Testing the New Sonos Ray AirPlay 2-Enabled Soundbar

[CarlJ]

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

Ah, okay. I have the LG magic remote (the 2021 version - they picture the 2015-202 version) and knew it was radio-based. I wasn't aware that the remote contains an IR transmitter as well - those instructions enable the remote's IR transmitter, nothing to with the optical cable, which has no capability to transmit volume control information.

 

[_Dubs_]

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.

Oh, I didn't know there was a price increase. I just checked their website and I see the Arc is $100 more then when I bought it. I get a 15% discount through my work and I wish I just bought it earlier, now the discount doesn't even cover the increase in price. Maybe there will be a sale this Black Friday and I'll pull the trigger.

 

[CarlJ]

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

Yes, sorry, fully correct. Have you read through that link to the part about the LG Magic Remote?

If your Sonos home theater speaker is connected to your TV via optical cable or adapter, some configuration is necessary to enable the remote’s IR output for use with Sonos.​

It surprised me to find that the LG Magic Remote has an otherwise dormant IR transmitter (presumably for just such situations) - I said as much in a previous comment. But apparently that's the case. The LG Magic Remote will work as an IR remote for the purposes of controlling the Ray.

The Sonos instructions are directing you to set the LG Magic Remote to send volume up/down IR commands for some random TV brand (they suggest Philips), then you program the Ray to recognize those IR commands.

I had to do something similar just the other day for a relative, to get their Apple TV remote to work with a Beam (they have a very old TV that doesn't do ARC/eARC, so they need to use digital optical for the connection). Ended up using an old programmable remote to set both the ATV4 remote and the Beam to use RCA volume up/down IR commands.

 

[CrysisDeu]

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.

14.6 and 14.12 both had huge backlash

 

[CrysisDeu]

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.

Oh 14.12 update did not effects beam home theater, but rendered sub useless in arc setup

 

[ric22]

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.

That is interesting to read. Apple has done an atrocious job with the HomePods- they don't connect to the MacBook Air M1 without lag, they... actually, there's no point me writing out every flaw, as there are so many!

Every Bluetooth audio device I've ever owned has also annoyed me, but at least wireless audio connections seem to keep the music in synch well, if nothing else. I like the "it just works" nature of wired connections, and it's interesting you suggest that Sonos are getting close to this.

 

[beanbaguk]

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.

There is no atmos on this device, so that point is irrelevant.

Otherwise, as somebody who has an affinity for high-end audio, for the price paid, the quality is excellent.

As a reference, I have an (older), 700 series B&W 5.1 surround system at my home which is driven using an (older), Yamaha 5.1 surround amp.

My point is, I know what good audio sounds like, and while it's no HiFi grade sound, it's great value and massively improves the sound from the standard TV output.

Regarding the firmware update. I had to do one out of the box and it worked just fine. No issues.

 

[CrysisDeu]

There are no atmos on this device, so that point is irrelevant.

Otherwise, as somebody who has an affinity for high-end audio, for the price paid, the quality is excellent.

As a reference, I have an (older), 700 series B&W 5.1 surround system at my home which is driven using an (older), Yamaha 5.1 surround amp.

My point is, I know what good audio sounds like, and while it's no HiFi grade sound, it's great value and massively improves the sound from the standard TV output.

Regarding the firmware update. I had to do one out of the box and it worked just fine. No issues.

Arc is an atmos device, and arc+surrounds are atmos capable

 

[CarlJ]

Arc is an atmos device, and arc+surrounds are atmos capable

That is true... and is also missing the point of the comment you were replying to, which is the speaker discussed in the article is the Ray, which does not do Atmos. That comment, in turn, was replying to someone who was trying to warn people off of buying the Ray, because, among other things, "the atmos effect is almost non existent" - which... yes, the Atmos effect is entirely non-existent on the Ray, because it's not an Atmos-capable speaker.

For the record, I have an Arc, a pair of Play:1's, and a Sub, and the sound is really quite lovely. In conjunction with an LG C1, it makes movies at home a very enjoyable experience. The Atmos height effects are decent if you do the placement right, and are on par for a system that's bouncing sound off the ceiling rather than using dedicated ceiling speakers. I've dabbled in high-end audio over the years, and I'd generally agree with everything @beanbaguk said (and, oddly enough, I also have an older B&W surround system - though mine are series 600 - with an NAD receiver). I love the Arc setup, because it Just Works, I get great surround sound from the Apple TV and PS5, including Atmos on the Apple TV if the source supports it (like Disney+ and the TV+ app) with nothing needing tweaking. And, as a bonus, "Hey Sonos, play jazz" (or whatever) works really well.

(I upgraded from a Beam to an Arc - when people ask "should I upgrade to an Arc to get Atmos?" I always answer, no, upgrade to an Arc to get a wider soundstage and a more involving experience, the Atmos is a nice touch, on top of that.)

 

[CrysisDeu]

That is true... and is also missing the point of the comment you were replying to, which is the speaker discussed in the article is the Ray, which does not do Atmos. That comment, in turn, was replying to someone who was trying to warn people off of buying the Ray, because, among other things, "the atmos effect is almost non existent" - which... yes, the Atmos effect is entirely non-existent on the Ray, because it's not an Atmos-capable speaker.

For the record, I have an Arc, a pair of Play:1's, and a Sub, and the sound is really quite lovely. In conjunction with an LG C1, it makes movies at home a very enjoyable experience. The Atmos height effects are decent if you do the placement right, and are on par for a system that's bouncing sound off the ceiling rather than using dedicated ceiling speakers. I've dabbled in high-end audio over the years, and I'd generally agree with everything @beanbaguk said (and, oddly enough, I also have an older B&W surround system - though mine are series 600 - with an NAD receiver). I love the Arc setup, because it Just Works, I get great surround sound from the Apple TV and PS5, including Atmos on the Apple TV if the source supports it (like Disney+ and the TV+ app) with nothing needing tweaking. And, as a bonus, "Hey Sonos, play jazz" (or whatever) works really well.

(I upgraded from a Beam to an Arc - when people ask "should I upgrade to an Arc to get Atmos?" I always answer, no, upgrade to an Arc to get a wider soundstage and a more involving experience, the Atmos is a nice touch, on top of that.)

My original reply was towards the company

 

[beanbaguk]

Arc is an atmos device, and arc+surrounds are atmos capable

Having a bad grammar day, apologies. ARC is not a feature on this device, and nor is Dolby Atmos. It states that clearly.

 

[Lunchbox Joe]

so it's ideal for smaller spaces and smaller entertainment setups.

Any thoughts on performance on screen porch? (Yes I know not designed for outdoor use)