Sonos Era 300 overview (Image: SONOS)
If you might be after massive sound from a compact speaker then this one booming sensible speaker.
Sonos has ushered in a brand new period of audio system and so they actually sound thrilling. You can learn our full Era 100 review right here however if you happen to're after one thing with heaps extra oomph then its larger brother undoubtedly matches the invoice. The new Era 300 affords some fairly epic audio that is able to filling rooms with immersive, loud and crystal-clear sound. That's all due to the inclusion of know-how corresponding to Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos which makes it seem as if the music is hitting your ears from all instructions.
Thanks to a brand new design, the Era 300 does all this with out being too massive, brash or dominating within the room. In truth, as soon as positioned on a shelf you hardly discover it is even there.
When we first noticed the refreshed concave design we weren't large followers however the styling has undoubtedly grown on us and it seems to be much more trendy than the ageing Sonos Play 5.
Set-up can be a breeze, the easy controls on the highest make it simple to vary tracks and we actually like the brand new sunken quantity Touch Bar which runs throughout the highest of the speaker.
Other extras embody Bluetooth connectivity plus there's now a USB-C port on the again which makes it easy to plug in exterior gadgets corresponding to turntables.
This is a mighty music maker but it surely does come at a value. In truth, these wanting one might want to fork out a whopping £449 to personal it.
There's additionally no entry to the Google Assistant (solely Amazon's Alexa) which is an actual disgrace, plus you may want to purchase extra dongles (round £20) to make use of that helpful USB-C port on the rear case to attach any wired audio gear.
It's additionally price noting that a variety of music from standard streaming companies is not suitable with Spatial Audio or Dolby Atmos so you will not all the time get the easiest out of this speaker. That's not the fault of Sonos although and issues are positive to enhance sooner or later.
Despite these slight niggles it is exhausting to fault the Era 300 and in case you are after massive sound from a compact speaker then this one booming sensible speaker.
Unlike the Era 100, which is ready to switch the Sonos One when inventory runs out, the Era 300 is not taking the place of something within the present Sonos lineup. This is a completely new speaker that sits slap-bang in the course of new Era 100 and older Play 5.
It affords a brand new look, new options and extra eco-friendly design that Sonos guarantees is totally repairable.
So, must you make investments over £400 of your hard-earned money within the Era 300? Here's our full overview.
Sonos Era 300 overview (Image: SONOS)
Sonos has honed and refined its set-up course of over time and the Era 300 is a complete breeze to plug in and get the music began. Just elevate it out of its fantastically designed and totally recyclable packaging, pop the plug within the wall, launch the Sonos app and you will have this new speaker added to your system in seconds. All of the annoying heavy lifting is finished for you and anybody with an present Sonos speaker will even discover the Era 300 hyperlinks as much as the Wi-Fi with out having to begin digging round for that ever-forgettable password.
Once it is added to the app you possibly can go away it as a standalone machine or add it to your present system for the total multi-room expertise.
There are additionally different simple methods to beam music to this machine with Apple's AirPlay 2 included and there is now the addition of Bluetooth - that is one thing that has lengthy been missing from the Sonos One and Play 5.
Owners can merely press the Bluetooth connection button on the again and hyperlink any gadgets corresponding to telephones, music gamers, tablets and laptops. It's an necessary change from Sonos and it is positive to be standard with anybody who treats themselves to the Era. Once you are all up and operating you may really discover the 300 matches neatly on any desk, shelf or desk.
When we first set eyes on its concave look we actually weren't satisfied by its distinctive styling. However, throughout our weeks of testing the design had undoubtedly grown on us. In truth, the extra we have used it the extra we prefer it and we now want its form to the extra rectangular Play 5.
Simple contact buttons make it simple to regulate music (Image: SONOS)
The modern design additionally makes positive this machine would not dominate a room and its curved edges soften its look.
You should purchase it in black or white, which is ok however presumably not probably the most thrilling of color schemes - it is a disgrace Sonos hasn't added a gray or one thing brighter to the gathering however perhaps extra kinds can be added at a later date.
Hopefully, this machine will final for years on finish however, ought to something go improper, you may discover issues a lot simpler to repair. This is a promise from the US audio agency is making in a giant to spice up its eco credentials. We've not tried to drag it aside so we'll need to take their phrase on this for now.
The ultimate factor to say in regards to the Era 300 is the brand new management panel on the highest. Sonos has included the standard play, pause and voice assistant buttons however has added a sunken quantity bar which runs throughout the machine. It's a very nice addition and makes whacking the amount as much as 11 quick and simple as you merely swipe to extend or scale back the facility.
There's little to complain about in relation to set-up, connection, and aesthetics and that is one other triumph for the Sonos design workforce.
The Era 300 is suitable with Spatial Audio tech (Image: SONOS)
Tucked below its shell is a severely spectacular array of audio system which assist it produce some critical audio. Somehow Sonos has managed to pack six class-D digital amplifiers, 4 tweeters and two woofers contained in the 300 and it actually does sound impressively good.
Pump up the amount and you will get a elegant listening expertise with music sounding extremely detailed, wealthy and booming with simply the correct amount of bass.
Nothing ever sounds muddled and you may hear clear vocals together with every pluck of a guitar string and delicate faucet of the cymbal.
Another bonus of the Era 300 is that it is totally suitable with Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio which makes issues sound way more immersive. Spatial Audio offers artists the chance to create immersive audio experiences for his or her followers with true multidimensional sound and readability. This principally makes the sound seems to hit your ears from all instructions making issues sound way more true-to-life and interesting.
It's a pleasant addition however there's one slight subject as a lot of tracks discovered on streaming platforms aren't suitable with this know-how.
That means you will not all the time get the easiest out of the Era 300 - though that is clearly not the fault of Sonos.
If you already personal the cheaper Sonos One speaker you may be effectively used to barking orders on the Google and Amazon Alexa good assistants. Having each of those helpful digital helpers on one speaker is a superb characteristic however we've dangerous news if you happen to purchase the Era 300.
Google is gone from this machine which is a large blow for anybody who makes use of companies and different merchandise from the US know-how large.
Although Alexa is sweet, there are issues that Google merely does higher - corresponding to discovering cellphone numbers and getting instructions - and people shopping for the Era 300 will now miss out. It's additionally not nice for anybody with a house filled with Google-made Nest gadgets as these cannot be managed by way of the Era 300 both.
Whether Google will return sooner or later stays to be seen however proper now it is simply Alexa and the brand new Sonos Assistant which might be accessible on this machine.
How the Era 300 compares to the brand new Era 100 (Image: SONOS)
Sonos has included its normal Wi-Fi connectivity together with AirPlay 2 on the Era 300.
However, there's now the addition of Bluetooth plus there's additionally the flexibility to plug exterior gadgets, corresponding to turntables, proper into the rear of the speaker by way of a USB-C port.
It's one other good increase that basically units the Era 300 aside from different gadgets such because the Sonos One and Sonos Five. The solely niggle is that you simply want an adapter to make one of these playback attainable and that prices one other £19.
Considering the Era 300 already prices over £400, we will not assist feeling that is a giant stingy and certainly one might have been packed contained in the field.
Some would possibly say that leaving it out is a transfer aimed toward reducing down on digital waste however others would possibly suppose it is a sneaky manner for Sonos to make a bit of additional money.
Either manner, if you wish to plug in by way of USB you are going to want so as to add that dongle to your on-line purchasing basket.
The Era 300 sounds fairly epic (Image: SONOS)
Sonos package has by no means been low cost and do not anticipate any bargains when heading to your native tech retailer because the Era 300 is fairly dear. This speaker prices a whopping £449 which makes it a critical funding. It additionally price noting that, proper now, you should buy the soon-to-be-discontinued Sonos One for simply £169 by way of the best Sonos deals. Do the sums and you may quickly see that you can take supply of a trio of those award-winning gadgets for a similar value as one Era 300.
Yes, this newest music maker is some huge cash however it's a excellent speaker plus Sonos has now made issues a lot simpler to restore which means house owners ought to get years and years of use out of it.
If you do determine that you really want the most recent speaker from Sonos then the agency does provide the flexibility to pay again by way of instalments (3 months at £83) which actually improves the general affordability.
The Era 300 is a good new addition to the Sonos line up and this speaker actually would not disappoint.
It sounds elegant, is loud sufficient to fill most rooms and the addition of Spatial Audio tech means tracks seem much more immersive.
The up to date contact controls work effectively and the very fact now you can plug in exterior gadgets and join by way of Bluetooth makes the Era 300 much more versatile.
Yes, the value is excessive, Sonos would not provide a USB dongle within the field and there is no Google Assistant - which is fairly annoying.
But this can be a mighty speaker that hits all the precise notes.
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