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Sonos Playbar Automatic Soundbar

Last updated: October 28, 2021


Sonos is a respected name in soundbars and the Playbar is an impressive unit. You'll get great sound, but perhaps the best thing about the Playbar is its easy connectivity to the other speakers in the line, making it a breeze to set up surround sound.

Sonos Playbar Automatic Soundbar
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We looked at the top Soundbars and dug through the reviews from some of the most popular review sites. Through this analysis, we've determined the best Soundbar you should buy.

Sonos Playbar - The Mountable Sound Bar for TV, Movies, Music, and More - Black
1,983 Reviews

Sonos Playbar - The Mountable Sound Bar for TV, Movies, Music, and More - Black
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$369.32

Product Details

Key Takeaway: Easy to connect to other speakers, so you can start listening right away.

In our analysis of 56 expert reviews, the Sonos Playbar Automatic Soundbar placed 10th when we looked at the top 17 products in the category. For the full ranking, see below.

From The Manufacturer

PLAYBAR´s nine–speaker design floods your home with huge waves of epic, full–theater sound for TV, Web, Movies and Video Games. It is also a stand–alone all–in–one Sonos player that allows you to wirelessly stream all the music on earth—your iTunes library, your favorite music services, and thousands of Internet radio stations, shows and podcasts.PLAYBAR connects to your TV using a single optical cable and power cord and plays everything that is connected to your TV, from cable boxes to gaming consoles. Connect PLAYBAR or BRIDGE to your wireless router and link all Sonos players wirelessly with one touch. NOTE: To get started, you must wire either one player or BRIDGE to your home network using a standard Ethernet cable.

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Expert Reviews


What reviewers liked

One bit of cleverness we unequivocally like, though we weren't able to test it, is that as well as adding the Sonos Sub to bolster the bottom end, you can also add two Sonos Play:3 speakers behind you wirelessly, giving you a decent crack at 5.1 surround sound. (Play:5s don't work.)
- Tech Radar
This functionality could arguably have been implemented more easily with an Arc-enabled HDMI port, which can pass on remote-style commands.
- Trusted Reviews
This sound bar doubles as an Alexa smart speaker.
- Top Ten Reviews
The Sonos Playbar integrates the company's best-in-class digital music software into a thoughtfully designed sound bar. It's dead simple to set up and works seamlessly with other Sonos products, and can even be expanded to a true wireless 5.1 system by adding the Sonos Sub and two Play:3 speakers. The Playbar itself also does an excellent job with virtual surround effects, making it sound like you have more speakers than you actually do.
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With more mid-woofers, it delivers deep bass and has more balance and depth than the Beam or Playbase. It's also built to hang on a wall, but at just over 3-inches tall and 5-inches thick, it can also sit in front of most TVs without hassle.
- Wired
The Playbar is compatible only with TVs with optical digital audio outputs. The Playbar is just 3.3 inches tall, so it can be placed beneath most TVs without blocking the screen or IR sensor, and the speaker can be rotated horizontally for wall mounting, with a sensor that recognizes the speaker's orientation and adjusts the sound output accordingly.
- Consumer Reports
Produces crisp, clear sound with its perfectly engineered interior components – 9 amplified drivers, 3 high range tweeters, and 6 mid-woofers balance sound precisely. Sonos app makes it easy to stream sound throughout your home.
- BestReviews
This model is a great soundbar for your TV that also happens to be a part of the Sonos ecosystem.
- New York Times Wirecutter

What reviewers didn't like

There is no remote in the box and requires particular TVs.
- Tech Radar
However, it fails to deliver low bass and sub-bass sound.
- Trusted Reviews
The bass response is lacking compared to sound bars that come with a subwoofer.
- Top Ten Reviews
The Playbar's heavily processed sound won't please purists. It's also expensive and there are considerably better-sounding alternatives in its price range. Many buyers would be fine with cheaper AirPlay or Bluetooth alternatives.
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It is very expensive
- Wired
This is pricey and it doesn't have its own remote.
- Consumer Reports
Expensive. Reports of difficulties switching from the soundbar to regular TV sound. A bit difficult to pair to non-Sonos equipment. Requires internet connection to activate many of its features.
- BestReviews
This is a bit costly compared to other soundbars
- New York Times Wirecutter

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View our Soundbar buying guide for in-depth advice and recommendations.

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