When you’re ready to upgrade your smart home audio, look closely at Sonos. Sonos audio components are known for their superior sound quality and ease of use. If you don’t like to compromise, Sonos speakers are among the best wireless speakers on the market. Finding Sonos speakers on the cheap can be challenging: sales aren’t all that common, and even with the deals, you’re still typically paying quite a bit more than you would for competing wireless speakers. We’ve managed to find a few Sonos deals out there, especially on refurbished units and package deals, saving you money over buying them separately.
Today’s best Sonos deals
- Sonos Connect – $350, was $390
- Sonos One (2-Pack) — $380, was $400
- Sonos Playbar (Refurbished) – $520, was $600
- Sonos Playbase – $675, was 699
- 5.1 Surround Set (2 One SL, 1 Beam, 1 Sub) — $1,359, was $1,456
A beginner’s guide to Sonos
Sonos is a home theater equipment manufacturer renowned for its quality speakers with high-tech capabilities. You might just know Sonos for its popular stand-alone speakers, but the company has a far more extensive lineup than that. It manufactures just about every piece of home theater equipment you can think of, from speakers to soundbars, amplifiers, adapters for older stereo systems, and more.
Below, we’ll talk about everything that Sonos offers and what each device does, as well as who we think its best suited for. To make it easier to follow, we’ve split it into three sections: Speakers, home theater, and components.
Speakers
Sonos currently offers four speakers in its lineup. The cheapest of the options is the Sonos One SL, which is a version of its basic speaker without a microphone. While it doesn’t have a microphone, it is still controllable via Siri with AirPlay 2 support or through Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. It includes two Class D digital amplifiers, a tweeter, and a mid-woofer, which offers superb sound for a speaker of its size. While it includes Wi-Fi, the One SL does not have Bluetooth.
The Sonos One has all the same functionality as the One SL; however, it adds a microphone for voice control, and built-in Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
If you’re looking for portability, consider the Sonos Move. Larger than the One series speakers, the Move has a built-in battery that allows you to use the speaker anywhere, either via battery power (10 hours of playtime) or through AC power when it’s sat on its included desktop charger. Like the One, it contains two Class D digital amplifiers, a tweeter, and a mid-woofer, but it also adds Bluetooth support for use when no Wi-Fi is available.
For the best sound quality possible, step up to the Sonos Play:5. The speaker includes six Class D digital amplifiers, three tweeters, and three mid-woofers, arranged in such a way that directs sound both left, right and center for truly immersive sound. While it includes Wi-Fi, it does not include Bluetooth.
With all these speakers, you can pair two of them for authentic stereo sound, and all are controllable via the Sonos app, AirPlay, and Amazon Alexa using the Sonos skill.
Which one should you buy? The Sonos One series is a great entry-level Sonos speaker, and if you don’t need Alexa, you can save a little by choosing the One SL over the One. The Move is an excellent option if you plan to use your speaker in more than one location. If you can afford it, however, we recommend the Play:5 due to its impressive sound quality.
Home Theater
Sonos offers four different home theater options, all of which can be paired with the above speakers to create a home theater setup. The Sonos Beam is Sonos’ entry-level soundbar and has both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant built right in. Speaker-wise, the Beam includes five Class D digital amplifiers, one tweeter, and four full-range woofers, along with three passive radiators to enhance bass response. It also includes both an HDMI ARC and optical audio adapter to connect to your television
The Sonos Playbar is a mountable soundbar with even more speakers than its cheaper sibling. Altogether, it includes nine Class D digital amplifiers, three tweeters, and six midrange woofers, providing high-quality, cinema-like sound. You’ll need an optical input to use this component with your TV, however — so buy the Playbar only if you plan to pair it with higher-end television.
Sonos’ top-end offering here is the Sonos Playbase. Intended to sit underneath your television, the Playbase is a powerhouse. A total of 10 amplified speaker drivers – six midrange, three tweeters, and one woofer — are arranged around the Playbase. Still, the addition of ten digital amplifiers makes the Playbase one of the best soundbases on the market today.
Any of these soundbars can be combined with speakers we’ve discussed before and with the Sonos Sub, the company’s wireless subwoofer. If you’re looking for great bass sound in your home theater setup, the Sub is a necessity for sure. Two Class-D digital amplifiers are tuned to match the two dedicated speaker drivers, and dual acoustic ports are optimized to enhance the Sub’s performance.
While you certainly could splurge here and pair the Playbase and the Sub with Sonos’ Play:5 speakers, even the Beam and Sub, combined with the One or One SL speakers, will provide an outstanding sound. It comes down to how much you’re willing to spend.
Components
In addition to the speaker and home theater components, Sonos manufactures a wide variety of components that might make sense to pick up depending on your home theater plans. The Sonos Port allows you to connect your traditional stereo or receiver to your Sonos setup. At the same time, the Sonos Amp will enable you to connect your wired speakers and other components. The Sonos Boost is a wise option should you need to boost your Wi-Fi to ensure uninterrupted streaming.
Most users won’t need these components in their Sonos setups. Still, if you’re a home theater enthusiast with pre-existing home theater equipment, it may make sense to consider the Port and the Amp to connect your legacy equipment to the Sonos platform. Generally, the Wi-Fi capabilities of Sonos speakers are pretty good, but in large homes, the Boost might be necessary to ensure streaming works properly.
Sonos One vs. Sonos One SL
The Sonos One and Sonos One SL are identical in feature set save for one crucial feature: A microphone. While you’ll get a microphone and also Alexa support with the Sonos One, the Sonos One SL does not include a microphone. The Sonos One SL still can be controlled via Alexa, however, using Siri and AirPlay, or with a separate Alexa device compatible with the Alexa Sonos.
Sonos Beam vs. Sonos Playbar
The Sonos Beam and Playbar are Sonos’ soundbar options. The smaller Sonos Beam is cheaper and includes four full-range woofers, a tweeter, and three passive radiators. The Playbar is mountable and more expensive, but includes Nine Class-D digital amplifiers, three tweeters, and six midrange woofers, and has far better sound quality overall.
Sonos Playbar vs. Sonos Playbase
While we described the Playbar soundbar above, the Sonos Playbase is what’s called a “soundbase,” and sits underneath your TV. It has far more speakers than the Playbar — a total of 10 amplified speaker drivers – six mid-range, three tweeters, and one woofer, but also ten digital amplifiers, giving the Playbase impressive cinematic sound.
Does Sonos need Wi-Fi?
Yes. Music is streamed to your speakers over a Wi-Fi connection, so without it, you won’t be able to listen to music unless you’re connected to your Sonos speaker via Bluetooth. The Wi-Fi connectivity also allows you to use your speaker without having to pull out your smartphone — especially the models with built-in Alexa support. Those work just like any Alexa device would since you can control everything with your device.
Does Sonos have Bluetooth?
Yes, on some models. On models that include Bluetooth, you can connect your smartphone or another Bluetooth-enabled music device directly to the speaker to stream music. Bluetooth allows you to use the speaker even if there is no Wi-Fi connection available.
Do Ikea’s Sonos speakers work with Sonos components?
Yes. Ikea’s Symfonisk speaker line, while an Ikea-branded product, will work with any Sonos component just like a Sonos-branded speaker. One positive about these speakers is that they are cheaper than Sonos speakers. While the sound quality isn’t as good as Sonos’ speakers, we still walked away impressed with their sound quality overall.
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