![]() ![]() Listening to Apple Music’s Dolby Atmos version of The 1 by Taylor Swift, the vocals held a wonderful clarity and warmth. Our tests revealed it to be one of THE best sounding smart speakers you’ll find, with it blowing its closest rival, the Amazon Echo Studio, out of the water and offering a much more precise low end than the first generation HomePod. Though it looks a lot like its predecessor, under the hood it’s a completely different beast and a clear sonic step forward for the brand. It’s the pricier option in Apple’s current lineup, sitting well above the smaller HomePod Mini featured in this list, and a successor to the first generation HomePod we tested all the way back in 2018. The HomePod 2 is the latest speaker from big tech heavyweight Apple that we’ve reviewed. Read the full five-star review: Sonos Era 100 The app is excellent to use, the number of streaming features is, frankly, vast, and everything is as well-made and reliable as you’d expect.Īgain, Sonos rarely delivers what you’d call ‘budget’ options in the best wifi speakers category, and we’re still not delighted to be forking out extra for a wired connection, but if you’re still happy to spend a decent amount of cash without making as much of a dent in your funds as the 300, the Era 100 is a five-star banker. Just like its heftier counterpart, the 100 delivers a big, open sound, a lovely sense of rhythmic drive and all the detail and precision you could hope for at this price point. If you’re not keen on forking out the somewhat whopping £449/$449/AU$749 asking price for the Era 300, the Era 100 is a fine option as a wireless home speaker. Released alongside the superb Era 300, the Era 100 keeps up with its bigger, more expensive brother by delivering a host of streaming playback features within another excellent-sounding speaker. ![]() Rival Apple HomePod 2 is more natural with voicesĪs the name suggests, Sonos’ range of wireless speakers promises a new ‘era’ for the American audio company. Read the full five-star review: Sonos Era 300 ![]() A truly five-star performer, and one of the best wireless speakers we’ve tested in a good while. ![]() Yes it’s expensive and yes, it smacks of a rip-off having to pay 20 quid extra for a wired connector, but the Era 300 has earned the right to be cheeky. Hip-hop, classic rock, soundtracks, it’s all covered with ease. Big choral numbers feel broad and immersive thanks to spatial audio, but the Era 300 excels seemingly with all genres and across every taste. Throw whatever you like at the Era 300, chances are it has it covered, filling our testing rooms with cohesive, spacious sound without a hint of a struggle. With its unique, “cinched hourglass” shape, there’s no question that the Era 300 is a bit more of an acquired taste than most of the brand’s rather more conservative designs, but what isn't up for debate is how superbly the five-star Era 300 manages to perform. Ever since Apple's mighty HomePod 2 landed early in 2023 with the ability to deliver spatial audio, the race has been on to see who could challenge the biggest dog on the block when it came to integrating the much-vaunted tech into their own speaker designs.Įnter the Era 300, Sonos’ more expensive rival to the HomePod 2 that looks to beat Apple at its own game. It seems that it isn't enough for the best wi-fi speakers to just deliver great sound and a decent array of features anymore. There should be something for everyone and anyone. Once you've decided what you're looking for, you'll want to draw up a list of candidates, and to help with that, we've got you covered below with a great selection of wireless speakers across different price points. Some apps work better than others which will affect how easy they are to use. Many wireless speakers come with their own control app so you can take command of all their features using a smartphone or tablet. If you subscribe to a streaming service it's worth bearing in mind. Wireless speakers tend to include Bluetooth in their feature set for basic streaming, but many can be connected to your home wi-fi network so you can use features like AirPlay, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and any multi-room features they might have. Will a small wireless speaker for a second room suffice, or do you want a big speaker that can fill a larger space? Do you want portability from your wireless speaker? In which case you might want to pick something with a built-in rechargeable battery. When choosing a wireless speaker, besides setting and sticking to a budget, you need to think about where you'll be using it and what you want from it. Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. ![]()
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