Sonos, the wireless home audio specialist, is launching a cheaper model of its popular TV soundtracks along with its own new voice control system for its smart speakers after its public crash with Google.
Ray’s new soundbar is a more compact version of Sonos’ popular Arc and Beam models, designed to fit neatly on TV stands without affecting sound quality. It connects to a TV via an optical cable, has wifi for streaming music and can be controlled with the Sonos app or a TV remote.
Ray will cost £ 279 in the UK or $ 279 in the US from June 7, being under £ 449 Beam as the company’s most affordable model.
Ray will be available in black or white and has buttons at the top to control volume and playback without a remote or app. Photo: Sonos
It has two speakers and two mid-range speakers, along with the company’s intelligent Trueplay tuning system, promising balanced sound with solid bass and crisp dialogue. The separate speech enhancement modes and night sound modes aim to keep things clear without disturbing neighbors with high volume.
Ray can be connected to other Sonos speakers and subwoofer to create a surround sound setting and grouped with speakers in other music rooms throughout the house. It also supports Apple’s AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect for direct playback.
Voice control without Google or Alexa
The new Sonos voice system will be able to take control of the company’s intelligent music playback responsibilities, replacing Google’s Assistant or Amazon’s Alexa. It corresponds to “Hey Sonos” and in the United States is voiced by Breaking Bad actor Giancarlo Esposito.
Sonos’ new voice recognition system can control music playback without relying on Google or Amazon. Photo: Sonos
Voice control will be available as a free update, allowing users to search for songs, skip songs, adjust volume and move music between speakers or rooms. All requests will be processed locally on the speakers, making it faster and more personal than Google or Amazon services, as no audio or transcripts will be sent or stored in the cloud.
Sonos voice control will be available in the United States on June 1 and in France later this year, followed by the United Kingdom. It will initially work with Sonos Radio, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer and Pandora, with services such as Spotify coming later.
Announcement of Sonos’ own voice assistant follows its recent victory in a lawsuit against Google over patents for audio technology, after the speaker manufacturer accused Google and Amazon [paywall] to use its intellectual property while undermining it with competing devices.
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