Sonos Five & Sonos Era 300 share many similarities, but there are also important differences, such as quality, performance, features, design, and connectivity. If you want the best one between them, I Would recommend the Sonos Five rather than the Sonos Era 300.
Why Do I Recommend The Sonos Five?
- The Sonos Five has three high-excursion woofers for deeper, richer bass response that fills large rooms with powerful low-end sound, compared to the Era 300’s dual-woofer setup.
- Sonos Five features a 3.5mm analog line-in port for directly connecting external devices like turntables or CD players without an adapter, unlike the USB-C line-in on the Era 300.
- It includes six Class-D digital amplifiers with precise stereo orientation to deliver wide, room-filling stereo sound that preserves instrument separation and vocal clarity, compared to the Era 300’s directional audio for spatial playback.
- The Sonos Five has a built-in Ethernet port for stable, wired network connections in environments with weak Wi-Fi, while the Era 300 lacks Ethernet port.
- Sonos Five supports manual Trueplay tuning via iOS to allow fine-grained acoustic adjustments for more accurate and customized room calibration, compared to the fully automated process on the Era 300.
- It features a sleek, symmetrical design that enables seamless stereo pairing in both vertical and horizontal positions, enhancing flexibility in speaker placement compared to the fixed orientation of the Era 300.
- The Sonos Five has a heavier and larger cabinet design for more acoustic volume and resonance, more impactful sound output compared to the lighter and smaller Era 300.
Maybe the Sonos Era 300 price can make you comfortable because it’s a little bit cheaper than the Sonos Five. But you have to compromise all the above-mentioned features. Now the Decision is Yours. I hope it was helpful to choose the right one.
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Side By Side Comparison
| Feature | Sonos Five | Sonos Era 300 |
| Audio Output Format | Stereo | Dolby Atmos |
| Number of Woofers | 3 | 2 |
| Built-in Microphones | No | Yes |
| Voice Control Support | Not built-in | Built-in Alexa, Sonos Voice Control |
| Ethernet Port | Yes | No |
| Line-In Port | 3.5mm analog | USB-C |
| Trueplay Tuning | iOS only | iOS and Android |
| Finish | Gloss | Matte |
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 8.03 x 14.33 x 6.06 in | 6.30 x 10.24 x 7.28 in |
| Weight | 14 lbs | 9.85 lbs |
| Setup Button | Connect button | Bluetooth |
| Audio Codec Support | Standard | Dolby Atmos |
| Home Theater Use Case | Music only | Rear channels |
| Physical Controls | Play/Pause, Volume | Touch controls with skip/voice trigger |
| Price | Check Sonos Five Price | Check Sonos Era 300 Price |
What Common Both Can Do?
- Sonos Ecosystem Integration: Both the Sonos Five and Era 300 are part of the Sonos ecosystem, meaning they can be grouped with other Sonos speakers for whole-home wireless audio.
- Wi-Fi Streaming & AirPlay 2: Each speaker supports streaming over Wi-Fi and Apple AirPlay 2, making them compatible with iOS devices and enabling multi-room playback across Apple and Sonos products.
- Stereo Playback: Both models can play stereo audio natively and can be paired with a second unit for dedicated left and right stereo separation.
- Trueplay Tuning: Both speakers support Trueplay tuning, which adjusts the sound based on room acoustics. While the method differs (external device for Five vs built-in mic for Era 300), the result is optimized sound.
- Multi-Room and App Control: They can be grouped and controlled using the Sonos S2 app, offering the ability to sync music across rooms or play different tracks in different zones.
- Line-In Functionality: Each has a way to connect external sources like a turntable—Sonos Five through a standard 3.5mm input and Era 300 via USB-C (adapter required).
- Touch Controls: Both include touch-sensitive controls on the speaker body for adjusting volume, skipping tracks, and play/pause.
- Build and Design Philosophy: Though they differ in shape, both speakers are solid, non-portable units designed for stationary use with AC power and have a clean, minimalist look available in black or white.
- No Screen and Privacy-Friendly: Neither speaker has a display screen, and both respect user privacy—Sonos Five has no microphone at all, and the Era 300 allows you to disable voice assistants with a mic-off switch.
Common Features
| Feature | Sonos Five | Sonos Era 300 |
| Brand Ecosystem | Sonos multi-room system | Sonos multi-room system |
| Wi-Fi Streaming | Yes | Yes |
| Apple AirPlay 2 | Yes | Yes |
| Stereo Playback Support | Yes | Yes |
| Trueplay Tuning | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Room Audio | Yes | Yes |
| Control via Sonos App | Yes | Yes |
| Compatible with Sonos S2 App | Yes | Yes |
| Voice Assistant Compatible | Yes | Yes |
| Integration with Sonos Arc/Beam | Yes | Yes |
| Touch Controls | Yes | Yes |
| Playback Orientation | Horizontal only | Horizontal only |
| Pairing for Stereo | Yes | Yes |
| High-Resolution Audio Playback | Yes | Yes |
| Line-In Support | Yes | Yes |
| No Battery (AC Only) | Yes | Yes |
| Solid Build Quality | Yes | Yes |
| Color Options | Black, White | Black, White |
| No Voice Recording by Default | Yes | Yes |
| No Display Screen | Yes | Yes |
| Price | Check Sonos Five Price | Check Sonos Era 300 Price |
