vs

$499.95

$426

The Sonos Era 300 is a high-quality indoor Bluetooth speaker that offers impressive sound quality with excellent clarity and depth in the bass and hig... more

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Experts recommend JBL Authentics 500 more than Sonos Era 300

As of 3 Jan 2025, experts prefer JBL Authentics 500 over Sonos Era 300, but both Bluetooth Speakers have solid expert endorsements.

As per this month's meta ranking, JBL Authentics 500 received 2 recommendations: from TechHive (29 Dec 2023) and Rtings.com (18 Dec 2024). By contrast, Sonos Era 300 received only 1 recommendation from PCMag (17 Nov 2024).

Rank	Change	Price	Bluetooth Speaker	TechHive	PCMag	SoundGuys	WIRED	Tom's Guide	Popular Mechanics	Rtings.com	TechRadar	What Hi-Fi	Digital Trends
24	-	$500	JBL Authentics 500	7	-	-	-	-	-	6	-	-	-
47	N/A	$426	Sonos Era 300 The Sonos Era 300 is a high-quality indoor Bluetooth speaker that offers impressive sound quality, seamless connectivity options, and built-in voice control, making it a versatile and high-performing speaker for home use.	-	7	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Curious to see this month's entire Portable Bluetooth Speakers ranking? It's here

About our ranking methodology

Endorsement summary:

On 29 Dec 2023 TechHive ranked JBL Authentics 500 as #7

Rank Bluetooth Speaker Comment

... ... ...

#7 out of 12 JBL Authentics 500
Best Bluetooth-capable smart speaker, runner-up

... ... ...

Source: www.techhive.com
On 18 Dec 2024 Rtings.com ranked JBL Authentics 500 as #6

Rank Bluetooth Speaker Comment

... ... ...

#6 out of 7 JBL Authentics 500
Best Home Bluetooth Speaker

... ... ...

Source: www.rtings.com
On 17 Nov 2024 PCMag ranked Sonos Era 300 as #7

Rank Bluetooth Speaker Comment

... ... ...

#7 out of 11 Sonos Era 300
Best for Spatial Audio / Editors' Choice

... ... ...

Source: www.pcmag.com

After counting and adding up the 108 expert endorsements of the January rankings, JBL Authentics 500 outranks Sonos Era 300. This is not to say that Sonos Era 300 is a bad option. Like JBL Authentics 500, it is recommended by experts, but less.

MetaRanking Common points from expert reviews summarized.

As can be seen below, JBL Authentics 500 is mentioned by key experts in Jan 2025, while Sonos Era 300 is not.

Rank	Change	Price	Bluetooth Speaker	TechHive	PCMag	SoundGuys	WIRED	Tom's Guide	Popular Mechanics	Rtings.com	TechRadar	What Hi-Fi	Digital Trends
1	-	$167	Sonos Roam 2 The Sonos Roam 2 is praised for its sound quality, durability, and versatility, but criticized for its battery life, connectivity issues, and high price point, especially for those not fully invested in the Sonos ecosystem.	-	-	-	2	8	-	-	1	-	4
2	-	$180	JBL Charge 5 The JBL Charge 5 is highly praised for its improved sound quality, robust design, and long battery life, though it faces criticism for lacking an AUX port and having connectivity issues with the JBL app.	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	6	1	-
3	-	$100	Beats Pill The Beats Pill (2024) is praised for its portability, impressive battery life, and robust design, but criticized for sound quality issues at high volumes, lack of EQ settings, and its price point considering the features offered.	-	8	3	13	-	-	-	-	-	1
4	-	$130	JBL Flip 6 The JBL Flip 6 is a durable and powerful portable Bluetooth speaker with a long battery life, PartyBoost feature, and water and dust resistance.	-	-	-	-	6	-	-	3	2	8
5	-	$300	JBL Xtreme 4 The JBL Xtreme 4 is praised for its powerful sound quality, impressive battery life, and durable, weather-resistant design, but criticized for its high price point, especially for those considering an upgrade from the previous model.	-	-	-	-	4	-	-	5	5	2
6	-	$405	Sonos Move 2 The Sonos Move 2 is lauded for its superior sound quality, extended battery life, and robust design, making it a versatile choice for both indoor and outdoor use, though its high price and size may limit its appeal for some users.	5	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	5
7	-	$60	Tribit StormBox Micro 2 The Tribit StormBox Micro 2 is a durable and waterproof portable Bluetooth speaker with powerful sound, long battery life, and versatile connectivity options.	-	-	-	9	9	-	-	-	3	9
8	-	$60	JBL Clip 5 The JBL Clip 5 is widely praised for its impressive sound quality, portability, and battery life, but criticized for its lack of an audio jack and some limitations in connectivity and sound customization.	-	-	7	7	-	-	-	2	-	-
9	-	$79	Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 4 The Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 4 is praised for its impressive sound quality, durability, and battery life, but criticized for lacking app support and having limited improvement over its predecessor.	-	-	-	-	5	-	4	11	-	-
10	-	$180	Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd gen) A good-looking speaker that produces beautiful acoustics. Compatible with Amazon Alexa and can be paired with multiple devices.	-	-	-	14	-	7	-	-	4	-
11	-	$399	Bose SoundLink Max	-	-	-	11	-	-	-	8	-	12
12	-	$80	Anker Soundcore Motion 300	-	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	3
13	-	Check price	Google Nest Audio	-	5	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
19	-	$193	Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4	-	-	-	6	-	-	3	-	-	-
20	-	$200	Soundcore Motion X600	4	-	4	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
21	-	$200	Marshall Middleton The Marshall Middleton Bluetooth Speaker is a durable and portable speaker with balanced and powerful sound quality, a long battery life, and Bluetooth 5.1 technology, making it perfect for outdoor use and easy to transport for everyday use.	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	10
22	-	$64	Tribit Stormbox Flow The Tribit StormBox Flow Bluetooth Speaker is a versatile and feature-rich speaker with impressive sound quality, long battery life, portability, durability, and connectivity, making it perfect for outdoor adventures, travel, gatherings, and everyday use.	-	-	-	4	-	-	-	7	-	-
23	-	Check price	Brane X Smart	6	-	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
24	-	$500	JBL Authentics 500	7	-	-	-	-	-	6	-	-	-
25	-	$350	Ultimate Ears Hyperboom A beast of a speaker that is built for parties	-	-	-	12	7	-	-	-	-	-
26	-	Check price	Soundboks Go The Soundboks Go is a powerful and durable portable Bluetooth speaker designed for outdoor use, with a maximum volume output of 121 decibels in Bass+ mode, weather resistance rating of IP65, and a variable battery life of up to 40 hours.	8	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	11
27	-	Check price	Bose SoundLink Home	-	10	-	-	11	-	-	-	-	-
Show all rows

Expert Reviews There are people on the Internet whose job is to review products. Below are their opinions.

Expert reviews [10]

80

Total expert reviews: 10

with a score: 6
without a score: 4

Highest score by Stereo Guide	92
Average score based on 10 reviews	80
Lowest score by PCMag	70

Score distribution:

80-100
60-80
40-60
20-40
0-20

Expert reviews [26]

88

Total expert reviews: 26

with a score: 12
without a score: 14

Highest score by What Hi-Fi	100
Average score based on 26 reviews	88
Lowest score by The Verge	70

Score distribution:

80-100
60-80
40-60
20-40
0-20

From Seller:

Superb sound and performance: 270W of 3.1 channel sound creates an experience that makes you feel like you're hearing your music live. Three 1” tweeters and three 2.75" woofers provide such clarity that every detail of your favorite song sounds new.
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From Seller:

Featuring six optimally positioned drivers all around the front, sides, and top to support Dolby Atmos Music, the breakthrough acoustic design projects sound from wall to wall and floor to ceiling, immersing you in every dimension of the song.
Read more