If you’re looking to install a wireless Sonos sound system at home, you may be confused on where to start. For instance, which speakers should you buy to get the best sound? From the Sonos Five to the Beam, the options available may seem overwhelming.
But finding the best Sonos speakers for your space all boils down to knowing what your needs are. Once you know what you’re looking for, determining the right Sonos setup for your house will be a lot easier.
Finding the Best Sonos Speaker Setup for Your Space
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Sonos speakers are a great choice for wireless home sound systems. After all, they cover your entire home through their built-in Wi-Fi network, filling every space with rich, brilliant sound. Unlike other brands, Sonos delivers a whole-home audio experience, offering customers an expansive streaming library that supports audio platforms such as Spotify, Audible, Pandora, SiriusXM, and more.
Finding the best speaker for your space depends on your preference for sound quality as well as the size of the room you plan to put the speakers in.
Why Did We Pick These Speakers?
One of the most important factors in designing a sound system for a home theater, common area, kitchen, or other residential setting is the balance of functionality, elegance, and sound quality. You get all of those features in Sonos speakers, which are known for their pristine audio, attractive design, and ease of setup.
The speakers on this list run the gamut in terms of price point, system complexity, and variety of use. While not every room in your house needs the same level of sound amplifier, you still want to make sure your smart home functionality can follow you through every portion of your home.
Room to Room Integration
In the modern era, speakers no longer have to live in isolation. No speaker brand better encapsulates the possibilities of integrated sound than Sonos. The Sonos App serves as the control center for all your speakers, so you can dial in the sound for each room according to your needs.
Plus, Sonos speakers feature built-in microphones, so you can use your favorite smart home service seamlessly with any Sonos device.
Visual Aesthetics
Whether you’re shopping for bookshelf speakers, home-theater-system speakers, or standalone portable speakers, Sonos products are some of the most attractive options on the market today.
These speakers are meant to be displayed, not hidden in dark corners. Attractive colors, durable materials, and an overall visual appeal separate these speakers from the competition.
Cable Management
Power sources and speaker wires often feel like an afterthought for many surround sound systems. No matter which Sonos speakers you select, you’ll appreciate the attention to detail that went into the product design. The power adapter cables are neat and connected in an unobtrusive location, and the speakers communicate seamlessly without making you run messy speaker wire.
Best Sonos Speakers
We’ve compiled some of our top choices for Sonos speakers below:
- Sonos Move 2 Smart Speaker
- Sonos One (Gen 2)
- Sonos Five
- Sonos Arc
- Sonos Beam Soundbar Gen 2
- Sonos SUB (Gen 3)
- Sonos Port Versatile Streaming Component
- Sonos Roam
- Sonos Ray Wi-Fi Soundbar
- Sonos Move
Sonos Move 2 Smart Speaker
A portable Bluetooth-ready speaker may not be the first thing you think of when designing your home listening experience, but the Sonos Move 2 Smart Speaker is a terrific addition to any home sound system. The built-in rechargeable battery provides up to 24 hours of playback, so this smart speaker won’t become yet another device you need to charge with every use.
Automatic Trueplay tuning uses built-in microphones to analyze spatial acoustics and optimize the sound output. So whether you’re listening in the bathroom or on the back patio, the sound adapts for superior listening. Weatherproofing and shock absorbent materials also make this a fantastic speaker to take with you on the go.
Sonos One (Gen 2)
The Sonos One (Gen 2) returns with the same user-friendly interface and room-filling sounds as the original Sonos One. But this upgrade comes with a built-in Amazon Alexa voice control feature and improved functionality. It supports Bluetooth low-energy for ease of set-up and hyper-local communication.
Even though it’s a small speaker, the Sonos One is powerful enough to fill any room with crisp sound. Available in black and white, the speaker boasts a smooth, matte finish, backlit touchpad, and compact build perfect for indoor use.
Sonos Five
The Sonos Five is a gorgeous high-fidelity speaker. You have two color options — black or white — depending on your home aesthetic. Additionally, the Sonos Five works with Apple Airplay 2, connects via Bluetooth, and has a line-in connection for record players or other plug-in devices. With two side tweeters and three high-excursion woofers, your music will be incredibly rich with sound.
For a speaker you can bring with you room to room, the Sonos Five is a great addition to your Sonos family!
Sonos Arc
Soundbars are a must-have, especially if you have top-of-the-line television. You want your audio to be just as good as — if not better than — your video. The Sonos Arc will give you full room sound, making sure you are immersed in audio.
What’s best about this soundbar is that it can tune itself based on the room it’s in. All you need to do is download the app and scan the room to calibrate the soundbar. You get Dolby 3D sound — that’s movie theater quality audio. With Sonos, you can add more peripherals in the Sonos ecosystem to enhance your home audio setup. There is also a setting for speech enhancement to allow for clearer dialogue audio, which is incredible especially when watching loud action movies.
Check out our hands-on review of the Sonos Arc with Vanessa Joy to see it in action.
Sonos Beam Soundbar (Gen 2)
Sticking with the Sonos Soundbars, if you’re just getting started in the soundbar world, the Sonos Beam is a great introduction. The second generation of the Beam now has Dolby Atmos and panoramic sound to give you that updated high-quality sound. You can stream music, radio, audiobooks and podcasts without turning on your television.
The Beam also works with-in voice assistants, so you can have Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant set timers, check the news, and more. There is a mute button if you prefer not to use that feature. With 3D Dolby Atmos audio, Apple Airplay 2, voice assistance, and panoramic sound, the Beam is a great introduction into the Sonos soundbar world!
Sonos SUB Gen 3 Wireless Subwoofer
The Sonos SUB Gen 3 is one of the best subwoofers out there, and its wireless. Adding this to your television, or even better, to your Sonos speakers, will completely rock your audio. You get dual force-cancelling drivers that give you an incredibly powerful bass.
With Trueplay Tuning, the subwoofer will optimize sound based on your room’s acoustics. All you do is plug the Subwoofer in and open the Sonos app, and you’re good to go! No need to plug the SUB into different devices. You can control all of it wirelessly through your phone. Once you go SUB, you’ll never go back!
Sonos Port Versatile Streaming Component
If you have tons of audio devices that are all on different systems, the Sonos Port brings everything together seamlessly. You’re able to connect record players, CD players, and more and bring them into the Sonos ecosystem.
If your favorite record player is on a different floor than your Sonos sound system, the Sonos Port will allow you to connect them so you can listen to your favorite vinyl on Sonos speakers. You get two Ethernet ports, a Wi-Fi connection, and Apple Airplay, making it incredibly easy to use and set up. Additionally, you can control everything from your phone, making your audio life even easier.
Sonos Roam
You can bring this speaker to the kitchen when you cook, to the living room when you have friends over, to the park, and even for travel. A Bluetooth speaker is the perfect travel companion and must have.
Portability and convenience are top features to look for in a bluetooth speaker, and the Sonos Roam has all that and more. It boasts all-day battery life for those long picnic days, waterproof design for those beach days, and voice control for when you’re cooking! The Sonos Roam even connects to your home network to be used with other Sonos devices. You can connect the speaker to a Wi-Fi network or Bluetooth, which gives you more accessibility. It can even charge with a wireless Qi charger!
Sonos Ray Wi-Fi Soundbar
If you prefer a streamlined audio setup to a 5.1 home theater system, the Sonos Ray Wi-Fi Soundbar should be at the top of your list. With an elegant design featuring curved edges and simple controls, this sound bar is very easy to integrate into your home audio system.
The speaker itself can connect to your other home devices via Wi-Fi or ethernet, or you can connect directly to your TV with the optical output cable. While many soundbars make it hard to hear the full depth of sound in movies and television, this Sonos speaker offers impeccable balance between dialogue, high and midrange frequencies, and perfectly weighted bass.
Setting Up Your Sonos Speaker System
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Now that you’re familiar with the different Sonos speakers, you’ll need to figure out how to set them up. And that depends on what your home speaker system needs are. Do you want surround sound in every room or prefer to contain it to a few rooms? What sound quality are you aiming for?
Keep in mind that Sonos speakers are highly versatile. Whether you live in a small apartment or a large house, they can be placed in such a way as to distribute the sound evenly throughout your space. So it helps to evaluate your space so you know where to place your speakers for maximum impact.
We’ve put a guide together so you can install your Sonos speaker setup without hassle, no matter the size of your space.
Apartments
Living in an apartment means a smaller space. In turn, that translates to fewer Sonos speakers.
For an all-around Sonos surround sound setup, you may opt for two Sonos One speakers and a Playbase in your living room. We recommend starting with the room you watch your entertainment. Enhancing the audio of movies and shows is always a great place to begin. From there, decide if you would like some portability with the Sonos Five, or if you want to add other speakers to different rooms for a complete apartment sound system. The best thing about an apartment is that you don’t need to have tons of speakers to fill your space!
You can consider adding another Sonos One (Gen 2) to your bedroom so you can listen to your favorite tunes while getting ready for work or before going to bed. If you’re the budget-conscious type, you can settle for a single Sonos One (Gen 2) speaker then blast music from your kitchen, lounge, or bathroom.
Large Homes
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If you live in a rather spacious home, it helps to have more Sonos speakers. Add a Sonos Five to your biggest room to give it the richest, deepest sound. It’s even better if your indoor space follows an open floor plan since the speaker will evenly distribute the sounds throughout your home.
You may also add a Sonos One (Gen 2) to your bedroom or bathroom so you can play some soft music while soaking in the tub or before tucking into bed at night.
More space also equals more places to fill with sound — so a more robust Sonos setup. You’ll definitely want to check out the Sonos Subwoofer to make sure your rooms are filled with bass. The Sonos Port will help you connect multiple devices that are installed throughout your house.
The best part of a Sonos system is that they can be configured and controlled wirelessly with your phone. You won’t need to go to another floor to turn on your sound because you can do it all wirelessly. If you love to have friends and family over, decide which room they congregate in and start installing speakers there, and build out. That way there will be background music during those fun dinners and game nights.
Image via Sonos
Sonos Setup: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I connect my Sonos speaker?
Sonos makes it incredibly easy and seamless to install your speakers. As soon as you open the box, you’ll start on your Sonos setup journey. You’ll find step-by-step instructions on how to plug in the device and download the app. You’ll want to decide if you want to connect your speaker via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, and some speakers do both. As soon as you have your device plugged in, you’ll want to download the Sonos app found in the Apple App Store and Google Play. After installing the app, click on “Connect” or “Add Product” to connect to your speaker. Finally, your speaker is now connected to your device.
How do I connect my Sonos speaker to WiFi?
Once you’ve installed the Sonos app and plugged your speaker in, you’ll now want to add the speaker to your Wi-Fi. Opening the app, you want to click “Add Product”, and your phone will then search for your new Sonos device. Once connected you will want to select “Set Up This Product”, choose the Wi-Fi network you wish to use, and voila!
What do I need for Sonos set up?
First and foremost, you will definitely need a device that can install the Sonos app. Without the Sonos app, you will be unable to connect and utilize the speakers. You’ll also need a Wi-Fi connection to set up the speakers with your device. Finally, the Sonos app can be downloaded on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and FireOS devices.
Seamlessly Transition into Sonos Speakers
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Installing your Sonos speaker setup is hassle-free. In fact, the time it takes to take your speakers out of the box and stream music for the first time should take no longer than two minutes. After all, Sonos makes it easy for you to transition into a Sonos speaker system. Their sound systems were designed for your ultimate convenience.
Simply find a space for your speakers with a powerful Wi-Fi signal. As soon as your speaker starts flashing a green light, they’re ready to use. The speakers can be set up using your smartphone or tablet, and if you’re new to the brand, it explains the process of how to operate your speaker in an easy-to-understand format.
By choosing Sonos, you’re getting the best possible sound for your home at a price you can afford.
