to add on.
The bookshelf will be just as appealing to Sonos regulars looking either for a friendly way to bring that Sonos sound into the kitchen, or for a cheaper way to upgrade to surround sound.
Read our full Ikea Sonos Symfonisk Bookshelf Speaker review
10. Ikea Sonos Symfonisk Picture Frame
- Strong sound
- Sonos ecosystem support
- Discreet design
Cons
- Limited artwork choice
- No microphone
- Srews/wall plugs not supplied
$199.99
The latest collaboration from Sonos and Ikea is another successful one, albeit with a few caveats that we hope are addressed going forward.
Hiding a speaker inside a picture frame is a neat idea, especially if you don’t like the idea of a traditional design or simply want to wall-mount. It could make a nice addition to an AirBnB, for example. However, mounting screws/plugs aren’t supplied - just a bracket - and the choice of artwork is limited.
If you do like the look and don’t mind a bit of DIY then the Symfonisk Picture Frame makes for an elegant and good-sounding solution at an affordable price.
Read our full Ikea Sonos Symfonisk Picture Frame Speaker review
11. Sonos Playbase
- Great sound
- Smart & robust design
Cons
- Expensive
- No HDMI
- No remote
$699
The Playbase is expensive and you can certainly get a soundbar for a lot less if this is a problem. It's no longer part of the official range but is still on sale while retailers have remaining stock.
Like with most Sonos products, you get you what pay for so the Playbase offers superior sound quality, design and all the additional features that Sonos has.
This really comes down to design and whether you want to sit your TV on top of the speaker. Otherwise, the Arc is a lot better if you can afford the difference.
Read our full Sonos Playbase review
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