Sonos is famous for its wireless multi-room speakers but it can be hard to know which one is best for you when there are so many different models to choose from. 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).
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. The system now uses the S2 app for control, but it comes with compatibility issues with older devices.
Note that the prices of some speakers were increased in September 2021 by as much as £100/US$100 with little reason given. We also haven’t had a chance to review the Sonos Five, though based on our Play:5 testing, it will be great for big rooms.
The latest speakers to join the Sonos range are the Era 100 and Era 300.
Scroll beyond the chart for our complete Sonos buying guide explaining how the system works and how to choose the right speakers.
Best Sonos Speakers 2023
1. Sonos One – The all-rounder
Pros
- Great sound
- Smart features
- Timeless design
Cons
- Previous-gen
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, but buy it while you can as the Era 100 replaces it.
2. Sonos Roam – The truly portable speaker
Pros
- Highly portable
- Bluetooth & WiFi
- Astonishing sound
- Smart features
Cons
- Limited battery life
- Fairly expensive
- Bluetooth limited to music
Following up from the Move, Sonos has gone truly portable with the aptly named Roam – now available in three additional colours and an SL model for anyone not wanting voice control.
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.
3. Sonos Era 100 – The next-gen speaker with Bluetooth
Pros
- Great audio
- Trueplay now on Android too
- Bluetooth option
Cons
- Line-in & Ethernet require expensive dongles
- No Google Assistant support
The Era 100, as the name implies, represents the latest generation of Sonos speakers and this is the smaller and cheaper option that replaces the One. However, it’s a small step rather than a giant leap.
As we’ve come to expect, sound quality is excellent and improved on older models thanks to hardware tweaks and improved Trueplay support.
The addition of Bluetooth on a non-portable Sonos speaker is welcome but performance is patchy. It’s great that you can add line-in or Ethernet but these require costly dongles making it an offputting solution.
It’s also a shame that Google Assistant is gone so unless you really need the connectivity afforded by the dongles or Bluetooth, the Sonos One remains a better value purchase while it’s still available. The Era 100 is great, but we have to get into the weeds here.
4. Sonos Move – The one for indoors and out
Pros
- Portable & durable design
- Big sound
- Bluetooth connectivity
Cons
- Heavy
- Limited battery life
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.
5. Sonos Era 300 – The one with Dolby Atmos
Pros
- Great sound quality
- Bluetooth support
- Trueplay for Android too
Cons
- Spatial audio support needs work
- Line-in & Ethernet require expensive dongles
- No Google Assistant support
Like its smaller and cheaper stablemate, the Era 300 is another fantastic speaker from Sonos but isn’t without downsides.
On the plus side, audio quality is better than ever and there’s Bluetooth built-in. However, performance is a little spotty on the latter and this is an expensive product which you’ll only get the most out of if you spend more money.
That’s because, although it supports line-in and Ethernet connectivity, you have you buy expensive dongles to unlock the functionality. Dolby Atmos support is the big selling point here but really needs to be used in a stereo pair or surround sound setup for full effect.
The software experience for spatial audio isn’t great either and it’s a shame to see Google Assistant support dropped.
6. Sonos Beam – The compact, mid-range soundbar
Pros
- Compact design
- Great sound
- Premium features
Cons
- No remote
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.
7. Ikea Sonos Symfonisk Speaker Lamp 2 – The hybrid device
Pros
- Sonos quality audio
- 360-degree sound
- Takes standard E26/27 bulbs
Cons
- No microphones
- Unusual design
- Lamp doesn't preserve power state
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.
8. Sonos Ray – The cheapest soundbar
Pros
- Compact design
- Clear and crisp sound
- Relatively affordable
Cons
- No HDMI Arc/eArc
- No voice controls
- Average bass
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.
9. Sonos Arc – The premium soundbar
Pros
- Immersive sound
- eARC HDMI
- Dolby Atmos
- Smart features
Cons
- Expensive
- No remote
- No HDMI passthrough
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.
10. Sonos Sub Mini – The go-to subwoofer
Pros
- Compact-ish design
- Painless setup
- Adds loads of depth to Ray and Beam soundbars
Cons
- Won’t add much to larger speakers
- An expensive addition
Those wanting to up the bass performance of their Sonos system should look no further than the Sub Mini. It’s not exactly mini, but it is far more compact than previous Sonos subwoofers.
You may not feel the need to add it to something like the Arc or Five, but the Sub Mini pairs nicely with lower-power models such as the Ray, Beam and Era 100.
It’s an effortless addition to any Sonos system and provides more than just additional thump in terms of sonics. Still, it’s very much a luxury add-on at its full asking price.
What is Sonos?
In the company’s own words: “Sonos is the smart speaker system that streams all your favourite music to any room, or every room. Control your music with one simple app, and fill your home with pure, immersive sound.”
That’s a pretty accurate summary and Sonos is easily one of the easiest wireless speaker systems for consumers to get to grips with and set up. Watch the video at the top of the page for a nice visual overview.
Sonos speakers simply connect to the internet and each other via your home Wi-Fi network and you control them with the Sonos app which is available for iOS, Android, Mac and Windows ( download it via here). The speakers also have buttons for basic functions. The Sonos Controller app has replaced the physical controller which used to be the traditional method.
There was a time when you needed the Sonos Bridge to connect the speakers together but those days are gone – although the Sonos Boost is available if you have poor Wi-Fi in your home. You just need to connect one to your router to create a Sonos Mesh Network. A handy feature is that the Ethernet ports on the back of Sonos speakers can be used to provided connectivity to other devices, like laptops.
Price and where to buy
Sonos has previously been out of many consumers’ budgets but the Sonos Roam is a reasonable £159/$169 – while the Ikea Symfonisk bookshelf is even cheaper at £99/$99.
Prices then go up to £799/$799 for the full-on home theatre speakers.
There are many places to buy Sonos speakers including the firm’s official shop but you can also buy Sonos speakers from Amazon, John Lewis, Richer Sounds and Currys.
There are exceptions to that, however: the company partnered with Ikea to make a range of Symfonisk speakers – one in a bookshelf design, one designed to double as a lamp and one that is disguised as artwork. They are available exclusively through Ikea – even the Sonos store doesn’t stock them.
The original Symfonisk lamp has now been discontinued and a new model is replacing it. We’ll add this to the list as soon as we’ve tested it out.
If you can’t afford the Sonos speakers you want, then the new Flex subscription service might be the answer. Sonos has also launched an Upgrade Program so you can get up to 30% off if you own an old device. Trade-in eligible speakers here.
How does Sonos work?
One of the great things about Sonos is you can simply start with one speaker and add more as and when you like (or can afford more). You can have as few or as many as you like. Adding a new speaker into the system takes a matter of seconds via the app.
Each speaker is assigned a zone, or room, and you can play different music in each zone from a number of different sources (see below) or you can group them up so the same tunes are playing throughout the house – this is great for parties.
It’s easy to move speakers around and there are many different sizes and prices to suit different needs (see below).
Features include the ability to create a stereo pair if you get two identical speakers, using any Sonos speakers as an alarm (with your choice of music or radio station to wake up to) and plugging in devices directly with the line-in port on the back.
One of the latest features is Trueplay which uses the microphone on your iPhone or iPad to tune the Sonos speaker based on various factors like the size and shape or your room and even where the speaker is placed within it. This doesn’t work with Android devices though, as there’s too much variation in microphone hardware.
In 2018, Sonos updated the system with AirPlay 2. That means you can stream directly to speakers from your iPhone or iPad without using the Sonos app. It also means you can watch video content on your device while using a Sonos speaker for the audio and controlling the system with Siri.
Sonos music services
Once you’ve got a speaker (or many speakers) set up, it’s time to play some music and the choice is vast.
Via the app, it’s easy to choose where to play music from which starts simply with any stored locally on the device where the app is installed. Sonos supports AirPlay but doesn’t have Bluetooth. You can also stream music which is on any computers that are on the same network as the Sonos system. There’s also support for NAS drives (network attached storage).
Most users will want to use online music streaming services, though and there are plenty to choose from. There are too many to list here but the big names include: Amazon Prime Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, Soundcloud, Google Play Music, Napster and Tidal.
There’s also TuneIn Radio so you can access more than 1,000 internet radio stations for free. Sonos has added YouTube Music as a supported service, too. Sonos also has its own radio station, which now has a Sonos Radio HD paid tier. Check the complete list of supported services here.
Which Sonos speaker should you buy?
Sonos splits its wireless multi-room system up into three categories: speakers, home theatre and components.
We’re not looking at components (the Port and Amp) here as they’re not speakers but they are handy for adding an existing Hi-Fi, vinyl turntable or pair of speakers into the Sonos system.
Speakers
So, to start with the speakers, there are three sizes to choose from which gradually increase in price.
The range starts with the Ikea Symfonisk bookshelf speaker, which at £99/$99 is as affordable entry point into the system, especially since you can buy two of them and get stereo sound for less than £200/$200.
The cheapest in the core Sonos range was the One SL at £179/$179, but the Roam is now even lower at £159/$169 – although it’s quite a different speaker.
The Sonos One is then £199/$199 and has Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant built-in. We also have a round-up of the best smart speakers here.
Not bothered about voice control? The One SL is a non-smart version of the Sonos One. It’s ideal for using as rear satellite speakers in a surround sound system or as a second speaker to stereo pair with a One since they don’t both need the smart hardware.
Note that Sonos announced that older products, those launched before 2015, would stop being supported with software updates and new features leaving customers with any newer devices with an ultimatum. They could leave the entire system on the older software or stop using the older devices.
However, after plenty of media coverage and customer outrage, the firm has now come up with a plan to keep the older devices working. You can read what Sonos said here.
The S2 app launched on 8 June to support 2020 Sonos products, but doesn’t support some older devices (see below). If you have these, they won’t stop working but you’ll essentially have to run them separately on S1 instead.
- Sonos Bridge
- Sonos Connect
- Sonos Connect:Amp
- Sonos CR200 wireless remote
- Sonos Play:5 (Gen 1)
- Sonos Zone Players (ZP90, ZP100, ZP120, etc)
Find out more about S2 upgrades, supported products and compatibility.
If you want to go big, the Play:5 was the best choice for filling the largest of rooms making it the best Sonos speaker for big lounges and similar rooms. This has now been replaced by the Sonos Five.
In 2019 Sonos added the Move, which is both portable and the first to offer Bluetooth – two things customers (and us) have been requesting for a long long time. You can finally use Sonos outdoors without a tricky setup and it’s not just a Sonos One with a battery attached.
The Sonos Roam is the latest speaker in the range, launched in April 2021 as a smaller and truly portable option. It’s got things that other Sonos speaker don’t like wireless charging and Sound Swap to easily move music to and from it.
Those wanting extra bass can get the Sub (now Gen 3), which can be paired up with various Sonos speakers in different arrangements. Most Sonos speakers have good enough bass and the Sub is extremely powerful so will be suited to those looking for the most luxurious setup – and perhaps detached houses.
Home theatre
Sonos has now restructured its home theatre range and it’s about time since the Playbar has been on sale since 2013.
That, along with the Playbase, have been replaced by Arc, Sonos’ latest premium soundbar that includes features like Dolby Atmos and HDMI eARC. It also comes with a new design, 11 speakers and runs on the new S2 app.
It also gets some features from the Beam including AirPlay, microphones and support for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
The Beam is now the other soundbar in the range, suitable for those wanting something both cheaper and more compact. Each can be paired up with other speakers like the One SL and/or the Sub.
Author: Chris Martin, Reviews Editor
Tech Advisor's Reviews Editor, Chris has been reviewing all kinds of tech for over 10 years and specialises in audio. He also covers a range of topics including home entertainment, phones, laptops, tablets and more.