You might think that finding a soundbar for a small room is easy. Just, like, buy one of the best soundbars, and put it under your TV.
Unfortunately, it's much harder than you might expect, thanks to boring things like "acoustics" and "the size of your TV." So, which is the best soundbar for a small room?
There are plenty of options out there, but my favorite is the Sonos Ray. It's a compact soundbar that pumps out excellent sound that'll fill your small room, without any of the problems that introducing something larger can bring. No need to worry about directional speakers and spatial audio formats — this is just a solid plug-and-play soundbar that sounds great no matter what you're watching.
Small room, small bar
In a small room, it's very likely that you've not got a massive TV. Instead, you've probably got something that's closer to the 32-40 inch mark. That's plenty big for a small space that doesn't warrant the need for a large soundbar like the Sonos Arc Ultra.
Instead, you're much better off matching your small TV with something like the Sonos Ray. It's a small soundbar, but it's easily the best sounding for its size. It's a bit tall, so you might need to raise your TV up slightly (I've found a couple of books under the stand works well), but length-wise it's perfectly sized for your small room.
In a smaller room, you probably don't have enough space for multiple audio devices. That means your soundbar has to pull double (or even triple) duty as a movie, TV and music player. Unlike many soundbars, the Sonos Ray is surprisingly good for music.
While you can't move it around the house, it sounds as good, if not better than, the best Bluetooth speakers.
It's shaped like a Bluetooth speaker, and while you can't move it around the house, it sounds as good, if not better than, the best Bluetooth speakers. Thanks to its movie-based design, the soundstage is quite wide, and instrument separation is pretty good, too.
There's also the smart connection to the Sonos app that makes playing music super simple. You can stream music to the bar with Wi-Fi, including the best music streaming services like Tidal, Qobuz and Apple Music. There's also a Bluetooth connection, should you want a more old-school wireless connection.
Movie Magic
The problem with larger Dolby Atmos soundbars is that they're designed with more space in mind. They want to bounce the sound off your ceiling and walls for better surround sound. That doesn't work quite so well when the walls and ceilings are much closer together.
The speakers inside the Ray face forwards, so you don't have to worry about Dolby Atmos bouncing the sound around. It's not quite as impressive as more expensive and larger models, but it's perfect for diminutive spaces.
Watching movies is loads of fun with the Ray. The bass is great for explosions in action movies, and dialogue is clear. It's plenty big enough if you're not sitting too far away. It's even upgradeable: You can buy a Sonos Sub mini for extra low-end, and add in some Sonos surrounds (Era 100 would work well) for some extra surround sound.
It's not the biggest, and it's not the most impressive soundbar — but the Sonos Ray is perfect for smaller rooms and apartments.
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