Along with a spread of streaming bins of assorted sizes, Sonos already has two soundbars on provide. However even the smaller of the two is fairly costly in relation to low-cost televisions: The Sonos Beam prices round 450 euros, about the similar as an affordable 55-inch TV. With its value of a good 900 euros, the Sonos Arc appeals to a well-heeled clientele – sound high quality or not. Now the new Sonos Ray desires to make good TV sound extra inexpensive and at the similar time convey music into the front room. The value for this already sounds enticing: 299 euros. The COMPUTER BILD check reveals whether or not tv and music additionally sound good.
Sonos Ray: Easy, however not low-cost
In view of the value, the query robotically arises: the place did the producer save? To seek out out, you must take a more in-depth look. The design appears to be like very typical for Sonos and in actuality higher than on photographs. The plastic case appears to be like effectively made and really strong, there are not any ugly seams and no hole or rickety noises when knocking. With the flat entrance grille, nonetheless, the design is less expensive than the extra complex-shaped siblings. With a peak of seven.2 centimetres, the soundbar will be positioned effectively in entrance of many televisions, for instance the ft are simply excessive sufficient in the present Samsung fashions. The soundbar width of 56 centimeters even matches compact 32-inch TVs. The controls on the high are restricted to the minimal: contact buttons for pause and quantity, plus a multi-colored LED as a standing indicator should be adequate.
The connections of the Sonos Ray are manageable: energy cable, optical cable and community – there is additionally WLAN.
No HDMI, however does nothing
The interior workings are usually not a lot less complicated than in the subsequent bigger Beam mannequin, as an alternative of 5 loudspeakers, the Sonos Ray now has 4 – two tweeters and two woofers. The latter are supported by two artfully curved bass reflex tubes, and particular horn attachments sit in entrance of the tweeters. Every of those is cut up in two to radiate each ahead and sideways. Sonos doesn’t use HDMI for the connections, the solely potential connection to the tv is an optical digital enter. The benefit: just about each tv constructed in the final 15 years has a corresponding output. The draw back: there is at all times full quantity and in distinction to the HDMI connection, the optical connection doesn’t ahead the management instructions from the TV distant management. Subsequently, Ray learns the quantity codes of the TV distant management throughout commissioning. There is no must get used to it when watching TV, and positively no second distant management, the one from the TV is additionally accountable for the quantity. The one prerequisite for a correct division of labor: the loudspeakers constructed into the tv should be capable to be switched off, the overwhelming majority of TV fashions permit this in the settings menu.
On the TV, you must set the sound output to the optical output alone, which is irritatingly referred to as “receiver” on Samsung.
A great deal of music in the Sonos app
Commissioning is straightforward and easy general with the assist of the Sonos app – Sonos merchandise can’t be operated sensibly with no smartphone or pill. This is additionally the place the soundbar is linked to the residence WLAN. Like all different Sonos fashions, it may be used as a streaming speaker. You’ll be able to select between your individual music out of your smartphone or the music assortment on a pc or a community onerous drive. As well as, all conceivable streaming gives will be linked in the Sonos app, Amazon and Apple are represented there in addition to Spotify and Soundcloud. Web radio is additionally accessible, Sonos’ personal radio service with well-composed playlists rounds off the choice of music, data and podcasts.
IKEA can play together with Sonos
In the app, the Sonos Ray will be linked to different Sonos bins, for instance in order that the similar music is taking part in in the front room as in the kitchen. Even actual encompass sound is potential through the use of two Sonos bins as impact audio system behind the viewers. With pair costs beginning at 358 euros for the Sonos Roam as the most cost-effective bins from the US producer, the enjoyable is sadly disproportionately costly while you have a look at the value of Ray. IKEA gives cheaper alternate options: the Symfonisk loudspeakers are a little bit cheaper, and you may select from small bins, lamps and loudspeakers with a pretty image design.
The app gives an enormous choice of music together with Sonos Radio, in addition to all setting choices. In TV mode, it reveals massive buttons for evening mode and voice amplification.
Good sound settings in the app
In the absence of a distant management, all sound settings should even be made in the app. From this viewpoint, it is a good factor that there are just a few: An evening mode dampens sudden quantity peaks, the speech enhancement does precisely that and thus causes a considerably dreary sound. If the Sonos app is put in on an iPhone or iPad, the Trueplay sound measurement is accessible: After the begin of the process, which lasts a couple of minutes, the Sonos Ray performs again particular check tones, and the app makes use of the microphone in the cellular gadget to test for bass, treble and medium Frequencies are in the proper proportion to one another, i.e. whether or not the sound is balanced and pure. If, for instance, bass booms or highs sound too boring on account of thick carpets and lavish upholstery in the room, the app compensates for this. Controls for bass and treble permit handbook corrections based on style. The so-called loudness is additionally activated ex works. This compensates for the proven fact that we understand the bass to be disproportionately quieter when the quantity is set to a really low stage – which makes plenty of sense.
This is what the low-cost Sonos soundbar feels like
In the check of the Sonos Ray, slight harshness in the sound may very well be tamed very effectively with the treble management set to -1. Relying on the listening distance and placement of the soundbar, it is price experimenting with the settings. The soundbar honors this with a really harmonious and nice sound. Relying on the pitch, speech sounds a bit nasal, however it would not afford any actually annoying discolorations. The basses aren’t deep and cannot be felt in the abdomen, however they’ve an honest quantity and hardly make you need a separate subwoofer. Stereo imaging extends barely past TV width and fits shorter distances and smaller rooms effectively. A Yamaha SR-B20 sounds a bit clearer and extra clear in direct comparability, however can’t sustain with the sonority.
Sure, there is good sound for lower than 300 euros. Amongst the soundbars below 300 euros, the Sonos Ray is clearly certainly one of the very best quality. The sound is harmonious and nice with clear voice replica. It isn’t fairly sufficient for the general grade “good”, as a result of the connections are stored to a minimal, and Sonos, as at all times, depends fully on its app for operation. Anybody who will get concerned will shortly study to understand the problem-free dealing with, together with intelligent quantity management through TV distant management. The streaming selection for music, radio and podcasts is unequalled anyway – not solely in this low value vary.
