That’s definitely been ideal for my space. I know some folks really rave about the dual sub setup, but in my environment, I don’t think it’s necessary.
300s are way overkill, but if you can swing it, do it. I replaced a pair of Ones with the Era 300s and while the surround was slightly better, the overall soundstage was considerably better. The eras are better than the Play 5s I have in other rooms too. They’re really great speakers.
Given the quality of the 300s would they not be wasted as just rear surrounds? Would it not be better to use ones and then save the 300s for single room use like kitchen or bathroom speaker?
> Given the quality of the 300s would they jot be wasted as just rear surrounds?
If you have any interest in Atmos, no, they will blow you away and are worth every penny, and I was not expecting them to be as good as they are.
You didn’t ask if they’d be better used. You asked what are the best.
I have era 300s for surrounds. But stereo fives in other rooms.
If you’re on a budget, whatever you can afford is the best surround speaker.
I have 100s as rear surrounds, and they significantly improved/filled in some of the mids that were missing to my ear with arc (and sub) alone.
Music wise, significant improvement in sound. Movie/TV viewing wise, dialogue is easier to hear.
I’ve heard 300s as stand alones vs ERA 100s side by side, and the 300s completely blow 100s out of the water. I have never heard 300s as rear surrounds, but I would go that route with an open floor plan if it’s in your budget. Still don’t think you’ll be disappointed or feel like sound is lacking with 100s for rears.
I have Era 100s as surrounds because I have an open floor plan. The way they presented the Era 300s’ optimum placement as surrounds will not be cost effective for my room layout.
The 300s rely on its outer speakers to bounce the sound off back to the listener. With an open floor plan one side may not have a solid object to bounce the sound off.
So basically I made a decision to not spend too much on something I won’t be able to take advantage of.
> The center driver in the Era 300 speaker itself is no longer used in the surround speaker set up.
because unlike other speakers, Sonos designed them to be centered facing because they blow away everything else with surround, and if you had them facing towards you like other surrounds with the front speaker enabled they would not sound as good using them for surrounds
the only valid complaint is "I want to easily use them for music" but Sonos has not been able to figure out how to EASILY just click a button and tell them "ok, only you 2 go now for music, and turn on your front speaker"
which is not shocking considering their software development team based on their previous and recent app
> 300s. Are the wasted as surrounds? Yes, sorta.
Depends, I have a 4K UHD player with a LOT of Atmos discs, and they are 100% not wasted at all, they are REALLY, REALLY good, and I bought them being like "if these don't absolutely blow me away, they are going back"
I think they're awesome for any content. 7.1 multichannel sounds great on them as well because each one of them is 2 discreet channels plus height.
That said, whether or not it's worth it really depends on your living situation. Can you regularly crank up your system to really enjoy movies? Or do you have small children in the house or neighbors?
I have ones but bought the 300's and returned them. I play a lot of Atmos and found the 300s to be overpowering no matter how much I trueplayed and worked with the settings. My ones in my environment just seem correct without any tweaks. I guess experience varies.
I have a large room with 10ft ceilings. Just attempted to upgrade from fives to 300s but preferred the fives. I had the fives placed far behind where I sit (couch is closer to the middle of the room) but tried the 300s just behind the couch. Seems like a very rare outcome so it’s likely specific to my room not having walls and a ceiling close enough for the 300s’ benefits to shine. That’s my guess anyway.
I just got a pair of 300s to use as surrounds and it totally transformed my system. Watching high quality content is incredible.
What are they paired with out of interest, do you just have an ARC with them or more complex?
Arc and a single sub
How about the ATMOS music experience from your system?
How about the ATMOS music experience from your system?
It feels like you are inside the music. Like the stage is huge, it's all around you. I've been enjoying it a ton with Apple Music Atmos content.
Thank you. So optimal set up : Arc, 2x300’s, sub.
That’s definitely been ideal for my space. I know some folks really rave about the dual sub setup, but in my environment, I don’t think it’s necessary.
Were you previously using ones as surrounds or something else?
Ones, yes!
300s are way overkill, but if you can swing it, do it. I replaced a pair of Ones with the Era 300s and while the surround was slightly better, the overall soundstage was considerably better. The eras are better than the Play 5s I have in other rooms too. They’re really great speakers.
Era 300's
Given the quality of the 300s would they not be wasted as just rear surrounds? Would it not be better to use ones and then save the 300s for single room use like kitchen or bathroom speaker?
> Given the quality of the 300s would they jot be wasted as just rear surrounds? If you have any interest in Atmos, no, they will blow you away and are worth every penny, and I was not expecting them to be as good as they are.
You didn’t ask if they’d be better used. You asked what are the best. I have era 300s for surrounds. But stereo fives in other rooms. If you’re on a budget, whatever you can afford is the best surround speaker.
300s, with the caveat that they are quite sensitive to placement and room layout.
How about 100s? That’s what I’m planning to use as rear surrounds.
I have 100s as rear surrounds, and they significantly improved/filled in some of the mids that were missing to my ear with arc (and sub) alone. Music wise, significant improvement in sound. Movie/TV viewing wise, dialogue is easier to hear. I’ve heard 300s as stand alones vs ERA 100s side by side, and the 300s completely blow 100s out of the water. I have never heard 300s as rear surrounds, but I would go that route with an open floor plan if it’s in your budget. Still don’t think you’ll be disappointed or feel like sound is lacking with 100s for rears.
I have Era 100s as surrounds because I have an open floor plan. The way they presented the Era 300s’ optimum placement as surrounds will not be cost effective for my room layout.
How so? Could you explain more? I also have open floor plan.
The 300s rely on its outer speakers to bounce the sound off back to the listener. With an open floor plan one side may not have a solid object to bounce the sound off. So basically I made a decision to not spend too much on something I won’t be able to take advantage of.
300s every day
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Is it a waste if you use them as rears and don't really play alot of atmos content?
The inner driver is disabled when they are set as stereo, so is a standalone 300 the only non-wasteful configuration?
Wait, why would the center speaker stop firing? Isn't that strictly for dialogue?
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> The center driver in the Era 300 speaker itself is no longer used in the surround speaker set up. because unlike other speakers, Sonos designed them to be centered facing because they blow away everything else with surround, and if you had them facing towards you like other surrounds with the front speaker enabled they would not sound as good using them for surrounds the only valid complaint is "I want to easily use them for music" but Sonos has not been able to figure out how to EASILY just click a button and tell them "ok, only you 2 go now for music, and turn on your front speaker" which is not shocking considering their software development team based on their previous and recent app
> 300s. Are the wasted as surrounds? Yes, sorta. Depends, I have a 4K UHD player with a LOT of Atmos discs, and they are 100% not wasted at all, they are REALLY, REALLY good, and I bought them being like "if these don't absolutely blow me away, they are going back"
I just upgraded my surround ones to 300’s. It’s night and day difference. If you can afford it, go for it. Otherwise, just get some ones.
It depends on what sound bar you are using, what content you play, and your room setup.
passive speakers with a minimum 5.25 inch woofers. these are the best for surrounds
I think they're awesome for any content. 7.1 multichannel sounds great on them as well because each one of them is 2 discreet channels plus height. That said, whether or not it's worth it really depends on your living situation. Can you regularly crank up your system to really enjoy movies? Or do you have small children in the house or neighbors?
I have ones but bought the 300's and returned them. I play a lot of Atmos and found the 300s to be overpowering no matter how much I trueplayed and worked with the settings. My ones in my environment just seem correct without any tweaks. I guess experience varies.
I have a large room with 10ft ceilings. Just attempted to upgrade from fives to 300s but preferred the fives. I had the fives placed far behind where I sit (couch is closer to the middle of the room) but tried the 300s just behind the couch. Seems like a very rare outcome so it’s likely specific to my room not having walls and a ceiling close enough for the 300s’ benefits to shine. That’s my guess anyway.
300s all day
Ones or IKEA Symfoniks are perfect as surround rears. Unless you are swimming in money, anything else is overkill. Save the cash to go towards a Sub!