How’s the Frame by the way? Do you have the new 2022 model or 2021? I really want to get one but when I looked at it in our local Blue and Yellow store the picture was not as sharp as other Samsung models which made me think that it might be just a gimmick and getting a “regular” tv might offer better quality (albeit with no Frame functionality)
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Testing the New Sonos Ray AirPlay 2-Enabled Soundbar
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I don’t have a Sonos, but a Bose TV and OG HomePod. The Bose TV sounds much better, deeper bass. the HomePod has a bit more clarity, but seems a bit bass light in comparison.
I have two, 2020 & 2021. Not the best in class within Samsung’s top tier, but at some point it becomes a matter of 4k hair-splitting. Sacrifice some video dazzle for its elegant design and art display.
I use bluetooth and airplay 2.
I use an Apple TV 4K to airplay to the HomePod. Works perfect.
I also have a Wii U that I Bluetooth (via HDMI audio extracted and Bluetooth transmitter) over to a Bose TV soundbar. If I set the Apple TV to TV speakers, I can use the Bluetooth for the Apple TV. Again. Works great.
I use a projector, which is why I wireless audio everything. But, in hindsight I should have installed a flat HDMI cable under the laminate when I installed it last year.
We have the Bonos Beam soundbar with 2x One's as rears and the sub.
Sure, its not the best 5.1 setup you can buy but the ability to link speakers together all over the house is the selling point for us.
Initially we had some issues with the connection on WiFi, despite having two Ubiquiti WAP's so no coverage issues. Spotify was just laggy so skipping tracks just didn't work well. Ended up plugging one of the speakers into the router and the speakers then create their own wireless network called SonosNet to connect with and its work flawlessly ever since.
I would guess the Ray is a decent entry level soundbar for those looking for something better than their TV speakers but once you get hooked on Sonos, it ends up everywhere. We have a One in each room of the house and a Move that we take out into the garden with us.
Sure, its not the best 5.1 setup you can buy but the ability to link speakers together all over the house is the selling point for us.
Initially we had some issues with the connection on WiFi, despite having two Ubiquiti WAP's so no coverage issues. Spotify was just laggy so skipping tracks just didn't work well. Ended up plugging one of the speakers into the router and the speakers then create their own wireless network called SonosNet to connect with and its work flawlessly ever since.
I would guess the Ray is a decent entry level soundbar for those looking for something better than their TV speakers but once you get hooked on Sonos, it ends up everywhere. We have a One in each room of the house and a Move that we take out into the garden with us.
Funnily enough, we bought this a couple of days ago and so far so good. The sound is clear and defined with a good amount of bass.
I was initially hesitant as early versions of the firmware emitted a buzz at higher volumes, but I since learned this was resolved in the latest software version.
The set-up was very easy using the optical cable included (while eARC is asked for, I find optical better overall as it doesn't use up an HDMI port and the cable is easier to manage and hide so no issues there).
I found the WiFi connection process easy to configure and the only issue I had was setting up my LG Magic Remote to control the volume, purely down to user error. Once fixed, it worked just fine.
We have a very large lounge space and I'm amazed at how well the sound fills the room from such a small speaker.
In regard to AirPlay, I've had no issues. It connects every time without issue and can also be easily controlled with my Alexa devices too.
Overall, I think it's been a great purchase. No qualms so far....
I was initially hesitant as early versions of the firmware emitted a buzz at higher volumes, but I since learned this was resolved in the latest software version.
The set-up was very easy using the optical cable included (while eARC is asked for, I find optical better overall as it doesn't use up an HDMI port and the cable is easier to manage and hide so no issues there).
I found the WiFi connection process easy to configure and the only issue I had was setting up my LG Magic Remote to control the volume, purely down to user error. Once fixed, it worked just fine.
We have a very large lounge space and I'm amazed at how well the sound fills the room from such a small speaker.
In regard to AirPlay, I've had no issues. It connects every time without issue and can also be easily controlled with my Alexa devices too.
Overall, I think it's been a great purchase. No qualms so far....
Could Sonos be used as Bluetooth rear speaker for another Soundbar.
I fail to source Philips Play Fi rear speakers.
I fail to source Philips Play Fi rear speakers.
As a Sonos home theater owner, all I can say is avoid at all cost.
The software updates are crap, the sound is not that great, and the atmos effect is almost non existent.
The absolute worst being Sonos software, it easily breaks your setup and doesn’t allow reverting back.
The software updates are crap, the sound is not that great, and the atmos effect is almost non existent.
The absolute worst being Sonos software, it easily breaks your setup and doesn’t allow reverting back.
Bought the Sonos Ray for our Greek holiday home in June and hooked it up to a new LG TV.
The sound bar is an entry level stereo unit without sub-woofer. It's a matter of taste, but we really like the Sonos sound and it's a huge improvement compared to the TV speakers.
The optical cable (only) can be a bit tricky to set up if your TV remote is radio controlled (like the LG TV remote), but once it's set up it just works.
The sound bar is an entry level stereo unit without sub-woofer. It's a matter of taste, but we really like the Sonos sound and it's a huge improvement compared to the TV speakers.
The optical cable (only) can be a bit tricky to set up if your TV remote is radio controlled (like the LG TV remote), but once it's set up it just works.
Blown away by the sound quality of a device like this sounds more like "the manufacturer sent us this and we want them to do the same thing in the future"
As for people who want something better than TV speakers, I have a Sony with the "acoustic surface" behind screen speakers and it is honestly better than many of the sound bars I have tried. I now use stereo pair home pods which are better (primarily at the low end), however for normal viewing, the difference was not as big as I expected (my wife, for example, cannot tell the difference).
Generally no. The Sonos Roam and Move are portable Sonos speakers that do Bluetooth, so you could, I suppose, use them if you had some sort of soundbar that was set up to transmit the rear surround channels to other random speakers via Bluetooth, but then you could use any Bluetooth speaker for that.
The non-portable Sonos speakers (the One and Five speakers and the Arc, Beam, and Ray soundbars) don't do Bluetooth.
Weird. I've got an Arc, two Play:1's, and a Sub, and I'm very happy with them. Haven't ever had any problem with the software updates (they do better than Apple does with that), the system sounds lovely, and it's great for movies.
I'm curious what you ended up doing for volume control. Using something other than the LG remote?
No the LG magic remote is working fine as a standalone unit for the Sonos volume control (LG remote is radio controlled, not IR).
You have to adjust some optical cable settings: https://support.sonos.com/s/article/2072?language=en_US
Very fast reply appreciated.
So it's one or two of these...
PHILIPS TAW6205/10 Wireless Multi-room Speaker - Silver
Unless Wireless Rear Atmos speakers exist, though off topic.thanks
Ping Dan and he can probably tell you where he got it.
Interesting. I'm also a Sonos home theatre owner (Beam, 2 x One and a sub) and I also have a couple other pairs of Sonos speakers around the house (pair of Ikea Symfonisk, another pair of Ones) just for music, and I can honestly say everything just works flawlessly and sounds great.
Without HDMI it's a pass.
By the way, despite advances, I absolutely despise wireless speakers. Even Apple can't make them work reliably.
By the way, despite advances, I absolutely despise wireless speakers. Even Apple can't make them work reliably.
Sonos can - and has, for well over a decade. Look into the Sonos user community and you'll find tons of happy users (to be fair, it is pretty picky about the network it connects to, but if you follow the guidelines that usually gets sorted - and that's one-time setup). Synchronized music throughout the house, or whatever portion you desire. I've been using a Sonos surround setup for going on 3 years now, and I've never once had the speakers go out of sync or fail to respond. The Arc soundbar is connected to my network via ethernet, it forms its own private WiFi network with the surround speakers and subwoofer, and it always Just Works. Sonos has built its reputation on precisely this.
Meanwhile, I've got a couple of HomePod minis for voice control, and about 5% of the time the one in the living room "can't find the internet" (despite sitting two feet away from the router), or "can't find my iPhone" (you're a standalone device, why do you need to find my iPhone in order to turn off the lights?).
The more upscale Sonos soundbars - the Arc and Beam - use HDMI (ARC or preferably eARC). It is sad that that's missing from the Ray, but I suppose it's a matter of hitting a price point. But given that it doesn't go beyond 5.1-channel sound, the digital optical connection doesn't really create any problems, aside from needing an IR remote to control the volume.
Rumors of a mini-Sub persist. Last I heard, there were some FCC filings that some thought might be a mini-Sub. Haven't checked lately.
I'm really impressed with the Sub, though. Yes, it's spendy (I got mine before the price increase and on Black Friday sale - it was still expensive). But not only does it handle the low end wonderfully, it also frees up the Arc from having to handle that, so the Arc can put more resources into the mid and upper frequencies.
About your comment "the digital optical connection doesn't really create any problems, aside from needing an IR remote to control the volume." - not fully correct, the LG (and other) non IR remotes work for the Sonos Ray, I guess not all, but some do: https://support.sonos.com/s/article/2072?language=en_US