Best Sonos speakers starting at $100

Sonos was already pretty robust, with features like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple AirPlay 2 and support for the largest number of Music streaming services and apps like Spotify. But with the release of Ikea’s symfonisk speakerDue to the number of products that include Sonos music streaming on board, the sound system is more diverse than ever.

However, as the number of Sonos products continues to grow, it is also more difficult to find out which models to buy. With that in mind, we’ve put together a quick guide to the Sonos ecosystem to help you figure out which products are right for you and which ones will perform best for your money.

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What is Sonos?

Sonos is one of the oldest multi-room audio systems on the market and one of the most successful. Since the way we consume digital music has changed from playing ripped CDs to streaming services and beyond, the audio system has also adapted and grown.

Sonos started playing MP3s on your existing speakers and supported streaming music services on a range of tabletop speakers, amplifiers, sound bars and subwoofers. Control of the system started with a desktop app and the CR100 handheld controller. Then it became mobile apps and now voice assistants. Sonos offers two products that work with both Google Assistant and Alexa voice commands.

Here are some things you need to know about the product line:

• Works without a hub over a standard WiFi network (no Bluetooth)
• Supports over 100 streaming services
• Works with Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri
• Compatible with Apple AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect
• Supports only 16-bit / 44.1 kHz (No. Hi-res)
• Stream your analog connected music throughout the house (with Amp or Connect)
• Dolby Digital only (soundbars) – no DTS or Dolby Atmos support

The current line-up of Sonos looks like this:

Which Sonos is right for you?

Sarah Tew / CNET

The new Ikea Symfonisk line is the result of a collaboration between the Scandinavian furniture giant and Sonos. It’s fully compatible with other Sonos products, and both the bookshelf and table lamp can also be used for stereo sound or as a relatively inexpensive pair of surround sound on the back ($ 200 for two bookshelves versus $ 400 for two ). If you want a Sonos Smart speaker for the price of a Bluetooth speaker, this is the model for you.

Read the Ikea Symfonisk bookshelf review.

Sarah Tew / CNET

Even though it looks like it’s long gone, the Sonos Play: 1 is still the cheapest speaker in the series if you can find it. For an additional $ 40, however, you can upgrade to a model that offers better value for money. The Sonos One (Gen 2) has excellent sound quality and includes both Alexa and Google Assistant in one speaker (although you can only select one at a time).

As you can see, there are two slightly different versions of the Sonos One, but they work the same way. If you search hard, you can still sometimes find Gen 1 for sale for $ 179 or less, while Gen 2 costs $ 199.

Read the Sonos One test.

Sarah Tew / CNET

After Sonos Play: 3 is discontinued, a pair of Sonos Ones is your next best choice. Setting up a stereo pair is easy with the Sonos app and the system sounds better than speakers with the same price as Google Home Max or Apple HomePod.

Read the Sonos One test.

Sarah Tew / CNET

With Google Assistant, the Sonos Beam is the intelligent sound bar. You will miss a bit of deep bass without a sub, but it will make your movies sound huge with its virtual surround features.

Read the Sonos Beam test.

The Sonos Play: 5 is a relatively niche product – not many people have room for a large, expensive desk speaker – but it offers the greatest sound of any Sonos device. The only downside is that it doesn’t have the Google Assistant and Alexa command functions of the newer models.

Read the Sonos Play: 5 review.

Sarah Tew / CNET

The Sonos Playbase is a fully shaped and powerful sound base (ie your TV sits on it). The system does not require a subwoofer. If Sonos doesn’t develop a cheaper subwoofer, this is the best money you can spend on a grand.

Read the Sonos Playbase review.

Sarah Tew / CNET

At the limit of what most people should pay for a Sonos soundbar surround sound system, this system offers plenty of surround sound and musical thrill. You can combine the Sonos Beam ($ 399), Sonos Sub ($ 699), and a pair of Ikea bookshelves ($ 99 each). While the sub alone is quite expensive, it’s a great partner for the smaller beam, while adding surrounds completes the effect. The system doesn’t have Atmos, but if you mount the bookshelf speaker high up on the walls behind you won’t miss it.

Read the Sonos sub-test.

The Sonos app

Until voice control completely replaces it, you can control most of the setup and playback of your audio in the Sonos app. The app’s focus has changed over the years, led by streaming and now language. But it is now out of service to focus on the speakers themselves. The app still offers one of the best universal search features, and it’s also easy to set up your speakers.

The app is available for the following devices:

In addition to the Sonos app, you can also use Play To Sonos to operate the audio speakers directly from your favorite apps. These include: Google Play Music (on a device with the Sonos app installed), Spotify, Pandora, YouTube Music and Tidal’s streaming music service. The system also supports streaming iOS and compatible software with Apple AirPlay 2.

The competition

The main competition standards for Sonos are Bose Music, DTS Play-Fi, integrated Google Chromecast, Yamaha MusicCast and Denon HEOS. Amazon Echo also supports the Amazon MRM system.

Wireless audio speakers start at around $ 100 – most with Apple AirPlay, Chromecast, or both – and great wireless sound bars like the Polk Command Bar start at $ 250. Here are some of the best multiroom music systems.

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