Short answer: the Sonos Era 300. It ranks #6 of 10 powered desktop speakers by sound quality (rated 4.0/5) at $499 and is still sold new; the Google Home Max ranks #15 (rated 3.6/5) and is discontinued, so it is only an option used.
Why pick the Google Home Max: A large Google smart speaker with two woofers, automatic room tuning and stereo pairing, praised by owners for its bass. It supports AAC Bluetooth, which the Sonos Era 300 lacks. It keeps a wired aux input, which the Sonos Era 300 lacks. The catch: Discontinued by Google since 2020, so it can no longer be bought new; used and refurbished stock is what remains, and RTINGS calls its soundstage mediocre despite the driver count.
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 plays in stereo from a single unit, unlike the Google Home Max. The tradeoff: RTINGS’ one listed con is some compression at max volume.
Buy the Sonos Era 300. It is rated higher for sound quality; the Google Home Max is no longer sold new.
Still deciding? The full Powered Home rankings cover every ranked option.
A large Google smart speaker with two woofers, automatic room tuning and stereo pairing, praised by owners for its bass.
A Wi-Fi smart speaker with real stereo and Dolby Atmos spatial audio, excellent Alexa voice pickup and Trueplay room tuning.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Google Home Max | Sonos Era 300 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $399 each Discontinued | $499.00 each |
| Ranked | #15 of 29 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #6 of 10 in Large Size Powered Desktop Speakers |
| Aux Input | Yes | No |
| Battery Life | No Battery | No Battery |
| IP Rating | None | None |
| Party Mode | Yes (Wi-Fi multi-room, Chromecast built-in) | Yes (Sonos multi-room, AirPlay 2) |
| Power Input | AC power cord | External AC adapter |
| Stereo | No | Yes |
| Weight | 11.7 lbs (5.3 kg) | 9.9 lbs (4.47 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (2.4GHz/5GHz) | Yes (Wi-Fi 6) |
| App | Yes (Google Home) | Yes (Sonos S2) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (6 far-field mics for Smart Sound room correction) | Yes (far-field, mic mute button) |
| EQ | Yes (Media EQ + Room EQ, automatic via Smart Sound) | Yes (Bass/Treble + Trueplay room correction) |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (Wi-Fi stereo pairing via Google Home app) | Yes (stereo pairing via Sonos app) |
| Drivers | 2x 4.5in high-excursion woofers, 2x 0.7in tweeters | 4x tweeters (1 forward, 2 side, 1 upward-firing), 2x angled woofers |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Aux, USB-C | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C (line-in adapter sold separately) |
| XLR Input | No | No |
| RCA Input | No | No |
| TRS Input | Yes (3.5mm) | No |
| Optical Input | No | No |
| Coaxial Input | No | No |
| USB Input | Yes | Yes (line-in adapter sold separately) |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| AES Input | No | No |
| Amplifier Power | 6x Class-D amplifiers | - |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 | 5.0 |
| Dimensions | 7.5” x 13.2” x 6.1” (190 x 336 x 154 mm) (H x W x D) | 7.3” x 10.2” x 6.3” (185 x 260 x 160 mm) |
| Voice Assistants | Google Assistant | Amazon Alexa |
| Streaming Services | Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, Pandora, TuneIn, iHeartRadio | Sonos app streaming (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and more), AirPlay 2, Dolby Atmos Music |
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