Is THIS the FUTURE of HiFi? Sonos Era 300 Review
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- čas přidán 8. 06. 2024
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► COMPARABLE SMART SPEAKERS
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Also mentioned
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► COMPARABLE PASSIVE SYSTEM
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Klipsch 600M II bit.ly/2MaBRsl
► TESTING THE SONOS ERA 300 SPEAKERS
SOUNDBAR
Sonos Beam Gen 2 bit.ly/3qJdaFf • bit.ly/3IDoYz0
SUBWOOFER
Sonos Mini Sub bit.ly/3rni39M
TVs
Sony 83” bit.ly/3r0AYXL
Apple 4K TV: amzn.to/3em0YUp
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SOURCES
Apple 4K TV: amzn.to/3em0YUp
Cambridge Audio TT bit.ly/3tWwdxd
DuneHD Player amzn.to/3b4fX6D
PS5 bit.ly/3ooMprp
SPATIAL AUDIO
Apple Music's Made for Spatial Audio Playlist
"Rocket Man" Elton John
"Faith" George Michael
"Never Tear Us Apart (2017)" INXS
OTHER MEDIA and MUSIC
A Perfect Circle amzn.to/3YXcIlj
Elvis amzn.to/3RoAfra
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DIAGNOSTICS
Room EQ Wizard
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► SONOS ERA 300 REVIEW - Is THIS the FUTURE of HiFi?
00:00 INTRO - ERA 300 REVIEW
00:32 SONOS ERA 300 - THE BASICS
01:08 ERA 300 CONNECTIONS & WIRELESS OPTIONS
01:49 SETTING UP SONOS ERA 300 SPEAKERS
02:32 CREATING A STEREO PAIR WITH SONOS ERA 300
02:52 SETTING UP ERA 300s AS SURROUNDS
03:14 HOW WE TESTED THE SONOS ERA 300
03:44 AIRPLAY & USING APPLE TV FOR VOLUME CONTROL
04:23 SONOS ERA TRUEPLAY
05:27 SONOS ERA SOUND QUALITY
06:06 SOUNDSTAGE & DYNAMICS IN STEREO
06:50 SONOS ERA SURROUND SOUND PERFORMANCE
07:42 ADDING SONOS ERA 300 TO SONOS SOUNDBARS
08:21 SONOS SUB MINI
09:05 ALTERNATIVES (PASSIVE SYSTEM)
09:56 SONOS vs BANG & OLUFSEN
10:42 SONOS ERA vs KLIPSCH SEVENS
11:12 MY FINAL THOUGHTS
11:58 KRISTI’S TAKE - SONOS ERA vs SONY A9
12:54 KRISTI & SONOS ERA
13:34 BANG & OLUFSEN / KLIPSCH
14:10 ERAS NEED STANDS
14:35 WHAT ABOUT THE SONOS SUB 3
15:24 SONOS ERA AS SURROUND SPEAKERS
16:00 WE OUT
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Budget amzn.to/3DD0UJX
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TT2 bit.ly/3tWwdxd
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OLED: bit.ly/3AzeD6y
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Receivers: bit.ly/3n2lTje ($) bit.ly/3DyHEjb ($$)
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#sonos #smartspeaker #atmos - Věda a technologie
Good morning! Thanks everyone for watching this video. I wanted to jump in and address two of the more common questions (or critiques) I'm seeing on this video, which are a lack of Atmos/Spatial Audio discussion and the 300's pairing with the Sonos ARC. The ERA 300's height and additional Atmos/Spatial capabilities with respect to height and/or soundstage immersion are referenced throughout this video --the first reference coming at 00:32. I understand that this video does not have a chapter or chapters dedicated to the topic specifically, and as a result the mentions or references to are scattered throughout the video and dealt with in the greater context of the video and our review on the whole. My sincerest apologies for not tackling the topic head-on as some of you may have preferred.
My reason for this is actually simple; Atmos or Spatial Audio music represents a small fraction of the streaming music content on the market today. Apple estimates there are roughly a few thousand Atmos or Spatial Audio tracks on their platform (source: Verge) opposed to the roughly 100 million songs currently on Apple Music alone (source: Apple). Spatial Audio, in this instance, represents approximately 0.002% of the content available to the ERA 300 (or any smart speaker). Making an ERA review solely about 0.002% of the available music on just ONE platform did not seem realistic to me, especially considering not all Atmos or Spatial Audio tracks even sound good --at least in my opinion. Does well recorded and well-mixed Spatial Audio content sound good on one or two ERA 300s? YES! And the same is true of non-Spatial content, as stated in the video. But even when presented with a good Spatial sample, the 300's other shortcomings (which few are arguing with me about) are still present and able to be experienced and/or heard.
With respect to the ARC and the 300s as surround speakers, this we covered here 06:50, where I specifically say, "As surround sound speakers, the Era 300s are exceptional. BUT - I WOULDN’T build a surround sound system using the 300s with anything BUT the Sonos Arc." While I am well aware of your desire to see an ARC review, as stated in past videos and live streams, the ARC is now an "older" product, one that has been covered at length by the greater hifi, home theater and smart speaker community. ANOTHER review of the ARC at this point would not be helpful --at least not in my opinion. Seeing as how we spent thousands of dollars on this review already, the increased financial risk to include the ARC was something I simply didn't deem necessary. My apologies if you feel differently. While our surround sound experience may have been mildly more positive had we had the ARC rather than our Beam, it would not have swayed my overall opinion or final thoughts on the ERA itself, which were "The problem with the Era isn’t its sound -or its usability -it’s that it represents a new path for Sonos, one that is bright, but doesn’t seem fully realized yet. I’m sure with time the Era will improve and get some company from other Sonos products to match its capability, but for now, it’s a bit of an odd duck."
When reviewing a product I cannot look at through the lens of how people are going to (maybe) be happiest with it, or in its best use scenario --I have to look at it from as many angles as possible. In this case I used Sonos' own marketing materials and imagery as a jumping off point for my testing because they tout the ERA 300s as a bit of a triple threat; part single smart speaker, part stereo pair/sound bar replacement and part surround solution. They are strongest as surrounds when paired with a bar like the ARC that has upward firing drivers, which within the Sonos eco-system represents ONE other speaker. On their own or as a stereo pair they're impressive but imperfect and very quirky. I'm not alone in my critique of the speaker (and brand's) quirks. I've also come to realize that many would-be Sonos customers were not aware of some of this product's quirks or its lack of features, which we tried our best to highlight to give you the most well-rounded and objective review possible. Needless to say, I understand if I struck a nerve, or if you feel differently, but I standby my review and the remarks that followed in the discussion.
I hope this helps to address the two main questions I see in the comments. I never want people to come away from our reviews more confused or not satisfied with the information. Hopefully this additional explination gives you the answers you seek. Thanks for listening (or reading) and we'll see you on Thursday's LIVESTREAM!
-Andrew
Andrew and Kristi, the review was fine. You addressed the topics, gave the high and lows of owning and using the product, and added your own personal takes.
The fact that it struck a nerve with so many people, proves that the review was done well. Sonos has created followers, and haters on their own. Being reviewers of integrity, you stepped in the middle and are getting it from both sides.
Let the fanboys and haters do their thing, while you move on to the next fantastic review.
On Spatial Audio, I still think this was a missed opportunity. If producers don’t think people are able to listen to their music in true spatial audio, they won’t mix their music that way. And if no one makes a dedicated spatial audio speaker, then no one can listen to what little spatial audio music currently exists reinforcing the decision not to bother mixing music that way. So this is where it starts and hopefully more brands follow. Hopefully when that happens you’ll consider recapping the Era 300’s spatial audio capabilities. Many, if not all, the other reviews out there rightly point out that this is the speaker’s strength
So how did you like listening to Songs in Atmos?
@@unstablenetwork4744 I don’t think it’s fanboyism to request that the Sonos Arc be included in this review. Andrew states that you absolutely shouldn’t consider building a surround system of 300s without an Arc. I don’t think it’s crazy to be disappointed that this review didn’t use an Arc. I have an arc and two Sonos ones that are ok but not great. I was hoping for somebody skeptical of Sonos to do a review of this setup, especially somebody like Andrew with a proper atmos in ceiling setup as a comparison. Also to continue to claim that the Samsung is the best without reviewing the arc seems odd.
@@chasandreae4178 For the record, I/we didn't say that Samsung was the best sound bar. I simply stated that if I wanted surround sound without all the fuss, I (as in ME) would go with the Samsung bar. It's a personal preference. We have never attempted to convince anyone that they shouldn't consider the Arc or questioned their enjoyment of it.
While I understand your disappointment that the Arc wasn't included, I believe Andrew has provided you with reasons as to why in the comment above as well as in other videos. I would hope that viewers would respect and understand our decision. Obviously, we wish that Sonos was easier to work with regarding obtaining review samples. Had they provided the Arc for review following our many requests, we would have brought you that review by now. Since they do not provide review units in the way that 99% other brands do, it forces us to have to make choices as to what makes the best financial decision when it comes to what we buy for review. Considering we will be required to purchase the Nakamichi soundbar in order to review which runs close to $4,000, buying the Arc is not possible.
As for your disappointment in your own Sonos set up, are you looking for confirmation and validation from us? If we were to suddenly review the Arc and find it "the best" soundbar, would that change your own feelings? It does seem that many who ask for an Arc review already own them and are mostly seeking some sort of validation which makes me want to review the thing even less. Inevitably, there will be a group that hates our findings. Why not just enjoy what you have or be confident in your own feelings about your system? This way, no one is disappointed.
Love the channel.
I have the Arc + Sub + Era’s 300 and I can’t imagine any setup besting the sound quality, ease of setup, build quality and support for ~2500.
Truplay works very well, connection and compatibility with the Apple ecosystem is seamless. Everything just works.
Can you do better if you pieced together a system for the same budget? Sure.
But while you’re waiting for speakers and wire to arrive, drilling holes in your ceiling and troubleshooting connections,I’ll be enjoying my movie.
HAAH. #facts
With the ARC and Sub Gen 3 the 300's and Atmos are amazing. The Gen3 is right next to our sitting position and I did not nor have I ever heard vocals out of it. So I think if you upgrade to this configuration you will have a totally different thought of it as a surround speaker.
I just want to give a shout out to Andrew for putting together another beautiful video! He's putting in so much time and effort to elevate the viewer's experience. Please give him some love if you've noticed and appreciate all the little extras he does to make these videos fun!
Yo, lovin y’all turning up the energy on videos recently 🔥🥵 wooooo it’s really fun watching and hopefully this is invigorating & rejuvenating fun for y’all too
Heck, even the background decor and its color palette are very nice! Makes the whole thing look really high end!
@@crispincrunch2453 It has been! Thank you!!
@@mindblockandroid Thank you! :)
It's very noticeable and VERY appreciated! 😁😁. Much love, from Alex and Suzy xx
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I’m auditioning a pair of era 300s (one week left of my 45 day trial) and Im enjoying just listening to music again and not analyzing the sound of my rig. I’ve been into hi fi for 40 years always staying in that 1.5k to 2k range. ProAc, Totem, Sanus Faber, the list goes on but asking Alexa to play something and have it work is so nice.
The ERA 300s handle all recording qualities well, where as previously set ups made listening to my collection rather unpleasant. Now I can just enjoy the music, and not seek out a musical experience with a limited selection of quality recordings. And the cable mess I had was getting ridiculous. The price bugged me a bit until I realized I’ve spend as much on a sub in the past.
If I want more of an listening experience, I’ll slap on my Audeze Maxwell headphones which are rather great.
Total cost 950 for Sonos, 300 for the Maxwells. I’m keeping my era 300s.
I'm so glad you are enjoying your Eras. Listening to them in stereo was actually a fun and enjoyable experience.
I just bought 4-300’s, a beam and 2 sub minis today. Got them set up super easy (45 min total) and then grouped everything together. So…beam, 2-300’s as rear surrounds and sub mini (normal setup) + I added the 2nd pair of 300’s plus the 2nd sub mini as a stereo set at the front of the setup. I listened to a ton of music, no movies yet, and it was crazy good. The surround affects blew the doors off the system without using the extra pair of 300’s and sub in front. People really should try this setup. It is very easy to toggle the extra speakers on a off to see the difference.
I was so glad Kristi brought up the Sony HT-A9. I purchased it last November after coming from Sonos Arc, sub gen 2 and sonos 1s as surrounds. I do remember hearing voices through the sub when it was close to my seating position. The Sony system is way more immersive and the larger Sony sub integrates so well. I admit I have had occasional dropouts once or twice in that time but there is a setting to prioritise the connection and a more important one which is called RF channel. This searches for a clear wifi channel. I have not had any dropouts since carrying out this about 3 months ago. Thanks for a great review, yet again!
I have the arc with the era 300s as surrounds, this setup lives in this configuration because this is all i want it to be. I have had zero issues with dropouts, and i feel that these two play very well with each other. If you pay attention to this video, you will notice that they mentioned that they were using the smaller beam gen 2 with the mini sub. These era 300s will want and thrive with the bigger sub and arc. I am only commenting on the surround capabilities. As surrounds if you do more research you will find out they eliminate the front facing driver. Leaving just the up firing and left and rights to provide surround effects. IMO, i appreciate this because it doesn't pin point the location of the sounds right behind you but more dispersed. Anyways i do feel like Andrew and Kristi gave their honest opinion with what they have.
Hello sir with your set up playing music all together and 300 as surrounds also sounds great?i wanted to change my sonos ones for the 300s but i also listen to music thank you
@juanvalera7272 I can't say anything about music, unfortunately, because I only use it for a cenima setup. I am also new to sonos, and I haven't heard the ones to tell you it would be worth upgrading.
What would you recommend to connect to your tv. I don’t have space for a soundbar beneath or above my tv. Need an alternative?
I would love it if you did a full Sonos Arc + Sub + Era 300 comparison with the HT-A9 + SW5
Agreed
Great review. I’d highly recommend pairing the Era300’s to the intended comparable Sonos products (Arc and Subwoofer). It really makes a difference and the setup of the Beam and Submini should never be combined with the Era300s
I have Sonos in just about every room. I know I could probably get better sound but the ease of use and the ability to listen to anything anywhere in my house seals the deal for me. I have analog that already plugs into a play 5 so it's irrelevant to me if the era has analog inputs. My wife, kids and I all routinely listen to different source material in different rooms. I love it.
That makes perfect sense! As long as you are happy, that's all that matters. We often prefer a more simple system ourselves.
I've been looking into getting a cinematic speaker setup that was also great for music. Do you feel that the Sonos arc with the era 300's & the Sony Hta9 are the best setups, or would you recommend something else?
In settings, you can set a default airplay pairing for your Apple TV audio. What you did is what you do only for temporary pairings
Appreciate the review on the Sonos Era 300 speakers. I do have these set up as rears with the Sonos Arc. I’m not an audiophile type of guy but I have to say I am very pleased with the sound coming out with this set up.
I also compared this set up to setting them up as stereo paired speakers. Love the sound when grouped with Sonos Arc when playing music.
However, I get a much better sound experience when listening to Dolby Atmos movies and music as rears connected to the Arc.
I’m also using the bigger Sonos sub in my set up.
Just wanted to share my experience from using these speakers. Again, thanks for the review and your review on other products.
Definitely enjoy hearing your reviews. Take care and be blessed.
Andrew- I need a speaker for bedroom/patio to extend my Sonos system. It’s not a primary listening speaker, I just need something for background music when entertaining outside. What I want is a portable Sonos one, but they don’t make that! Should I do the move, which is like twice as big, or is the roam sufficient?
I know it's not much but I hope this will help with the bill for Kadie. I'm happy to see she's doing better. Kristi and yourself are amazing at your craft & creativity. I (& I think I speak for everyone here) you both are amazing fur baby parents. We also love you both for always being honest and real with us and providing amazing content! You both deserve all the happiness and great memories that you both will share in the future... ✌🏼 🕊️
Nick, thank you! You didn't have to do that but I sincerely appreciate it!
NICK! Thank you!! 🥹 I'm just speechless. We are just so so glad she's okay. Not gonna lie, that doggo is my baby.
@@KristiWright I'm just happy she's okay! As an owner of one Flemish giant rabbit, Netherland dwarf rabbit, 4 cats and a bearded dragon, it hurts me to see an animal in pain! I'm just happy that she found good fur parents 😁..
@@robinsonbrand it's my pleasure! Glad she's feeling better 🤠
@@movie_av_impulse Wow! That's quite the collection. We just have a Kadie. Oh and a couple of Steves (what we call the lizards who hang out on our covered patio). :) Seriously, we really appreciate the support.
I'm considering purchasing the Sonos Era 300 for my bedroom, but I'm unsure if the room might be too small, limiting the sound dispersion. Could you provide information on the optimal room dimensions for the Sonos Era 300 to ensure a high-quality Dolby Atmos sound experience?
Great video Andrew! I have bought a pair of 300 Era and have mounted them on the wall and set as surround. Sound is pretty impressive to me!
Andrew, would you consider graphing the y axis of you freq response charts in greater resolution? The line looks, to me, artificially flat with the current resolution. If you showed perhaps +10 / -10dB in single dB steps? Thx for the great content!
Thanks for the review. As always very well presented
I was wondering how did you watch movies with the Era 300 (without beam), airpaly via Apple TV? And if so have you had any lip sync issues?
Didn't have any lip sync issues, just the volume workaround procedure was the only hiccup.
Good day from Oz! have Beam gen 3 and Sub gen 3. Was very keen to get a pair of Era 300 to create a surround sound system but was disappointed to hear that it doesn’t do a good job as rear speakers when used with Beam! Thanks for saving me $$$!
Thank you for the review! It’s very informative and detailed. Very helpful for making buying decision! Keep up the good work!
Glad it was helpful!
The way Andrew smiled after saying my new iPhone made me giggle! Congrats on the upgrade, finally! Also, amazing video. I gotta say, the coloring is getting better and better every time, it looks incredible on my LG G2. Absolutely stunning! Although I always think of MKBHD when it comes to quality, Marques can take a few lessons on coloring from Andrew for sure! Bravo.
Love the channel.
Great presentation, honest opinion.
Keep up the good work, for the both of you!
Much appreciated!
What about the Sonos Amp? Get the benefits of the Sonos system but with your own speakers?
I have other Sonos speakers, but thinking of getting this plus some KEF LS50's for my TV/Hi-Fi setup
I have a Sonos Amp + passive bookshelf speakers setup in my living room and I love it. Truly best of both worlds. Works great for music and movies. Excited to add a record player and Era 100s around the house for the full experience.
Thanks! I love your videos!! And it's always interesting to see what kind of cool options are available. I love your take and can see how cool this can be.
I, myself, am sticking for now with my current non-current AV receiver (6.1 no atmos) and am working on upgrading my hifi (mid-fi) listening only space. I have pretty much decided on the Marantz 40N. Now do I pick the Black or the White? Decisions! Decisions!
Thank you so much! As for what color to pick, we have the Cinema 40 AVR in white/silver and it is stunning --way better than the black IMHO.
Always love watching the reviews. It seems the comments for this video have been a bit... contentious but you guys put out great content and im always excited to see whats next in your review list.
Thank you for your kind words.
This is by far, is the best review I've seen in a long time. It didn't feel like a sales pitch and came across honest/genuine while entertaining. Wells done.
Doesn’t sonos do 100 day returns. Can’t you just buy the whole range and then return it after 3 months or is that an unwritten rule broken in reviewland? Thanks again and looks like klipsch sevens or nines are my direction
I want to send you my Sonos home theater set up just so you can try all the configurations and not have to be out 2K. It's a system that ID like to say "Wife Approved" home theater sound system. Lol. Love your stuff, take care!
My listening style change including downsizing to a smaller home. I went from B&W 804s home theatre system with mid Hi-Fi gear and went to a simple Sonos set-up. 2 ones in open living/kitchen room and 2 roams in the bathrooms. I have audio playing throughout my house. Why? I no longer do critical listening. I listen as I do things throughout the house. My home style is minimalistic. No more floor standing speakers, audio gear, cables and audio cabinet. I wanted something simple, wireless and incognito. Sonos does this with good sound quality. Plus, I no longer want to invest more money into audio. I’m done chasing audio bliss. The Sonos satisfies me……for now.
Could i use this simply as a Bluetooth speaker (faux soundbar) for streaming movies from my iPad or smaller tv?
There will be delay
Great review. I have two complete stereo setups as well as Sonos in almost every room in our home. Sonos doesn’t sound anywhere near as good as a dedicated system, however the ease of use for background and whole house listening, I absolutely love them.
Geez. Your honesty, assuming is it is driven by nothing more than your opinion, is actually refreshing. So many complain when reviewers "only" report favorable opinions. Well this was not the case in this instance and the community is still complaining. All of us want to believe we spent our money on good to great sounding products. Sometimes when that decision making is challenged today via the review process, it is not something any of us typically wants to hear. It is AR's opinion; thats all.
Sonos arc with era300 and sub vs ht a9, I wonder which is better plug and play surround system.
I’m not buying sonos until they let me easily switch between surround and stereo setup. This is cumbersome to say the least
Would really love to see you give this another shot with the Arc because whenever anyone raves about this speaker, it’s in that system. I think that’s the only scenario where this will shine.
I have the Arc and ERAs and 2 subs and I find it good but not great. I bought the JBL BAR 1300 a few days ago and moved the ARC and ERAs etc to another room. The JBL BAR 1300, to me is in a much more impressive league exposing the sound flaws in the Sonos. The 1300 bought movies alive with sheer immersive flair. The thunderous bass that doesn't over power or underwhelm is just engaging. Each time I listen to the 1300 I'm left totally submerged. The 1300 also has Amazon Music HD, Qobuz, Spotify etc. integrated and it is brilliant...
Wouldn't that make these nothing more than overpriced surrounds if the only way they sound good is with the Arc?
Really timely and helpful review since I can see people getting these for a variety of rooms and uses. I would go with your alternate options for sure.
Thanks for watching, Harry!
Thanks for the suggestions!
Incredibly thorough and expertly-crafted review. I feel much more informed about the quirks of these speakers after this vs every other review I've read/seen.
Kadie looks great! So glad she's doing well.
Glad you found it helpful. It wasn't my intent to poo-poo Sonos (I still like them) but man, I was taken aback when we got 'em and there were so many hoops and fine print I had to deal with in order to enjoy the speakers. I too was confused why so many people didn't mention certain quirks.
Love to watch your videos! Even ones I don't 'need' to watch, just love the atmosphere you are giving us. I'm curious of your opinion of the HomePods. I know your first set disappeared sadly, but can we still expect a review in the near future? Keep up the good work!
We want to try them out. We just have to plan for those purchases along with the other products we will have to come out of pocket to review, like the Nakamichi soundbar and the Sonos here.
@@KristiWright Thanks! And again, thank you for the great content you guys give us.
Awesome review. Looking for a way to add whole home audio and we’re between Sonos, Bose, or adding more HomePods.
Already have a dedicated separates system for living room and Kanto TUKs in the home office. So I know it’ll never surpass those. Just looking for good-ish background audio for cooking, cleaning, and gatherings.
Every time I’ve researched Sonos people give these speakers absolute praise. I even see it in this comment section. Idk if it’s sucken cost fallacy, or if they’re really that good. All that to say, your review is very refreshing and appreciated.
I'm glad you found this video helpful! We haven't tested the HomePods yet (our pair was stolen by UPS) so I can't say more about those at this time. We enjoy this amzn.to/3bblRkh in our kitchen and use it almost daily, though I admit it is an expensive experience.
Sonos newbie here. I could use some advice in finishing my system. I’m in a condo with a Sonos Arc and I am looking for rear speaker. I really can’t run a sub in my unit and I’m not sure I would maximize the sound of the 300s due to the placement location for surround sound. We will be more or less sitting parallel to the rear speakers. Am I better off just getting 2 - One SL’s and being done or should I get 2 - 100’s at almost double the cost. Thanks in advance for the advice.
i had the one sl's as surrounds and you will get a 5.1 experience and it will sound awesome, i have upgraded to the era 300s and the soundstage was like being in the cinema with maverick you could hear the aircraft rotating above in the cockpit scene with rooster and it followed the arc of the plane overhead. i fitted them inverted as couch is against the wall. With apple music spatial songs have to be played through the sonos app but the sound is 3d and like being in a night club. Overall very pleased with the era 300s.
@@cheyenne1001 can you believe I’ve been looking for someone’s experienced opinion on having the era 300s inverted everywhere online, the forum, the Reddit sub, CZcams and god knows where else, nothing… but then you, a random CZcams commenter, finally come to the rescue! Can you tell me more about what Atmos and having them as surrounds is like with them being inverted?
Great video! The bubble dialogue bit had me 😆 Question, will there be a B&O A5 review? I know its mentioned in this video but more so at just a glance. My wife and I are currently undertaking a renovation of our small office (10x12) into a complete mid century modern design and part of that Im considering is the B&O A5 for the music side of things. Hoping to see a full review if I'm lucky! 🤞
Definitely get the Arc and Sub gen 3 with the Era 300s. It’s truly amazing.
Would have liked to see some analysis of Atmos music tracks while they are paired in stereo. I had a blast listening to Atmos songs with a pair of 300s the first day. Using them as a surround pair with the Arc is a great experience for movies and music. Can't say I've noticed crossover issues with the gen 3 Sub.
Please see my remarks about your notes in the comment section above.
I can’t find any review you’ve done of the Sonos Fives, is that something you’d look at?
Yeah I was wondering if those are better as surrounds than the Era 300s.
Thanks so much for the commentary on pairing with the beam! Exactly what I was wondering
Love the straight up honest approach to reviews this channel has 💯
Thank you so much!
Great review. All I have currently is the Sonos ARC, and I love it. Should be adding the “donut” very soon. I did test the Beam and there is quite a difference in output level and quality. Would love to add the Era300’s at some point, but need really hear a live testing before being sold on them.
A side note that I’m not sure is considered enough in this video:
I used to want to install that big sound SVS home theater / audio system. However, when I started looking at my entire home as a soundscape, the Sonos ecosystem just makes too much sense. Being able to pair rooms, put all my streaming options into one app, or even pick up one of the speakers to take with me on the go and put back into my home later, just makes Sonos a real game changer.
I want a soundbar in my bedroom, but the problem for me is that the neighbor's bedroom wall connects to mine behind my bed. Would you say that Sonos Arc is overkill then in my small bedroom? I want a soundbar with Dolby Atmos sound and not upset my neighbor too much. I'm using LG G2. Any advice would be appreciated.
Buy Samsung Q990C and look for another apartment 😊
@@yvanokuba1649 Lol. I bought the Sonos Arc. Hope I won't get compliments, I'll take my chances.
@@PenPineappleApplePen007 I hope you do in fact get compliments. However I hope you don’t get complaints!
Curious as I've seen you mention your Balance a few times and as someone with lots of experience with both products - for someone looking at either a Theatre vs a stereo set of Balance's what would you recommend? 70/30 music and movies split. the functionality and expandability with the Theatre wins me over but I don't know if I can stay satisfied with 2ch music through it
I think the Theater is the going to be the better overall experience. You could also try the Stage. It's great for music and movies.
@@KristiWright thank you! My thoughts too. I currently have my Stage in my upstairs lounge and it’s a fantastic unit for what it is. I just need something more capable for the main lounge.
The A9 review and conversation toward the end were a big reason why I picked one up so thank you.
I have beam gen 2, so era 300 is recommended for me if i want to have atmos effect?
07:42 ADDING SONOS ERA 300 TO SONOS SOUNDBARS
No, get the era 100’s as the 300s would over power the beam.
Somewhat echoing comments on ecosystem ... but more specifically, what do you guys think of the benefits of ecosystem vs compromises you highlight in this review and previous Sonos reviews? I've experienced everything you've said about Sonos over your reviews and share/experienced your same feelings of connectivity, sound and app shortcomings. Where I've invested over time is in the ecosystem. I have a few standalone Sonos speakers, soundbars and 2 amps (old and new). The ability to play throughout the house is the biggest benefit. I'm thinking of taking the plunge on the B&O Beolab 28 or KEF LS60 and the idea of not being able to play house-wide when listening to music is a serious consideration as some of the older Sonos speakers I have don't have Airplay. I'm wondering if this is something that you consider with speaker "systems" like some of the B&O products and other connected speakers you mention and use daily. Do you use any workarounds when trying to play in multiple rooms with different platforms (i.e., Sonos, B&O, KEF, Klipsch). Thanks for the great reviews - really appreciate your real-world usability viewpoints.
I know that B&O has in ceiling speakers that do whole home / distributed audio. We have heard them in a showroom and I loved them. I’m pretty sure they’ll work with the 28s or any other B&O speaker. Not sure about kef in ceilings. You’d probably need a av receiver for those.
@@KristiWright Thanks so much for the reply. With wood ceilings, I'm very hesitant about cutting in for in-ceiling speakers, though we've had them before in other houses and sound great in combination with our other speakers. We have two Sonos amps installed in 1960's era stereo consoles ... those designs might generate as much of a passionate discussion as this one has been. As an aside, I appreciated the review for what it is - think it was great. Anyway - those consoles combined with the standalone One's and Move speakers gives an "OK" whole home sound. That's why the ecosystem discussion is of interest. Sonos is ok for what it is. But see you have many other systems in your home. Being a frequent viewer I catch every now and then what are permanent speakers so was curious what you do with the mix of systems. But sounds like it's the same thing I'm facing, that depending on where you are in your home, that's the system you use. I recently found a B&O reseller and am going to audition the Beolab 28s. That may dictate a lot in how I organize ecosystems ... Sonos may just be for the TVs and a B&O system for music ... or KEF if I can find a place to listen to those. Thanks again for the great content.
Nice review!
I don't have the sub x-over issue with the ARC & Gen 3 sub with Trueplay engaged......
I too have the arc, gen 3 sub and 2 rear wall mount ERA 300's and I am blown away by the surround sound and atmos effect, I absolutely love this setup. I previously had a Sennheiser Ambeo pared with a ML 400 sub and this setup blows it away, and there is no way the Samsung 990B sounds better than this. I know the whole setup is expensive but if you ever get your hands on the arc, you need to try this setup. PS I really enjoy your channel!
Hello sir i have the Arc dual subs and sonos one sl as surrounds,im happy with the ones,but you mean if i pair two 300s on my set up as surrounds its a night and day difference from the ones as surrounds?Please can you share to us some movie scene that you watched,that really blown you away?Like as if the planes are on top of your head or footateps as if its on your ceiling.Planning to buy my set of 300s this week or this month and i will share my experience to all of you.Have a good day and thank you
@@juanvalera7272 hello Juan, my business partner has your set up with the old 100s, and after listening to them, it’s not even comparable to the 300s. The sound is so much more immersive with the 300s in the back as surround. You have so much more control of the sound in the upper firing Atmos signals. They also produced a fair amount of base where I feel. I don’t need a second sub. I don’t feel the video can do it justice, but I promise you you’ll be happy with the set up. I set my 300s at +4 on surround, and up firing at +7. I feel that gives me the perfect surround sound effect. Let me know what you think once you set it up.
100% agree. I recently upgraded to era 300 from the one sl and am blown away. The era 300 are light years ahead of the one sl. Any Dolby Atmos show or film will show that.
Hi Andrew love the channel. Did you ever review your ceiling speaker install. I can’t seem to find it.
We didn't review the speakers in the traditional sense, but if you go to the home reno playlist you'll see what and why we did what we did.
I have the arc with the ear 100 and it sounds amazing and I never had the remote problem with my Apple TV it always works the volume without any problems. Maybe it’s just the TV issues , I have lg g3 55”
Next time you are near Philly stop by and listen to the arc, donut sub, era 300 in our sitting room, or the beam, donut sub, era 100 in the bedroom. One Apple Remote for each system, works every time. One button to turn on, and off. Volume is straight forward. The only problem is our Sonos setup is expensive.
Definitely use them as surrounds with the Arc… I have been glued to my sofa
Questions: 😅 how’d y’all get a hold of a Song X95L??
Andrew got a new iPhone, apparently?? Y’all shaking things up over there 🤭 really liking the renewed ✨energy & zeal✨
Sorry I am not in America so I dont get all the options of brands you have there. We dont have samsung but for some reason we have Sonos 😊. Is the samsung soundbar system modular, i mean can you replace “parts” of it like the sub or surrounds or even the main bar individually when a newer one comes out? As this modular capability is also one of Sonos main benefits. I have upgraded my surrounds and subs individually throught my sonos surrround system ownerships.
Also i have the full
Immersive sonos set (arc , sub and 2 era 300) and the last thing I would call the era 300 as a surround is a “mess” like the lady mentioned at the end. Its surrpund and atmos performance has exceeded my expectations and all my friends who come to my house are also amazed by it.
I get that there may be superior products out there for similar price point (but we dont have samsung here in our country) but being a “mess” is much different for a top3 or top5 product out there…
Good day Andrew and Kristi. Although I am not a fanboy of Sonos, my brother on the other hand, is. He has quite a few Sonos speakers setup in his house all being single units. I will ask him if he would consider getting a pair of these speakers for the Livingroom. Great review and a shoutout to Katie for her guest appearance. Loved it.
Hey Andrew I have a question is it possible to add the era 300 to an existing 3.0 home theater setup? I wanna add them as my rears. My ave is onkyo Tx rz50
Yes, using the Port
Good review. I’ve been thinking of replacing my Sonos surrounds with the Era 300s - and I have the ARC - I might still go through with it but I still appreciate this well-done review. I am thinking that very soon Sonos replaces the current ARC with something better aligned with the 300s but we’ll see.
I hope they do! I would be very excited to test out a new ARC.
Great video! I have Sonos ecosystem, but you need to fiddle a bit with the eras 300 on the back, like for example, the distance from MLP ( main listening place ) being the best at max 1,5m with the front of the speakers turned to you. Then the dual subwoofer set is amazing, but like you said, used with the ARC. I’ve heard a lot from other brands , but minding my room size the Sonos System is amazing. Dual subs change even more the soundstage..
The thing about SONOS, is that every time I hear them, they always sound better than I expect them to. Now, I am not saying they sound better than my home theater system with Klipsche speakers, but they never disapoint me.
You guys missed the point on this one. The Era 300 is designed for the new era of spatial audio, and when playing well-mixed spacial audio tracks, for many people a pair of Era 300's kills traditional non-spacial-audio speakers like B&O, Klipsch etc. Wish you had a segment reviewing a pair of Era 300's playing spatial audio music tracks vs traditional setups playing the same tracks in stereo. The difference is night and day.
He is completely wrong in places. He says that it’s dumb that you can’t have AirPlay and Bluetooth in the speakers when they are operating as rears, but they are operators rears when you’ve got a beam or an arc at the front which have Bluetooth and AirPlay so what’s the problem. Secondly, when you’ve got the sound bar, you use the HDMI to put the sound into the system so you don’t have to do any speakers selection at all ever. I don’t understand what he’s saying here, but it seems just wrong and doesn’t match my experience.
Kristi knocked it out of the park this episode. Really glad she compared it to the Sony HT-A9 because that’s what I wanted to know.
Will you do a review on the JBL Authentics line? It compares directly to the Sonos Era line of speakers based on price range. Doing a comparison to B&O which is double the cost, frankly, doesn't make any sense here and feels unfair. I'd appreciate a more apples to apples comparison for these kinds of systems as it helps me (and I'm sure others) with the purchasing decision.
Hi Andrew, if you had only 2 options Bose or Sanos surrond system what would you choose 🤔
If you can afford to go with the ARC, ERA 300 and the bigger sub from Sonos, I think it would perform well against the larger Bose 900 bar with surrounds and a sub. Bose's surrounds are not as good as the ERA 300, so ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, for a FULL Atmos surround setup, Sonos likely has the upper hand right now.
Loved Kristi’s take on these speakers: succinct and clear.
Andrew, I have the FIVES and want to upgrade to SEVENS. Can the FIVEs power cable and propriety connector be used with the SEVENS? I have the cables managed and just want to swap speakers...thoughts?
The power cable is different (if memory serves) but the speaker cable is the same.
@@robinsonbrand THANKS!
Never have had connectivity issues after the first and only one. I am able to use them as stereo and or surround easily.
Just to clarify some of what Kristi’s questions as someone who has owned a ton of Sonos products. The big sub is actually a monster surprisingly and the Sonos Arc is a mile better than the Beam. If that helps anyone making a decision. I probably wouldn’t pair the era as rears with anything less that the Arc. Maybe the Era 100s would be a better match for the beam.
Appreciate you sharing your experiences!
Yes, I agree! I think that’s why they came out with the ERA 100’s as well. For the option and to accommodate room spaces.
I have an ARC ,Gen 3 sub, SL One rears, should I leave this alone or would ERA 300 be a big upgrade? I’m not disappointed with the rears I just want that next level fullness and warmth.
I also have the arc with gen 3 sub and did upgrade the surrounds to a pair of 300's - firstly wow - for atmos its amazing. For non Atmos content youd have some buyers remorse as its not so big an upgrade. And that leads to point two. The era 300's as a stereo pair for music are just so good you will be constantly torn that you feel they are wasted as surrounds haha One final point though that is worth mentioning. Upgrading your surrounds is not as big a deal in sonos as you now have two more multiroom speakers for the house (your old 1's ) haha
I love them as the surrounds. Money well spent
I appreciate the technical measurements of the review, but the lack of coverage of Atmos compared to the straight stereo over AirPlay/Bluetooth was a notable weakness in the evaluation to me. Thanks for sharing your opinion of the stereo pair’s relevance to Atmos music playback.
I would absolutely love to buy 2 era 300 speakers to use with my Arc and Sub. However, I would hope that if I spent this amount of money for rear surround speakers, that I could use all the available features of the Era 300 speakers. By that, I mean that I would like to be able to turn on my Apple TV and watch TV and movies, using the whole system for surround sound. I would then like to be able to play music from the apple tv or from my phone or tablet or computer, and have the sound come from any configuration of these 4 components (arc, sub, 2x era 300) that I choose- including playing from just the era 300s in a stereo pair with all drivers firing. Finally, I would love to be able to have my turntable connected to the line-in on the Eras, throw on a record, and have the Eras play the record using all of the drivers.
I honestly don't understand why is isn't really an option, without always having to set up/link/disconnect/re-set up the system based on which of those 3 use cases I'd like to utilize.
Do I really need to have an arc+sub+2 era setup for surround, and then a SECOND set of era 300 speakers set up as a stereo pair to play music? and even if sonos expects me to do this- what do I do about the turntable? Can I have it connected to line-in and easily toggle between the turntable and streaming music?
For such a seemingly well built and well thought out product, this is a gaping flaw in what could otherwise be a do-it-all and amazing sounding setup.
Am I the only one that feels this way?! What am I missing here?
I got a Sonos Port for this reason. Set Arc, Sub and 2x Fives up as one surround system, then use the Port to feed in the line-in from the turntable. Make sure to set the playback level for music for the surrounds to "Full" instead of "Ambient". The only caveat is that the Arc will also play music, no just the stereo pair. However at least it utilizes the sub correctly and you can increase the volume for the "surrounds"/stereo pair for music in the app separately than for watching TV
Cheers, and happy Sunday in for another great review
Thanks so much!
Hey! Love your work and your approach and balanced input between the two of you.
I’d love to help give you and your viewers more insights about the era’s performance with the larger sub (how about two?) and the arc (Maybe not 1000 X but definitely significant!). We have this system as well as A✨ 7.2.6 monitor Audio reference system set up side-by-side for comparison in our Brooklyn Studios.
How about spending an afternoon out here and doing a comparison together?
We now have 13 Sonos speakers in our house and in 4 years never had any connection issues. The ease of use is the biggest plus for me. But I have to say that the Arc was a huge disappointment for me.
And if you buy a Sonos speaker and think that you’re getting the best sound quality possible you’re simply biased.
Thank you guys for this honest review.
This probably saves me 900€😂
But I would still love to hear your thoughts on the Fives.
Have a great week!
Thank you for that! I'm new to Sonos as i just went from a somewhat older 5.1 system to the Beam gen 2 and Sub mini. I was about to purchase the Era 300's but decided to get the one's gen 2 instead. After watching this review i feel much better about my choice. To be honest, you have help me along the way as I'm new to the current audio technology. Thanks again
Glad you found the review helpful! Have a great rest of your day!
Thanks! You as well 🍻
Hi Sonos systems have a different pitch - being diy add on as you go along. So arc owners like myself would want to know. Does it make a good difference when we add that. It was mentioned and I hear you that it’s sadly lacking. Hope you can go further testing the various Sonia parts together in future . Thanks
I don’t have the Sonos Era 300s but I have the Beam Gen2, sub mini and Sonos ones as surrounds. I love it for what it does cinema sound without being over the top room shaking.
I’d be interested to see your thoughts on the Era 100s I’ll be upgrading my Sonos Ones to those u Dee their upgrade program.
Really enjoyed this review. I like the way Kritsti gives her opinion. Very cool dynamic ❤
Thanks so much!
Great video. For my situation (integrating Sonos and my existing home theater), the Port and a bunch of Fives throughout the rest of the house work very well for me.
Hello brother
I have ordered home theatre system Like to know ur opinion on my system
Av receiver-marantz cinema 50
Elac f6.2
Elac c6.2
Elac b5.2 x2
Elac s10 sub
Elac ic 1005 atmos
Sonos era 300 vs Devialet mania in terms of sound quality which wins?
Hi Andrew, I love your videos. Can you please review the JBL Authentics 500. I would like to see your review on that beast. Have a great day!
You should have used the 300’s with the Arc when you talk about them as surrounds. The beam doesn’t have the up firing speakers so of course they aren’t going to sound as good.
This was a super helpful review!
Hi nice video, I enjoy watching your reviews...😊
I only have Sony X94J and the Sony XF9000 but I am very happy with what I have and it sounds good for us. And it goes loud with Bravia core..
Thanks again 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Loved your take. The 2 of you brought up a lot of points I’ve not heard in other reviews. Kind of weird you didn’t talk about apple spatial audio though!
We used Apple music for streaming and we speak about the Era's impressive recreation of height when using either one or two Era speakers. Apologies for not going into more specific detail.
Hi 👋 Andrew and Kristi, would love to know also your thoughts and a review (if possible) on Sony HT-AX7 thanks ☺️
Thanks for the review andrew.
I like Hifi, but i work in IT, something interesting that you may not know is that sonos can cause issues with enterprise networking equipment. Even when sonos is connected via the wired connection, they still attempt to connect to each other using the built in wireless and it can trigger spanning-tree (which is a type of network loop detection) in enterprise switches. I think they are a good product for a simple home environment, but they cant be used in a business environment without being accommodated for by the IT department.
You really need the Sonos arc and a sub gen 3 to do the 300s justice. Dual subs if your room can accommodate the sonic performance. The beam gen 2 and sub mini are better suited to the bedroom. Personally b&o is my best company but only the wealthy can honestly afford there range. Keep up the good work Andrew and Kristi we all love and appreciate your hard work
I have the Arc + Sub Gen 2 + Era 300s, and used Peter Pee suggestions, and it’s truly sound like I’m at my local movie theater watching Dolby atmos content. But my space is definitely made for atmos speakers, i don’t have tall ceilings and is flat. Unfortunately the Beam and mini sub do not do the Era 300s justice.
I have the Arc and full size sub and am continually surprised by the surround effects and to a slightly lesser degree, the height channels. I’m on the fence about adding the era 300’s for rears. I have no intention to use them anywhere else so my case would hopefully be more plug and play. Just don’t know if it’s worth the price increase over a pair of 100’s for my use. Sonos is dropping the ball though by not sending products your way. It reminds me of politicians who avoid the debate stage. If you are proud of your product, you should be eager to have it reviewed by the best!