Short answer: the Sonos Era 300 on measured sound quality, the Apple HomePod Mini on price. The Sonos Era 300 ranks #6 of 10 powered desktop speakers, rated 4.0/5, at $499. The Apple HomePod Mini ranks #10, rated 3.3/5, at $149.36, $349.64 cheaper.
The case for the Apple HomePod Mini: A tiny Siri smart speaker that hears you even at full volume and gives decent bass for its size. Watch for: SoundGuys’ listed cons include no mute button at all, an occasionally annoying Handoff prompt, and no direct Spotify integration since Siri only launches Apple Music by voice.
The case for 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 Apple HomePod Mini lacks. It plays in stereo from a single unit, unlike the Apple HomePod Mini. Watch for: RTINGS’ one listed con is some compression at max volume.
Buy the Apple HomePod Mini if the price is the priority over sound quality, or the Sonos Era 300 if sound quality is the priority over the price.
Want more options? Browse the full Powered Home rankings.
A tiny Siri smart speaker that hears you even at full volume and gives decent bass for its size.
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
| Apple HomePod Mini | Sonos Era 300 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $149.36 each | $499.00 each |
| Ranked | #10 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 (AirPlay 2 multi-room) | Yes (Sonos multi-room, AirPlay 2) |
| Power Input | External AC adapter (USB-C) | External AC adapter |
| Stereo | No | Yes |
| Weight | 0.8 lbs (345 g) | 9.9 lbs (4.47 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes (Wi-Fi 6) |
| App | Yes (Apple Home) | Yes (Sonos S2) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (4 far-field mics, no mute button) | Yes (far-field, mic mute button) |
| EQ | No | Yes (Bass/Treble + Trueplay room correction) |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (stereo pairing via Home app) | Yes (stereo pairing via Sonos app) |
| Drivers | Full-range driver + dual passive bass radiators | 4x tweeters (1 forward, 2 side, 1 upward-firing), 2x angled woofers |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2 | 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 | No | Yes |
| Dimensions | 3.3” x 3.9” (84.3 x 97.9 mm) (H x diameter) | 7.3” x 10.2” x 6.3” (185 x 260 x 160 mm) |
| Voice Assistants | Apple Siri | Amazon Alexa |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Apple Music (direct voice control); other services via AirPlay only | Sonos app streaming (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and more), AirPlay 2, Dolby Atmos Music |
| Bluetooth Codecs | - | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | - | 5.0 |
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