If you're in the market for a multiroom speaker set, you've probably heard of Sonos. The company has revolutionized the way millions of people consume audio by offering a truly intuitive and ubiquitous wireless system that delivers music to every room in your house. What's cool is that you can play the same track throughout your entire home, or split things up in zones. If you want, you could play jazz in the dining room, pop music in the kids' playroom, and rock music in the basement. The music can be controlled from your phone, laptop, and tablet — or with your voice via smart assistants like Alexa, Siri, and the Google Assistant.
Sonos has an extensive roster of products that vary in size, shape, and of course, price. Whether you want a new soundbar to go under your smart TV, a speaker to listen to podcasts in the kitchen, one to connect to a turntable, or a speaker that you can take with you on the go, there's sure to be a Sonos speaker for your needs and budget constraints.
I've been a Sonos user for five years and I've tried practically every multi-room audio solution in the book. I've used Google Nest, Amazon Echo, and Apple HomePod smart speakers and Sonos speakers seem like magic and are well worth the investment — especially if you're like me and always like to have music playing.
Best Sonos Speakers of 2022
What to Consider
Although every Sonos speaker delivers a detailed, well-balanced, and loud sound there are a few things to keep in mind before making a purchase.
Location
It may sound like a given, but before you purchase your first Sonos speaker(s), you'll want to consider where specifically you intend to use the speaker. Most Sonos speakers — with the exception of the Sonos Move and Sonos Roam — need to be plugged into an outlet 24/7 for power. Most Sonos speakers include a 6-foot-long power cable, but you can purchase longer (and even shorter) cables. If you plan to use your speakers outdoors, I recommend the Sonos Move and Sonos Roam speakers since they are battery-powered and were constructed to withstand the elements. Sonos even has wired outdoor speakers but I think most users will prefer the versatility of wireless Bluetooth-enabled speakers like that Roam and Move.
Budget
With a starting price of $159 and with some speakers costing as much as $900, Sonos speakers certainly don't run cheap — especially if you intend to purchase multiple of them together to play audio throughout your home. The good news is Sonos has partnered with the Scandinavian furniture giant IKEA to sell a line of more inexpensive speakers that still integrate with the company's pricier offerings. Sonos has also unveiled a few more budget-friendly speakers, as well. Its newest soundbar, the Sonos Ray comes in at less than $300, making it one of the company's more affordable options worth considering.
Use-Case
When crafting your Sonos setup, figure out many speakers you want in each room and what you intend to use them for. If you're using the speakers for your home theater, you can pair one of Sonos' soundbars with two rear surround sound speakers such as the Sonos One, Sonos One SL, Sonos Five, or two of the IKEA SYMFONISK speakers. If you go this route, know that whatever two rear speakers you purchase must be the same. Meaning, you can't mix and match different models of speakers to be paired up and used as rear surrounds. Most Sonos speakers, except Sonos Roam, Roam SL, Connect, Port, and Move can also be paired to a subwoofer such as the Sonos Sub or Sonos Sub Mini.
Sonos speakers are some of the best multiroom audio systems money can buy because they deliver outstanding audio quality, an easy-to-use setup and app, and support for a wide variety of music streaming services and high-resolution audio. You can also use them to play your local media library or stream from Sonos Radio, which includes curated playlists and a collection of more than 60,000 radio stations. Most Sonos speakers support Apple AirPlay 2 wireless playback, as well. Keep on reading to find out what Sonos speakers will work best for your needs and budget.