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pair of 5s or era 300s?

  • July 6, 2025
  • 3 replies
  • 78 views
G

Hello. I am about to purchase my first Sonos system, after years of high end, old style equipment. 

 I could really use some input from sonos users in chosing between a pair of 5s or era 300s.

My music is classical 75% and oldies rock 25%.

I have a moderate to large room.

My wife does not like the volume too loud, so I would say our volume is moderate: neither background nor conversation killer.

My main reason for diving into sonos: while my system is extremely accurate, whenever I encounter that wide open sonos sound stage I really like it. I am also tired of ongoing speaker placement efforts to image well and put me in rhat sweet spot. 

So I'd sacrifice a bit of accuracy for a big soundstage.

Based on the above would you advise me to  look at a pair of 5s or  era 300s?

 Thanks in advance for your replies.

Best answer by Airgetlam

Do you stream your music, and if so, what service?

In general, if you’re not listening to a lot of Atmos content (and frankly, IMHO, there isn’t much, especially in classical music), I’d go with the Fives. But it’s a close thing, both types of speakers sound spectacular. You may want to go to a local retailer and listen for yourself, since it’s your ears, and not mine, that have to be satisfied. 

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3 replies

Airgetlam
  • Airgetlam
  • 44811 replies
  • Answer
  • July 6, 2025

Do you stream your music, and if so, what service?

In general, if you’re not listening to a lot of Atmos content (and frankly, IMHO, there isn’t much, especially in classical music), I’d go with the Fives. But it’s a close thing, both types of speakers sound spectacular. You may want to go to a local retailer and listen for yourself, since it’s your ears, and not mine, that have to be satisfied. 

Bruce
Stanley_4
  • Stanley_4
  • Lead Maestro
  • 12368 replies
  • July 6, 2025

I'd agree, for stereo the Five pair has the edge but for ATMOS content I really like what the 300s do.

The 300s might benefit from a mini-sub while the Fives are pretty good alone.

buzz
  • buzz
  • 24653 replies
  • July 6, 2025

Both your current speakers and SONOS are bound by the same laws of physics. Your current speakers are essentially point sources while the FIVE’s and ERA300’s are area sources. The area sources propagate differently in the room. You are allowed to prefer one or the other.

Listeners who have high end conventional systems tend to prefer the individual instrument definition of FIVE’s rather than the 300’s. In the vertical orientation, FIVE’s behave much like a conventional point source.

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