Which is better for a small bedroom TV?

The Sonos Ray. It is much smaller and lighter, and its dialogue focus suits close listening. The Yamaha is about 36 inches wide, which is a lot of bar for a bedroom.

Which sounds better for movies?

The Yamaha SR-B20A gives more bass and virtual surround from DTS Virtual:X, which suits action and games. The Ray is cleaner on speech but stays stereo and has no surround processing.

Do I need HDMI on my TV?

Only for the Yamaha's ARC features. If your TV has optical output, both bars work; the Ray is optical-only, and the Yamaha falls back to optical with its own remote.

Which is easier to set up?

The Yamaha, with one HDMI cable and TV-remote volume. The Ray needs the Sonos app, and some owners report app freezes and IR remote learning.

Is the Sonos Ray worth stepping up to from the Yamaha?

Only if you want Sonos multiroom, AirPlay 2 and Trueplay. For TV sound alone, the Yamaha offers more connections and formats for less fuss.

Can I add a subwoofer or rear speakers?

The Ray can take a Sonos Sub and compatible surrounds. The Yamaha SR-B20A is a fixed single bar with no subwoofer output or surround add-ons.

Sonos Ray Soundbar vs Yamaha SR-B20A Soundbar

Buy the Yamaha SR-B20A for a TV-first setup: it has HDMI ARC, so the TV remote controls volume, plus Bluetooth, DTS Virtual:X and built-in subwoofers for more bass. Buy the Sonos Ray if you want a small bar that joins a Sonos multiroom system with AirPlay 2 and Trueplay tuning. The Ray is the more compact, better-finished unit and owners praise its speech clarity, but it is optical-only, has no Bluetooth and needs the app for setup. The Yamaha is wider and plainer in build, yet it is the easier, more flexible bar for most living rooms.

Choose the Sonos Ray if you want a compact bar for a bedroom or small room and you already use, or plan to use, Sonos multiroom and AirPlay 2.
Choose the Yamaha SR-B20A if you want one HDMI cable, TV-remote volume, Bluetooth streaming and virtual surround from a single bar.

Prices

Sonos Ray Soundbar: $189.95 at eBay (last seen Nov 9)
Yamaha SR-B20A Soundbar: $219.95 at Walmart (checked today)
Difference: the Sonos Ray Soundbar is $30.00 cheaper than the Yamaha SR-B20A Soundbar at the latest prices (Nov 9 and Nov 12)

	Sonos Ray Soundbar	Yamaha SR-B20A Soundbar
TV connection	Optical only, no HDMI port	HDMI ARC plus two optical inputs
TV remote volume	Learns IR commands through the Sonos app	Works over HDMI CEC with compatible TVs
Bluetooth	None	Bluetooth 5.0 with SBC and AAC, two-device switching
Surround formats	Dolby Digital, stereo	Dolby Digital, DTS Digital Surround, DTS Virtual:X, Dolby Pro Logic II
Bass	Two tweeters and two midwoofers with a bass-reflex port; adequate at low to mid volume	Built-in subwoofers with Bass Extension
Room tuning	Trueplay tuning with a compatible iOS device	No automatic calibration
Multiroom and streaming	Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2, Sonos app, joins Sonos systems	No Wi-Fi, no multiroom; app is a remote only
Size and build	About 1.95 kg, compact polycarbonate cabinet	About 7 lb and 35.8 in wide, wall-mountable with keyholes

Spec	Sonos Ray Soundbar	Yamaha SR-B20A Soundbar
Bluetooth	No	Yes
Wi-Fi	Yes	No
Style	Soundbar Only	Bookshelf, Wall Mount
Max Wattage	NA (RMS Power)	120 W
Color	Black	Black, White
Height	2.79	5.3 in
Width	22	35.9 in wide
Smart control	Alexa	Alexa
Sound technology	Dolby Digital	DTS:X
Output mode	Surround	Surround
Features	Built-in Equalizer	App-Controlled, With Subwoofer
Peak audio power handling	150 W	27 W

Spec	Sonos Ray Soundbar	Yamaha SR-B20A Soundbar
Brand	Sonos	Yamaha
Rms power rating	180 W	30 W
Configuration	2.0	2 Channel
Wireless	Wi-Fi	Yes
Length	22 in	35.88 in
Assembled product weight	4.29 lb	9.15 lb
Thickness	4 in	5.13 in
Power type	Corded Electric	Corded Electric
Speaker config.	1.0	2.0
Connections

Sonos Ray Soundbar vs Yamaha SR-B20A Soundbar

Prices

Sonos Ray Soundbar vs Yamaha SR-B20A Soundbar

Prices

Yamaha SR-B20A Soundbar

What separates them

Price history

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