Which Sonos Speaker Is Best For Your Home?
Sonos’ ever-expanding lineup of smart speakers, soundbars, portable speakers and subwoofers has rightly asserted itself as one of the best audio options around. Promising stunning sound, second-to-none multi-room functionality, a simple setup and more, there’s plenty to choose from, but which is the best Sonos speaker for you?
Most people have a broad idea of what they’re looking for - a smaller soundbar, a speaker for the kitchen, or something to take on the go, for example. With so much choice at a range of different prices (in a lineup that’s only getting bigger), landing on the perfect product can be a little harder than you’d think.
We’ve tested every Sonos wireless speaker extensively, and we’ve created this blog to narrow down the options and help you find the best Sonos speaker for every use case so you can spend less time fretting and more time enjoying the audio you love.
Best Sonos Speakers to Buy In 2024
Questions To Help You Find the Best Fit
| What Space Are You Filling? Sonos offers a variety of spaces that vary in size and sound performance. The first thing to consider is what your space looks like and what sort of audio device you need. Do you have an open-plan living area, or are you looking to fill a study? Both options can drastically change what speaker is right for you. What's Your Budget? This is an obvious question, but not one to be overlooked. Budget is often one of the main barriers when picking the perfect speaker for your space. However, sticking to a budget can help narrow down the options a lot. Thankfully, Sonos offers plenty of high-performing speakers at a range of prices to ensure there is something right for everyone. Are You Planning on Expanding Your System in the Future? The beauty of Sonos is its adaptability. Adding extra components to create a home cinema is ridiculously simple, and moving the speakers around to fit different purposes is easy too. The opportunities are endless with Sonos, but its worth having a rough idea of your plan so you can make the right decision the first time around. Is This Speaker for Movies, Music or Both? Sonos speakers are extremely versatile and offer high fidelity for both movies and music. However, if either one is a priority, there are specific options that can fit both use-cases better than others. For example, the Sonos Arc is a no-brainer for movies (and music), whereas the Sonos Five is a killer option for Hi-Fi-like music quality |
Best Sonos Speaker to Get Started With:
Sonos Era 100 (RRP £249)
The Sonos Era 100 is the brand’s improved smart speaker. It replaces the older Sonos One (Gen 2) and has a 25% larger woofer for deeper bass and two angled tweeters offering stereo sound. This new-look speaker also features a refreshed appearance and better connectivity, including Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth support, and the ability to play audio from a wired source using the optional Sonos Line-In Adapter.
The Era 100 has taken everything good from the Sonos One (Gen 2) and made it even better. Its refreshed topside controls and compact footprint still make it the perfect companion for your bedside table, desktop or kitchen counter. While the improved stereo performance gives this speaker an edge over its predecessor when it comes to sound.
Along with the improvements to the sound quality, the Era 100 is now an even more versatile option too, offering support for both Bluetooth and line-in (which wasn’t available on the Sonos One). This means playing the music you love on Sonos is easier and more accessible than ever before.
Era 100 also maintains hands-free voice control via Sonos Voice and Amazon Alexa. However, there’s no support for Google Assistant.
The Era 100 is the easiest Sonos speaker to integrate into the home, and because it can be stereo paired or used as surround sound rears in a Sonos home cinema, it can be easily expanded on too. It’s the perfect starting point for a budding Sonos ecosystem, no doubt about it.
See Latest Price:
Available at Smart Home Sounds - Includes Free 6 Year Extended Warranty
Available at Sonos.com
Available at Amazon.co.uk
More: Sonos Era 100 Review: Truly Impressive Stereo Sound
Best Sonos Speaker for a Small Room
Sonos Era 100 (RRP £249)
For all of the reasons mentioned above, the Era 100 is also our top choice for small spaces. Packed full of smarts and possessing upgraded sound performance to match, this will be a worthy single speaker solution for almost every small room.
See Latest Price:
Available at Smart Home Sounds - Includes Free 6 Year Extended Warranty
Available at Sonos.com
Available at Amazon.co.uk
Best Sonos Speaker for Spatial Audio
Sonos Era 300 (RRP £449)
The Sonos Era 300 treads new ground for a Sonos smart speaker, casting its sights on the world of spatial audio and Dolby Atmos. Featuring the same line-in and Bluetooth support as the Era 100, this speaker is equally versatile yet considerably more immersive.
Offering a sneak peek into the future of music, the Era 300 features six drivers that fire in all directions, including upwards, to demonstrate the immersive potential of spatial audio and Dolby Atmos. The Sonos Era 300 effortlessly delivers a three-dimensional sound signature that will take your favourite spatial tracks from the likes of Apple Music or Amazon Music to the next level.
Convincing sound that comes from all around you has never been better replicated by a single unit (hence why producers are using these in the spatial audio mixing studios themselves). The Era 300 bounces sound off the walls and ceiling in your listening zone to create a compelling and all-encompassing audio experience that only gets better when you stereo-pair two together.
You can also pair two as surround sound rears with a Dolby Atmos soundbar in a Sonos home cinema, making this Sonos’ only upward-firing rear option available. Naturally, this offers a mind-blowing level of immersion. However, this is a luxury deployment of these speakers, and if you don’t have the budget to spare, a pair of Sonos Era 100’s will be more than sufficient.
Spatial audio is still a little hit and miss and isn’t yet widely available, but if you’re looking for the best way to enjoy this new format, the Sonos Era 300 is the way to go.
See Latest Price:
Available at Smart Home Sounds - Includes Free 6 Year Extended Warranty
Available at Sonos.com
Available at Amazon.co.uk
More: Sonos Era 300 Review: One Month On...
Best Sonos Speaker for Hi-Fi Listening
Sonos Five (RRP £549)
Sitting as the powerhouse in the Sonos lineup, the flagship Sonos Five is the brand's biggest and most room-filling speaker (excluding soundbars, that is). Released as a replacement for the Play:5 in 2020, the Sonos Five preserves a lot of the essential features that its predecessor was well known for and builds on them.
The driver array follows a very similar blueprint to the Play:5, with six class-D amplifiers powering three 10cm mid-woofers and three tweeters. There’s still a 3.5mm aux line-in to connect an external device, and you can still orient the speaker in three different ways. However, the Sonos Five includes improved wi-fi connectivity and improved processing to step up the performance even further.
The Sonos Five is the flagship option in the Sonos lineup, and you can tell. No, it doesn’t offer the same depth and immersion as something like the Sonos Era 300. But the Five is capable of unleashing some detailed rip-roaring power that’s perfect for traditional hi-fi and for listening loud.
Admittedly, it lacks the versatility of some of the newer Sonos speakers (there’s no voice control, bluetooth or spatial audio). But if you’re on the lookout for a more traditional stereo speaker that offers pure hi-fi quality without any of the fuss, the Five will be a great option.
See Latest Price:
Available at Smart Home Sounds - Includes Free 6 Year Extended Warranty
Available at Sonos.com
Available at Amazon.co.uk
More: Sonos Era 300 vs. Sonos Five: Which Premium Speaker is Best?
Best Portable Sonos Speaker
Sonos Move 2 (RRP £449)
The Sonos Move 2 is the second iteration of Sonos' popular portable speaker, and it's an all-around improvement over its predecessor. It offers up to 24 hours of playback on a single charge (double the battery life of the original Move), as well as stepped-up stereo sound thanks to new dual-tweeters. Sonos has also expanded the USB-C functionality of the Move 2 and given it a refreshed design that's just as durable as the original.
The Move 2 is what we'd call a "hybrid portable speaker." It's not quite as compact and lightweight as the Sonos Roam 2, making it less suitable for tossing in a backpack and taking on the go. But it's still easy to move around the house and garden, thanks to its built-in handle and IP56 weatherproof rating.
It also comes with an upgraded charging dock as standard, making it easy to keep it topped up when you're not using it. There’s also support for Bluetooth, line-in via USB-C and powerbank functionality too.
Performance-wise, the Move 2 sits somewhere between the Sonos Era 100 and the Sonos Era 300. The updated internals ensure the bass output is punchy, the soundstage is full, and the details are crisp and clear too. Bundle all of that with the added functionality, and you’re looking at a very successful sequel that can deliver signature Sonos quality in every room in the house. Sounds like a no-brainer, right?
See Latest Price:
Available at Smart Home Sounds - Includes Free 6 Year Extended Warranty
Available at Sonos.com
Available at Amazon.co.uk
More: Sonos Move 2 Review: Premium Portability Perfected?
Best Sonos Speaker for Taking on the Go
Sonos Roam 2 (RRP £179)
Redesigned in 2024, the Sonos Roam 2 is the second iteration of the brands lightweight portable Bluetooth speaker and boasts improved usability, bluetooth functionality straight out of the box, USB-C charging and a refreshed monotone finish.
As a compact, weatherproof Bluetooth speaker, it's ideal for taking your signature Sonos sound on the go. It's IP67 weatherproof rated, so you can use it in the bathroom, kitchen, or even outdoors. And when you're at home, it can connect to your Wi-Fi network and be used as part of your wider Sonos system.
While smaller than its larger Sonos counterparts, the Roam 2 delivers remarkably clear and detailed audio for its size. Plus, for an even more immersive experience you can get your hands on a 2x Sonos Roam 2 bundle for stereo sound.
The Roam 2 is the out-and-out portable option from Sonos, and quite frankly, its hard to argue with. If you're always on the move and need a reliable, compact speaker, the Sonos Roam 2 is an excellent choice. Its combination of portability, durability, and impressive sound quality makes it a standout option in the portable audio market.
See Latest Price:
Available at Smart Home Sounds - Includes Free 6 Year Extended Warranty
Available at Sonos.com
Available at Amazon.co.uk
More: Sonos Roam 2 First Look: A Worthwhile Upgrade?
Best Budget Sonos Speaker
IKEA Symfonisk Bookshelf Speaker (RRP £115)
A joint venture between IKEA and Sonos, the IKEA Symfonisk Bookshelf speaker is the perfect entry-point into the Sonos ecosystem if you’re looking to spend under £150.
This stylish lifestyle-focused bookshelf speaker offers a pretty similar performance to the fan-favourite Sonos One (Gen 2) and can be stereo paired or used as rear surrounds in a Sonos Home Cinema. No, this won’t be for everybody, but if you’re looking for an easy and low-risk way to get into Sonos, this will be it.
IKEA also offers a variety of accessories to seamlessly integrate this speaker into your home, which is an added bonus too.
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Available at ikea.com
Best Sonos Dolby Atmos Soundbar
Sonos Arc (RRP £899)
Sonos’ flagship Dolby Atmos soundbar is everything you’d expect and more. The Sonos Arc is expensive, but if compelling surround sound performance in a stylish one-bar package is what you’re after, nothing matches it at this price point.
It’s a big unit that we recommend for TVs that are 55 inches or bigger, but this size is necessary to accompany the 11-driver phased array.
The Arc’s dedicated upward, side and front-firing drivers all help to deliver one of the most convincing three-dimensional Dolby Atmos surround sound presentations we’ve heard from a single soundbar, with a wider soundstage than any other Sonos soundbar in the lineup.
Of course, Sonos has also long been the gold standard for usability, and the Arc follows this same mantra with all the usual Sonos functionality built-in. Setup is super simple, and adding additional components like a Sonos Sub (Gen 3) for added bass or a pair of Era 300’s for enhanced surround performance is easy too.
The Arc is easily the best soundbar in the Sonos lineup, and we’d go as far as to say its the best standalone Dolby Atmos soundbar at its price point in the wider market too. It’s a phenomenal performer for all types of audio, and although there may be better out there, you need to be prepared to spend even more to get your hands on them.
See Latest Price:
Available at Smart Home Sounds - Includes Free 6 Year Extended Warranty
Available at Sonos.com
Available at Amazon.co.uk
More: Sonos Arc Review: Is It Worth It In 2024?
Best Compact Sonos Dolby Atmos Soundbar
Sonos Beam (Gen 2) (RRP £499)
Don't let the Sonos Beam (Gen 2)'s compact size fool you. This is a multi-award-winning soundbar that doesn’t just talk the talk; it walks the walk too.
Despite lacking physical upward-firing height speakers, the Beam (Gen 2) offers a thoroughly convincing presentation of Dolby Atmos surround sound, even though the height channels are delivered virtually.
Atmos aside, whether you’re enjoying TV audio, music or radio, it will feel both crystal clear and expansive, making it an excellent option for filling small-to-medium-sized rooms. In our opinion, this is comfortably the best compact Dolby Atmos soundbar at this sort of price.
No, it's not quite the Sonos Arc, but the Beam (Gen 2)'s compact dimensions make it super easy to integrate into your home. Factor in the fact that you're getting all of Sonos' multi-room and streaming features for a more wallet-friendly price; I can assure you, you won’t wish you had gone any bigger.
See Latest Price:
Available at Smart Home Sounds - Includes Free 6 Year Extended Warranty
Available at Sonos.com
Available at Amazon.co.uk
More: Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Review: Is It Worth It In 2024?
Best Sonos Soundbar for a Small Room
Sonos Ray (RRP £279)
The Sonos Ray is Sonos’ entry-level soundbar that’s ideal for the smaller spaces within your home. Coming in at £279, this will be a neat option to improve the vocal and mid-range performance of any secondary TV’s within your space.
There’s no HDMI connection (the Ray uses optical), Dolby Atmos support or dedicated centre channel for dialogue. However, the Ray will deliver Dolby Digital audio and a balanced, size-defying sound quality that will undoubtedly give your TV a much-needed boost.
The Ray does fall short of the other Sonos soundbars, but it's a smart choice if you’re looking for a simple solution to achieve good sound for both music and movies in the smaller spaces in your home. You can create a full home cinema with the Ray, but our advice would be to save for the Beam (Gen 2) if that’s your plan, budget-providing, of course.
See Latest Price:
Available at Smart Home Sounds - Includes Free 6 Year Extended Warranty
Available at Sonos.com
Available at Amazon.co.uk
More: Our Comprehensive Sonos Ray Review
Best Sonos Surround Sound Rears
2x Sonos Era 300 (RRP £898)
The Sonos Era 300’s may not be the most cost-effective surround-sound rear option, but when it comes to pure performance, they are the best. As Sonos’ only upward-firing rear option, they deliver a level of immersion that is unmatched by any other choices within the Sonos lineup, and if money was no object, they’d be our go-to option every time.
Its worth remembering that the Era 300’s are only compatible with Sonos’ Dolby Atmos sounbars. So, if you’re planning on using these as surround sound rears, you’ll need a Sonos Arc or Beam (Gen 2) to do so. We often recommend the Sonos Arc and a pair of Sonos Era 300’s as our killer combination, as it delivers a truly immersive cinematic experience that Sonos has never offered before.
Of course, if this feels slightly out of budget, the option of a pair of Sonos Era 100’s is also very tempting. Despite not offering the same immersive potential as the Era 300’s, the Era 100’s will offer more than enough performance to feel truly captivating at an even more affordable price point.
See Latest Price:
Available at Smart Home Sounds - Includes Free 6 Year Extended Warranty
Available at Sonos.com
Available at Amazon.co.uk
More: Adding Sonos Surround Sound Speakers: Our Top 3 Tips
Best Sonos Subwoofer
Sonos Sub (Gen 3) (RRP £799)
Unlock the full power of your Sonos home cinema with Sonos’ flagship subwoofer. The Sub (Gen 3) will take your audio to the next level, adding new layers and rumbling bass to your favourite music and movies. If you love your bass-heavy music and high-octane blockbusters and you’re willing to look past the premium price tag, this will undoubtedly be the right option for your space.
Compatible with all Sonos soundbars, this is the best choice if your looking to add bass that you can really feel. The Sub (Gen 3) is also capable of being positioned upright or flat on the floor, so this Sub can be neatly tucked under furniture if need be to keep the bass discrete yet uncompromisingly bold.
We normally suggest this as the perfect partner for the Sonos Arc, as their expansive and powerful performances compliment each other exceptionally well, especially in large open-plan living spaces.
See Latest Price:
Available at Smart Home Sounds - Includes Free 6 Year Extended Warranty
Available at Sonos.com
Available at Amazon.co.uk
More: Sonos Sub Review: Boost Your Setup With Big Bass
Best Budget Sonos Subwoofer
Sonos Sub Mini (RRP £429)
Despite not matching the heights of the Sonos Sub (Gen 3), the Sonos Sub Mini is a compact subwoofer option that still delivers snappy and impactful bass that goes as low as 25 Hz.
Perfect for bringing big sound to smaller spaces, the Sub Mini has been designed to maximise its bass output from its compact form factor, pushing its bigger brother surprisingly close at lower volumes. Admittedly, its not quite as dynamically nuanced as the Sub (Gen 3), but it offers impressively clean and tight bass that will unleash more depth from all of your films and music.
Its compact, cylindrical shape also makes it the perfect subwoofer to tuck in the corner of your room and forget about while you sit back and enjoy the show.
We tend to recommend pairing the Sub Mini with the Sonos Beam (Gen 2), as they’re brilliantly matched tonally. The larger Sonos Arc can often feel slightly overpowering, so we’d suggest stepping up to the bigger Sub (Gen 3) if you want optimum performance.
See Latest Price:
Available at Smart Home Sounds - Includes 6 Year Extended Warranty
More: Sonos Sub Mini Review: The Right Sonos Subwoofer For You?
More: Sonos Sub Mini vs. Sonos Sub (Gen 3): Which Subwoofer is Right For Me?
Best Sonos Setup For A Living Room
Sonos Arc, Sonos Sub (Gen 3) & 2x Sonos Era 300's (RRP £2,596)
A film fanatics dream, this is the best Sonos Home Theatre setup you can buy from Sonos, no doubt about it. However, you’ll be paying a stiff premium to get your hands on one. That being said, if money’s no object and a comprehensive home cinema is what you’re after, then you’re looking in the right place.
With all three Sonos flagship home cinema components working together, you can expect the most immersive sound possible from a complete Sonos surround sound system.
The Sonos Arc and the new upward-firing Sonos Era 300s combine their overhead channels to deliver stunningly detailed and accurate Dolby Atmos height effects, while the Sub (Gen 3) offers ground-shaking bass that will transport you to the centre of the action.
See Latest Price:
Available at Smart Home Sounds - Includes Free 6 Year Extended Warranty
Available at Sonos.com
Available at Amazon.co.uk
More: Testing EVERY Sonos Arc Home Cinema Setup
Best Budget Sonos Setup For A Living Room
Sonos Beam (Gen 2), Sub Mini & 2x Sonos Era 100's (RRP £1,426)
As one of the most popular options when it comes to Sonos Home Cinema, this compact bundle combines three exceptional Sonos speakers that are more manageable, more discreet and, most importantly, more affordable than their flagship counterparts.
This bundle is perfect for those with small-to-medium-sized rooms looking for a complete home cinema package and offers a performance that is very hard to beat at this price point.
The multi-award winning Beam (Gen 2), Sonos Era 100 pair, and Sonos Sub Mini are all perfectly matched to deliver captivating Dolby Atmos audio with clean and tight low-end in an impressively compact package. No, it won’t compete with its larger peers, but if space is limited, this is the best way to achieve optimum immersion.
See Latest Price:
Available at Smart Home Sounds - Includes Free 6 Year Extended Warranty
Available at Sonos.com
Available at Amazon.co.uk
More: Testing EVERY Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Home Cinema Setup
Best Sonos Accessory
MoodPlay (RRP £249)
A brand-new take on music, MoodPlay brings the tactile joy of traditional music listening to the digital world through your Sonos speakers.
‘Works With Sonos’ certified, this device works with MoodBlocks, which are uniquely designed smart cards with built-in NFC technology. These can contain thousands of songs, as well as albums, audiobooks and playlists.
Combine this with your Sonos speaker, and you’ve got a stunning physical copy of your favourite music that feels worth having on show. It’s unique, fully customisable and an exciting product that we think has a big future in the world of Sonos.
See Latest Price:
Available at Smart Home Sounds
Available at moodblocks.com
Best Turntable To Use With Sonos
Pro-Ject T1 Phono SB (RRP £379)
Built with no plastic parts, an aluminium tonearm and an Ortofon OM 5E cartridge fitted as standard, this turntable is a standout entry-level performer that combines both convenience and ease of use in a stunning, premium-feeling vinyl package.
The Pro-Ject T1 Phono SB also features an integrated bypassable preamplifier for simple connection to any hi-fi system, which is the main reason why this is our go-to choice for combining with a Sonos system.
See Latest Price:
Available at Smart Home Sounds - Includes Free 6 Year Extended Warranty
Available at Amazon.co.uk
More: Pro-Ject T1 Phono SB vs. Rega Planar 1 Plus
Best Sonos Product In 2024
Sonos Era 300 (RRP £449)
As a completely new entry for Sonos back in 2023, its hard to argue with the Sonos Era 300 being our best pick overall. Spatial audio support, enhanced connectivity and the joy of upward-firing surround sound rears have been on our wishlist for a while now. So, to see this put into practise makes this more than a worthy choice as our best Sonos product this year.
See Latest Price:
Available at Smart Home Sounds - Includes Free 6 Year Extended Warranty
Available at Sonos.com
Available at Amazon.co.uk
More: Sonos Era 300 Review: Game Changer
We hope you find this helpful, but of course, we realise that purchasing a new soundbar is a big decision, so we are more than happy to assist with any queries you may have.
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