The King and Queen of Atmos Music - Apple Homepod vs Sonos Era 300

After some extension listening between the Apple Homepods and the Sonos Era 300s, I have made a clearer decision on them. Again, I am stuck with both speakers. I can't sell one for the other. But there is a distinct winner when it comes to music, and another winner for movies. Hear me out...
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[@ShelterCats]

Your videos are far and away the best of the bunch. Amazing effort and the effort you put into your videos.

[@denisforbes]

Love the color co-ordination of this video, the shadows and contrasting is awesome, watching on oled is just bliss. Very nice comparison and looking forward to watching more videos!

[@julioirizarry4262]

Yet another home run Peter! Keep up the great reviews. I'm rocking my 7.2.4 set up with the new era 300's !

[@dezfoto7534]

This was super helpful, thank you!!

[@AslamK1987]

Keep up the great work Peter. Love my 300s. Bought the pre-order thanks to your reviews!

[@PeterPee]

Awesome! Thank you for your trust!

[@squashbeatszw]

Amazing review, as always. Thank you.

[@rkingslandjr83]

I’ve been waiting for this review!

[@PeterPee]

Thanks for the affirmation Robert!

[@sempre_sid]

I'd actually like for you to go into that sub gen 3 / sub-min rabbit hole with 300s and share your thoughts. Thanks. Lookin forward to it. Cheers!

[@Ykodi01234]

Thanks! the most intelligent review i watched. You really helped me.

[@ramonew7556]

Thank you for your extensive videos and guiding my through my Sonos journey your engagement with your viewers is truly amazing based on your reviewers I Just got myself a pair of Eras to to replace my Play Fives can't wait to truly have Prue ATMOS call me a sucker for Sonos but they are have evolved my Listening experience dramatically So now I have the Sonos ARC + SUB 3 PLUS 2 Eras 300s not sure what to do with my Play Fives since I also started my ARC with Play ones whew im way too invested in SONOS but I love it !

[@duyluu3354]

I use HomePod mini as the smart hub for my home with the Sonos Arc and Sub gen 3. The ERA 300s are on their way and I’m excited and glad I get to enjoy them.

[@thesamwilder]

Great review! Excited for my Era 300 to arrive Would love to see how Era 300 with sub and sub mini stack up against the rest of the line up

[@NovaDoll]

I have a Single ETA and a sub mini. For music only. When you need base the sib mini really bring atmos to life. 😊😊

[@muziknusantara]

Peter, at 18:00 onwards, did you mean that you test Atmos music with the Era 300 as standalone or as surround with Arc/BeamG2? I am still waiting for my pair but will be replacing the Ones as surround so I just want to be sure that I will not miss better Atmos music performance if I set them up as surround instead of standalone, thanks.

[@sinistai.z.3622]

Hey, Peter, could you compare using True play via Apple device vs. True play through the Era 300 themselves. Think it would be interesting to see the comparison if there is much of a difference. Thanks for the great videos.

[@LuisMartinez3]

Thanks for your work!

[@PeterPee]

Thank you Louie!

[@marcosbosque1]

@@PeterPee I have a question. I’ve noticed playing music on the Sonos App through Apple Music. If I play on my beam it will show Dolby Armas logo. But after I add another device that doesn’t support Dolby Atmos ( Sonos Move for example) the Dolby Atmos Logos will disappear. Does that mean Dolby Atmos is no longer playing on the Beam? Or is it still on the Beam but not on the Sonos Move but if doesn’t tell anymore?

[@xdp10]

Hi, Peter, nice review, thanks! I got a question for you, hope you can help me decide: is there a point to use 1 era300 and a pair of era100 to creat both stereo and spatial sound field together?

[@andyshu85]

Dear Peter , do you mind to elaborate more on the position of the era 300 as rear and dolby atmos speaker ? What I mean was setting it up as a rear on stand versus mounting on ceiling . Thanks…always appreciate and look forward to your reviews on Sonos product. Truly you are the Sonos guru 🙏

[@jccanop]

El mejor review que he visto. Muy profesional.

[@pyroken2417]

Outstanding review Peter.

[@histrus42]

I heard 300 in store and I was very impressed. I wish you can put them to play like 2 tv speakers like HomePods2. Wandering how will Beam2 and one Era300 in the back sound? I know it cannot compare it to two of them but still if 300 have sounds coming in every direction…🤔

[@dabax19]

two homepods or one era? price seems similar in singapore, only 50 bucks between them. good job on the video!

[@jetlagfrias]

Nice. For music listening alone. Pair of 300 vs. Pair of 100 plus sub mini?

[@giacintorenta7579]

To what distance behind the couch the Era 300 should be positioned as rears? I have 2 options - just behind the couch or 2.5-3 meters behind more in the room corners.

[@daibeee]

Are you able to compare a pair of Era 300 vs Sonos Five for the music performance?🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@billmulvihill8452]

Peter has already commented on that question in a previous reply on another video. Sonia Five are better for standard music.,.

[@davewoodsmusic]

Hi Peter I set up my 300's as a stereo pair while I await the arrival of my stands so I thought I'd try something, I added the 300s as a stereo pair to the same room as my ARC sub and Ones, and then grouped the 300's with the living room ARC group I set the 300's ne each side of the T.V. And to my surprise I didn't loose the Atmos output. So I now have a pair of 300's as left and right fronts the Arc and my sub gen 3 and Ones as rears.. Sounds great and now There's a nice wide front image, have you tried this setup ?

[@deonh9303]

Thank you Peter for all the detail and for always going the extra mile to give us all the info! 🙏🏼 I’m a Beam gen 2 owner but also heavily invested in the  ecosystem so this was an important video for me building a new house - thank you! You sir, deserve so many more subscribers for all the effort and time you put into your content.

[@keirux]

You can set up the Era300 as temporary sound outputs for the Apple TV and they should play movies in dolby atms (there is a video from Stephen Robles where it shows that at min 7:40 called “Sonos Era 300 and Era 100 In-Depth Review vs. HomePod 2!”). It would be interesting to check how they perform in movies when set up that way vs the homepods

[@midnightprophet]

The temporary output is done using airplay, which only does stereo. The HomePods use a special ad-hoc connection when set as default, which then allows Atmos to passthrough.

[@AdamsBrew78]

@@midnightprophet do you know if Atmos video will work any other way; like as a bluetooth speaker from my TV? (LG c1) Mine are due to arrive next week.

[@alcovara]

How do the Amazon Echo Studio compare with these two guys? In fairness it was one of the first smart speakers to support Dolby Atmos a few years back.

[@tcchuin]

What if you are playing stereo music, how does HomePod vs era300 sound like to you ?

[@michaelbakhtiar9256]

Also do you recommend doing EQ or height adjust,ent even after TruePlay or is that contradicting the TruePlay . Cheers!

[@edwinschroeten1308]

Pete when do we get de era 300 with Sonos arc and sub review 😊 can’t wait for that to get your opinion for buy 2 era 300 speakers for my surround set

[@michaelbakhtiar9256]

Any thoughts on adding the sub-mini to a pair of Era 300? I care less about the bass and wondering if the sub frees up the Eras to yield better highs and mids. Thank you!!

[@billybooker2753]

I’m in the beginning stages of building a custom home and was wondering if there was an advantage, to using hardwire Ethernet dongle VS Wi-Fi 6?

[@isaacvladimir115]

Great videos, very detailed !!! I just bought the era 300 to use it as a standalone speaker (Soundbar and speaker); I had the idea to buy the Sonos Line-In adapter to connect to my TV and eliminate latency. I was planning to use this setup until I had enough money to buy the q990b soundbar (many years later). What are you suggesting?

[@AdamsBrew78]

Only stereo will work from line in adapter, correct? Also if you get a different brand soundbar, I don’t think you’ll be able to use your 300s as rear speakers with it. Best to save for Arc or Beam, imo.

[@mylovehandles]

The Dolby atmos and 3D sound from my era300 is mind blowing. The sound really comes from top as if I have the speakers connected on the ceiling wall.

[@sambora83]

Hallo, sorry for my english.. can you tell me one or two songs in 3d? Beacouse with apple music i don't feel 3d effects so much with my era 300. I tried a lot of songs in dolby atmos...

[@mylovehandles]

@@sambora83 i watched Dolby atmos movies (I have arc, sub and 2 era 300s rear)

[@Marekovar]

Peter, my friend, our world needs to be saved. Please bring light into Era 300 usage as a surround speaker. Where is the best position to optimal listening position? Should be placed towards it or just facing forward if wallmounted? Is it true that if used as surround front speaker is off? There is a lot of questions and my Era is on the way and I need answers before I wallmount it.

[@gerrykelly4413]

Hi Pete, just wondering what is the best songs to test the Era 300’s with Arc / Sub Gen 1, also have Apple Music on trial, thanks.

[@giacintorenta7579]

Another amazing video from Peter Pee - I knew that the previous one was just a quick taster. I think Era 300 are great for Apple Music users, actually once I upgrade I will subscribe to Apple Music because Spotify does not support Atmos

[@Beer_Dad1975]

I think Amazon music does now though? Just wondering as I despise Apple & hate giving them any of my money (long story around having worked for an Apple distributor for many years and having to deal with their corporate arrogance on a daily basis, then later as a customer, some appalling levels of service bordering on abuse - anyway the hate festered - though I still have an iPhone 11 for Trueplay tuning I don't use it as a daily device as moved to Android due to the swelling hate lol) Right now I only have Atmos on my cinema setup, but thinking of investing in it for my next music setup.

[@kevinkmhui]

Hi Peter, thanks for your great videos. Just wonder when you said the Era 300 cannot do TV, did you mean TV broadcast? I am thinking the use case of watching Disney+ on Apple TV, which its sound Airplay 2 to the Era 300, if this be possible?

[@user-tm5jc5hs9e]

As always, great content Peter 😀! BTW, if you have to make a decision now, do you think Sonos Five is a better speaker overall compared to Sonos Era 300 for listen to music?

[@AdamsBrew78]

Sonos five is better for stereo music. Era 300 is much better for atmos music. As rears, I’d probably go for 300 for more channels of surround. Five lacks the upward firing driver.

[@michaelgabriele7218]

So with the HomePods my TV wouldn't need E-ARC just ARC to be able to get atmos as long as I'm using the Apple TV? Is this true even if my TV doesn't seem to support ATMOS with the Sonos Arc...the Apple TV is supplying the auto signal directly to the speakers?

[@victoreluvathingal3454]

Could you please do a comparison between era 300 and play 5

[@michaelbakhtiar9256]

Hi Peter, have you found the black Era show a lot of dust vs the white ones? Thanks!

[@Mumble1318]

If I have a sonos arc and sub Gen 3 already and two sonos ones is it enough of a difference too upgrade to the era 300?

[@Rifumo]

HomePod doesn’t technically have upward firing speakers however the tweeters arranged at the bottom of the speaker are angled upwards

[@ottawacanadaottawacanada647]

Love your comparison , sorry about last video’s comment.

[@YHH81]

Thank you for another great video! If you are using an Apple TV, you can connect with Sonos speakers by using airplay. I connect it with 2 Sonos one sl’s in stereo setting, and sound is coming out without delay. I listened to the era100 and era300 at a Sonos demo stand in a local shop, but strangely the era300 sounded a bit muffled compared to the era100, as if there was laying a blanket over the speaker.

[@kevinkmhui]

Hi Garzan, have you tried watching Atmos movies on the Apple TV with the Era 300? Would this work?

[@YHH81]

@@kevinkmhui Hi, I didn't bought the Era 300. I found the sound (for stereo) dissapointing. For atmos movies you need a Sonos Arc or Beam for processing the atmos content and send it to the Era 300. Airplay only transfer in stereo.

[@davewoodsmusic]

Dont forget about the amazon studio speakers they were the first atmos capable speakers playing great atmos from video and amazon music especially when paired to the Amazon sub. They are still great speakers for the price

[@bike_travel_tech]

For a 2 gen3 subs + Arc + 2 surrounds is it better with 2 five or 2 era 300 ?

[@bpa602]

Hello Pete, nice review! What about the fact that when the ERA300 are in surround system the centre driver is disabled when listening to non Atmos music ???

[@matthewchan6346]

Peter already addressed this in a previous video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZ-3Y4dmqM9sotU

[@nielgoh]

7:27 Era300 connects to Apple TV via Airplay as well no? coz that's what I've been doing

[@donhayden2617]

Peter Pee you are the best and I sure respect your opinions.

[@jeremywong9149]

Is 900 in usd or SGD? I got mine for around MYR5600 which is around 1860SGD

[@ethandemo]

Is HomePod 2 in stereo mode better than a single era 300?

[@ourhouseuk]

Another great video. I’d love your view on using one 300 vs two cheaper like 100 or ikea symfonisk, for non atmos music. You have them all, let’s get some music lover single double speaker shootouts! Thanks!

[@maxverdad9634]

Please can you tell me if the Dolby atmos from Sonos era 300 with Sonos S2 app is really Dolby atmos lossless or not ( lossy )?

[@johanvanzetten7383]

Ey Peter, I wondering around with a question for some time now. i already have an ARC and SUBgen3 and I'm wondering where I shouls invest in for surround. Era100 or era300? I do not only listen to atmos sources but also listen much to spotify non-atmos music. How well do the era300 are working for 'normal music' relate to the era100 for surround setup? I would expect the era300 give much more music power to normal spotify music but is that the case? In one of your other videos you said that in surround the main driver is not working when era300 is in surround. Is that only for atmos sources or also for non-atmos sources like spotify?

[@xguy9999]

Get the 300s, trust me, even when I play non atmos movies or music it sounds amazing.

[@mattgericke4537]

Have you heard rumor on when spotify voice control might get added?

[@michaelbakhtiar9256]

Thanks!

[@PeterPee]

Thank you Michael!

[@halwabakery1190]

Hi Peter, thx for the video. Adding timestamps would help a lot

[@NineSixteenKing]

Please review the Era 300 as surrounds while mounted upside down above your head.

[@walidhannaoui1802]

I been saying since the HomePods came out that they just sound over processed and it’s exhausting to listen to

[@JoyStickJester_]

FYI Sonos just dropped an update for the Era 100 and 300 this morning.

[@MrZACATECANO100]

Need era300 mounted on wall vs stands sound

[@stefanmihaila3261]

This is what i was waiting Sir, thank you. Now is time to get that B&W Panorama 3 from Peter Tyson for £499 and it will age with grace.

[@jadegamerz3662]

Which sounds better a pair of homepods or a single era 300?

[@paulleach2231]

So i have a question please. I have a Sonos ARC already. I was looking at buying the sub gen 3 to go with it. However, I'm wondering what would make more difference, either incorporating the sub, or incorporating a pair of Era 300's?

[@sempre_sid]

you need both tbh to have premium surround sound.

[@paulleach2231]

@@sempre_sid That would be the dream but my bank manager says no 😞

[@sempre_sid]

@@paulleach2231 you can add over time. That's why Sonos ecosystem is so popular. In 6 /12 months Bank manager might say yes :-)

[@billmulvihill8452]

Get the SubGen 3. You’ll get much better bass and free up the Arc to cover the midrange and high end better. You can add the other speakers down the line…

[@michaelbakhtiar9256]

Using Apple Music, I’ve heard the Era 300 cannot play Spatial Audio via Sonos Voice, and one can only go through the Sonos app. I’ve also heard the Sonos app is slow. Is this accurate? Thanks!!

[@michaelbakhtiar9256]

Hey there I just bought a pair of Era 300 for music exclusively. I have not quite figured out Sonos voice using Apple Music but am trying. My console is only 4 feet wide and am thinking that’s not far enough space between each speaker. Is there a recommended amount of feet between left and right for music only with these 300s? Thanks!

[@artechan]

Is it worth using two 300 series as surround? It seems a bit wasteful since they don't sound that much. Would it be a better option to have them separate as a stereo pair and also duplicate the sound from the soundbar through them?

[@PeterPee]

Duplicating doesn’t activate the Atmos effects in them.

[@artechan]

@@PeterPee I hope that SONOS activates the center speaker when it is configured as surround in some future update

[@theGer-Ver]

Sins they 300’s are airplay speakers you can set them up as permanent speakers for your Apple TV. Either with Airplay or Bluetooth.

[@giacintorenta7579]

I tested the Era 300 this weekend in London and as a speaker with non-Atmos music, it is better than Play 3 but probably not worth the upgrade. I could test them as arrears but if the upgrade is only mild, then Era 300 (x 2 + 2 stands) upgrade at about 1000 quids might not be worth it. Better spend the money on a PSVR2 or Apple AirPod Max

[@jozefix1]

Ďakujeme.

[@PeterPee]

Thanks Jozef!

[@jasoncrook1]

Bottom line Peter , I have 2 300 s for music alone is it worth me adding a sub ?

[@billmulvihill8452]

Do you have to even ask?🤣

[@Mabeylater293]

Low bass makes the music sound so much better. Many speakers absolutely fail in this regard. Apple and Devialet excel at this.

[@gagesaenz3864]

I would also argue, even if you're an Apple user with Apple TV 4K, Apple Music, iPhone, etc. If you want the best of the best for simple home theater, still get the Sonos, and start with the Beam or Arc. Two Homepods simply cannot hold a candle to Sonos Arc, Sub, and Era 300's.

[@HenryTSia]

“You can ask the time, but you can’t ask the date” lol

[@Rigue2021]

👍👍👍 7.1.4 it’s the new ERA

[@Raginmund33]

7.2.4! Let’s add subwoofers!

[@cytolktc]

Is 2 HomePod better than 1 era 300 ?

[@PeterPee]

Much as I love to say the Era 300 is superior in every way, I have to be fair and say that 2 of any speaker is better than 1 of any speaker.

[@cytolktc]

The vocal and the dynamic is better on the HomePod do you agree ?

[@cytolktc]

Thanks for the reply 😊

[@xotilweoverdose7736]

HP 2

[@Anonyme09865]

The homepod one has better vocals and bass than the second gen. The second gen is too hash and shouty

[@Tripledigit0922]

For Apple users, I don’t see the advantage of Era300’s line-in and bluetooth, since there is no battery inside and therefore it’s not portable, but stationary. If you are an Android user, then absolutely. The Era300 is a more powerful speaker but it also 50% more expensive. For a stereo pair for music listening, I think the Homepods 2 are optimal. For other applications, such as home theater, non apple users and etc, the Era300 is a sold choice. Note, that’s subjective of course, but II was not a fan of the sound signature of Era300 for music listening, I pick up a bathroom effect (muddy sound) in most cases, and it didn’t sound good to me, but for the surround sound application, these are a killer. The pair of Era100 sounded better to me for the traditional music stereo listening then the pair of Era300. The pair of Sonos Five has a better sound signature for music as well. Personally, in one of the rooms, I have a pair of ones plus Sonos Sub and that sounds pretty well IMO. Pair of homepods 2 in the office, and beam, sub, and two sonos one as surround in the TV room. I am not going to upgrade as it sounds pretty darn well to me for these applications. I’d be interested if Apple would come up with a sub option. If you want to go with sonos for traditional music listening, my recommendation is to get a pair of Era100 and a Sonos Sub, that will be better than a pair of Era300. Just my five cents.

[@billmulvihill8452]

I suggest the Sonos 5 speakers for music paired with an Arc and a SubGen 3. You can add Era 300 speakers as surrounds once Atmos music becomes more prevalent….

[@westview9917]

That is the problem - the best speakers for music are not the best for home theater. I care more about music so I would prefer a pair of 5s instead of 300s. I don't like the omnidirectional configuration of the Homepod - I prefer forward facing drivers.

[@Tripledigit0922]

@@westview9917 yes, I agree. to me the Five sounds better for music than Era300. My current setup in the dining room is a pair of ones and the Sub. I like that combination pretty much. The Sub pulls a lot of weight. But In the office, I got a pair of HomePods 2 that are positioned in the corner. They sound pretty good for the music styles I listen to. Oh, and I am a musician:)

[@Tripledigit0922]

@@billmulvihill8452 that was for a small office room. The setup you are offering is an overkill for the room of this size. I prefer the traditional stereo for music listening and my HomePods 2 pair does just fine for this application. Note, they are positioned in the corner, and I get a pretty good sound for the music styles I listen to. I don’t get a “jarring” effect you were referring to but of course, that’s a personal preference. I don’t like the sound profile of Era300 for music. Another setup suitable for this room would be a pair of era100 (better sound for music applications than era300 and more suitable size wise IMO) paired with any Sonos sub. I have limited space available so the pair of 5’s is too big and won’t fit.

[@sempre_sid]

I'm not an audio expert but this review will work for a mjority of people because I have tried both in pairs as well and I can only echo what you've described. I could really "feel" the rumble in my room with HomePods which the freq graph also confirms. But the overall experience is quite dull. I played a lot on them and they're okayish for music. Low / extended bass is missing on ERAs but it won't matter cuz they are much too loud and lively particularly with Dolby Atmos tracks. So I decided to keep 'em and send HomePods back. Now I just want to know which sub to add to ERA 300s.

[@duyluu3354]

If you are into the Homepods with the Hey…(covers mouth) whatever 🤫 shhh don’t use the wake up word😂

[@MarcoHernandez-nb5dc]

Yep Era 300 is King, Era 100 is queen and Homepod belongs to forgotten realm of speakers