The goal of the Sonos Era series is to introduce a new generation of the company’s speakers. I’ve had the Era 300 for more than a year, and I’ve tested a number of Sonos speakers. I was instantly astounded by its audio capabilities; the sound blasts out and fills the entire space. The Era 300 will sound like something new if you’re used to speakers that just blare music at you like a cannon. This is because the Sonos Era series is designed to emphasize spatial audio. For a company that makes home audio more smooth and user-friendly, it’s a positive step.
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Sonos Era 300
Sonos Era 300
- Good audio quality
- Easy set-up process
- Smart-home compatibility
- Pricey
- Difficult application
The Sonos Era 300’s rectangular shape and sharp lines give it an odd appearance. This is how the Era 300 appears if you were to knock an hourglass over on its side. Additionally, the device’s back is large and occupies a significant amount of space. For me, the size and shape were worth the compromise because of the outstanding sound quality, even though it would seem like a disadvantage to others. With six drivers pointing in all directions, the Era 300 helps create a surround sound experience by bouncing sound about your living area. What formerly required three or five different speakers is now neatly contained within a single device. The Era 300 lacks conventional controls, so you’ll have to rely on a touch bar to turn up the volume, skip and rewind music, and engage a voice assistant like Amazon Alexa or Sonos control. Voice commands, Bluetooth, and USB-C are also supported by the Sonos Era 300. For a personalized home audio experience, you can choose bundle options that include additional Sonos speakers or soundbars, however a single Era 300 speaker starts at $449.
What we like
One of the Miles Davis songs included a bass line that extended to the speaker’s right and left. A tremendous crack from a cymbal echoed and shook from the top of the speaker to the right, then to the left, until being completely engulfed by the sound of Davis’ trumpet as the piano took center stage. Another time I played a Paul McCartney song during a listening session. McCartney’s voice would ramble around the front of the speaker, with a fuzzy guitar leaping from the rear of the mix to the front. Soon, as the guitar and bass fought for attention in the front of the mix, the backup band could be heard on the top of the speakers. All of this is to say that each song I performed was an experience. I think spatial audio is the reason why tracks you’ve heard on other speakers simply don’t compare.
An audio technical trick is spatial audio. Even though you are only seeing one speaker, your brain and ears are being tricked into believing that there are speakers all throughout the room. In order to create a 3D listening illusion, Sonos analyzes the acoustics of the area when you set up your device and bounces sound off the walls. Spatial audio therefore aims to make you feel surrounded by sound rather than as though the music is simply blasting at you. And when it functions properly, it’s a beautiful experience that gives music a new and interesting sense. Playing a well-known song will cause the spatial audio to pick up on a subtle guitar lick or percussion sound that you haven’t heard previously. There were many times when I was left wondering how much of my favorite music I might have missed due to lackluster audio experiences. I also have to note that I was testing the speakers while listening to music on Apple Music, which supports spatial audio. Other services such as Amazon Music and Tidal support spatial audio but are unavailable on Spotify. Of course, the Sonos Era 300 still supports general stereo mixes available on any streaming platform. But this speaker shines when I ve used the spatial audio feature.
Something to note
While spatial audio is the standout feature for the Sonos Era 300, some albums still don t support the feature. That means many albums you play might not provide the full experience you might expect from the Era 300. I also found that some spatial audio mixes were hit-and-miss. Some felt all-consuming and overengineered instead of a seamless, enjoyable listening experience.
I have also had numerous issues with the Sonos app. There are times when it simply won t play a song or disconnects me from my Apple Music account. Sonos has even released a public apology because of how much the recent app update has upset their customers. While the issues happen sporadically, it s still something to be aware of.
Other products to consider
Sonos Arc
Sonos Arc
- Powerful multi-direction audio
- Smart connectivity
- Dolby Atmos support
- Pricey
- Not as bassy as a subwoofer
The Sonos Arc offers three front-facing drivers and two that fire upwards to add a third dimension to your television s sound. Essentially you would have sound bouncing off your ceiling to create a more immersive sound. You can also connect the Arc to your Sonos Era 300, which is part of what makes Sonos so appealing as a brand. It s also aided by Dolby Atmos support and Sonos incredible reputation for audio fidelity, whether blasting through an action movie or drawing out the instrumental soundtrack on a thoughtful documentary. Just note that it doesn t come with a subwoofer for the price, which means you ll lose that bassy punch that other subwoofer-included soundbars might have.
Final Verdict
The Sonos Era 300 is a wonderful speaker with a powerful sound and is fine-tuned for spatial audio, which is when it truly comes alive. Despite issues with the Sonos app and some funky spatial audio mixes, I still love my Era 300 after a year of using it daily. If you like the idea of spatial audio and have other Sonos speakers and how to upgrade your home audio setup, this is a step forward from older Sonos models.
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Why trust NBC Select?
I am a commerce editor for NBC Select who writes and edits stories on various topics including tech, fitness, home and more. I used my years of commerce expertise and tech coverage for this article to review the Sonos Era 300 speaker.
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