Short answer: the Sonos Era 300 if sound quality matters most, the Amazon Echo Dot Max if price matters most. The Sonos Era 300 ranks #6 of 10 powered desktop speakers, rated 4.0/5, at $499. The Amazon Echo Dot Max ranks #5, rated 3.5/5, at $119.99, $379.01 cheaper.
What the Amazon Echo Dot Max does well: An affordable Alexa smart speaker with an excellent far field microphone, louder and bassier than the standard Dot. It supports AAC Bluetooth, which the Sonos Era 300 lacks. The catch: Engadget’s main complaint was that it is a real step down from the discontinued Amazon Echo (4th Gen) it effectively replaces at the same price: that older speaker paired a 3-inch woofer with dual 0.8-inch tweeters, against the Dot Max’s single 2.5-inch woofer and one tweeter, and frequencies felt smushed together without a clean bass-to-treble separation.
Why pick the Sonos Era 300: A Wi-Fi smart speaker with real stereo and Dolby Atmos spatial audio, excellent Alexa voice pickup and Trueplay room tuning. It has an adjustable EQ, which the Amazon Echo Dot Max lacks. It plays in stereo from a single unit, unlike the Amazon Echo Dot Max. The catch: RTINGS’ one listed con is some compression at max volume.
Buy the Amazon Echo Dot Max if the price matters more than sound quality. Buy the Sonos Era 300 if sound quality matters more than the price.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Powered Home rankings.
An affordable Alexa smart speaker with an excellent far field microphone, louder and bassier than the standard Dot.
A Wi-Fi smart speaker with real stereo and Dolby Atmos spatial audio, excellent Alexa voice pickup and Trueplay room tuning.
Prices on this page were last checked November 5, 2026 at 10:30 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Amazon Echo Dot Max | Sonos Era 300 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $119.99 each | $499.00 each |
| Ranked | #5 of 15 in Small Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #6 of 10 in Large Size Powered Desktop Speakers |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Battery Life | No Battery | No Battery |
| IP Rating | None | None |
| Party Mode | Yes (Wi-Fi multi-room, Alexa Home Theater) | Yes (Sonos multi-room, AirPlay 2) |
| Power Input | External AC adapter | External AC adapter |
| Stereo | No | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes (Wi-Fi 6) |
| App | Yes (Alexa) | Yes (Sonos S2) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field, mic mute) | Yes (far-field, mic mute button) |
| EQ | No | Yes (Bass/Treble + Trueplay room correction) |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (Wi-Fi stereo pairing via Alexa app) | Yes (stereo pairing via Sonos app) |
| Drivers | 2.5in woofer, 1x tweeter | 4x tweeters (1 forward, 2 side, 1 upward-firing), 2x angled woofers |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C (line-in adapter sold separately) |
| XLR Input | No | No |
| RCA Input | No | No |
| TRS Input | No | No |
| Optical Input | No | No |
| Coaxial Input | No | No |
| USB Input | No | Yes (line-in adapter sold separately) |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| AES Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Dimensions | 3.9” x 4.4” x 4.9” (99 x 112 x 124 mm) | 7.3” x 10.2” x 6.3” (185 x 260 x 160 mm) |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa / Alexa+ | Amazon Alexa |
| Streaming Services | Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, iHeartRadio, SiriusXM, TuneIn | Sonos app streaming (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and more), AirPlay 2, Dolby Atmos Music |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.0 |
| Weight | - | 9.9 lbs (4.47 kg) |
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