Sonos Ray soundbar offers big sound in a small form factor for just RM1,799
Good things typically don’t come cheap or in small packages but the new Sonos Ray soundbar fortunately breaks both conventions and aims to offer a surprising amount of sound in a compact form factor that is the smallest thus far in their soundbar line-up and the most affordable too at RM1,799 when it arrives in Malaysia this coming June 2022.
Two Sonos Subs flank a Sonos Arc (top) and the new Sonos Ray (bottom)
Best known for their seamless wireless connectivity, the Sonos soundbar line-up consists of the top of the line Arc and the midrange Beam Gen 2 which enjoyed a recent refresh. With the addition of the entry-level Sonos Ray, the circle is complete with a soundbar for each price range.
While a smaller speaker does exist in the form of the Sonos Roam, it’s intended as a vastly more portable design; the Sonos Ray is an unabashed soundbar designed to perch under your TV and remain there evermore.
What is the Sonos Ray soundbar
The Sonos Ray is smaller than the Sonos Beam Gen 2 and to keep the price down, it ditches a microphone as well as virtual assistant support though that isn’t as big an issue here seeing the dearth of virtual assistant options.
The speaker is a flat elongated design with all speakers facing forward with the whole setup consisting of a pair of centered high-efficiency midwoofers, a pair of powerful tweeters for clear highs, a bass reflex system with a low-velocity port design and four Class-D digital amplifiers.
In keeping with other Sonos speakers, the Sonos Ray can be paired up with selected models in their line-up such as the Sonos Sub for better bass and with an additional pair of Sonos One speakers for a 5.0 audio setup with rear surround sound.
The Sonos Ray can also enjoy better acoustics when deployed in a room with the use of their Trueplay mode which requires a user to use an iPhone or iPad and its microphone echolocate the immediate area around the Ray so that it can optimise its acoustics. The Sonos Ray also benefits Night sound setting that reduces loud sound effects like Michael Bay style explosions while ensuring clear vocals.
Unfortunately, to keep costs down, it lacks Dolby Atmos support and connects wirelessly or via an optical cable to a TV. It also has an ethernet port but lacks a HDMI port but that’s not that big an issue seeing as the Sonos Ray is intended as a starter soundbar for those looking to invest in the Sonos ecosystem and for those who already have, as an option to complement and enhance their in-house audio setup in a particular part of the house.
Sonos Ray Malaysia price
In Malaysia, the Sonos Ray from TCAcoustics for RM1,799 with a slated arrival date of 24th June 2022. You can commit to a preorder now and get an RM90 thrown in on the house. For more details check out their page at https://my.tcacoustic.asia/
