Ceiling Mounting ERA 300's

Interesting article just read adding to the long standing Sonos L C R and LR RR debate …… on Tech Radar earlier today …..

Only an opinion piece but an opinion I have to say I share somewhat …… I guess it’s as simple as ‘why not?’ ….. would make my OTT wiring prep worthwhile :-) ……

https://www.techradar.com/televisions/home-theater/okay-sonos-where-is-my-tv-sound-system-with-real-left-and-right-front-speakers-sony-beat-you-to-to-the-punch-the-tech-secretly-exists-in-your-products-already-its-time-to-catch-up

I don’t know if this post will be deleted … I posted on here about the sonosequencer software that for reasons I cannot begin to fathom, seemed to cause upset to mods. 

Anyway, the rumour machine on ERA 500 was added to today …. I will not quote any content in case it upsets someone at the back end of this but feel free to read …. it adds some meat to the bones of a ‘possible’ ERA 500 product …..

https://www.headphonesty.com/2026/06/sonos-era-500-release/

For what it’s worth I would part money for two pairs of such a product instantly.

The automated system frequently seems to trigger on outside links, but both of your posts seem to have come through. Don’t know if they were initially caught by ‘the system’, then approved by a human, or came through without intervention.

Thanks for the information, I was unaware of the FCC filing, I don’t spend any time trolling the net for that type of data. I’m somewhat unsurprised that a ‘new’ device has a set of extended features such as are predicted in the article…the Five was designed many, many years ago, getting newer chipsets that have expanded capabilities must be significantly easier and cheaper than when the Five was originally designed. 
 

I’d likely be interested in a pair as well. My current ‘critical listening’ setup is two PLAY:5 gen 2s. Which still work magnificently for me, using S2, and sounding great. Most of those ‘features’ that the article purports the rumored Era 500 to have, are to me ‘nice to haves’ more than requirements. 

Since this is a semi-hijack of this post I’ll respond as well 😂

Regarding an Era 500. There’s no doubt that Five Series current and previous is getting old in the tooth. All the new bells and whistles are nice looking at BT, voice assistant, and auto tuning.

The addition of the USB-C connectivity IMO is more of “ let’s get with the times” as eliminating the line-in 3.5mm will require users to purchase the Sonos proprietary dongle. More profit for Sonos. Slim chance Sonos will offer both options to accommodate legacy users of the 3.5mm who may already e using it.

All the above said I don’t want to see the stereo advantage offered by the Five diminished in favor of adding Dolby Atmos to an Era 500.  If anything I want to see (hear) an improvement in the stereo imaging.

Also, IMO Sonos would have two competing products with Dolby Atmos (Era 300). From a marketing standpoint that’s gotta be a hard sell. When looking at price point. Either the sales of the Era 300 drop or sales of the Era 500 suffer.

I’m very aware of the elephant in the room that will have potential buyers clamoring for Dolby Atmos on an Era 500 and the potential nay sayers claiming Sonos missed the mark. As with buyers “enough is never enough”.

Oh…I almost forgot…the argument about being able to control which drivers are activated when playing a source. I’m just saying…🤷

Going to a USB C input and deleting both the 3.5 mm and Ethernet options will save costs for Sonos, save power draw (a watt or two) for the Ethernet and maybe a few cents off the cost for the consumer.

Sonos isn't likely making enough profit on either/both USB adapters to make them a viable product. If they were we'd be seeing knockoffs at a cheaper price by now. They exist now more to provide a review tick-box check, and for a very few users with special needs. Maybe have a future in commercial deployments but that would really need power over Ethernet version to also be available.

Ethernet and 3.5mm input will most likely still be available on the Era 500 by using the combo adapter as shown in the link. The only difference being the legacy ports/input will be eliminated. That said there may be a cosmetic savings in housing design; but the internal components/interface chips will still be present. BTW…Ethernet is still necessary for a forced update by Sonos. 

https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/sonos-combo-adapter

For Ethernet the biggest power consumption and expensive bits are in the cable interface, that would reside on the adapter, not internally.

The forced update issue will be interesting to follow as more devices lack the Ethernet port. Be a bit grumpy if someone told me I'd need to drop $40 to get an updat.e

The same can said for the 3.5mm port. As of now one only needs an RCA to 3.5mm cable to connect a Turntable to a Five. Most likely going forward one will need the RCA to 3.5mm cable and the Sonos adapter. Dollars will be expended regardless of what one wants to accomplish (i.e. a forced update or just adding a peripheral device). Doing the latter is a few dollars cheaper.

We are going to have to continue disagree on the power draw and cost of the respective Ethernet and audio components.

If anyone cares the information on Ethernet is available elsewhere, make sure to compare the older 10/100 Sonos uses, not the more expensive and higher power 1000 interface components.

Makes sense Bruce and indeed I do see both responses so maybe I was a tad quick to carp.

Yeah the rumour things does seem have a bit more legs than it did. Can’t be anything but a good thing if it materialises.

For me, it’s less the detailed technical differences (although it should be) but more that I don’t want to shell out on my new home theater set up then find there’s something a tad better in the wings. 

The opportunity to set up a whole room with great new stuff doesn’t happen so often so often, so when you do, you want to know you got it spot on. For once I think I’m in the sweet spot with the LG W6, the Arc Ultra, a couple of Sub 4’s and a set of potentially ERA 500’s … let’s see. And indeed I have anther room that can benefit from a second set of 500’s.