Verdict
A wireless verbaliser that delivers a fine Dolby Atmos intro , the Sonos Era 300 bear a crisp , decipherable , and balanced speech sound . This is one of the more exciting and interesting movement in the wireless loudspeaker marketplace .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
There have been a few wireless Dolby Atmos speakers to impinge on the market but none might be able to do the immersive audio format justice in the way the Era 300 can .
This is a Dolby Atmos speaker with upfiring Speaker that can function on its own or within a Sonos house cinema system . And though the likes of theEcho StudioandHomePod 2 , you ’d be a soft touch to doubt Sonos ’ expertness in the realm of the wireless loudspeaker system market place
The earned run average 300 has undoubted promise . Can it fulfil its potential ? understand on to find out .
Availability
The Sonos Era 300 has an RRP of $ 449 / £ 449 / € 499 / AUD$749 .
That ’s £ 100 less than the Sonos Five , though that speaker currently deal at the same terms as the Era 300 in several on-line stores .
Design
Adhering to Sonos ’ ‘ Industrial ’ appearing , the Era 300 is one of Sonos ’ more salient talker . It has a concave , hourglass shape that ’s only suit to being positioned on its paunch . On its underside are feet to keep it even out and stable on whichever surface it ’s placed on – tip the speaker unit pointing vertically and it ’ll hold back playing audio entirely .
At 4.46 kg it ’s heavy for a wireless speaker but it ’s not as big as you might carry – its proportions are diminished than the Sonos Five and it weighs less too . color options include matte white and black finish .
Some may find the innovation odd , but I like it . The front of the speaker looks like a efflorescence blooming out , and inside that front section is a waveguide inside to distribute the speech sound out from the utterer . Around its nates are a series of woofer and tweeter to help bring forth the immersive Atmos audio .
At the bottom rear of the speaker unit is a toggle replacement to altogether inactivate the speaker ’s build - in microphones ; or you could use the signature push behind the volume luger to incapacitate any hands - free voice control .
Buttons are along the front plane section with playback , track skipping and a slider for volume . Like theEra 100 , an lead indicator is positioned at the top of the speaker ’s front - facing grill to show its status , and if you desire it can be deactivated within the Sonos app .
There ’s aUSB - Cport to connect products via aux , Lightning adapters or an Ethernet adapter to connect to a router for a hardwired connection . Like its smaller sibling , no adapters are included in the box which is unsatisfying . If similarly priced wireless speaker system such as theBluesound Pulse Mcan save an ocular adapter , why ca n’t Sonos .
This new epoch has resulted in a new access from Sonos in terms of its sustainability . If it gets damaged the new earned run average loudspeaker can be serviced by the client themselves as it ’s easier to break apart .
Features
The addition ofBluetooth 5.0along withAirPlay 2and Spotify Connect couch over Wi - Fi has help make the new Era verbalizer more accessible . Then there ’s Dolby Atmos sound , the immersive target - based audio format that produces a gravid sound than a stereo system band - up can muster .
While Amazon Music , Apple Music , and Tidal keep Atmos sound recording , you may only pipe spacial audio from the first two here . I ’d still say that searching for Atmos in the app could be better . I ’ve had to reckon for it by typecast ‘ Dolby Atmos ’ in the search bar and it while it occur up with heap of results , the notion is that there are more results result unfound .
You ca n’t play Dolby Atmos audio frequency overBluetoothor AirPlay 2 , so the best manner to do so is through the Sonos app .
The Sonos ascendancy app is one of the honorable . The app provides the power to customize options , initiate update , adjust the EQ ( treble , sea bass , and loudness ) , shirk with the height stage setting for the Atmos carrying out and admission music streaming services from the like of Tidal to Pandora andDeezer .
Tucked aside in the Android version of the Sonos app isQuick TuneTrueplay . This does n’t require the use of an iPhone ’s microphone to fine-tune its performance for the space it ’s in .
All that ’s expect is a tap and the utterer ’s onboard mike will evaluate the room ’s acoustics and calibrate the speaker . If you desire to use the more innovative and ( allot to Sonos ) more exact variant of Trueplay then there is the iOS iPhone version .
In the app , you’re able to affiliate the earned run average 300 with a Sonos Sub and you’re able to tie two of them together to form a stereo pair . And as it sport upfiring speaker , there ’s literal Atmos height from the rear surround , and the best configuration to use the Era 300 in would be aSonos Arcand Sub to get a 7.1.4 - channel set - up .
Sonos has tally support for DTS soundtracks but only the most basic one with DTS :X missing from the spec leaning .
For part operation there’sAmazon Alexaand Sonos Voice Control , the latter for control music . Google Assistant is n’t plump for because Google has changed the requirements for third - party devices .
Sonos Voice Control needs to be enabled through the app first , and then you’re able to say “ Hey Sonos ” to play medicine , or specifically take for a song , record album , radio place or track from a compatible streaming Robert William Service . It ’s not compatible Tidal and only seems to work without matter withAmazon Music . If you choose US English ( enable by nonpayment ) or French in the preferences , the spokesperson is none other than Giancarlo Esposito who wreak Gus Frings in Breaking Bad .
Sound Quality
In the Era 100 review I mentioned that the loudspeaker was tuned for a weightier , firm presentation with an vehemence on bass . The Sonos Era 300 is dissimilar , having more in coarse with the discontinuedSonos One SLin delivering a crisper , clearer and defter sound .
Streaming Nick Mulvey ’s Nitrous from Qobuz and it ’s a less bass - lumbering presentation than I feel it to be on the Era 100 . There ’s more insight into the midrange , and tonally it strikes a more natural tone .
It ’s heavy to equate against other speakers at the Era 300 ’s price only as there are n’t many that do what it can do , but perhaps a more verbatim comparison is the Bluesound Pulse M. That verbaliser hit a richer tone of voice with sea bass and midrange , with more brightness in the upper part of the frequency range . Of the two , the Pulse M has a more ‘ hi - fi ’ strait .
The Era 300 ’s approach to describing twofold is furnished with crispness and point , bringing out the piano in Immanuel Wilkin ’s Grace and Mercy . Overall , the proportion is more even across the frequency stove . Bass is big with a track such as Mikhala Jené ’s Black Love , varied and with plenty of profoundness to dip into , giving writing style such as Rap , Hip Hop and R&B more impact .
Trueplay tuning refines the bass part to give it more weight but not at the expense of midrange clarity , and I determine the geological era 300 to be a good listen even at lower volume . La Queen ’s soda - infuse Ser Quien Sos ’ cheerful tempo and energy still bring well when the volume is reduced , but there is more pizzazz and encroachment to be had raise the volume up .
It ’s subject of stereo activeness with wholesale guitar audio in Jon Bon Jovi ’s Without Love , though with stereo music , audio is played within the margins of the locker . With Dolby Atmos subject matter the epoch 300 performs its best trick .
Your predilection for Atmos may differ given the varying level of approaches to it . Some go for separation , other tracks are happy to vocalize large with more depth , and others have some neat breadth and spacial effects . I feel with Atmos music has a looser sense of definition , I can place where the sound is within the soundstage , but it feel divorced from the speaker , escaping its confines and in all case sound bigger .
With Blondie ’s Call Me the most obvious Atmos consequence is the guitar slung out wide and rope back in the track ’s scuttle moment . With Gregory Porter ’s Mona Lisa , the soundstage is well big than the stereo premix : Porter ’s voice sounds with child , and I can discover more of the acoustic of the space he ’s singing in that ’s not present in the stereo mix . There ’s more zing to the swells of the orchestras , along with more vim too .
With Marvin Gaye ’s What ’s Going On the caterpillar track sounds more grand , as if it ’s been opened up . Definition of the instruments are better , the tympan in the track ’s ground is more audible , the crowd noise at the beginning and last of the track takes on a much bigger and cleared presence that in the stereo mix .
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Should you buy it?
The Sonos Era 300 produces an expansive operation with Atmos content with some neat spatial audio tricks . There are n’t many Atmos wireless loudspeaker , but this is a okay example of it .
Tidal Connect is supported but Atmos content from Tidal is n’t yet supported , nor does Sonos Voice Control work with Tidal .
Final Thoughts
The Sonos Era 300 remains a very tempting loudspeaker . It sounds very dependable , and with Atmos content it generates a big , expansive performance that convincingly escapes the utterer ’s dimension , but it is worth the monetary value ?
For Sonos owners I think it is , and that it can pull duties as a environment speaker system will attract to those looking to build a Sonos - centric home plate house hardening - up . There ’s no doubting the expense but when the Sonos Era 300 is good , it is very adept .
Trusted Score
How we test
We test every wireless talker we go over thoroughly over an extended geological period of time . We utilize industriousness standard tests to compare features properly . We ’ll always tell you what we retrieve . We never , ever , take over money to retrospect a product .
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FAQs
Sonos has described the Era 300 as more sustainable , made with post - consumer recycled ( PCR ) plastic , packaged in 100 % sustainably sourced newspaper ( so you may put it into the recycling once unpacked ) , and it ’s been mastermind to reduce power consumption in its sleep mode , so it draws less power when not in use .
