Short answer: the Sonos Five. It ranks #4 of 10 powered desktop speakers by sound quality, rated 4.2/5, at $599. The Sonos Era 300 ranks #6, rated 4.0/5, at $499, $100 cheaper, which does not close the gap in sound quality.
What the Sonos Five does well: A big Wi-Fi speaker with deep bass, sound that stays consistent around the room, stereo playback and Trueplay room tuning. It keeps a wired aux input, which the Sonos Era 300 lacks. The catch: A 4.8dB reference band means the midrange and treble are less even than the best speakers, so tonal balance benefits from EQ.
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. The tradeoff: RTINGS’ one listed con is some compression at max volume.
Buy the Sonos Five. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $100 saving on the Sonos Era 300 is not enough to make up the difference.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Sonos Five | Sonos Era 300 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $599.00 each | $499.00 each |
| Ranked | #4 of 10 in Large Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #6 of 10 in Large Size Powered Desktop Speakers |
| Drivers | 3x mid-woofers, 3x tweeters (2 angled), 6 Class-D amplifiers | 4x tweeters (1 forward, 2 side, 1 upward-firing), 2x angled woofers |
| Stereo | Yes (horizontal orientation) | Yes |
| Dimensions | 8”H x 14.3”W x 6.1”D (203 x 364 x 154 mm) | 7.3” x 10.2” x 6.3” (185 x 260 x 160 mm) |
| Weight | 14 lbs (6.36 kg) | 9.9 lbs (4.47 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes (Wi-Fi 6) |
| Bluetooth | No | Yes |
| App | Yes (Sonos S2) | Yes (Sonos S2) |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble + Trueplay room correction) | Yes (Bass/Treble + Trueplay room correction) |
| Built-in Microphone | No | Yes (far-field, mic mute button) |
| Party Mode | Yes (Sonos multi-room, AirPlay 2) | Yes (Sonos multi-room, AirPlay 2) |
| TWS | Yes (stereo pairing via Sonos app) | Yes (stereo pairing via Sonos app) |
| Power Input | Built-in AC | External AC adapter |
| Battery Life | No Battery | No Battery |
| IP Rating | None | None |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Ethernet, 3.5mm line-in | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C (line-in adapter sold separately) |
| Aux Input | Yes (3.5mm line-in) | No |
| 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 |
| Streaming Services | Sonos app streaming (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and more), AirPlay 2 | Sonos app streaming (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and more), AirPlay 2, Dolby Atmos Music |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 38.5Hz (measured, Audio Science Review data on spinorama.org) | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | about 25.5Hz (measured, Audio Science Review data on spinorama.org) | - |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 3.92 | - |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 5.56 | - |
| Bluetooth Codecs | - | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | - | 5.0 |
| Voice Assistants | - | Amazon Alexa |
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