The Sonos Era 300 is the latest smart speaker from the company that pioneered wireless multiroom audio. It is also the first speaker from Sonos that supports spatial audio and Dolby Atmos, promising to deliver a 3D sound experience that goes beyond stereo. Imagine listening to your favourite songs and feeling like you are in the middle of a live concert, surrounded by instruments and vocals that come from every direction. Does it live up to the hype, or is it too ahead of its time? We put it to the test to find out.
Price
The Sonos Era 300 has a high price tag of S$749, which makes it one of the more expensive smart speakers on the market. It is also more expensive than the Sonos Five, which is the company’s flagship stereo speaker. However, it is cheaper than some of the premium wireless speakers from other brands.
Specifications
The Sonos Era 300 has a distinctive design that sets it apart from other Sonos speakers. It has a rectangular shape with rounded corners and a fabric mesh covering the front and sides. The top and bottom are made of plastic, with a rubberised base that prevents it from sliding. The speaker measures 22.6 x 15 x 15 cm and weighs 3 kg, making it slightly smaller and lighter than the Sonos Five.
The speaker has six drivers: two woofers, two tweeters, and two up-firing speakers. The up-firing speakers are angled at 45 degrees to reflect sound off the ceiling, creating a sense of height and depth. The side-firing speakers are also angled to create a wider soundstage that fills the room. The speaker supports Dolby Atmos decoding, which means it can play spatial audio tracks that have metadata for object-based sound placement.
The speaker has four touch-sensitive buttons on the top: play/pause, volume up/down, and microphone mute. There is also an LED indicator that shows the status of the speaker and the microphone. The speaker has a USB-C port on the back for power, and an optional 3.5mm line-in adapter for connecting external sources. The speaker also supports Bluetooth audio streaming, which is rare for Sonos speakers.
The speaker has a wireless range of up to 30 metres and can connect to your home Wi-Fi network using 2.4GHz or 5GHz bands. The speaker also supports Trueplay tuning, which automatically adjusts the sound based on the acoustics of your room.
Features
The speaker can be controlled with the Sonos app, which lets you adjust settings, group speakers, access music services, and more. The speaker also works with the Amazon Alexa voice assistant, as well as AirPlay 2 for streaming from Apple devices. The speaker can also play Apple Music’s spatial library, as well as Amazon Music (not available in Singapore).
With the Sonos app, yYou can access the TrueplayTM tuning technology which analyzes the acoustics of your space and optimizes the speaker’s EQ. It does this by firing sound waves from the two up-firing speakers that will bounce around the room to identify the layout of the space and then adjust its EQ accordingly.
The speaker also has some smart features that make it more convenient and enjoyable to use. For example, you can use voice commands to control playback, adjust volume, skip tracks, and more. You can also use gestures to control the speaker by waving your hand over it. For example, you can wave left or right to skip tracks, wave up or down to adjust volume, or wave forward or backward to play or pause.
Sound quality
The Sonos Era 300 is designed to deliver a spatial audio experience that immerses you in the music. When playing Dolby Atmos tracks, the speaker creates a 3D soundstage that can make you feel like you are in the middle of the action. The sound quality is impressive, with powerful bass, detailed highs, and excellent clarity. Combine this with the TrueplayTM tuning, and you are in for a very special treat.
The speaker also has some limitations when it comes to spatial audio. First of all, not all music services support it, and the selection of tracks is still limited. But there are more shows and music coming out that are supporting spatial audio such as John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum on Netflix. Just look out for the spatial audio logo to know if the feature is supported.
Also, the effectiveness of spatial audio depends on the shape and size of your room, as well as the placement of the speaker.
If you are looking for a smart speaker that can deliver a stunning spatial audio experience with Dolby Atmos support, the Sonos Era 300 might be worth checking out.
Experience
From my experience with the Sonos Era 300, it is probably my favorite way to listen to watch shows from now on. They were not kidding about putting you right in the action of the show (so long it has spatial audio). I could hear everything happening around me, from gun shots that sound like they are way off into the distance on my right, screams of panicking civilians running from left to right behind me all while the action, punches and gun shots are happening right in front of me.
As for listening to music, if you’re into 3D audio and surround sound then this is the right speaker for you. If not, the clarity of the sound is not as great as a stereo speaker as it trades out that quality for a more immersive experience. Which I don’t mind a lot as music is usually in the background of whatever I do.
Your experience may differ but as for me I like to be immersed in my entertainment, especially when it comes to non-competitive gaming. It was amazing to play the Last of Us with the Sonos Era 300 blasting. Without the confines of my closed back headset, I felt more free and my head doesn’t feel like a slowly boiling egg.
Verdict
The Sonos Era 300 is a great speaker for spatial audio enthusiasts who want to experience Dolby Atmos music in a new way. It is also a good option for home theatre fans who want to upgrade their Sonos Arc soundbar. The speaker definitely has a unique design and also has a high price tag of S$749, which might be hard to justify for some people.
If you are looking for a smart speaker that can deliver a stunning spatial audio experience with Dolby Atmos support, the Sonos Era 300 might be worth checking out.
The speaker is available in two colours: black and white.
You can buy it from TC Acoustic or Shopee.
Sonos Era 300 Review
Stars
4.5/5
Great entry into the spatial audio market without completely destroying your wallet. Works best with the rest of the Sonos sound system for the ultimate immersive experience.
