Sonos Era 300 Review: The Smart Speaker That Actually Sounds Like Money
Spatial audio is the Era 300’s party trick, but the real win is room-filling sound that beats ordinary smart speakers.
Shortlistd Editorial
Editor
Sonos Era 300 Review: The Smart Speaker That Actually Sounds Like Money
By Editorial Team | April 2026
The Sonos Era 300 is the one smart speaker worth buying if sound is the priority and Alexa is just a convenience. It costs £449, and the payoff is a genuinely wider, more immersive listen than the usual voice-assistant box.
Our picks at a glance
| Pick | Product | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Sonos Era 300 | £449.00 | Spatial audio and serious living-room music |
| Best upgrade | Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) | £299 | Apple users who want a simpler smart speaker with strong room-aware sound |
| Best budget | Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) | £54.99 | Cheap voice control and background music |
| Best reliable | Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) | £109.00 | Portable listening that can take abuse |
| Best peoples_choice | JBL Flip 7 | £119.00 | Tough everyday Bluetooth listening |
| Best design | Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (3rd Gen) | £226.70 | Premium portable build and refined small-speaker sound |
| Best for use_case | Wharfedale Diamond 12.1i | £249.00 | Proper compact hi-fi on stands or a desk |
| Best for use_case | Edifier R1280DBs | £139.00 | Cheap powered speakers for TV, desk, or bedroom |
Based on hands-on research, expert review consensus (RTings, Wirecutter, relevant subreddits), and current pricing.
Best overall: Sonos Era 300
Sonos Era 300 — £449.00
This is the smart speaker you buy when you want music to sound bigger, not just louder. The Era 300 earns its 8.2 score because it combines six drivers, Dolby Atmos Music support, Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth, Alexa, AirPlay 2 and Trueplay tuning in one box that actually justifies its price when you listen to spatial mixes or fill a real room.
Why we picked it:
- Six drivers firing forward, sideways and upward give it a wider, more enveloping presentation than a standard mono smart speaker.
- Trueplay tuning helps the speaker adapt to your room, so placement is less punishing than it is with most wireless speakers.
- Line-in support via the Sonos adapter means you can hook up a turntable or other analogue source instead of living on streaming alone.
The trade-off: it is expensive, and it only really clicks when you turn it up enough for the spatial sound to open out. If you want a quiet background speaker, this is the wrong purchase.
If you want the version that makes the best case for living with Sonos, buy the Sonos Era 300.
Best upgrade: Apple HomePod (2nd Gen)
Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) — £299
The HomePod 2 is the cleaner, easier buy if you live in Apple’s world and care more about effortless setup than Sonos flexibility. It is cheaper than the Era 300, but the extra money on Sonos buys you a more open ecosystem and a more obviously dramatic spatial presentation.
Worth it if: you use iPhone, Apple Music and HomeKit heavily and want a smart speaker that sounds excellent without thinking too hard about setup.
Best budget pick: Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) — £54.99
The Echo Dot is the no-drama option for voice control, alarms and background music. It will not embarrass itself, but it also will not impress anyone who cares about sound quality.
Worth it if: you want Alexa in a small room for the least money and you do not expect hi-fi performance.
Also worth considering
Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) — £109.00
This is the sensible portable pick if you want a speaker you can throw in a bag and trust around water, dust and knocks. The sound is fuller than most small Bluetooth rivals, but you give up the Era 300’s room-filling scale, Wi‑Fi convenience and spatial audio tricks.
JBL Flip 7 — £119.00
The Flip 7 is the tougher, more travel-friendly everyday speaker. IP68 waterproofing and drop-proofing make it the one you buy for gardens, showers and weekends away, but it is built for portability, not serious home listening.
Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (3rd Gen) — £226.70
This one is for people who care as much about the object as the audio. It sounds refined for its size, feels properly premium and lasts up to 24 hours, but the price is steep for a compact Bluetooth speaker.
Wharfedale Diamond 12.1i — £249.00
If you want real stereo separation and do not mind buying an amp, the Diamond 12.1i is the smarter hi-fi choice. It will beat any smart speaker for pure two-channel listening, but it is passive and fairly large, so it is a different category entirely.
Edifier R1280DBs — £139.00
These are the practical powered speakers for a desk or TV setup. They are flexible, easy to live with and cheap enough to recommend, but they do not have the scale or refinement to threaten the Sonos if music quality is your main goal.
How we chose
We prioritised sound quality, room-filling capability, connectivity, and whether each speaker makes sense at its price. For the Era 300 specifically, the deal-breakers are spatial audio performance, Trueplay tuning, and whether the speaker feels better than a cheaper Alexa box once you actually use it.
We also checked current expert consensus from outlets like What Hi-Fi?, PCMag and Wirecutter, then matched the alternatives to the real jobs readers are trying to solve: smart speaker, portable speaker, or compact hi-fi.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Sonos Era 300 worth it for normal music?
Yes, if you listen in a living room or want a premium all-in-one speaker. It is most convincing with louder playback and spatial mixes, not as a whisper-quiet kitchen speaker.
Why is it so expensive compared with Alexa speakers?
Because you are paying for six drivers, proper spatial audio support, Trueplay tuning and much better sound design than a basic voice assistant speaker.
Can I use it with a turntable?
Yes, but you need the Sonos Line-In Adapter.
Products in this article
