Which Sonos Soundbar is right for me?
Having installed every type of Sonos product over the years we've got the ultimate guide to helping you make the right decision on which Sonos soundbar is best for your TV setup. We are also on hand if you have any unanswered questions.
Published on 26th Jan 2026
Sonos Soundbar Options.
Let's compare the Sonos Ray, Beam Gen 2 & the larger Arc Ultra soundbars
Size
A good place to start is the size of each unit. The Ray is the most compact soundbar measuring just under 56cm wide, followed by the Beam Gen 2 at 65.1cm and then the much larger Arc Ultra at 117.8cm.
With these dimensions in mind we would normally recommend that the Arc Ultra is better suited to TVs that are 55" or larger. While a Beam and Ray are well matched to TVs from 32" upwards. There are a few exceptions and it is not unheard of for an Arc Ultra to be installed with smaller TVs.
Connectivity
HDMI eARC or Optical
If your TV supports ARC or eARC then this is the preferred connection between your TV and soundbar. Alternatively you can connect via Optical however this doesn't offer the benefits of higher quality audio formats like Dolby Atmos & a simpler setup process.
The Beam G2 and Arc Ultra offer HDMI eARC connectivity only however can be used with optical if your TV doesn't support ARC or eARC. Beam G2 is supplied with an adaptor whearas with the Arc Ultra this is an optional extra.
Sonos Ray soundbar is supplied with an optical lead and doesn't offer HDMI connectivity. It is therefore important that you have optical connection on your TV!
Sound Quality
Ray Soundbar
The Ray soundbar supports Dolby Digital
4 internal speakers drivers setup to deliver a vast improvement on your existing TVs internal speakers.
Activate the speech enhancement mode to brighten the vocal range and deliver a crisp sound quality.
Beam Gen2
The Beam Gen 2 offers Dolby Atmos by creating phantom height sound through clever sound processing and is a big step forward from the audio performance of Ray.
It's 5 internal speaker drivers deliver a rich bass without the optional Sub/Sub Mini and a wide spread of sound making listening to music a joy.
The vocal sound quality is fantastic espcially when activating the Speech Enhancement mode.
Arc Ultra
Enjoy true Dolby Atmos with the Arc Ultra's dedicated upward-firing drivers delivering 9.1.4 spatial audio.
14 internal speakers drivers ensure an amazing spacious sound along with rich powerful bass thanks to a new revolutionary flat & compact internal bass speaker.
Crystal clear speech for all - Choose from 4 different levels of speech enhancement to ensure you hear every word of your favourite drama series or film.
Our Latest Deals on Sonos Soundbars
Pro Installation Service
Don't forget our proffesional installation service is available for Sonos soundbars. We'll ensure your product is connected correctly and working to it's best with your TV and other equipment.
We can also wall mount Sonos soundbars and run the cabling either in the wall or on the surface discretely within slim trunking.