Apple HomePod (1st generation) vs Sonos Era 300

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

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HomePod (1st generation) compared with Era 300
AppleHomePod (1st generation)SonosEra 300
Overview
ReleasedFebruary 2018March 2023
Sound
TypeSpeakerSpeaker
Dolby AtmosYesYes
DriversHigh-excursion woofer; seven horn-loaded tweetersFour tweeters (a forward-firing mid tweeter, two side-firing mid tweeters and an upward-firing tweeter in a horn) and two woofers angled left and right
AmplifiersCustom amplifier for the woofer and a separate custom amplifier for each tweeterSix class-D digital amplifiers
Audio formatsDolby Atmos home cinema with Apple TV 4K was added in software 14.2; Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos and Apple Music lossless playback were added in 15.1Dolby Atmos Music
Room tuningDirect and ambient audio beamforming; computational audio for real-time tuning; internal low-frequency calibration microphone for automatic bass correction; Apple A8 processorTrueplay (iOS and Android); bass, treble and loudness adjustable in the Sonos app
Connections
Wi-FiYesYes
BluetoothNoYes
AirPlayYesYes
Voice assistantsSiriAlexa and Sonos Voice Control
Wi-Fi802.11ac with MIMOWi-Fi 6 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax), 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz
BluetoothBluetooth 5.0 radio; no Bluetooth audio streaming (TechRadar)Bluetooth 5.3
PortsMains power cable; no analogue audio input (TechRadar)USB-C for line-in (with the Sonos Line-In Adapter) or Ethernet (with the Sonos Combo Adapter); adapters sold separately
StreamingApple Music, iTunes purchases, iCloud Music Library with an Apple Music or iTunes Match subscription, supported third-party services, radio and podcasts; AirPlay from iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV or MacApple AirPlay 2; direct control from apps such as Spotify and TIDAL; Sonos Radio
Multi-roomAirPlay 2 multi-room audio and stereo pairing with another original HomePod were added in iOS 11.4 after launchGroups with other Sonos products over Wi-Fi; two make a stereo pair or Dolby Atmos rear surrounds for a Sonos soundbar
AppHome app; initial setup requires a compatible Apple mobile device and Wi-Fi internet accessSonos app (iOS and Android)
Design
Weight2.5 kg (better)4.47 kg
ControlsTap to play or pause, double-tap to skip, triple-tap to skip back; touch and hold for Siri; tap or hold + or – for volumeCapacitive touch controls (play, pause, skip, replay, volume, voice mute, grouping); Bluetooth button; microphone switch
MicrophonesSix-microphone array for far-field Siri; separate internal low-frequency calibration microphoneFar-field microphone array with beamforming and multichannel echo cancellation; switch cuts power to the microphones
Mounting–Wall mount and stand sold separately
Size172 mm high, 142 mm wide185 × 260 × 160 mm (H × W × D)
ColoursSpace Grey, WhiteBlack, White
In the boxHomePod, documentationEra 300, power cable (2 m), documentation

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