As per the original leak, the Ray is an entry-level alternative for consumers wishing to adopt the Sonos ecosystem. Specifically, the Ray ranks below the Sonos Beam, while the Arc retains its status as the brand’s king-of-the-hill soundbar.
We can also confirm that Sonos has indeed removed the HDMI eARC port, meaning that direct physical connectivity is limited to just an optical input. Sonos’ logic behind its decision to remove the HDMI port was simply because it is marketing the Ray as a soundbar for consumers that already have either an Arc or Beam, and simply want another soundbar for a TV in a more intimate room of their house or apartment. Like all Sonos audio products, though, the Ray can be synced with other products in its portfolio, either to create an intricate home entertainment surround sound setup, or a seamless transition throughout a home that allows the user to have their music follow them throughout specific output or altogether, at once. In terms of pricing, the Sonos Ray retails for RM1799 and preorders for the soundbar begin today. As for its general availability, the brand’s main distributor, TCAcoustics, says that the soundbar should be available from 24 June onwards.
