Home Speakers / Sonos Era 300 vs Sonos Five
Sonos Era 300 vs Sonos Five
Sonos Era 300
Dolby Atmos music and the best Sonos soundbar surround you can buy.
Wins overall by 1.3 points
Quick Verdict
The Sonos Era 300 takes this by a clear 1.3 points. Dolby Atmos music and the best Sonos soundbar surround you can buy. The Sonos Five only makes sense if it wins on a category you care about more than the total.
The Sonos Era 300 and Sonos Five are both closely matched home Speaker models, and the Sonos Era 300 is $120 cheaper than the Sonos Five ($479 vs $599). On Voice Assistant, the Sonos Era 300 leads (7.0 vs 1.0/10) — which assistants are built in and how well they work. On Smart Home, the Sonos Era 300 leads (7.0 vs 5.0/10) — matter, Thread, Zigbee and hub capability. On Connectivity, the Sonos Era 300 leads (7.5 vs 5.5/10) — Wi-Fi standard, Bluetooth, streaming protocols and physical inputs. Overall, the Sonos Era 300 scores 7.9/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 6.6/10 for the Sonos Five. Below, we break down the full spec sheet, category-by-category scores, and exactly who should buy which one.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Spec | Sonos Era 300 | Sonos Five |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $479.00 | $599.00 |
| Release Year | 2023 | 2020 |
| Voice Assistant | Alexa and Sonos Voice Control; Google Assistant is not supported | None — the Five has no microphone |
| Drivers | Six drivers — four tweeters (one forward-firing, two side-firing, one upward-firing) plus two angled woofers | Six drivers — three tweeters (one centre, two angled) plus three midwoofers |
| Power Output (W) | Sonos publishes six class-D digital amplifiers but no wattage | Sonos publishes six class-D digital amplifiers but no wattage |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | 802.11a/b/g/n (Wi-Fi 4), plus Ethernet |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | None — deliberately omitted |
| Streaming Protocols | Sonos app, AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect; no Chromecast | Sonos app, AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect |
| Multiroom System | Sonos | Sonos |
| Stereo Pairing | Yes; also the preferred Atmos surround for the Arc, Arc Ultra and Beam Gen 2 | Yes; two can also serve as home-theatre rears |
| Smart Home Hub | No | No |
| Spatial Audio | Yes | No |
| Line In | Yes, but only via the optional Sonos Line-In Adapter, sold separately | Yes |
| Warranty | 12 months | 12 months |
| Colors | Black, White | Black, White |
Category Scores
Sound Quality
The Sonos Five leads clearly here, 9.0 against 8.5 — a 0.5-point margin on tonal balance, clarity and detail for the size. If that is what you are buying for, the Sonos Era 300 does not close the gap elsewhere.
Bass
The Sonos Five leads clearly here, 9.0 against 8.0 — a 1.0-point margin on low-end weight and extension. If that is what you are buying for, the Sonos Era 300 does not close the gap elsewhere.
Smart Home
The Sonos Era 300 leads clearly here, 7.0 against 5.0 — a 2.0-point margin on matter, Thread, Zigbee and hub capability. If that is what you are buying for, the Sonos Five does not close the gap elsewhere.
Multiroom
The Sonos Era 300 and Sonos Five are level here, at 9.5/10 each. how well it groups with other speakers around the house is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Connectivity
The Sonos Era 300 leads clearly here, 7.5 against 5.5 — a 2.0-point margin on Wi-Fi standard, Bluetooth, streaming protocols and physical inputs. If that is what you are buying for, the Sonos Five does not close the gap elsewhere.
Design & Build
The Sonos Era 300 leads clearly here, 8.5 against 7.5 — a 1.0-point margin on materials, finish and how it looks in a room. If that is what you are buying for, the Sonos Five does not close the gap elsewhere.
Voice Assistant
The Sonos Era 300 leads clearly here, 7.0 against 1.0 — a 6.0-point margin on which assistants are built in and how well they work. If that is what you are buying for, the Sonos Five does not close the gap elsewhere.
Value
The Sonos Era 300 leads clearly here, 7.0 against 6.0 — a 1.0-point margin on performance and features relative to price. If that is what you are buying for, the Sonos Five does not close the gap elsewhere.
Best For
Choose the Sonos Era 300 if…
- • Voice Assistant matters most to you — the Sonos Era 300 scores 7.0/10 here (which assistants are built in and how well they work).
- • Smart Home matters most to you — the Sonos Era 300 scores 7.0/10 here (matter, Thread, Zigbee and hub capability).
- • Connectivity matters most to you — the Sonos Era 300 scores 7.5/10 here (Wi-Fi standard, Bluetooth, streaming protocols and physical inputs).
- • Design & Build matters most to you — the Sonos Era 300 scores 8.5/10 here (materials, finish and how it looks in a room).
- • You want to spend less — it's $120 cheaper.
Choose the Sonos Five if…
- • Bass matters most to you — the Sonos Five scores 9.0/10 here (low-end weight and extension).
- • Your main use case is home.
Pros & Cons
Sonos Era 300
Pros
- +Genuine Dolby Atmos music support with an upward-firing driver
- +The best wireless surround speaker you can add to a Sonos soundbar
- +Six drivers give real width from a single box
- +Trueplay room tuning
Cons
- −The Atmos music catalogue remains thin outside Apple Music and Amazon Music
- −A single unit gives only a modest height effect — two Era 100s often sound better for plain stereo music
- −Not a smart-home hub
- −List price rose from $449 to $479
- −Line-in needs a paid adapter
Sonos Five
Pros
- +The best pure sound and deepest bass of any single-box Sonos
- +The only Sonos here with a native 3.5mm line-in, no adapter required
- +Smart orientation sensing switches between stereo and mono automatically
- +No microphone, which some buyers actively want
Cons
- −Six-year-old hardware at a price that has gone up rather than down
- −Wi-Fi 4 and no Bluetooth at all
- −No voice control and no Atmos
- −Trueplay tuning is still iOS-only on this model
- −Widely expected to be the next Sonos product replaced
Shop by Need
FAQs
Is the Sonos Era 300 or Sonos Five better overall?+
Based on our 8-category scoring, the Sonos Era 300 comes out ahead overall. See the full breakdown in the scores section above — the right pick still depends on which categories matter most for your use case.
Which is better for Voice Assistant, the Sonos Era 300 or the Sonos Five?+
The Sonos Era 300 scores higher on Voice Assistant (7.0/10 vs 1.0/10) — which assistants are built in and how well they work.
Which is better for Smart Home, the Sonos Era 300 or the Sonos Five?+
The Sonos Era 300 scores higher on Smart Home (7.0/10 vs 5.0/10) — matter, Thread, Zigbee and hub capability.
Which is better for Connectivity, the Sonos Era 300 or the Sonos Five?+
The Sonos Era 300 scores higher on Connectivity (7.5/10 vs 5.5/10) — Wi-Fi standard, Bluetooth, streaming protocols and physical inputs.
Which is better for Bass, the Sonos Era 300 or the Sonos Five?+
The Sonos Five scores higher on Bass (9.0/10 vs 8.0/10) — low-end weight and extension.
Is the Sonos Era 300 worth the price difference over the Sonos Five?+
The Sonos Era 300 is the cheaper option at $479 versus $599. Whether the pricier model is "worth it" depends on how much you value its lead in Voice Assistant.
Which is better suited to my use case?+
The Sonos Era 300 is the better fit if you mainly care about home-theater. The Sonos Five is the better fit for home.
What's the warranty on the Sonos Era 300 vs the Sonos Five?+
The Sonos Era 300 ships with a 12-month warranty; the Sonos Five ships with a 12-month warranty. Always confirm current terms on the manufacturer's site before buying.
Should I wait for the next model instead of buying either of these?+
If either model is more than two years old, a successor may be close — check the "Latest Model" link on each product page. Otherwise, both are current, well-supported options and there's no strong reason to wait.
Cheaper Option
Sonos Era 300 — $479.00
Premium Option
Sonos Five — $599.00
Specifications and prices for both products last verified . Scores are calculated from published specifications — see how we compare products.