As its new What Hi-Fi? 2023 Award certifies, the Sonos Era 300 was easily one of the best wireless speakers that entered the hallowed space of our on-site testing room this year. Arriving alongside the smaller, cheaper Era 100 model, the distinctively-shaped, voice control-enabled Era 300 has helped to usher in a new era (sorry) for the US brand, delivering an all-in-one performer that boasts superb audio, excellent streaming features and impressive spatial audio capabilities.
The Era 300 does not, however, come cheap, and its official retail price of £450 may be offputting for even the most die-hard Sonos fans given the current economic climate. Still, early Black Friday deals are on their way this November, meaning the Era 300's price could well start to drop during this period of reduced costs and increased consumer sales. And you can track the best discounts and latest price drops (when they arrive) on what is arguably Sonos' finest speaker in the block below.
- Check out the best Sonos Era 100 deals
To give you an impression of how good the Sonos Era 300 is, it's worth revisiting the verdict from our original review. We said it "performs admirably with any format of music... no matter what source or genre. The addition of Bluetooth streaming, not to mention the vast array of features you get from being part of Sonos’s seamless experience, goes a long way toward justifying the rather high price tag. It all adds up to an enticing experience that’s worth embarking on."
That's a pretty hearty recommendation, but before you rush to add one to your basket, it's worth considering what you're really getting with the Era 300. While some may quibble as to the aesthetic merits of its "cinched hourglass" design, the speaker's ability to fire out immersive, large-scaled audio in all directions thanks to its six-driver arrangement justifies that rather odd shape. The spatial experience (through Amazon Music and Apple Music) is convincing, while the quality of the audio that's being bounced around your living room remains mature, assured and richly musical.
Let's not forget, either, that this is a Sonos speaker, meaning it comes with all the bells and whistles you'd expect. The Sonos app is intuitive to use, Trueplay room calibration works a treat, and it can slotted into a wider Sonos multi-room ecosystem easily. It's feature-packed too, with Wi-Fi 6, AirPlay 2, Bluetooth 5.0 streaming on board, a wired USB-C line-in input and improved touch controls, while voice control comes via Alexa or Sonos' own voice playback command system.
This Black Friday period isn't just for nabbing low-priced products. It's also about knocking off chunks from more high-end products to bring them within the realms of general affordability. If you see the Era 300's price pulled down significantly during the sales, we'd definitely recommend that you consider it as your next smart wireless speaker. You won't be disappointed.
MORE:
Read our five-star Sonos Era 300 review
Sonos Era 300 vs Apple HomePod 2: which smart speaker is better?
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Here are the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2023 winners
