Different classes, so treat this as a step-up-or-not question rather than a head-to-head. The Denon Home 250 ranks #13 of 29 powered desktop speakers by sound quality at $549; the Sonos Play ranks #56 of 178 medium speakers by sound quality at $299.
What the Denon Home 250 does well: A Wi-Fi smart speaker with stereo sound from one cabinet, built in Alexa, AirPlay 2 and HEOS multiroom. It links with other speakers (HEOS multi-room, stereo pair with a second Home 250), which the Sonos Play cannot. Watch for: Trusted Reviews’ own complaints are a slightly disjointed hand-over between the bass and midrange, and a safety-first treble response that avoids sounding harsh at the cost of outright detail.
The Sonos Play is the battery-powered, tougher option. A Wi-Fi and Bluetooth portable with wide stereo sound, a long lasting swappable battery, waterproofing and full Sonos multiroom support. Its battery is rated for 24 hours, while the Denon Home 250 needs an outlet. It is rated IP67, while the Denon Home 250 has no water resistance. The tradeoff: Bass distorts noticeably on bass-heavy tracks at default settings, and the distortion persists even after enabling Trueplay tuning and manually pulling bass back in the app.
Buy the Denon Home 250 at $549 for a powered desktop speaker, or the Sonos Play at $299 for a medium speaker instead.
Want more options? Browse the full Powered Home rankings and Portable Bluetooth rankings.
A Wi-Fi smart speaker with stereo sound from one cabinet, built in Alexa, AirPlay 2 and HEOS multiroom.
A Wi-Fi and Bluetooth portable with wide stereo sound, a long lasting swappable battery, waterproofing and full Sonos multiroom support.
Prices on this page were last checked November 5, 2026 at 10:30 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Denon Home 250 | Sonos Play | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $549.00 each | $299.00 |
| Ranked | #13 of 29 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #56 of 178 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Battery Life | No Battery | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | None | IP67 |
| Party Mode | Yes (HEOS multi-room, stereo pair with a second Home 250) | No |
| Power Input | External AC adapter | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 8.2 lbs (3.7 kg) | 2.9 lbs (1.3 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (2.4/5GHz) | Yes |
| App | Yes (HEOS) | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| EQ | No | No |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| TWS | No | Yes |
| Amplifier Power | 80W (Class D, combined) | - |
| Drivers | 2x 19mm tweeters, 2x 102mm mid-bass drivers, 133mm passive radiator | mid-woofer, 2x angled tweeters |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, USB, 3.5mm aux | - |
| XLR Input | No | - |
| RCA Input | No | - |
| TRS Input | No | - |
| Optical Input | No | - |
| Coaxial Input | No | - |
| USB Input | Yes | - |
| HDMI Input | No | - |
| AES Input | No | - |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 | 5.3 |
| Dimensions | 11.8” x 8.7” x 4.7” (300 x 220 x 120 mm) | 7.6” x 4.4” x 3” (192.3 x 112.5 x 76.7 mm) |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa | Amazon Alexa (Sonos Voice Control also built in) |
| Streaming Services | HEOS app streaming (Spotify, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer, SoundCloud, TuneIn), AirPlay 2 | - |
| Omnidirectional | - | No |
| Digital Aux Input | - | No |
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