Got mine this afternoon. My fiancee usually gets annoyed when I spend ridiculous amounts of money on speakers, but she's in love with my 300, and for that, I give this a 10/10-😅
I was skeptical of Dolby Atmos until I bought the new airpods pro 2 and started using apple music. Wow. There has been dozens of times where a songs background noise legit made me turn around. It is so incredibly cool, especially when they remaster older albums using atmos as it makes you feel like youre in the room with some of the most famous bands of all time. I own a single Sonos 5 and use it for streaming and hooked up to a turntable. I love it, but being able to have spatial audio at all times at home sounds crazy cool
For anyone interested here are my first impressions using a pair of Era300’s and Era100’s… The Era300’s are an easy sell for me if you are going to use them in a Sonos Home Theatre configuration. My immediate reaction to replacing Play5 rear speakers with Era300’s was how much better integrated they sound with the ARC sound bar. I come from a high end HiFi and cinema background but love Sonos for their fun club like room solutions and convenience around the home without speaker wires. Sound bars always sound like the sound is coming at me horizontally. Due to their design and often low down placement they never sound great to me for music. However with the Era300’s as rears it feels like the Sonos cinema sound stage is more cohesive front to back of the room. In this scenario the more horizontal 3D soundstage doesn’t bother me as it’s more like a well integrated 360 experience. Play Ed Sheeran’s ATMOS recordings and the sound stage is far better integrated than using Play5’s in a cinema configuration. It makes me feel like the Era300’s are what was missing from the Sonos home cinema package since the ARC was first released. Era300’s just compliment the ARC so much better than the Play5’s. To my ears they are the first truly well integrated rear speakers for Sonos home theatre. If I listen to the Era300’s as a stereo pair by themselves, then I am again hearing a more horizontal 3D sound stage a bit like turning the Play5’s horizontally instead of a more HiFi like soundstage when you listen to the Play5’s positioned vertically. So this is why some people may not like listening to Era300’s for music only. It’s not stereo HiFi, it’s just different. You’ll either like to get used to it or you won’t. Personally I am not a fan of the Era300’s in a stereo pair. I (currently at least) prefer a traditional stereo soundstage from a quality HiFi setup. But I think they are very good paired with the ARC in cinema configuration. IMO the Era100’s are NOT an upgrade from the One speaker. They are just different and depending on the environment you place them in, your preference to listen to Era100’s or One’s may differ. I had no wow factor comparing a stereo pair of Era100’s with a pair of One’s. It’s not like the sound stage was considerably deeper or more natural, which I was disappointed with for a slightly larger speaker/driver design. I expect a pair of “Move” speakers in stereo mode, will blow the Era100’s away. I can hear the Era100’s are a little richer than One’s because their sound profile is not as scooped. There is a richer midrange, but that may or may not be preferred by you, because the soundstage can be thicker to it’s detriment. For example when I tested in an open plan kitchen/diner, I thought ok I hear a difference but it’s not “better” as such, it’s just slightly different and not worth replacing One’s for in my opinion. Then I compared the Era100’s and One’s in my bedroom where the Era100’s thicker midrange was not as relaxing to listen to in that smaller space, despite my bedroom still being a decent size. It’s not a box room by any means. I used Advanced TruePlay during these listening tests and tried adjusting EQ, but I still preferred the sound signature of the One’s in my bedroom. So I think the more scooped sound profile in the One’s works better in smaller spaces where you want to reduce any bloated/flubby bass. The Era100’s are arguably preferable in a larger space due to the richer midrange. It’s not really HiFi rich to me, which means it can thicken in a marginal muddy manner. At no point did I feel a wow factor like I did swapping out Play5’s for Era300’s in a cinema configuration. I suspect in time there will be a group of customers who prefer the traditional One’s to the new Era100’s and there will remain a good market for the One’s because their sound profile turns out to be more desirable to some people in smaller environment use cases. Have fun testing for yourselves and finding your own preferences within your own homes. Cheers everyone.
Agree on the Era 300 in surround pair, works great with soundbar. But worth pointing out that you then lose the Bluetooth functionality in this set up, which is a bit of a downside. And the speakers themselves are much bulkier than surround 1s.
@Daniel Pauley I have the arc with sl1's and sub. I usually have them off and it still sound like they are on with the arc. But sl1 work really good and I'm sure way cheaper. I went with arc because I got an 80inch TV both mounted on the wall. The sub also has a wall mount wish I had, the sub barely vibrates when it's thumping, weird.
“Nothing like I’ve heard before” is right. I’ve had mine a few days and am stunned by the sounds coming out of this little wonder. It’s pricey but absolutely worth every penny…
The used sonos one market is going to explore with the Era’s. If you are getting Sonos for first time but have a small living space, go for used Ones - you’d grab a bargain for sure
i recommend using headphones to get a much better understanding of the live sound. Great content, think I will be adding this to my list of sound products to buy
Imagine if Sonos let us buy 4 Era speakers and set them up in 4 corners of the room, like the Sony H9 combo. That would make it great for playing all Dolby Atmos music + movie.
Hi I will receive mines in a few days. Before ordering them , I was reading/whatching a ton of reviews : you have been the only one pointing out that they haven't Sonosnet onboard. Congratulations !
Hello from Canada! Great review as always. I am heavily into the SONOS eco system and drool over the 300s. I would love it if SONOS would allow these to be front channel speakers for TV and not just rears. I get why, but I am sure we all have a scenario where a pair of these would greatly improve a TV watching experience while being a stereo pair for music first.
I’ve heard of using the arc, 2 play fives, and the 300s as surrounds. You have to set up the fives as stereo and then connect them to the main ecosystem and it should work. Heard of another guy doing that and he loves it
I didn't notice Spotify was this behind in Dolby Atmos sound and I would love to experience the difference between Dolby Atmos and the "regular" sound in person. When Spotify adds support for it it'll be my next speaker I guess!
Just switch music services.. Apple Music offers Lossless AND Dolby Atmos at no extra cost while Spotify has only been talking about it and I doubt it’ll be a free add on. Or find a trial or even just try it for a month, no sure why you have to wait when we have this now
Very good explanation. Purchased a pair this weekend & I love the audio. Thanks for the clarity, the Era 300s are not part of Sonos Net. Somehow, I missed that. I did notice they were not showing up as a part of my boost.
Glad to see Sonos bringing back the class that the sonos 3 was in, definately. Can't wait to see an era 500, if that's gonna be a thing. Awesome review as always! Here's a tip, why not commission someone on fiver or otherwise, to mix a custom atmos sample track for your channel? Not sure if that's an option but :P
Had a demo of these. You get the effect but I won't be changing my Sony HT-A9 system anytime soon. The 4 spatial speakers just give way more atmosphere.
I have one Era 300 paired with a beam 2 and sub mini in my bedroom and it’s fantastic. I have the Era set up as a rear and I’m planning on adding one more.
Speaking of ruffling feathers in the audio market - how do you think a pair of Era 300s would compare to the KEF LSX 2? Curious if these would be the way to go rather than a stereo pair of fives or KEF's. Great review.
If they had added Bluetooth sooner I might have bought into Sonos as I like to take a few speakers to the summer house and the WiFi is weak out there. So I in the end went with Harmon Kardon citation which is very similar to how Sonos works but with Google assistant and the option to stream music via both WiFi and Bluetooth
Fingers crossed for an Era 500! I’d prefer it be a sound bar speaker crossover. Something that can be used as a soundbar but you could also move from room to room if need be….
The design is controversial. However, I actually like it. I'm not a fan of the sideways logo, though. With that being said, I own many Sonos products and I'll just say that they are exceptionally well made. Super easy to setup & use, too!
I'm using mine with a gen 2 sub and sonos arc. The stand is coming this week so i can place them begind my couch. Right now they are in odd locations. Found two open box deals at best buy was able to save a few bucks.
I scrapped my entire home audio 5.1 system for the ARC, when it came out. My only casualty was losing the ability to play vinyl records. Now, a couple patient years later, I am so excited to reconnect my turntable and be able to hear music through my ARC and 300 at the same time! BONUS QUESTIONS: If I have two rear 300's and connect a turntable to one of them, will the music come out of my ARC and both 300's? How about if I add a Sub mini? If I have only one 300 and place it behind me, do you think the ATMOS effect will come across at all?
@@Yowzoe I started with one Era 300 and played records every day and loved it. Eventually upgraded to two + a sub mini and didn't realize the line-in would get disabled! Broke me heart after breaking my wallet! Apparently, I need to now save up for a Port. Really wish a software update could unlock the line-in usage, tho.
HELP: I previously had the arc connected with two Sonos ones and the sound was great but I was sold on the Dolby atmos of the era 300s so I bought these. After setup, true play tuning, and messing with every setting I could read online for maximum sound I’m noticing the era 300s only fire sound out of the side speakers that are facing away from the set viewing spot. I put my ear against the speakers and it almost sounds like that part of the speakers is the only one that is firing sound. It makes for a less than ideal immersion and I even prefer my ones over this. I’ve set the music playback between full and ambient, turned surround audio up and down, and messed with EQ settings and nothing.. tried all kinds of content including Apple Music in spatial audio and normal, tv, movies, TH-cam test clips. It’s all the same. At this point I’d rather have two era 100s and a sub for just a few hundred more. I feel like these speakers would be better without the arc.
I was thinking of a way to use the eras as tv speakers, the only solution that came to mind was with an Apple TV, just share the audio by airplay to your era stereo pair and done.
They performed very well for both movies & music, you won't be disappointed. Before you add them as rears, try them as a dedicated stereo pair as we were very impressed.
@@smarthomesounds this would be a great option in the sonos app ui. It always annoyed me having to separate rear sonos ones and move to another room for music when friends were over. I would like to be able to toggle using just 2 300s for music and then use the whole setup for movies
@@mudstuff Are you sure you aren't able to do this? Can you move Era 300s from a home theater (surround) grouping back and forth to an all-house music grouping when you're doing one or the other? In this review 15:25 and others it's been said or implied that you have to designate (permanently?) them to either one or the other -- how can this be? Can't I just open the Sonos app and toggle to re-group them on the fly?
Wait have I heard correctly? if I am watching youtube on my tablet, I can connect to the ERA 300 via bluetooth and from there have all my sonos device playing the sound of my youtube (via wifi) ?? Is that the case? Because that would be the game changer feature for me. Can anyone test this pelase?
Is there a chance you could compare 2xE300 +Beam against an apple TV connected via eARC + 2x homepods? I expect the Sonos to be superior but it would be cool to see if it’s worth twice the price
Maybe it is just me, but the hype around Sonos reminds me a lot of Bose in the 80's and 90's. That is, they are OK, but people buy them primarily for reasons other than how they sound.
Era 300s are okay as a pair, not so as standalone speaker. Goodness me. And when you use these paired with your arc and you wanted to listen to your turntable with era 300s alone, its painstaking trying to navigate these through their app. Ughhhgg, im on the edge of returning these. 😵💫
So, I’m definitely going Era for my surround sound setup with a Arc and Sub. Now the only question remains, is it worth forking out the extra cash for the 300’s.
Wow wow. I just received my ERA300 to go with the ARC and Sub Gen 2. Amazing!!! I then tuned into my Brilliant Home 2 Panel which has Sonos Music and I played some musics No No No It’s Insane with a volume at 12 people at volume at 12. Worth every dollar spent. Now I’m selling my pair of Sonos ones with the floor stands..😂Lol I
I live in a one bedroom apartment. Aka my living room is not huge. 77” tv with an Arc (no sub). Would 2 era 300’s suffice from a bass perspective? Or is it recommended I get a sub mini over 2 era 300’s?
When listening to an atmos track what would be better to enjoy immersion - going to a room with a single era 300 or going to a room with beam (gen 2) + sub + 2x one surrounds? Thanks
Got an arc and looking to put a pair of these behind the couch. When people say theres a distinction between "music" and "movies" isnt it just the best of both worlds? When I'm watching a movie the rears/surround will be great and when Im walking around the room the music should be equally as good? Either way sounds like a solid setup, just wanted to double check my thinking is right here.
Only you can decide in your own home. What sounds good for one application doesn't necessarily sound great for another. A lot is just personal preference. Try/buy with a good returns policy to figure out what works for you in you own home.
@@djt6546 yeah I mean its a square enough living room. In theory it shouldnt matter if the ERA 300's are on one side of the room or the other. Definitely going to grab a pair and see how they sound.
Thank you for the Bluetooth review and covered the laptop setup. Mine will get delivered this week, and has been debating how to connect this with my Mac. Is the BT connection reliable, and no lags for zoom calls? Or better to use USB C to audio in?
Could you discuss more in a future video about Era 100 and Era 300 pairs for use with the desktop computer, especially after the connector arrives? I have always wanted to use Sonos speakers with my computer and it looks like the time has come. Of course, it would be awesome if we could have full Sonos surround set-ups with the Sub for the computer (maybe with a direct USB-C connection?).
Sadly, forget it bro. Unless something has changed with the Eras, the line-in lag which I guess you would use for connecting to the PC is just unbearable for anything other than plain listening to music.
You can but the process would be a bit cumbersome. You would have to unpair and re-pair from the HT setup every time you want to use them in standalone stereo mode, and of course you would need to (or should) re-run TruePlay every time it gets added to the HT (or even as stereo pair). So yes it can be done but are you willing to go through all of that every time you switch?
Just set "Music Playback" in the rear channel settings as "Full" for music instead of ambient. With the older none Era300 speakers I would tweak volume bias to back speakers for music playback, but the Era300's integrate so well with the ARC sound bar, I feel as though they are a missing link in the Sonos cinema setup. I'm not fussed about the Era300's as standalone music speakers. I hear them shine in the Sonos cinema setting.
I’m looking to get a Sonos speaker for my garage for working out in there. I’m not in the Sonos ecosystem so I kind of dont know what to expect. but I want full sound and I’m torn about getting the era 300 or the five (also because the price point is so close between the 2). My wifi can be a little spotty in the garage and my ceiling are at least 20 ft tall. I hope the put the era 300 or five at costco haha
Try buying both on a credit card when your monthly billing rolls over, test at home to see which you prefer and return what you don't want. Also if you are happy to let the money really go out of your bank account when your month end billing comes around, if you buy directly from Sonos, (in the UK at least) you have 100 days testing and free return policy. Have fun trying them out.
So I avoided getting a $30 Sonos USB-C line adaptor by using my USB-A external soundcard plugged into a USB-A hub with USB-C connector. Had them both lying around. Works fine for me with my cassette deck, turntable and minidisc. (Edit: btw the stereo jack has to be plugged into the mic input, not the line input of the usb soundcard for whatever reason.)
The Era300's excel as rears. I don't think anyone will argue that. Personally I was really pleased with mine today as a step up (maybe even game changer) with my ARC. I felt like Sonos should have brought them out the same time as their Atmos capable sound bars. But there will be some (including me) that aren't so fussed about music through Era300's outside of the cinema configuration. The spatial thing kinda works but not always so nice depending on the music, whereas a good stereo pair of speakers sound good regardless. It a personal preference thing rather than trying to determine if one setup is better than another.
Would you recommend adding an Era 300 to an Arc + Sub Mini in the same room and grouping them together for music? The Arc & Mini are already good but would the improvement justify the cost of the Era 300??
Great video, I have ordered two of the Era 300s to replace my Sonos One SLs as surround speakers with my Arc. Can I ask when you have them as surrounds, do the bass drivers work as well as the arc bass drivers, reason I ask is I did not buy the sub as I live in a semi detached house and the arc’s bass is enough on its own, but it would be nice of the era 300s bass drivers work as well when watching a film?
I recently bought a Beam gen 2. Do you think it would be ok to get only one of these to add to my setup, for games and movies, or should i wait and save up for a pair? Thank you !
14:30 Why do you have the Era 300s not facing the couch? By facing them towards the TV you're not getting the front driver or upward driver towards the listener.
What about backing tracks and music on youtube? Did i understand it correctly that these will not be supported in terms of quality sound that Sonos provide via other channels (eg. Apple music)?
15:25 Please help me understand something: why can't I move Era 300s from a home theater (surround) grouping back and forth to my all-house music grouping when I'm doing one or the other. What am I missing here? In this review and others it's been said that you have to designate (permanently?) them to either one or the other -- how can this be? Can't I just open the Sonos app and re-group them on the fly?
Would u recommend era 300s at ear level or 12 inches over ear level? I currently have them wall mounted about 12 inches above ear level due to couch against the wall. Should I leave them or move them down to ear level?
Hello! I was wondering if it is possible to split the audio out of a turntable into a Sonos era 300 and an old stereo/sub combo that has an audio in. I’m looking to fill the space with a bit more bass while also having atmos options
I have my HomePods stereo pair, and this is where I get all my TV sound from. Is it possible to add a Sonos Era 300 as a back speaker and play sound both from Apple TV with the 3 speakers (my two HomePods + 1 sonos) at the same time for movies / music?
I have sonos 1s on a bedside table either side of the bed. I can imagine this is a setup a large number of people have for their bedrooms. Can you do a 'bed test' as in how it sounds in stereo pair from the side?
I have just bought 2 Sonos Era 300 to add to my Sonos Arc + Sub replacing 2 Play:3 as rears. I need some advice about the stands. How tall are the original Sonos stands for Era 300 from to base to base (ie excluding the speaker itself)? My couch + pillows are 83/84cm tall and the ear level is about 94cm. I am thinking whether I should go for the Sanus stands which are 82cm tall (+ speaker height) or the Sonos ones (not clear how tall but probably 96cm + speaker). Which one would be best?
Got mine this afternoon. My fiancee usually gets annoyed when I spend ridiculous amounts of money on speakers, but she's in love with my 300, and for that, I give this a 10/10-😅
Did you buy a stereo pair?
@Xu no, but upon hearing just how 1 sounds, we are to have to get another!
@@CDPA7 is there any workaround to connect a pair to a TV?
I'll show this to my wife and see if that convinces her that an upgrade is a good idea!!!....... not that it will stop me upgrading.
@81 Springbrook I'm not sure I'm probably the last person as I use all my audio gear for music exclusively. Apologies for my pathetic answer!
I was skeptical of Dolby Atmos until I bought the new airpods pro 2 and started using apple music. Wow. There has been dozens of times where a songs background noise legit made me turn around. It is so incredibly cool, especially when they remaster older albums using atmos as it makes you feel like youre in the room with some of the most famous bands of all time. I own a single Sonos 5 and use it for streaming and hooked up to a turntable. I love it, but being able to have spatial audio at all times at home sounds crazy cool
For anyone interested here are my first impressions using a pair of Era300’s and Era100’s…
The Era300’s are an easy sell for me if you are going to use them in a Sonos Home Theatre configuration. My immediate reaction to replacing Play5 rear speakers with Era300’s was how much better integrated they sound with the ARC sound bar. I come from a high end HiFi and cinema background but love Sonos for their fun club like room solutions and convenience around the home without speaker wires.
Sound bars always sound like the sound is coming at me horizontally. Due to their design and often low down placement they never sound great to me for music. However with the Era300’s as rears it feels like the Sonos cinema sound stage is more cohesive front to back of the room. In this scenario the more horizontal 3D soundstage doesn’t bother me as it’s more like a well integrated 360 experience. Play Ed Sheeran’s ATMOS recordings and the sound stage is far better integrated than using Play5’s in a cinema configuration. It makes me feel like the Era300’s are what was missing from the Sonos home cinema package since the ARC was first released. Era300’s just compliment the ARC so much better than the Play5’s. To my ears they are the first truly well integrated rear speakers for Sonos home theatre.
If I listen to the Era300’s as a stereo pair by themselves, then I am again hearing a more horizontal 3D sound stage a bit like turning the Play5’s horizontally instead of a more HiFi like soundstage when you listen to the Play5’s positioned vertically. So this is why some people may not like listening to Era300’s for music only. It’s not stereo HiFi, it’s just different. You’ll either like to get used to it or you won’t. Personally I am not a fan of the Era300’s in a stereo pair. I (currently at least) prefer a traditional stereo soundstage from a quality HiFi setup. But I think they are very good paired with the ARC in cinema configuration.
IMO the Era100’s are NOT an upgrade from the One speaker. They are just different and depending on the environment you place them in, your preference to listen to Era100’s or One’s may differ. I had no wow factor comparing a stereo pair of Era100’s with a pair of One’s. It’s not like the sound stage was considerably deeper or more natural, which I was disappointed with for a slightly larger speaker/driver design. I expect a pair of “Move” speakers in stereo mode, will blow the Era100’s away. I can hear the Era100’s are a little richer than One’s because their sound profile is not as scooped. There is a richer midrange, but that may or may not be preferred by you, because the soundstage can be thicker to it’s detriment. For example when I tested in an open plan kitchen/diner, I thought ok I hear a difference but it’s not “better” as such, it’s just slightly different and not worth replacing One’s for in my opinion. Then I compared the Era100’s and One’s in my bedroom where the Era100’s thicker midrange was not as relaxing to listen to in that smaller space, despite my bedroom still being a decent size. It’s not a box room by any means. I used Advanced TruePlay during these listening tests and tried adjusting EQ, but I still preferred the sound signature of the One’s in my bedroom. So I think the more scooped sound profile in the One’s works better in smaller spaces where you want to reduce any bloated/flubby bass. The Era100’s are arguably preferable in a larger space due to the richer midrange. It’s not really HiFi rich to me, which means it can thicken in a marginal muddy manner. At no point did I feel a wow factor like I did swapping out Play5’s for Era300’s in a cinema configuration. I suspect in time there will be a group of customers who prefer the traditional One’s to the new Era100’s and there will remain a good market for the One’s because their sound profile turns out to be more desirable to some people in smaller environment use cases. Have fun testing for yourselves and finding your own preferences within your own homes. Cheers everyone.
If you are listening to Ed Sheeran... just stop it 😂
Agree on the Era 300 in surround pair, works great with soundbar. But worth pointing out that you then lose the Bluetooth functionality in this set up, which is a bit of a downside. And the speakers themselves are much bulkier than surround 1s.
Thank u
Do you feel the era 3oo’s with the beam next Gen 2 would be any good? Or is it better with the arc?
@Daniel Pauley I have the arc with sl1's and sub. I usually have them off and it still sound like they are on with the arc. But sl1 work really good and I'm sure way cheaper. I went with arc because I got an 80inch TV both mounted on the wall. The sub also has a wall mount wish I had, the sub barely vibrates when it's thumping, weird.
“Nothing like I’ve heard before” is right. I’ve had mine a few days and am stunned by the sounds coming out of this little wonder. It’s pricey but absolutely worth every penny…
Thanks for sharing, and good to hear you are enjoying it 🎯
Been waiting for this!!
Receiving back to back notifications about this speaker
Looking forward to the 7.2.4 set up review. Currently have the arc, one sub and two era300 7.1.4 set up and it is amazing. Gret review!
The used sonos one market is going to explore with the Era’s. If you are getting Sonos for first time but have a small living space, go for used Ones - you’d grab a bargain for sure
Mine just arrived today! Excited to set them up as soon as I’m home 😍
Enjoy testing them out 👍🏻 let us know what you think 👀
Thank you. The first person to talk about a paired Sonos Era 300 setup for music experience. Pleased to hear (or will do soon) that you love it!
Of course they love them, they sell them in their store. Smart Home Sounds is an authorised Sonos retailer. Hardly not going to love them 😂
Will be getting the whole setup for my future movie room so excited!
i recommend using headphones to get a much better understanding of the live sound. Great content, think I will be adding this to my list of sound products to buy
Imagine if Sonos let us buy 4 Era speakers and set them up in 4 corners of the room, like the Sony H9 combo. That would make it great for playing all Dolby Atmos music + movie.
Exactly what we are thinking too :-)
Unfortunately Sonos will not *let you* do what you want.
@@urulooke with enough peoples asking for it, Sonos will change. Look what happened to Bluetooth, Sonos include it now into the Era100-300.
@@urulookenor do apple would for homepods
Hi I will receive mines in a few days. Before ordering them , I was reading/whatching a ton of reviews : you have been the only one pointing out that they haven't Sonosnet onboard. Congratulations !
Hello from Canada! Great review as always. I am heavily into the SONOS eco system and drool over the 300s. I would love it if SONOS would allow these to be front channel speakers for TV and not just rears. I get why, but I am sure we all have a scenario where a pair of these would greatly improve a TV watching experience while being a stereo pair for music first.
Actually it can. Connect it thru bluetooth with your tv.
I’ve heard of using the arc, 2 play fives, and the 300s as surrounds. You have to set up the fives as stereo and then connect them to the main ecosystem and it should work. Heard of another guy doing that and he loves it
I love my Sonos pair of fives to listen to home theater and music as well. They are totally awesome.!
Great review, can’t wait to see the surround vid coming soon
I didn't notice Spotify was this behind in Dolby Atmos sound and I would love to experience the difference between Dolby Atmos and the "regular" sound in person. When Spotify adds support for it it'll be my next speaker I guess!
Just switch music services.. Apple Music offers Lossless AND Dolby Atmos at no extra cost while Spotify has only been talking about it and I doubt it’ll be a free add on. Or find a trial or even just try it for a month, no sure why you have to wait when we have this now
Love this review.
Sounds amazing even through TH-cam
I always listen to Peter Pee and you guys when it comes to Sonos products
Very good explanation. Purchased a pair this weekend & I love the audio. Thanks for the clarity, the Era 300s are not part of Sonos Net. Somehow, I missed that. I did notice they were not showing up as a part of my boost.
Very good audio/video review channel! Probably my favorite one.Keep up with the great job!
Thank you so much for this! Love the Sonos set up comparison
Glad to see Sonos bringing back the class that the sonos 3 was in, definately. Can't wait to see an era 500, if that's gonna be a thing. Awesome review as always!
Here's a tip, why not commission someone on fiver or otherwise, to mix a custom atmos sample track for your channel? Not sure if that's an option but :P
Good idea, but if I’m not mistaken TH-cam doesn’t support such audio formats. A link in the description to a hosted file would work!
@@Janus1000 That would honesty be ideal.
I'm gonna wait for the era 500s too
Had a demo of these. You get the effect but I won't be changing my Sony HT-A9 system anytime soon. The 4 spatial speakers just give way more atmosphere.
Looking forward to your review with the TWO subs! Currently have a pair ERA300 with ARC and only ONE sub. Considering adding the second sub. Thanks.
Wow the vocals are so clear and prominent, even through TH-cam
Great review. Abundance of information here!
Thank you, still lots more to talk about but more to come 🙂
thank you. was impatiently waitin' for this one before makin a buyin decision.
Lookin' forward to more comparison vs Fives vs HomePod 2 etc.
Finally! Been looking forward to this video!
Would love to hear more about the pairing with the beam 2 and sub mini
I have one Era 300 paired with a beam 2 and sub mini in my bedroom and it’s fantastic. I have the Era set up as a rear and I’m planning on adding one more.
A great review. I see an Era 300 (or a stereo pair) in my future.
Thanks Paul, we were seriously impressed with the stereo pair performance.
Speaking of ruffling feathers in the audio market - how do you think a pair of Era 300s would compare to the KEF LSX 2? Curious if these would be the way to go rather than a stereo pair of fives or KEF's. Great review.
Following
Looking forward for the Era 300 rear video!
Pretty damn thoroughly review. Thank you. I'm convinced.
A comparison with the KEF LS II would be wonderful!!! thanks!
If they had added Bluetooth sooner I might have bought into Sonos as I like to take a few speakers to the summer house and the WiFi is weak out there. So I in the end went with Harmon Kardon citation which is very similar to how Sonos works but with Google assistant and the option to stream music via both WiFi and Bluetooth
Fingers crossed for an Era 500! I’d prefer it be a sound bar speaker crossover. Something that can be used as a soundbar but you could also move from room to room if need be….
I have the Beam - is it worth it to have 2 of these as rear surrounds ?? Would have loved to hear more about your experience with that setup
If you have the gen one beam it doesn't support dolby atmost so i'm not sure how that would work
This channel is very elegant. Love it. 👍🏼
Thanks for the feedback!
The design is controversial. However, I actually like it. I'm not a fan of the sideways logo, though.
With that being said, I own many Sonos products and I'll just say that they are exceptionally well made. Super easy to setup & use, too!
I'm using mine with a gen 2 sub and sonos arc. The stand is coming this week so i can place them begind my couch. Right now they are in odd locations. Found two open box deals at best buy was able to save a few bucks.
Good video, get that video for the set up with arc asap lol desperate to know before I buy for the new house 😂
Coming soon! 👀 in the mean time we've made this short to tie you guys over 👉 th-cam.com/users/shortsuUaBY45Ne1c
I scrapped my entire home audio 5.1 system for the ARC, when it came out. My only casualty was losing the ability to play vinyl records. Now, a couple patient years later, I am so excited to reconnect my turntable and be able to hear music through my ARC and 300 at the same time!
BONUS QUESTIONS: If I have two rear 300's and connect a turntable to one of them, will the music come out of my ARC and both 300's? How about if I add a Sub mini? If I have only one 300 and place it behind me, do you think the ATMOS effect will come across at all?
The line-in on the 300s is apparently disabled when they're grouped as rears for a surround with the Arc. What did you do?
@@Yowzoe I started with one Era 300 and played records every day and loved it. Eventually upgraded to two + a sub mini and didn't realize the line-in would get disabled! Broke me heart after breaking my wallet! Apparently, I need to now save up for a Port. Really wish a software update could unlock the line-in usage, tho.
Just listened to it at bestbuys.... it's dam crisp!!! It wow!
HELP: I previously had the arc connected with two Sonos ones and the sound was great but I was sold on the Dolby atmos of the era 300s so I bought these. After setup, true play tuning, and messing with every setting I could read online for maximum sound I’m noticing the era 300s only fire sound out of the side speakers that are facing away from the set viewing spot. I put my ear against the speakers and it almost sounds like that part of the speakers is the only one that is firing sound. It makes for a less than ideal immersion and I even prefer my ones over this. I’ve set the music playback between full and ambient, turned surround audio up and down, and messed with EQ settings and nothing.. tried all kinds of content including Apple Music in spatial audio and normal, tv, movies, TH-cam test clips. It’s all the same. At this point I’d rather have two era 100s and a sub for just a few hundred more.
I feel like these speakers would be better without the arc.
I was thinking of a way to use the eras as tv speakers, the only solution that came to mind was with an Apple TV, just share the audio by airplay to your era stereo pair and done.
Technically this should work, however you will lose out on the Atmos capabilities since Atmos is not supported over AirPlay
great energy and content .... Thanks Guys.
I cannot wait to pair them with my arc/sub! I watch more movies more than I listen to music. How are two 300s for music while paired with the arc/sub?
They performed very well for both movies & music, you won't be disappointed. Before you add them as rears, try them as a dedicated stereo pair as we were very impressed.
1:18 why not? Two line in adapter, a Y-3,5m spit cable put in the headphone port of the TV. Will work, I guess.
@@smarthomesounds this would be a great option in the sonos app ui. It always annoyed me having to separate rear sonos ones and move to another room for music when friends were over. I would like to be able to toggle using just 2 300s for music and then use the whole setup for movies
@@mudstuff Are you sure you aren't able to do this?
Can you move Era 300s from a home theater (surround) grouping back and forth to an all-house music grouping when you're doing one or the other?
In this review 15:25 and others it's been said or implied that you have to designate (permanently?) them to either one or the other -- how can this be? Can't I just open the Sonos app and toggle to re-group them on the fly?
Wait have I heard correctly? if I am watching youtube on my tablet, I can connect to the ERA 300 via bluetooth and from there have all my sonos device playing the sound of my youtube (via wifi) ?? Is that the case? Because that would be the game changer feature for me. Can anyone test this pelase?
Yea that is correct, we tested this and it works great.
Overkill is always the way to go. That way even if you move to a larger space you’re good to go
Is there a chance you could compare 2xE300 +Beam against an apple TV connected via eARC + 2x homepods? I expect the Sonos to be superior but it would be cool to see if it’s worth twice the price
Maybe it is just me, but the hype around Sonos reminds me a lot of Bose in the 80's and 90's. That is, they are OK, but people buy them primarily for reasons other than how they sound.
Era 300s are okay as a pair, not so as standalone speaker. Goodness me. And when you use these paired with your arc and you wanted to listen to your turntable with era 300s alone, its painstaking trying to navigate these through their app. Ughhhgg, im on the edge of returning these. 😵💫
The only review that matters.
Thanks for the support 🙏🏻
So, I’m definitely going Era for my surround sound setup with a Arc and Sub. Now the only question remains, is it worth forking out the extra cash for the 300’s.
**Increased energy efficiency** :) Great review.
Thanks! 😀
Wow wow. I just received my ERA300 to go with the ARC and Sub Gen 2. Amazing!!! I then tuned into my Brilliant Home 2 Panel which has Sonos Music and I played some musics No No No It’s Insane with a volume at 12 people at volume at 12. Worth every dollar spent. Now I’m selling my pair of Sonos ones with the floor stands..😂Lol I
Thanks for sharing. The 300’s truly ads another layer to the listening experience and we love it too.
Can you do a single Era 300 and a sub mini just for music. Or should you do two Era 100s and one sub mini?
I am using Sonos beam gen 2 along with Sonos Submini
Will adding one Era300 enhance the sound quality. My TV is Dolby Atmos supported
I live in a one bedroom apartment. Aka my living room is not huge. 77” tv with an Arc (no sub). Would 2 era 300’s suffice from a bass perspective? Or is it recommended I get a sub mini over 2 era 300’s?
When listening to an atmos track what would be better to enjoy immersion - going to a room with a single era 300 or going to a room with beam (gen 2) + sub + 2x one surrounds? Thanks
Congrats for the production, looks great!
I wanted to know: Can I use them as MacBook speakers for TH-cam/Spotify and editing or nope? Thanks!
Yes why not
Yes, that is possible. Latency ism not an issue.
Got an arc and looking to put a pair of these behind the couch. When people say theres a distinction between "music" and "movies" isnt it just the best of both worlds? When I'm watching a movie the rears/surround will be great and when Im walking around the room the music should be equally as good?
Either way sounds like a solid setup, just wanted to double check my thinking is right here.
Only you can decide in your own home. What sounds good for one application doesn't necessarily sound great for another. A lot is just personal preference. Try/buy with a good returns policy to figure out what works for you in you own home.
@@djt6546 yeah I mean its a square enough living room. In theory it shouldnt matter if the ERA 300's are on one side of the room or the other. Definitely going to grab a pair and see how they sound.
Thank you for the Bluetooth review and covered the laptop setup. Mine will get delivered this week, and has been debating how to connect this with my Mac.
Is the BT connection reliable, and no lags for zoom calls? Or better to use USB C to audio in?
Big gamer and thinking of doing the arch, sub, and the 300. How well does these run with gaming?
6:42 Soundsheavenly has Usb-dongle adapter for Sonos Era 300 👌
Hopeing for a comparison between homepod pair and era 100 pair and homepod single and era 300 in Atmos and stereo
Could you discuss more in a future video about Era 100 and Era 300 pairs for use with the desktop computer, especially after the connector arrives? I have always wanted to use Sonos speakers with my computer and it looks like the time has come. Of course, it would be awesome if we could have full Sonos surround set-ups with the Sub for the computer (maybe with a direct USB-C connection?).
Sadly, forget it bro. Unless something has changed with the Eras, the line-in lag which I guess you would use for connecting to the PC is just unbearable for anything other than plain listening to music.
@@dvnsix I don't know. We don't know. Whether something has changed. That's why I'm asking.
I think the Ray is the best option for computer use. That's my plan at least, once I'm done getting my living room fitted with an Arc setup.
Can you use the 300’s for surrounds and then choose them as a stereo pair for music?
You can but the process would be a bit cumbersome. You would have to unpair and re-pair from the HT setup every time you want to use them in standalone stereo mode, and of course you would need to (or should) re-run TruePlay every time it gets added to the HT (or even as stereo pair). So yes it can be done but are you willing to go through all of that every time you switch?
Just set "Music Playback" in the rear channel settings as "Full" for music instead of ambient. With the older none Era300 speakers I would tweak volume bias to back speakers for music playback, but the Era300's integrate so well with the ARC sound bar, I feel as though they are a missing link in the Sonos cinema setup. I'm not fussed about the Era300's as standalone music speakers. I hear them shine in the Sonos cinema setting.
Hi. Can Bluetooth works with stereo pair? Possible for Bluetooth connection with stereo pair + submini?
Great review. How does the era 300 and drive paired together sound? Can you get the best of both in that setup? Cheers.
Can you guys do a break down on how to do Apple Music Dolby atmos music after they do the update on the 28th
Thanks for the comment, hopefully, it should automatically work but stay tuned to our community tab for more when we test this tomorrow.
I’m looking to get a Sonos speaker for my garage for working out in there. I’m not in the Sonos ecosystem so I kind of dont know what to expect. but I want full sound and I’m torn about getting the era 300 or the five (also because the price point is so close between the 2).
My wifi can be a little spotty in the garage and my ceiling are at least 20 ft tall.
I hope the put the era 300 or five at costco haha
Try buying both on a credit card when your monthly billing rolls over, test at home to see which you prefer and return what you don't want. Also if you are happy to let the money really go out of your bank account when your month end billing comes around, if you buy directly from Sonos, (in the UK at least) you have 100 days testing and free return policy. Have fun trying them out.
I purchased a pair of 300s to use as rear surrounds with the Arc. Did I make a mistake buying 300s for surrounds?
The normal USB dongles has a digital to analogue converter, but the Sonos USB dongle has an analogue to digital converter.
So I avoided getting a $30 Sonos USB-C line adaptor by using my USB-A external soundcard plugged into a USB-A hub with USB-C connector. Had them both lying around. Works fine for me with my cassette deck, turntable and minidisc. (Edit: btw the stereo jack has to be plugged into the mic input, not the line input of the usb soundcard for whatever reason.)
Thanks for sharing 👍
Sonos should enable the HDMI e-arc via the usb c input,
Great video, very complete !!!
But can you link one Sonos era 300 to the Tv vía ARC or line in to the Tv or something like that ?
Would you recommend upgrading two Sonos One SL surrounds for two Sonos Era 300's?
The Era300's excel as rears. I don't think anyone will argue that. Personally I was really pleased with mine today as a step up (maybe even game changer) with my ARC. I felt like Sonos should have brought them out the same time as their Atmos capable sound bars. But there will be some (including me) that aren't so fussed about music through Era300's outside of the cinema configuration. The spatial thing kinda works but not always so nice depending on the music, whereas a good stereo pair of speakers sound good regardless. It a personal preference thing rather than trying to determine if one setup is better than another.
Would you recommend adding an Era 300 to an Arc + Sub Mini in the same room and grouping them together for music? The Arc & Mini are already good but would the improvement justify the cost of the Era 300??
Great video, I have ordered two of the Era 300s to replace my Sonos One SLs as surround speakers with my Arc. Can I ask when you have them as surrounds, do the bass drivers work as well as the arc bass drivers, reason I ask is I did not buy the sub as I live in a semi detached house and the arc’s bass is enough on its own, but it would be nice of the era 300s bass drivers work as well when watching a film?
Awesome in-depth review! Looking forward to the comparison with Apple HomePod
Coming Sunday.
Thanks for the heads up! Are there enough interests to do a direct comparison between era 300 and Sonos 5?
Excellent review
Hello! It isn't clear for me whats up with connection 3,5? Only sonos connector suits or any with type c/3,5?
So to listen Dolby atmos it doesn’t work on Apple Music with Bluetooth? Needs to be with cable or with the Sonos app ?
You can use them as tv speakers! With Apple TV or TVs supporting AirPlay.
Got mine and I just watched John Wick with the Era 300 with my arc and sub and it sounds amazing
I recently bought a Beam gen 2. Do you think it would be ok to get only one of these to add to my setup, for games and movies, or should i wait and save up for a pair?
Thank you !
I'm going to buy these to be used as outdoor speakers mounted in the sofit. If the bass isn't sufficient then I'll add a spare sub gen 3 that I have
SHS can you also review Era 300s with a BeamGen2 and Sub mini ^__^=
14:30 Why do you have the Era 300s not facing the couch? By facing them towards the TV you're not getting the front driver or upward driver towards the listener.
What about backing tracks and music on youtube? Did i understand it correctly that these will not be supported in terms of quality sound that Sonos provide via other channels (eg. Apple music)?
15:25 Please help me understand something: why can't I move Era 300s from a home theater (surround) grouping back and forth to my all-house music grouping when I'm doing one or the other. What am I missing here?
In this review and others it's been said that you have to designate (permanently?) them to either one or the other -- how can this be? Can't I just open the Sonos app and re-group them on the fly?
Would u recommend era 300s at ear level or 12 inches over ear level? I currently have them wall mounted about 12 inches above ear level due to couch against the wall. Should I leave them or move them down to ear level?
Hello! I was wondering if it is possible to split the audio out of a turntable into a Sonos era 300 and an old stereo/sub combo that has an audio in. I’m looking to fill the space with a bit more bass while also having atmos options
Wonder why they kept the logo sideways? You would never turn it up right like that.
Maybe to keep it right side up?
Otherwise I’d imagine someone out there set the word on the bottom..
It looks a thousand times better in my opinion. I've had a roam & more for a while now and the logo is very monder in comparison.
I have my HomePods stereo pair, and this is where I get all my TV sound from. Is it possible to add a Sonos Era 300 as a back speaker and play sound both from Apple TV with the 3 speakers (my two HomePods + 1 sonos) at the same time for movies / music?
Great video!! - what stands are used for era 300?
Thanks for the valuabe insights!!
I have sonos 1s on a bedside table either side of the bed. I can imagine this is a setup a large number of people have for their bedrooms.
Can you do a 'bed test' as in how it sounds in stereo pair from the side?
I have just bought 2 Sonos Era 300 to add to my Sonos Arc + Sub replacing 2 Play:3 as rears. I need some advice about the stands.
How tall are the original Sonos stands for Era 300 from to base to base (ie excluding the speaker itself)? My couch + pillows are 83/84cm tall and the ear level is about 94cm.
I am thinking whether I should go for the Sanus stands which are 82cm tall (+ speaker height) or the Sonos ones (not clear how tall but probably 96cm + speaker).
Which one would be best?
Would you ever consider putting one in each corner of a large rectangular room with high ceilings?