Best Sonos speakers (2026): Soundbar, headphones, Dolby Atmos, and more

I’ve tested every major Sonos product, from the old Play:1 and Play:5 to the newer Era 100 and Era 300 speakers and the flagship Arc Ultra speakers. Aside from recent app issues, my experience over the years has always been very positive. Here are my favorite aspects of Sonos:

Simple setup, lots of options: The Sonos app walks you through the process of setting up a new system or adding speakers to an existing system. Some Google Assistant speakers offer similar setup and features, but assembling them isn’t easy. My favorite Sonos competitor is Wiim, which offers similarly intuitive products, but only two standalone speakers (testing to come). Wiim focuses more on streaming amplifiers like the Wiim Amp Pro to connect traditional speakers. Sonos has many product models for different use cases, from speakers to headphones.

Easy flow: The Sonos app supports almost every major streaming service, and Sonos devices support in-app services like Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect for live streaming. Sonos speakers like the Arc Ultra provide great support for your home theater, while also letting you stream TV audio to other speakers around the house, or as part of a surround sound system.

Internal voice control: Sonos once offered support for both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, but the brand has dropped Google support in newer speakers like the Era 100, Era 300, and Sonos Arc Ultra. Instead, Sonos has added its own in-house voice assistant, Sonos Voice Control (SVC), voiced by actor Ginacarlo Esposito. Aside from strong performance, SVC provides better privacy protection. SVC adopts multiple measures to protect your privacy, including using AI data instead of customer data and local processing that does not reach the cloud.

High-level sound and build quality: All of the Sonos speakers I tested sounded above average, and most sounded truly excellent. This is no coincidence, as the brand has always had a deep focus on sound quality, and things have only gotten better with the latest Era speakers. I toured Sonos’s Santa Barbara, CA, facility before the release of the Eras, and was impressed by the company’s commitment to improving sound architecture, as well as using more replaceable parts (like screws instead of glue) so that its speakers are more repairable than most competitors. Sonos speakers are built to last and sound good while doing it.