Part 2: Arc, Era 100, Era 300, Five, HomePods (Home Theater Performance)

finally part two where I take these very famous smart speakers and do my best to explain how well they perform in a home theater setting I know I'm a little late though I really wanted to make sure my video was the last to get uploaded on this topic as not to draw too much attention so I have the same cast of characters as in part one that was music focused the Apple homepods Gen 2 the sonus era 100 and 300 and the Sonos 5. as I have gone over the new era features repeatedly and extensively in multiple videos I will be focusing nearly exclusively on my Sound Performance observations if you're seeking the complete review experience where I talk about features and music start here with part one and then without delay or funny business come back here to this video no take backs anyway this video will be done in two parts Part A assess all of these speakers as TV enhancing stereo pairs so you know the speakers positioned up front left and right business oriented missionary I'll touch on some usability quirks of which you should be aware when talking sound quality I'll try to get at do they Delight impress disappoint confuse I'll also touch on the contribution of the Sonos sub Gentry Part B perhaps the only information you may be interested in I do like to keep my viewers wanting I'll get that checked out anyway and Part B we'll assess the 100s 300s and fives as rear speakers to the arc and Riff on whether the new speakers Elevate the sound beyond what was available before the eras as the vast majority of Sonos rear speakers were ones or play ones until about 45 seconds ago at the time of this recording I will bring the ones into the discussion to give you some upgrade guidance okay enough flirting let's do this thing starting with the homepods if you have an Apple TV and set up the homepods you will be prompted on your rectangular device to pair with the Apple TV you can also set them as the default speaker and settings of the Apple home app to save time I'll leave the setup advice there sound wise the homepods are a reasonable purchase as a TV enhancing stereo pair in most contexts their performance is sufficient now that the nice talk is out of the way I'm going to spend the majority of my remaining time with this product complaining in the movies where these speakers are meant to perform well punch above their weight I was left feeling flat and perplexed while watching the extended opening action scene in underground 6 I was repeatedly irked at how anemic the sound was I was kind of fearing the opposite and overly aggressive boominess from the music listening experience that would muddy the overall sound what I found was an over emphasis on upper mids with underwhelming Bass the part of the scene where there's this club mix of a famous classical Ensemble the thumps were far too gentle and the usual satisfying depth of engine sounds were largely muted I'm not quite sure what's going on because I know these speakers have more of that oomph in them credit where it's due there were spatial effects that landed I regularly got decent flashes of shards lots of shards in that movie gunshots happening off to the sides of the room and discernible height effects with helicopters flying overhead it could be that the spatial effects that were emphasized required perhaps a sacrifice of the low end in any case the tapered low end just completely blocked the cinema experience for me I also think as coolest 360 speakers may sound in theory they could be counterproductive in most cases in particular if you're trying to use it as a traditional speaker where throwing sound against the back wall may present more of a challenge than a benefit in delivering an ordered sound I sense a homepod stereo pair purchase is on the far boundary of making sense for a six hundred dollar mainly TV purchase it obviously makes more sense for the deep in the ecosystem Apple customer but if you are really just using these for TV and Music close to a wall and not the smart home features I think you are probably better off with powered bookshelf speakers that can do audio Beyond Apple TV or perhaps the eras that I'll get to if you're not married to that wide physical separation the home pods can give you you might also consider a sound bar like the beam Gen 2 which I would probably take over the home pods as it has better bass a more coherent sound the benefits of e-arc and expandability options like a sub and Rears for what it's worth the beam Gen 2 would be amongst the most apple-esque sound bars out there in the 600 range okay on to the eras general advice if you're angling to use the Sonos 100 and 300s as a stereo pair you have three connection options but only one user-friendly option from my perspective in any case set up your stereo pair and optional sub in the app before trying to connect to the TV it makes things easier later the worst option is to use line in as there is a two second delay between video and sound which does kind of diminish the experience [Music] a bit of a bummer as I think this delay dramatically diminishes the utility of the line in function hopefully Sonos is not inserting this delay on purpose because that would be exceedingly lame if you have an Apple TV you can connect via AirPlay by holding this TV button on the Apple TV remote then scrolling down on this sidebar then selecting your AirPlay enabled Sonos speaker from this menu here it really works the audio visual sync seems as good or better than HDMI [Music] the signal is decent maybe you get a cut out once an hour or so so it's definitely workable but the frustration really expresses itself when trying to change volume with the remote it seems you can only adjust the airplay speaker volume with the Apple remote when this AirPlay menu is showing so if you're fine staying in the Apple TV environment and are perfectly happy managing volume with the Sonos app or having to take extra steps with Apple TV go AirPlay there may be some confusion with Bluetooth so let me confirm I was able to pair a single speaker a speaker pair and add a sub in either case so that's pretty cool for sure using Bluetooth kind of untethers you from the Apple TV and allows any TV sound to travel through the era speakers when you adjust the volume on the TV remote or Apple TV remote the era speaker volume changes [Music] but you know make sure your TV does have a Bluetooth out if your TV is fairly new it probably does the fives well you're stuck with the airplay option as even the analog line in has a crazy delay what's up with that all right the sound the era 100 man the 100s keep over achieving they are just so in the pocket satisfying in that way neat and clean avoids excess physically sonically budgetarily it's the speaker that's least likely to overstep my thoughts going into the review was okay the 100s will probably delightfully augment that slow paced Netflix crime drama but will sound a bit silly or over their head in that big action flick especially as I'm accustomed to all these big expensive 45 Channel Soundbar systems it's just asking too much right anyway my biases were just repeatedly proven wrong I haven't been able to make these speakers sound out of place or over their head they're just very competent don't get me wrong you're not going to get flattened with a wave of sound but there is an impressive effortless volume to it and there is this surprising and undeniable low end that makes these so hard to dismiss you're not going to get a huge spatial 3D component but there is surprising detail and Clarity if there's such a thing as a cool smart speaker this is what it looks like I just kept wanting to fist bump and say respect but these speakers don't have any arms much less fists watching a series of action movie clips just enjoying the Simple Pleasures of Wide Stereo separation up front I kind of lazily said to myself I know I'm supposed to be itching to get to the 300s but I'm pretty comfortable with this sound my sub suggestion with the 100 is the mini and full disclosure I haven't even heard the mini my expectation is that the mini would lead to the most natural two-way flattering proportional sound though the full-size Sonos sub is not a terrible choice though you will need to be a little more cautious than if paired to a full sound bar system I'll just say it now I do prefer the 100 Pair over just a sound bar generally certainly a sound bar in the 500 range and definitely over the home pods do I prefer the 100 Pair over just the arc uh foreign I'm not prepared for that level of drama quite yet if you're in the Sonos mood for home theater and want to spend less than four figures the mini and two one hundreds is a really Savvy Euro Step Nifty option you can brag about it and annoy your friends you know how your setup is better than the Bose 900 or whatever my brain mouth filter is malfunctioning you obviously miss out on some of those Soundbar niceties deeper integration with the TV richer data formats but yeah this 100 stereo thing is refreshingly offbeat different delightful the era 300 in terms of the sound I was definitely feeling the spatial element more than I did with music plenty of sound bits escaping from the stereo Paradigm presenting as objects really far away from the speaker now that effect was limited to the front and sides to a lesser degree but you're definitely not completely giving up the spatial component with this setup even if you can't technically get Atmos on it as that's not supported with Bluetooth or AirPlay the detail and Clarity is certainly commendable in terms of presenting The Cinematic range the low rumbles I found it was there but I had to up the base to about maybe 60 65 percent to really emotionally move me into that theater feel though this can give the voice a little too much resonance in particular the dramatic voiceovers and the like the homepods would have benefited from some EQ controls for sure when watching six underground yes I watch that a lot in this review let's say expectations were met based on what these speakers are supposed to do well plenty of separation and sound effects from each other but also in space you know separating the engine rev that's being presented over there with the glass breaking being presented over there I don't think the 300s are exceptional in terms of depth and richness so parts of the sound can and come across a bit under fed or deity so not the most luxurious choice for slow paced dramas that are largely dialogue oriented or shows with plotting soundscapes and soundtracks the 300 shine in those purposefully spatial adrenaline-fueled content and I think it's worth pointing out it definitely separates itself from the homepods and spatial competency and overall sound I always hate to classify any particular dollar amount as trivial and the first half of my 20s I'd have to half my income every time I ate food but if you have disposable income to play in the space you're definitely getting more than a 50 sound bump and 50 value bump in terms of the total offering over the home pods in terms of the 300 or the 100 obviously the 300 outputs a more ambitious sound though if you're in a smaller listening space or you have a thin walled apartment I could see the 300 being a bit overbearing or perhaps prohibited from expressing its strengths I think the 100s are a better fit in those more intimate spaces if your home theater is in a big space and you have the money grab the 300s I think you can skip the sub and be satisfied but a dedicated sub undeniably elevates the setup and seats it firmly in that proper theater frequency range so the fives the Bluetooth connectivity limitation aside these present the safer sound option to the 300s fewer risks it gives you an elegant choice for a traditional stereo home theater the benefit here is really the sound fundamentals so I think it's better for a traditional sitcom slower dramas and content with an emphasis on dulcet tones Aesthetics over spatial separation Mrs Robinson you're trying to seduce me the 3D audio separation is really absent which to be fair is not advertised though that doesn't mean you don't get really good sound separation and imaging I think you'll find the sound to be more fortified than the 300s all that being said I do tend to lean towards the 300s over the fives as I think the future will continue to emphasize spatial effects and it's not as if the 300 is somehow completely lacking and sound richness the 300 is a lot more practical to set up as a TV stereo pair with Bluetooth it's cheaper and it's newer so I think dialogue with these stereo setups deserves a discussion I found the dialogue amongst all the Sonos speakers to be acceptable but if you're used to sound bar sound you may be accustomed to or need a particular dialogue boost because you're being extremely naughty using Sonos speakers for something other than music or rear speakers there are no dialogue modes or I suspect any particular effort put into the emphasis of dialogue as you might get with a sound bar as such and depending on your needs this may really not be your bag okay finally how do these three Sonos speakers perform as rear speakers to the arc first up the arc m100s I think you can kind of guess where I'm going these 100s are ballers just put them in a context and they're going to Delight relative to expectation so you know the price and form factor as readers and I'm focusing on the high action content they do something like put a nice polish on the sound relative to the ones I noticed a greater sense of clarity separation and fullness the imagery that kept coming to mind is Ninja they are sparing and disciplined clean and precise however I don't think they're fulfilling a role that the ones weren't so I'm not claiming a categorical shift here other observations perfectly timed directional handoffs the bar and Rears do seem to really click and gel the 100s bring A Renewed Energy but it's to the benefit of the whole sound not just the rear sound The Ark in 300s well uh um [Laughter] yeah the first encounter which again was six underground was a bit of a complete and utter train wreck uh the base on the 300 was just way too pronounced and basically ruined everything it then dawned on me that I forgot to True play the system and boy that worked thank goodness because I was getting pretty nervous I've never heard such an obvious sound benefit from a room tuning absolutely critical in this case the main point if you want to buy the 300s make sure you have a way to True play I wouldn't rely on Quick tune with the 300s anyway after tuning I was no longer in hell but I was in a completely new land just completely unfamiliar terrain for any Soundbar system but definitely with a Sono system I gotta say I don't recall the rear speakers putting such a deep imprint on the sound just a much more noticeable and complex rear Sound Stage that kind of completely upended the bar and rear hierarchy it was such a shift that it kind of took me a while to recalibrate I definitely had to spend extra time finding the right rear volume base level and height level even after all that like I've mentioned you have this situation where your rear Sound Stage is far more present than it has ever been before it's not filling in holes picking at spots it's saying you bought me own the consequences I think the 300s really offer a wild ride that often feel like it's right on the edge of untethering itself from the rails wait for it when the soundtrack is also kind of off the rails like underground six and Transformers so yes there is no shortage of sounds going in many directions behind and beside you and these sounds are substantial with body and plenty of life and Clarity it manages to hit both satisfying and stimulating which I think takes a special kind of speaker is coordination between the rears and bar Paramount uh no which I think may lead to a significant number of chill casual normal moderate people to say something like well this is a bit much my sense is that Sonos wanted a spatial music speaker and they said heck let's give the Soundbar kids their kicks too and allow the 300 to be a rear speaker I'm still very new to this lamp shade on the head Sonos 5 but it's definitely the one I'm most interested in exploring further unfortunately it's going to take me a little longer than the normal review to get my views firmed up moving away from the crazy movies one being forced to watch as a spousal bonding activity a more typical soundtrack the 300 sounded very buttoned up normal with maybe some extra atmospherics so again the 300s are crazy when you choose crazy I think the 300s is the setup for my core audience the kind of viewer that watches Soundbar reviews for fun and is interested in pushing boundaries I would not recommend the 300s for those seeking a safe risk-free Soundbar system sound the fives I'm going to cover this but I don't think I'm going to reveal any surprises if you are seeking the hulkiest densest Sonos experience these are what you want this is the pairing that's going to get deepest in your chest the richest experience I think a weighty blanket is a good analogy in terms of hearing all the details generating atmosphere and electricity I would give that to the 300s as the drivers are more separated and less likely to interfere with each other the fives like the 100s are less likely to go off script they're not particularly spatial I didn't find Atmos performance to be all that much better than with the 100s paying 1100 for rear speakers I would have hoped for more coordination with the bar they have a bit too much presence and weight to kind of elegantly mesh with the bar in particular if they're close to you you can turn the volume down but then you're kind of saying why am I putting up interference between me and these really expensive speakers I sense Sonos is also kind of thinking why are you using these as Rears these really are meant as hardcore music speakers if you want sonos's tightest performance go with the 100s the most spatial and detaily the 300s buy the fives to get that I suppose the highest quality sound but I'm not convinced that the marginal difference between the three hundreds and fives and the lack of spatial presence the age of the speaker and the price will justify a five's purchase for very many my view the era 100 and 300 are largely successful in eclipsing the ones and fives I'll try to wrap this up I think the 100 should take the crown as the default smart speaker I'm underwhelmed by the Home pods but I really wanted to give them their due as they are high profile if you're leaning towards the 100s keep leaning I think you'll be very satisfied with the purchase the 300s when buying these speakers you are kind of signing this contract that is Sonos I know you're stepping out of your comfort zone and I want to take that ride with you for the 300 curious you should expect the highest highs um plenty of normal moments and a healthy handful of what is happening moments the fives I think the case is increasingly difficult they are big expensive last gen they lack Bluetooth and a voice assistant mic you really have to be dedicated to the narrow Hi-Fi benefit that is a sound that may not always be more obviously Hi-Fi than the 300s so where do I place the arc with 300s relative to other notable systems I'm playing with the Sonos configuration that I think might actually unseat my beloved a9s look for that in a future video anyway thanks for watching help me get to my 20 000 sub goal by 2024 if you can wrapping this up catch you on the next one foreign foreign

Channel: NeverEnoughTech

Views: 18,411

Keywords: sonos era 300, sonos era 100, sonos era 300 review, sonos era 100 as surround speakers, sonos era 100 as rear speaker, sonos era 300 as surround speakers, sonos era 300 as rear speakers, apple homepod 2, sonos five

Id: xsbbz_mnXD4

Length: 22min 16sec (1336 seconds)

Published: Sat May 06 2023