After the self-induced tumult Sonos has gone through this year, I can understand why some people are reluctant to spend money on the companyâs products. But newly appointed CEO Tom Conrad has shown that heâs determined to get back on track and revitalize Sonos as the leading whole-home audio brand. The contentious mobile app is in a much better place now than it was last year, though some customers still encounter bugs and the frustration of speakers randomly vanishing from their system. Itâs not all roses, but the situation is moving in the right direction â and I took Sonosâ decision to cancel its video player as a promising sign of renewed focus.Â
Iâm not about to sell any of my Sonos gear. For one, the companyâs whole-home platform offers conveniences that competitors donât match â at least not without hassle. Most of the time, Iâm streaming from Apple Music, Spotify, or YouTube Music. But if Iâm watching a sports game on my TV, I can pipe the audio from my Sonos soundbar to a speaker in a different room to follow the action. Playing something over Bluetooth? With most of the companyâs recent speakers, you can do the same thing and spread that music across your entire Sonos system.
Why you should trust my Sonos recommendations
Iâve covered Sonos extensively for several years at The Verge. This has included reporting on the companyâs latest news, reviewing a lengthy list of Sonos products, and bringing attention to the app fiasco, which eventually led to the ouster of former CEO Patrick Spence. Audio and home theater are two of my primary focus areas in product reviews, so Iâm well-versed when it comes to determining whether a speaker or soundbar is great â or just another also-ran product.
I wouldnât fault anyone for waiting to see where Sonos and its app go from here, especially given that Sonos recently raised prices on a number of products â including soundbars and smart speakers â due to the ongoing tariff situation in the US. The company still makes some genuinely terrific hardware, however, so if youâre wondering which are the true standouts, Iâve got you covered.
The best Sonos speaker to start with
Sonos Era 100
Score: 8
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If youâre looking for a decent-sounding, compact speaker to put in the kitchen, office, or really anywhere in your home, the Era 100 is your best option. Sonos improved upon this speakerâs predecessors, the Play:1 and Sonos One, by upgrading to stereo drivers for richer, wider audio. Bluetooth playback is now supported, along with line-in audio (with a separate dongle). And the Era 100 also has reworked physical controls, including a volume bar you can slide your finger across and, finally, dedicated track controls.Â
The speaker has an elegant design, and you can use hands-free voice controls to summon Amazon Alexa or Sonos Voice Control to skip tracks or switch to a different playlist. Sonos dropped the Era 100âs price to $199 in April and then raised it again in September, though weâd argue that $219 is still fair for what youâre getting.
Read our full Sonos Era 100 review.
The best overall Sonos speaker
Sonos Five
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The Sonos Five isnât just Sonosâ best-sounding speaker; itâs at the top of the pack compared to all competitors. From an audio quality perspective, it beats the HomePod, Echo Studio, Nest Audio, and other mass market speakers â both those that are smart and not. Can you find better hi-fi bookshelf speakers? Absolutely, but those arenât natively tied into music services like Sonos gear is. The Five is a hefty unit and takes up a decent amount of desk space. But once you throw some music on, its powerful stereo output is enough to handle any dinner party or weekend get-together.Â
Thereâs nothing âsmartâ about the Five. It lacks microphones and voice assistant functionality. But that simplicity is appealing in its own right: youâre getting a damn good speaker that ties into the Sonos platform. The Five also features a 3.5mm aux input, making it a good turntable companion â especially if you spring for a stereo pair.Â
The best portable Sonos speaker
Sonos Move 2
Score: 9
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When it comes to portable speakers, the Move 2 is in a whole different league than Sonosâ much smaller Roam 2. Itâs bigger and heavier, but a built-in handle makes it easier to lug the Move 2 around your home or out to the backyard. Thereâs no comparison between the two when it comes to audio: the Move 2 smokes the far more compact Roam 2. And like the Era 100, it uses a stereo driver arrangement, whereas the Roam mixes everything down to mono and sounds more muffled.
The Moveâs larger size gives it a clear advantage in terms of bass punch, and aside from playing music wirelessly, youâve got the option of plugging in other devices over USB-C for line-in audio. I also continue to appreciate that the battery in the Move 2 is user-replaceable, which canât be said of many Bluetooth speakers. Youâll be able to keep enjoying your investment for long, long into the future. And with a dust / water resistance rating of IP56, it can handle rain and splashes of water without problems; just donât drop it into a pool.
I prefer the Move 2 over traditional portable speakers since, at least whenever Iâm home, the Sonos lets me play music over Wi-Fi at a higher fidelity than Bluetooth can offer. Plus, the Move 2 also supports Apple AirPlay and Spotify Connect, so itâs easy to just skip the Sonos app altogether if you wish.
Read our full Sonos Move 2 review.
The best Sonos soundbar for home theater enthusiasts
Sonos Arc Ultra
Score: 8
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Introduced in late 2024, the Arc Ultra improves on the original Arc with significantly more powerful bass response. Thatâs largely thanks to the inclusion of Sonosâ newer SoundMotion technology, which manages to get a better low-end wallop from a soundbar thatâs not much larger than the model it replaces. This means some buyers can get away with buying the Arc Ultra on its own without adding a subwoofer.Â
The Arc Ultra delivers Dolby Atmos surround sound thatâs more convincing and immersive than any other Sonos soundbar to date, and itâs up there with the very best you can find from a single-enclosure speaker. Vocal clarity has also improved substantially thanks to better center channel performance. Another upgrade over the first Arc is the addition of Bluetooth audio support.
Read our full review of the Sonos Arc Ultra.
The best Sonos soundbar for smaller rooms
Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
Score: 8
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There are plenty of scenarios and TV rooms where the Arc Ultra might be too powerful. If youâre in a smaller space or donât need the absolute best surround sound, the Beam (Gen 2) starts to make more sense. It still has Atmos, but the effect is virtualized since the Beam lacks the Arc Ultraâs upward-firing speakers. Even so, the home theater experience youâll get from the Beam will blow away any speakers built into a TV.Â
Read our full Sonos Beam (Gen 2) review.
The best Sonos subwoofer for most people
Sonos Sub Mini
Score: 7
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In the same vein, unless youâre hell bent on rumbling your walls, the $499 Sub Mini subwoofer is more than enough for layering some extra oomph and growl onto Hollywood blockbusters and your favorite TV shows. The $899 Sub 4 is Sonosâ flagship subwoofer, but plenty of people have saved hundreds of dollars by pairing the Sub Mini with any of the companyâs soundbars â and theyâve been ecstatic with the results.Â
As its name suggests, the Sub Mini is more compact than the Sub 4, which makes it easier to find an inconspicuous spot to place it. Even if youâre the type to do a sub crawl and put it somewhere in plain sight, Iâd argue it looks more stylish than the blocky Sub 4.Â
Read my full Sonos Sub Mini review.
The best budget Sonos speaker
Ikea Symfonisk Bookshelf Speaker (Gen 2)
Score: 7
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Sonos and Ikea might have ended their partnership, but that doesnât mean you should sleep on the existing Symfonisk products before theyâre completely phased out. The Symfonisk Bookshelf Speaker (Gen 2), in particular, remains the most affordable gateway into the Sonos ecosystem, even with its recent price hike. Sound-wise, itâs not far off from the old Sonos One / Play:1 and is a very enjoyable speaker. Plus, the lower price tag makes it easier to convince yourself to scoop up two for a stereo pair. These â or the Symfonisk Picture Frame Speaker â make excellent rear surround speakers if youâre on a budget.Â
Read our full Ikea Symfonisk Bookshelf Speaker review.
The Sonos product worthy of a second chance
Sonos Ace
Score: 7
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Boy oh boy, did Sonosâ wireless headphones come right at the worst possible moment. The companyâs app crisis completely sidelined the Ace headphones. Some customers were also disappointed that the Ace canât play music over Wi-Fi or be grouped with the companyâs in-home speakers.
But hereâs the thing: the Ace headphones are still fantastic. Theyâre comfortable, have a gorgeous design (with easily swappable ear pads), and sound detailed, powerful, and expressive. They support wired audio over USB-C in addition to Bluetooth. And the TV Audio Swap feature is a useful perk that I still often use late at night when my Arc Ultra would disturb others. You can route any audio that would normally come through the soundbar â from your TV, gaming console, or streaming device â through two pairs of headphones and listen privately (with spatial audio surround sound). Sonosâ new TrueCinema mode even lets you fine-tune the latter to better reflect the acoustics of your space.
No, the Ace headphones arenât what Iâd consider the ideal of a wearable product from Sonos. But they remain a wholly impressive debut that fell victim to the companyâs poor software decisions.Â
Read our full Sonos Ace review.
Photography by Chris Welch / The Verge
Update, October 23rd: Adjusted pricing / availability and updated the copy to reflect that Sonos has raised prices across the board. Brandon Widder also contributed to this post.
Thanks for sharing this insight on Sonos speakers! It’s interesting to see how the brand is evolving and what options will be available in 2025. Looking forward to seeing how they navigate the challenges ahead.
You’re welcome! The evolution of Sonos is indeed fascinating, especially how theyâre adapting to consumer feedback. Itâll be interesting to see how their new features enhance the overall listening experience.