How to Elevate Your Entertainment Space with Sonos Surround Speakers

There's nothing better than gathering with friends and family to enjoy a movie marathon or TV binge session. But if your entertainment space features lackluster audio from dinky TV speakers, it can really take away from the experience. Transforming your living room into a private home theater with immersive, cinema-quality sound takes your movie nights to new heights. And that's where Sonos comes in.

Sonos makes it easy to build out a wireless surround sound system tailored to your space. By strategically placing compact speakers and components around your room, you can enjoy ultra-wide, 3D audio that makes you feel like you've left home and stepped right into an IMAX. From crystal clear dialogue to heart-pounding action sequences, a Sonos surround setup delivers it all in riveting detail. But with so many speaker options on the market, constructing your ideal system requires a bit of know-how. Here's your guide to elevating your entertainment space with Sonos surround speakers.

Getting Started with Sonos Surround Sound

Before diving into products, let's cover the basics. Surround sound uses multiple speakers positioned around a listener to recreate a dynamic, multi-dimensional audio environment. Sounds come at you from all directions - left, right, behind, above - just as they would in real life. This provides a far more immersive experience than regular stereo audio from just a left and right speaker. Sonos systems capture the full depth of movie soundtracks and songs for spine-tingling realism you can't find anywhere else.

Constructing your system is Lego-like - start with a core soundbar, then build up by adding components like a subwoofer or rear surrounds. Sonos gear wirelessly pairs together, avoiding messy cables strewn about your space. Their portfolio includes their own speakers along with products that integrate with existing home theater setups. With some thoughtful planning around room size, intended use, and budget, you can craft an entertainment oasis filled with surround sound. Now let's explore Sonos speaker lineups to find your perfect match.

Choosing Your Sonos Soundbar

The foundation of any modern home theater system is a sleek, powerful soundbar. Soundbars pack robust audio tech into slender frames that mount below your flatscreen TV. Sonos makes three different soundbar models - the Ray, Beam (Gen 2), and Arc. While they share high-end features like crystal clear dialogue and rich stereo separation, their audio capabilities differ.

Sonos Arc - Ultra-Wide 3D Sound

The Sonos Arc is the surround sound Holy Grail. As their top-tier offering, it pumps out ultra-wide, cinema-quality audio courtesy of 11 precision drivers including side-firing speakers. Arc supports advanced Dolby Atmos technology which adds height and 3D elements for more enveloping sound. At $899 it's pricey, but delivers an unparalleled listening experience.

Sonos Beam - The Crowd Pleaser

Occupying the middle ground, the compact Sonos Beam punches way above its weight class. It may be 60% smaller than the Arc, but still churns out big, bold TV and movie audio. A center tweeter ensures crisp dialogue while four full-range woofers fill your space with rich sound. Even without Dolby Atmos, Beam creates an expansive sound field. At $449 Beam supplies superb value.

Sonos Ray - Entry-Level Excellence

The brand new Sonos Ray proves you don't need to spend big for audio greatness. At just $279 Ray enhances TV sound well beyond internal speakers. Four drivers inside its slim chassis muster shocking power and clarity. While it lacks Dolby Atmos, Ray still elevates movies, sports, and shows via smart features like speech enhancement. Ray is a stellar way to start your surround journey if you're on a budget.

When selecting your audio anchor, factor in elements like room size, intended use, and costs. Arc is the conscience-free choice if budget isn't a concern. Beam hits the audio sweet spot for most spaces. And Ray offers shocking quality for its compact size. All three support Alexa/Google Assistant for voice controls - a huge perk. Now let's explore surround speaker add-ons.

Adding Rear Surround Speakers

Soundbars provide fuller, clearer audio than regular TV speakers. But you need dedicated surround speakers to complete the 360 immersive audio environment Sonos systems are famous for. Positioned behind your viewing area, surround speakers handle directional sound effects. You'll hear raindrops, car engines, and footsteps all around you - not just from the screen's direction.

Sonos One SL

The Sonos One SL is purpose-built for rear surround duty. A single tweeter and mid-woofer equip it to handle the intricate effects tracks modern movies feature. One SL has a clean, minimalist design that blends into any decor. Each speaker connects wirelessly to your Sonos soundbar to blanket you in sound. At $179 apiece, a pair nicely expands your system without breaking the bank.

Sonos Five

For surround sound on steroids, the premium Sonos Five pushes epic, concert-level audio. Its three woofers and three tweeters combine forces to fill bigger spaces with ease. Bass output nearly doubles the One SL. So Five injects serious power into effects-heavy films. Five costs $499 per speaker - an investment. But with finely-tuned drivers packed inside its sleek frame, it may be worth stretching your budget to afford.

Carefully position surrounds equal distance behind your central viewing spot. Angled toward the sweet spot enhances directionality also. Most Sonos soundbars can pair wirelessly with either One SL or Five models for seamless surround integration. Check your bar's specs to confirm compatibility before purchasing.

Include a Subwoofer for Powerful Bass

Even Sonos soundbars with expanded speaker arrays can't fully reproduce intense low frequencies. The pulse-quickening booms, explosions, and bumps modern blockbusters offer. Adding a dedicated subwoofer solves this by dedicating all its sonic muscle solely to bass. Placing a sub properly pressurizes the air for clean, defined rumble you feel in your chest.

Sonos Sub

The aptly named Sonos Sub delivers earth-shaking bass via a 10" inward-firing driver and amplified cabinet. Weighing in at 36 pounds, this beast unleashes cinema-worthy bass energy into your space. Sub enhances any audio source - music, movies, games - with gripping low-end. Integrating Sub with your Sonos system is a breeze. Just prepare to drop $749.

Sonos Mini Sub

Just as mighty bass can come in small packages. Exhibit A is the Sonos Mini Sub. 30% smaller than Sub, it still pumps out catcher's mitt-softening thumps. Dual passive radiators team up with a 6" driver to fill rooms with commanding bass. While output can't match its big bro, Mini Sub adds satisfying rumble for $699. If headboard-rattling bass isn't necessary, Mini lets you save a bit.

For cleanest bass, place your sub near the front wall midpoint between left and right speakers. Keep it at least 20 inches from walls to prevent muddiness. Pairing only takes a moment - subs automatically integrate with compatible Sonos gear once connected. Using Sonos' Trueplay tuning optimizes bass response for your room too.

Delivering Truly Cinema-Style Sound

Combining Sonos' WiFi-slinging speakers gives you granular control to construct a surround sound system tailored to your space. Start with a Beam or Arc soundbar up front as your dialog/effects anchor. Flank it with Ones or Fives as rears to bathe in directional sound. Add the Sub or Sub Mini to feel each explosion, punch, and kick drum hit reverberate through your body.

Together these components coalesce to recreate the immersive sound fields heard in real movie theaters and concert venues. If your centerpiece is the Arc soundbar, you unlock the dimension-expanding perks of Dolby Atmos also. Height and 3D audio elements that make helicopters fly overhead, rainfall envelope the room, and more.

Beyond their home theater lineup, Sonos systems keep expanding. Amp [links extra speakers, while Port pipes TV audio around. Combine these tools with Sonos' embrace of streaming music services, and you have all the makings of whole-home audio bliss.

Getting the Most Out of Your Surround Sound System

Now your Sonos entertainment system is fully assembled and sounding amazing. But mastering a few tips and tricks unlocks its full potential. Like making sure you're streaming music in highest fidelity. custom tailoring its sound to your tastes. And calibrating levels properly for the content you watch most.

Stream HiFi Music

Sonos gear sounds outstanding with movie audio thanks to Dolby decoding tech inside. For music, improved quality streaming squeezes every last drop of detail out of songs. Services like Amazon Music HD, Tidal, and Qobuz offer high-resolution streaming up to 24-bit/192kHz quality. Far beyond compressed streams like Spotify. Sonos systems handle HiFi services gracefully - your songs will sound studio-quality.

EQ Your Audio

Everyone has unique hearing traits and sonic preferences. While Sonos strives for neutral sound out of the box, their free EQ lets you customize response to your taste. Add brilliance to music, boost dialogue clarity for movies, or dial up bass - it's your system, tuned exactly how you like.

Calibrate Levels

Sonos Trueplay uses your mobile device's mic to analyze room acoustics, then tunes speaker output accordingly. But only your ears can gauge proper volume balance between surrounds, sub, and soundbar for your go-tos. The Sonos app makes independent volume tweaks a cinch. Set levels how you prefer so audio pops perfectly each time you watch or listen.

Grouping multiple Sonos devices to play in party mode, or stereo pairing two for wider sound are just bonus perks. However you use your system, it's sure to take your home audio experience to new heights.

Elevating your living room, bedroom, or media room with Sonos surround sound creates a magical entertainment oasis at home. Movies and music become more emotional and memorable when heard in immersive audio that fills every dimension. Their speakers disappear discreetly into your space while astounding with cinema-grade performance. With some planning around your budget, room setup, and audio preferences, that phenomenal listening experience is within reach.

Just don't fall victim to buyer's remorse and overspend on speakers. Start with a setup that fits your current space even if it's just two Sonos Ones. You can always expand down the road. With pieces working in harmony, Sonos delivers wireless surround sound that makes every movie night feel like an exclusive screening and concert combined.