![]() ![]() Most older tracks remixed for Atmos were simply made taller and more dimensional, though I got excellent height effects from others. As with any direct/reflecting loudspeaker, staging will be highly dependent on the room boundaries and acoustics.Ītmos tracks added another level of, well, spaciousness-widening the soundstage somewhat and adding both depth and height. But soundstage width and depth were both a bit constricted from the single speaker despite Trueplay tuning and the Era 300's attempts to reflect off the sidewalls of my relatively narrow space. Vocals were big thanks to the upfiring driver, which still worked with derived information even on 2-channel content. No matter-pulling volume back to the three-quarter mark was plenty loud to let the speaker breath and keep things straight on busy, high energy pop tracks like Sheryl Crow's "What I Can Do For You," or Maroon 5's "Sunday Morning." ![]() The DSP limiting offered good control, though it was not without some strain on loud passages. Overall, the speaker was nicely dynamic, hitting a peak of 94 dB at max volume. I was surprised that bass measured relatively flat to about 40 Hz goosing the Bass EQ added a welcome 5 dB or so in the 60-to-100 Hz range. CD-quality stereo from my Tidal "Reference" playlist exhibited the now familiar "Sonos sound," characterized by clean, unveiled midrange a revealing but forgiving high end that lets you hear into the music but ultimately lacks the very last word in detail and a full-sounding bottom that doesn't go to great depths but nonetheless won't cheat by exaggerating upper bass that could pass into boom or bloat. I started with a single Era 300 on an ear-height speaker stand centered in my basement studio space about 12 feet from the my listening position. There's an optional Line-In adapter for connecting a turntable. The Era 300 also offers up AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth, and control via Alexa or the new Sonos Voice assistant. I used Apple Music for my audition, which sends Atmos as lossless ALAC files at a slightly-better-than-CD 48 kHz. The system plays stereo tracks from any Sonos-compatible music service, however, Atmos is only supported on Apple Music or Amazon Music Unlimited Sonos won't say when or if Tidal Atmos compatibility is coming. Horns and custom waveguides are employed to improve dispersion or directionality. Its six drivers include a single mid-tweeter on the front, another firing up from the top for height effects, and a pair of side-firing mid tweeters left and right, each mated with an oval woofer. ![]() There are grilles on the front and also fully surrounding the angled rear baffle. Resembling an oval cylinder that's been cinched corset-like around its midsection, the Era 300 is a distinctive package measuring 10.24 x 7.28 x 6.3 inches (WHD) and weighing 10 pounds. For this Quick Take, I listened to the Era 300 as a single speaker and in a stereo pair, with and without the Sub, to get a feel for its music prowess. I use the Arc in my family room, so watch for my upcoming report on the full 5.1.4 Atmos home theater. Or, you can mate a pair with the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) or Arc Atmos soundbar as rear channels. It's also flexible, employable as a standalone stereo speaker or in a stereo pair, with or without the Sonos Sub for low-bass support. One of the Era 300's strengths, of course, is that it's a Sonos-so it fits into a long-admired multiroom ecosystem. At $449 (in black or white), it costs more than its competition though, in typical Sonos fashion, it is engineered to a fare-thee-well and represents a considerable achievement. The Sonos Era 300 is the latest in a new generation of Atmos-compliant 'spatial audio' speakers that bring more a immersive listening experience without the hardware and installation grief inherent with discrete surround systems. ![]()
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