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An online listing confirms many specifications and features of Sonos’ next best budget soundbar. Accordingly, the compact Sonos Ray soundbar offers a total of four drivers and numerous features that are intended to improve the sound. In other places, however, Sonos saves.
Recently, the Sonos Ray was featured in numerous promotional images, and the soundbar is expected to be launched in June for a suggested retail price of $279. But Bhphotovideo.com and Adorama.com were able to find out many details about the Sonos Sound bars for TV. Accordingly, Sonos installed two tweeters and two low-midrange drivers in the 56 centimeters long, seven centimeters high housing.
Each of these drivers gets a dedicated class D amplifier. A so-called “True Play function” is intended to improve the sound, while Sonos offers a special mode that increases speech in dialogues and a night mode that dampens loud sounds and at the same time makes quiet sequences a little louder. Also new is the information that the Sonos Ray has an integrated infrared receiver so that the soundbar can be controlled with the remote control of your Smart TV if you wish.
The Sonos Ray supports PCM Stereo, DTS Digital Surround, and Dolby Digital 5.1, but not Dolby Atmos. Microphones for voice control are missing, as is an HDMI input, instead, the Sonos Ray relies on an optical digital audio input for connecting to the television. The integration into the home network takes place either via Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) or via a 100 Mbit/s Ethernet connection.
Content can be streamed wirelessly to the Sonos Ray via Bluetooth or Apple AirPlay. With a weight of only 1.9 kilograms, the Sonos Ray is quite light. Users can integrate the soundbar into an existing Sonos system and, for example, use two Sonos One (approx. $273 on Amazon) as surround speakers.
Last week, Denon introduced the DHT-S217 soundbar for less than $250, which also supports Dolby Atmos. You have to do without an external subwoofer, but there are integrated bass speakers.
