Sonos Era 300 vs Apple HomePod 2: which smart speaker is better?

Can Sonos's all-new, feature-packed contender trump Apple's long-established  titan?

Sonos is probably the biggest name in multi-room audio, but with Apple, Amazon, Google and more getting in on the act, it has faced some stiff competition in recent years. Now the company is hitting back with the Sonos Era 300, its most versatile speaker yet. How does it fare against the five-star Apple HomePod 2?

Both of these smart speakers are premium, well-featured devices, and their prices reflect that. The HomePod 2 launched at £299 and the Sonos, which packs plenty of technology and an eye-catching design, comes in at £449. Don’t expect significant discounts on either device.

Design 

The Era 300 moves Sonos in a new design direction, boasting a unique cinched hourglass body that looks like no other smart speaker on the market. And it’s not just for aesthetic purposes. Like all the best designs, it serves to enhance the functionality of the speaker too – in this case, to fire sound out at all angles to help with the spatial audio feature.

The control panel on the top has an enhanced volume slider, and everything works seamlessly with other Sonos speakers.

The HomePod 2 looks a little dull by comparison, but we can’t fault the quality of the unit and woven mesh coating. The touch panel on the top is a little smaller than on the original HomePod, though more of it illuminates when chatting with Siri, which is pleasing to the eye. For innovation alone, Sonos takes this round.
WINNER: SONOS ERA 300

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