TCL S45H vs Sonos Ray
Get the Sonos Ray. Unless you want to spend as little as possible: the TCL S45H costs about half as much.
TCL S45H
A simple, cheap stereo bar that's louder and clearer than TV speakers, but thin on bass.
Sonos Ray
A small, cheap bar that makes TV voices far clearer. No HDMI, no Atmos and not much deep bass.
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Both are small stereo bars without a sub, so neither has deep bass. The Ray makes voices crisper and handles music better, and it works with AirPlay and other Sonos speakers. The S45H is louder than TV speakers and has HDMI eARC, but its sound is uneven.
- —Clear voices matter most.
- —You also play music on it.
- —You have other Sonos speakers.
What verified owners report
Only reviews from checked buyers count, and every 1–3 star review is read by us. How we do this
Most owners say it sounds clear and is a big step up from TV speakers for the price. Some found it thin, with little bass, or awkward to connect.
- ✓Clear sound, a big step up from TV speakers
- ✓Great value for the money
- ✓Easy to set up: plug into HDMI eARC and go
- −Sounds thin, with little bass, or not loud enough
- −Confusing to connect, especially to other TV brands or Alexa
Owners love the big sound from a small, neat bar. The most common complaints are a fiddly setup and TV remotes that can't control its volume.
- ✓Great sound for its size
- ✓Compact, neat design
- ✓Easy to set up
- −Hard to set up or connect to Wi-Fi
- −TV remote won't control the volume
Key differences
Pros and cons
- +Louder and clearer than TV speakers
- +Room correction and EQ
- +Small and cheap
- −Thin bass, even with the bass turned up.
- −Atmos and surround are downmixed to stereo.
- −Voices are clear but a little uneven.
- −The sound is barely wider than the bar.
- +Much clearer TV dialogue
- +Small enough for any TV stand
- +Good with music over AirPlay
- −Optical only, so no HDMI control and no Atmos.
- −Bluetooth or RF TV remotes won't control it directly.
- −Little deep bass on its own.
- −No Bluetooth and no voice assistant.
Ready to choose?
- Is the TCL S45H worth it?
- Is the Sonos Ray worth it?
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How we reached this verdict
We compared independent expert reviews with the manufacturer's specifications, then checked it's sold at a major retailer where you live. We don't test products ourselves.
Sources: RTINGS, What Hi-Fi, What Hi-Fi, manufacturer specifications.
Owner reports for the TCL S45H: 66 verified buyer ratings at Target (US) and Otto (Germany), read October 2026.
Owner reports for the Sonos Ray: 209 verified buyer ratings at Currys and Otto (Germany), read October 2026.