Sonos Era 300 review: A mind-blowing audio experience

The Sonos Era series is meant to usher in a new generation of speakers for the brand. I’ve tested multiple Sonos speakers and have owned the Era 300 for over a year. Its audio capabilities immediately blew me away, the sound fires off and engulfs a room from all sides. If you’re used to speakers that simply blast sound directly towards you like a cannon, then the Era 300 will sound like something new, thanks to spatial audio, which the Sonos Era series is meant to highlight. It’s a step forward for a brand that made home audio more seamless and easy to use.

SKIP AHEAD What we like | Something to note | Other products to consider | Final Verdict |Why trust NBC Select?

Sonos Era 300

What we like

• Good audio quality
• Easy set-up process
• Smart-home compatibility

Something to note

• Pricey
• Difficult application

The Sonos Era 300 looks peculiar with its sharp lines and oblong shape. Imagine you took an hourglass and knocked it over on its side — that’s what the Era 300 looks like. The back of the device is also large and it takes up considerable space. Although that might feel like a drawback to some, the size and shape were worth the compromise to me since the sound quality is so exceptional. The Era 300 is packed with six drivers that point in every direction, which helps the sound bounce around your living space, creating a surround sound effect. What used to take three or five separate speakers is now neatly packed into one device. There are no physical controls on the Era 300, so you’ll have to make do with a touch bar that allows you to raise the volume, skip and rewind tracks or activate a voice assistant such as Sonos control or Amazon Alexa. The Sonos Era 300 also supports Bluetooth, USB-C and voice controls. A single Era 300 speaker starts at $449 but you can also buy bundle options that include other Sonos speakers or soundbars for a custom home audio experience.

While listening to Miles Davis, the bass line on one song spread to the right and left of the speaker. Bouncing along as the piano took over the center of the room, a loud crash from a cymbal rang out and rattled from the top of the speaker to the right and then the left before being swallowed whole by the sound of Davis’ trumpet. During another listening session, I played a Paul McCartney song. A fuzzy guitar would jump from the back of the mix to the front as McCartney’s voice warbled around the front of the speaker. The backup band was soon heard on the speaker’s top while the guitar and bass tangled for space in the front of the mix. This is all to say that every song I played felt like an experience. Tracks you’ve heard on other speakers just don’t compare, in my opinion, and this is all thanks to spatial audio.

The Sonos Era 300 has an hourglass shape and a wide frame.Courtesy Jordan Bowman

Spatial audio is an audio technical sleight of hand. You’re being presented with a single speaker but it’s essentially tricking your ears and brain into thinking you’re listening to an entire room filled with speakers. Sonos does this by analyzing room acoustics when you set up your device and bouncing sound off the walls of your space, creating a 3D listening illusion. So instead of feeling like the music is just blaring out towards you, spatial audio wants you to feel surrounded by audio. And when it works well it’s a wonderful experience that makes music feel fresh and engaging. If you play a familiar track, the spatial audio will make you hear a small drum sound or guitar lick you’ve never noticed before. 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.

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.

The Sonos Era 300 speaker has touch controls on the top of the speaker, which allows you to pause, play, skip and rewind as well as activate voice assistants.Courtesy Jordan Bowman

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.

Sonos Arc

What we like

• Powerful multi-direction audio
• Smart connectivity
• Dolby Atmos support

Something to note

• 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.

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.

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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