Help ! Torn Between Sonos Five and Era 300 ?

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Hi Everyone,

I am somewhat torn between choosing the Sonos Five or the Sonos Era 300. So for me the idea of upgrading to these speakers began because I currently use the first-generation Apple HomePodthe bigger one’s which is remarkably good for its size and delivers strong bass that I enjoy most. I have two HomePods paired in stereo and use them for movies, where they provide a virtual Dolby Atmos effect. My issue is that, although the sound is excellent there is just a slight bass shortfall I keep noticing; this sparked my upgrade thoughts. But the quality such small speakers offers is out of the world !

I once heard the first-generation Sonos Five and thought of returning to it, but I realized it is not a smart speaker. It lacks voice input and will not function like the HomePods. It is simply a very good speaker with strong sound, and since I am not heavily invested in a home theatre or a dedicated TV setup, I move my HomePods between private music listening in my bedroom and movie sessions, placing the pair near the TV when needed where it does Dolby Atmos Sound effect for the movies which has it.

So While listening to music on the HomePods ,I noticed that lack of slight small bass which I wanted more of, especially since I listen to stations like Ibiza Global Radio that play dance music almost 24 x 7, so now I am in a dilemma.At the moment I prefer not to choose a dedicated TV speaker such as a soundbar or similar setup. If I want to switch between private music listening and movies, which option suits me? The Five lacks Dolby Atmos, Voice Input and is not a smart speaker but since I need that format, the 300 seems more fitting; however, it lacks the bass the Five provides. Adding a subwoofer to the Era 300 perhaps a Sub-mini or a Gen 4 might make up for the missing low end.

So Would pairing the 300 with a sub compensate for the bass difference which the Five have and create a balanced choice for both music and film?I have listened to both setups but remain undecided. The 300 feels slightly open in sound, while the Five sounds punchy; the openness of the 300 is missing there, which confuses me.

I would value your thoughts.

bockersjv

Local Superstar

I have had both and with a Sub. For Music the Fives are the better choice and better bass, but the sub solves that issue for both.

Get the Era 300s if you think you may want them as surrounds, maybe in the future. I currently have an Arc Ultra, SUb and Era 300 rear surrounds and they are perfect for my listening case which include a lot of Surround and Atmos music.

A

augustyaAuthor

Contributor III

But I am not looking as Era as Surrounds. (If I understood you correctly) I am saying since I do not have a dedicated Soundbar I would like to have something which cab be doubled for Music and Movies watching (Dolby Content) so in that case, does the Era 300 over the Five make more sense ? is it ?

Smilja

@augustya, Yes it does, but the output via Apple TV is limited to stereo. Only HomePods can output Atmos (Dolby MAT) via Apple TV.

»And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space, Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind.« (›Windmills Of Your Mind‹ [1967]. Music by Michel Legrand ; English lyrics written by Alan & Marilyn Bergman)

melvimbe

You didn’t list budget as a concern, so I would definitely agree that the Era 300s + sub is the better option for what you described.

The ‘punchy’ sound you described sound like the difference between ported and sealed bass. The full Sonos subs are ported, which will give you more volume, but they generally won’t sound as tight (neither good or bad). The sub mini is a sealed design, which will have less volume but it will feel tighter. The Fives are not technically a sub, but it is sealed and probably also fall under the sealed category.

You can research ported/sealed sub to see what people general think is best for each use case, but it’s ultimately up to your ears.

Also, you mentioned you wanted a smart speaker, but didn’t specify what features specifically you’re looking for. You can’t talk to Siri through Sonos mics currently, but it is Alexa enabled as well as it’s own local voice control. Sonos has stated they will be bring in a cloud based/AI version of SVC this fall. You may want to look into that and see if it’s what you need. I would also say that I think having a separate device for smart control and speakers for music is a reasonable option.

Danny

AjTrek1

As I see it you’re not interested in surround use with either the Era 300 nor Five. However, you want speakers that will double duty for TV audio and Music which neither Sonos speaker is designed for that use. They are strictly limited to music or as surrounds with a Sonos soundbar.

Also, don’t let anyone inside or outside of this community suggest using Era 300’s via Bluetooth with a TV. They are not intended for such use.

My suggestion is to listen to the newer HomePods to see if there is an improvement over your current model. I’m not sure but investigate if you can use four full size HomePods with your TV ( two front/two rear).

However, if you are set on going with Sonos for TV audio you’ll have to purchase a Sonos soundbar and (although not required) a sub if you want bass to shake your house😂.

Also know that if you want to use either of the Sonos speakers you mentioned once setup as surrounds they cannot be used independently as a stereo pair.

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