Sonos Era 300 Mk II Review: Spatial Audio Finally Sounds Right

The original Sonos Era 300 was the first consumer speaker to deliver Dolby Atmos spatial audio that sounded like spatial audio rather than a marketing claim. The Era 300 Mk II refines the implementation in ways that matter to anyone who has spent time with the original.

The primary change is in the upward-firing driver array, which has been redesigned to improve ceiling reflection accuracy. Spatial audio depends on ceiling reflections to create the impression of height — sound that appears to come from above and around rather than from a speaker in front of you. The original Era 300’s ceiling reflections were perceptible but often imprecise; in rooms with lower than standard ceiling height, the height effect frequently collapsed. The Mk II handles variable ceiling heights significantly better through an improved room adaptation algorithm that runs on setup and adjusts driver output accordingly.

Music in spatial audio format — and the catalogue is expanding rapidly, with Apple Music, Tidal, and Amazon Music HD all offering substantial Atmos music libraries — sounds noticeably more enveloping than stereo without sounding artificially processed. Film and television audio through the Sonos Arc Ultra pairing is, in the right room, exceptional.

The 8.9 reflects the caveat that applies to all spatial audio speakers: the experience is highly room-dependent, and the Era 300 Mk II at $499 is a significant investment before you know whether your room will cooperate.