# Sonos Ray

Sonos Ray is the lower-cost Sonos soundbar for a smaller TV room where optical audio is enough. It is useful when the alternative is weak TV speakers, but buyers should not treat it as the budget version of an HDMI eARC Dolby Atmos setup.

Canonical page: https://matterhome.io/devices/sonos-ray
Markdown page: https://matterhome.io/devices/sonos-ray.md
Author: Matterhome Editorial Team
Author profile: https://matterhome.io/authors/matterhome-editorial-team
Edited and fact-checked by: JC Martinez
Editor profile: https://matterhome.io/authors/jc-martinez

## Device Facts

- Brand: Sonos
- Model: Ray
- Product type: Compact optical soundbar
- Category: Speakers
- Connection: Wi-Fi
- Matter status: Speaker entry; TV audio uses optical while smart audio control uses Sonos, Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, or a TV remote instead of Matter accessory pairing.
- Launch date: 2022-06
- Thread border router required: No
- Brand hub required: No
- Typical price range: $219
- Markets: Global
- Review status: Compatibility guide
- Product image: https://matterhome.io/content-assets/devices/sonos-ray/product.webp
- Product image alt text: Black Sonos Ray compact soundbar
- Product image source: https://media.sonos.com/images/znqtjj88/production/66e3cfe30d0b259876278d17a526295d43f044e5-2480x2480.png?auto=format&fit=clip&q=100&w=1600

## Ecosystem Support

- Apple Home: Limited
- Google Home: Not listed
- Alexa: Not listed
- SmartThings: Not listed
- Home Assistant: Limited

## Best For

- Small TVs, bedrooms with TVs, and secondary media rooms
- Sonos homes that want a lower-cost TV audio upgrade
- Buyers whose TV or PC still has optical output

## Skip If

- You want HDMI eARC, Dolby Atmos, or a cleaner modern TV-room path
- The room is the main living-room home theater
- You need built-in voice control, a Matter controller, or Thread coverage

## Setup Notes

- Connect Ray to the TV's optical output, then finish setup in the Sonos app.
- Check that the TV or PC has optical output before buying.
- Use it for smaller TV rooms where better dialogue matters more than Dolby Atmos.

## Known Limitations

- Ray supports stereo PCM, Dolby Digital, and DTS Digital Surround paths rather than HDMI eARC Atmos formats.
- Voice control requires a compatible third-party device and varies by service, country, and language.
- Trueplay tuning requires a supported iOS device.

## Pros

- Lower-cost Sonos soundbar for smaller rooms and TVs
- Optical input, TV remote sync, Speech Enhancement, Night Sound, Wi-Fi, and AirPlay 2
- Compact shape works in tight media consoles
- Can join a Sonos whole-home audio system

## Cons

- Not a Matter accessory or Thread border router
- Optical-only TV path means no HDMI eARC and no Dolby Atmos path
- No built-in voice assistant microphones

## Sources

- https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/ray
- https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/sonos/
- https://media.sonos.com/images/znqtjj88/production/66e3cfe30d0b259876278d17a526295d43f044e5-2480x2480.png?auto=format&fit=clip&q=100&w=1600

## The lower-cost Sonos TV upgrade

Ray is the Sonos soundbar to consider when the TV room is real but modest. Sonos lists optical input, TV remote sync, Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2, Speech Enhancement, Night Sound, and Sonos app control. It is small enough for tighter shelves and secondary rooms.

The price is the point, but so is the limit. Ray is not the cheap Beam. It skips HDMI eARC and Dolby Atmos, so the recommendation depends on the TV having optical output and the room not needing a more modern home-theater path.

## Setup path

Connect Ray to the TV's optical output and finish setup in the Sonos app. Before buying, check the TV or PC because optical is not guaranteed on every current setup.

Use the Sonos app for tuning, Speech Enhancement, Night Sound, music services, and whole-home grouping. AirPlay 2 gives Apple devices a direct music path when the TV is off.

## Where it fits

Use Ray for a bedroom TV, small apartment TV, guest room, den, or older setup where better dialogue matters and HDMI eARC does not.

It also makes sense when a Sonos home wants the TV to join the broader audio system without spending Beam or Arc Ultra money.

## Where it is the wrong buy

Skip Ray for the main TV room if the budget can reach Beam Gen 2. HDMI eARC and Dolby Atmos support are worth the step up in rooms where movies and shows matter.

Also skip it if the room only needs music. Era 100 is the cleaner fixed-room Sonos speaker, and the portable Sonos options make more sense for bathrooms, patios, or travel.