End of lifespan? I’m not sure what that means for a Sonos speaker. So far, Sonos continues to support every speaker they have ever released. 

If you listen to Atmos music, go with the Era 300s. If you listen to stereo music, go with the Fives.

What I mean by end of lifespan is that a era 500 could likely be coming within the next year that would basically replace the five. It just seems the era 300s are more future proof. Just wondering is there such a huge gap between the 300 and a fives. 

The Fives are better for stereo audio and have better bass on their own.  If you plan on bonding a sub or mini sub, than the base factor won’t matter. I don’t think even the stereo factor matters much if you are in a smaller room.

Sonos has said nothing about an Era 500 and since it’s somewhat of a unique hypothetical product, we can’t say much about it’s introduction would mean about for the existing Five.  Given that the Fives are $500, and the Era 300s are $450, it stands to reason that an Era 500 may be priced somewhere significantly north of $500.  Possibly to the point where Sonos does think it makes sense to stop producing Fives.  And while an Era 500 would surely be better than for atmos and stereo than an Era 300, it may not be better for stereo than a Five.

That’s even assuming Sonos creates an Era 500.  They may feel like atmos music is better served by more smaller speakers playing together rather than 2 big speakers.  Or perhaps the Fives will have a place in atmos music and create upfiring only speakers to be placed in the front of a room along with Fives.

And when I say replace the Five I don’t necessarily mean by an era 500. It could be a new Five in itself and I would hate to fork out a $1000 for a pair of Fives that get replaced in a year. 
My apartment is 700 sq ft. My living room is small where the pair would be so I’m just wondering if era 300s would be great in a small space plus they are future proof. And what I mean by future prooof is if they make a new five I can buy them and move the era 300s to surround, which would be great. 
I just wonder if the era 300 could fill up my small living room area with music and also could I hear it pretty well from my bedroom which is extremely close. The arc doesn’t quite reach my bedroom the way I’d like it to for music. 

I would go with the Era 300s for that space, although I would include a sub mini.   I can’t say that it will reach your bedroom, as I don’t know your layout or what you personally feel is good enough.  If the Arc doesn’t reach your room, I sort of doubt that any speaker will.

Also, the Era 300s can be used as surrounds for the Arc, or Beam Gen 2 only.  There is no such thing as Fives in the front with any speaker as surrounds, currently.

My bedroom is wall is the other side of where my arc is. I can absolutely hear it and clearly just not as loud as I want it without having to turn it up super loud. I figure with the stereo pair of 300s or fives that wouldn’t be a problem. 
 

I know Fives can’t be surrounds. I’m meaning if a new Five releases I can just move the 300s as surrounds with my arc in the rear & put the new fuves in a stereo pair in front. 

1. I’m sure Fives can be surrounds;
2. You seem to have decided for yourself what you want. 

@TMONEY

Don‘t think too much… just listen.

The Five is an amazing speaker and as it‘s part of the actual lineup it will be supported in future for a long time.

I have both here… and imho the Five for stereo music is quite better than the Era 300. 

lol no i absolutely havent made up my mind

I would not get 5s now. Too late in the product cycle to drop that kind of money. They only guarantee 5 years updates when they stop selling them. 
 

Or if you fomo too much buy both, return the loser. 

this what my exact thought. 

As was said above Sonos is still supporting every speaker they have ever sold.

Worrying about something going unsupported should be your last concern with Sonos.

Hi @TMONEY 

Just want to add my two cents here FWIW…

As others have said Sonos unlike any other company supports its products for years after production has ended. The Play 5 introduced in 2015 (which was replaced by the Five in 2020) is still supported and works on Sonos S2 the latest iteration of the Sonos OS. 

Sonos; unlike any other company, typically offers an upgrade credit of 15% to 30% to allow its loyal customers the opportunity to acquire the latest technology in a product family. Also, Sonos products hold their value quite well. I can attest to purchasing my Five’s for $185-$200 USD each after 30% upgrade credit and selling my two Play 5’s for approximately $190-$200 USD each. Of course timing is everything when selling.

To answer your question regarding Era 300’s x 2 versus Five’s x 2….I must agree with others that the Fives offer a better sound stage for stereo listening. I have a stereo pair of Era 300’s with sub; as well as a pair of Five’s with sub.

The Era 300’s are excellent speakers and deliver on Sonos’ promise to take your listening experience to another level with Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio.  However, IMO because they are so good at delivering  the Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio experience they fall short when listening to stereo compared to the Fives. IMO because the Era 300’s are designed to fool the listener into thinking that the sound is encompassing them rather than coming straight toward them; the intended stereo music presentation is somewhat light or airy; if you will.

Five’s on the other-hand deliver a more robust stereo sound stage that targets the listener when in a seated position. Sounds are still reflected off walls; but not to the extent where you can’t discern from whence they are coming from . To be clear one might never notice a difference without performing an A/B listening test of Era 300’s versus Five’s.

All said…purchase the Era 300’s; as you may repurpose them later as surrounds with an Arc or Beam 2 for full immersion with Dolby Atmos content in movies. However if your primary goal is to experience the best sound stage/stereo imaging with Sonos speakers…purchase a pair of Five’s. 

Since YMMV is always the rule, I'll muddy the waters a bit. 

I've been listening to each, with and without a Sub, and the answer is complicated.   The 300s on their own sound good, but are really lacking on the low end, making them sound a bit thin, though still good.   Add a Sub plus Trueplay and they fill out nicely making the difference between them and the Fives small.   The Fives, on the other hand, don't benefit tremendously from a Sub. 

The Fives win on clarity in the low mids and bass.   So drums, double bass, and lower registers of piano and baritone sax will have more detail.   When the 300s are paired with a Sub, you likely wouldn't notice the difference without listening to them side by side. 

The 300s fill a room nicely with clear sound that almost surrounds you, similar to a live performance.   I like the effect, though an audiophile might find that a detriment.  I prefer them for casual listening, for listening while moving about the house and for big music, like orchestral music.  I listened to a 1984 digital recording of von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic playing Beethoven symphony 9 that made me feel like I was at the performance.  (Deutsche Grammophon, if you're interested.  The streaming on Apple music is lossless).  This was significantly better on the 300s than on the Fives. 

If you enjoy focusing on individual instruments, the Fives will probably sound better.  I think an audiophile would prefer the Fives. 

Then there is decor.  The 300s on the Sonos stands just look good from all sides IMHO.   The Fives look kind of clunky, but if you're putting them on a table against a wall, then it doesn't matter so much. 

I've been comparing the Fives against the 300s with a Sub.   A pair of Fives would be cheaper, but I had the Sub, so there's that.  But you could get the 300s with a Sub mini and have a more versatile setup that is more "future resistant" if that checks more boxes for you.  Or you could add the Sub mini later.  Speaking of later, I have a pair of 300s as surrounds with an Arc and Sub and it sounds spectacular. 

Basically there is no correct answer.   I hope this helps some

lol you said a lot that made so much sense and makes it even harder lol. Jk 

I bought two Era 300 and Sub Mini and two Sonos Five and Sub Mini.

I might return the Fives and get two additional Era 300.

Still testing, but there is something about the Era 300 that I like better thus far.

@JB Music

Are you asking a question or just stating your opinion? You’ll have to decide if you prefer Era 300’s x 2 vs. Five’s x 2 (both with sub mini) for music. It’s a personal decision. Although having a set of both (with subs) I prefer my Five’s for dedicated stereo listening. JMO.

You might also consider using the Era 300 as surrounds with your Arc and keep the Fives for a dedicated stereo pair for music. FYI, the Era 300’s used as surrounds can play music in full stereo with the Arc. It will give the sensation of being in the middle; if that’s to your liking.