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Sonos Era 300 Review: Your All-In-One Smart Speaker Experience

Does the Sonos Era 300 live up to the hype? With its Dolby Atmos support, smart assistant integration, and striking design, it promises to be the ultimate home speaker. But does it truly deliver, or is it just another overpriced gadget? Let’s find out.

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Table of contents

My First Impression of the Sonos Era 300

Contributing Author – Julie Montgomery

I got the Era 300 because everyone was raving about its amazing spatial audio. Many audiophiles and YouTube reviewers even claimed it outperformed the HomePod 2nd Gen in most cases. When I unboxed it, I was surprised by how compact it was for everything it promised. The excitement was real—I was about to experience Dolby Atmos at home, seamlessly paired with my Alexa Echo Dot.

One of my favorite things about the Era 300 is how well Alexa integrates with it. I can ask it to play music, adjust the volume, or even control my TV for movie nights. While I’ve noticed that music tends to sound better on the HomePod (I listened with a friend since I use Android), the Era 300 is an excellent choice for home theaters—and I can’t vouch for how the HomePod performs in that setting.

In short, if you want to elevate your home theater experience, the Sonos Era 300 is a fantastic choice.

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Image of the unopened Sonos Era 300 smart speaker in its original box, showcasing its sleek design and clear Sonos branding
Screenshot of the Sonos App interface on a smartphone, displaying intuitive controls, audio streaming options, and room calibration features.
(Credit: Sonos)

My Sonos Era 300 Setup Experience: A Mix of Excitement and Frustration

Unboxing the Era 300 was a moment of pure excitement—I had seen the reviews, heard the hype, and now, it was finally time to bring it into my setup. I was eager for a Dolby Atmos experience without the hassle of multiple speakers and wires. The Era 300 seemed like the perfect solution.

Step 1: Placement & Powering On

First, I had to find the perfect spot. Sonos recommends placing the Era 300 in an open space so its directional drivers can properly disperse sound. After a bit of trial and error, I settled on my TV stand, slightly away from the wall, to prevent reflections from messing with the spatial effect.

Plugging it in, I was greeted with a subtle LED indicator, signaling that it was ready to connect. So far, so good.

Step 2: Connecting to Wi-Fi & The Sonos App… The First Hiccup

I opened the Sonos app, expecting a seamless setup. At first, the app detected the speaker instantly and guided me through the steps. However, as soon as it tried to connect to Wi-Fi, I hit my first roadblock.

❌ First attempt: Connection failed.
❌ Second attempt: “Could not connect. Try again.”
🤨 Third attempt: Success—but only after switching to the 2.4GHz band instead of 5GHz.

🔹 Lesson learned: If you have Wi-Fi issues, try switching to 2.4GHz—it seems to work better with Sonos devices.

Step 3: Trueplay Tuning – The Game Changer

One of the coolest features of the Sonos Era 300 is Trueplay Tuning—which analyzes your room acoustics and optimizes the sound using your smartphone’s microphone.

Setting it up was easy, but it required me to:
✔ Walk around the room slowly, waving my phone like a wizard casting a spell.
✔ Stay quiet, as Sonos warns that even small noises can affect calibration.

After about a minute, the difference was staggering.

  • Bass tightened up.
  • Vocals became clearer.
  • The spatial effect felt more precise.

🔹 Pro Tip: If you skip Trueplay, you’re not getting the full potential of the Era 300. Take the extra minute—it’s worth it.

Step 4: Linking to Alexa & Streaming Music

Since I already use an Echo Dot, I was excited to pair Alexa with the Era 300. The process was smooth, and I was able to control my music and TV almost instantly.

The real test? Dolby Atmos music.

  • 🎵 First Song Played in Spatial Audio: Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen (via Apple Music)
  • 👀 First Reaction: “Whoa… it actually feels like I’m in the studio with them.”

The vocals floated through the air, instruments had clear separation, and the immersion was unreal. However, I soon discovered that Dolby Atmos is only fully supported via Apple Music and TIDAL.

  • 🔹 Pro Tip: If you mainly use Spotify, be aware that you won’t get Dolby Atmos. Apple Music or TIDAL are the best options.

Final Thoughts: Was the Setup Worth It?

👉 Frustrations:

  • Wi-Fi connection issues at first.
  • No Dolby Atmos on Spotify, so I had to rethink my streaming service.

✅ Successes:

  • Trueplay tuning made a huge difference.
  • Alexa integration worked flawlessly.
  • Dolby Atmos music sounded surreal.

📌 Final Verdict: The setup was a mix of minor frustrations and major payoffs. Once dialed in, the Sonos Era 300 truly shines—but it requires patience.


Technical Details

Spatial Audio Mastery:

The Sonos Era 300 is designed for spatial audio. Thanks to its Dolby Atmos support, it transforms movies and Atmos tracks, wrapping you in a full 360-degree sound field. However, there isn’t much content available in this format. Moreover, many app’s recommendations can sometimes be disappointing when you’re searching for Atmos mixes.

Audio Profile & Performance:

During my initial tests in the bedroom, I noticed that the speaker’s bass was very strong. In fact, it was so overpowering that it sometimes overshadowed the vocals in pop or EDM tracks. Therefore, I decided to adjust the EQ (I found a setting around -4 or -5 to work best), and this change helped achieve a more balanced sound.

Design & Build:

The Era 300 has a unique, knucklebone-inspired design that is more than just eye-catching. In fact, it is built to house special height drivers that are key to its Atmos performance. Moreover, its wireless and Alexa-enabled setup makes it a versatile choice for any modern living space.


Connectivity, Setup & The Sonos App Experience

Movies 🎬

Setting up your home theater with the Sonos app is a breeze. It handles everything—from streaming and scheduling to room calibration, ensuring that your movies and TV shows deliver immersive, rich sound.

However, finding Atmos-enabled films in the app could be improved. The search function isn’t the best, making it harder to filter content that takes full advantage of the Sonos Era 300’s spatial audio capabilities. That said, once everything is set up, the listening experience is seamless and cinematic.

Music 🎵

The Sonos app also offers a range of music-focused features, allowing users to fine-tune their listening experience.

However, there’s one major drawback:

  • ❌ To enjoy Atmos music, you MUST stream via Apple Music.
  • ❌ Spotify Direct works well, but it doesn’t support Atmos, meaning the full spatial audio experience isn’t available.
Sonos Era 300 smart speaker resting on a wooden side table, illuminated by subtle purple light, with a window in the background for Atmos Clarity
Sonos Era 300 Smart speaker back panel and connectivity connected to Amazon Alexa

Drawbacks & Considerations

Every smart speaker has its trade-offs, and the Era 300 is no exception:

Value Proposition: Strength in Home Theater, Weakness in Music Detail

  • ✅ What’s Good: The Sonos Era 300 delivers an immersive Dolby Atmos experience that excels in movies and spatial audio tracks.
    ❌ What’s Missing: If music clarity is your priority, the HomePod 2nd Gen may be the better option, offering superior vocal clarity and a warmer, more balanced audio profile—all at a lower price.
  • 💡 Possible Workaround: If you prefer Sonos but want better music performance, pairing the Sonos Era 300 with a Sonos Sub Mini can help fine-tune bass response and clarity.

Limited Atmos Content & App Quirks: Immersive Sound, But Where’s the Content?

  • ✅ What’s Good: The Sonos Era 300 supports Dolby Atmos for music and movies, a feature still rare in many smart speakers.
    ❌ What’s Missing: Access to Atmos-enabled tracks is still limited—especially outside of Apple Music. Additionally, the Sonos app’s search and preview features aren’t the best, making it harder to find Atmos content.
  • 💡 Possible Workaround: If Atmos content is a must-have, Apple Music and TIDAL currently offer the best selection. If you’re using Spotify, you won’t get Atmos support, so this may not be the best speaker for your needs.

Bass-Heavy Audio: Great for Movies, But Can Muddy Music

  • ✅ What’s Good: The Era 300 delivers deep, powerful bass, making action scenes and cinematic audio feel room-filling and immersive.
    ❌ What’s Missing: The bass-heavy tuning can sometimes overpower vocals, particularly in pop, acoustic, and classical tracks, leading to a less balanced music experience. Compared to the HomePod 2nd Gen or Sonos Five, vocal clarity is weaker.
  • 💡 Possible Workaround: Adjusting the EQ settings (lowering bass to -4 or -5) improves balance. If music is your primary focus, consider the Sonos Five for a richer, more detailed soundstage.

Final Verdict: Is the Sonos Era 300 Right for You?

The Sonos Era 300 is an impressive, versatile smart speaker that truly comes into its own when delivering spatial audio experiences. It’s an excellent choice for movie lovers and home theater enthusiasts who crave a deep, immersive sound environment. Plus, with its Alexa integration, you can easily command it to play your favorite tunes with a simple voice command, adding to its smart convenience. However, if you’re primarily using your speaker for music and value balanced vocals, you might find better overall performance in alternatives like the HomePod 2nd Gen.

Who Should Buy It?

✅ Best for:

  • Users seeking a state-of-the-art spatial audio experience with Dolby Atmos support.
  • Home theater enthusiasts wanting a compact yet powerful speaker to enhance movie nights.
  • Fans of Sonos who appreciate the flexibility of wireless connectivity and detailed sound customization through Trueplay.

🚫 Not ideal for:

  • Listeners who prioritize pristine vocal clarity over heavy bass in music.
  • Those frustrated by the limitations of the Sonos app when streaming Atmos content from Apple Music.
  • Budget-conscious buyers looking for the best value purely for music playback.

In summary, the Sonos Era 300 stands out as a strong choice for those who value immersive sound and advanced smart features—even if it comes with a few quirks. If Atmos is your priority, this speaker is definitely worth considering.

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