Follow ZDNET:ย Add us as a preferred sourceย on Google.
If you are in the market for a new home speaker, you have multiple excellent options. Two of the best, most balanced choices include Marshall's Stanmore IV and the Sonos Era 300. Both offer room-filling sound, thumping bass, and a rich feature set. Both speakers have their own merits, but you need to know what you want. One is strictly a Bluetooth speaker, while the other has the smarts you'd expect from every modern speaker.ย
Also: Forget the soundbar: How I upgraded my TV audio with spare Bluetooth speakers
I put them against each other to find the one that deserves a spot in every living room. After spending two weeks with the latest Marshall Stanmore IV, here's how it stacks up against the Sonos Era 300 (and whether you should consider buying it).
Specifications
| Marshall Stanmore IV | Sonos Era 300 | |
| Wired options | RCA; Aux | Aux |
| Spatial audio | No | Dolby Atmos |
| Wireless streaming | Bluetooth | Apple AirPlay; Google Cast; Bluetooth |
| Voice assistant | No | Amazon Alexa; Sonos Voice Control |
| Weight | 8.8 pounds | 9.8 pounds |
| Price | $430 | $479 |
You should buy the Marshall Stanmore IV ifโฆ
1. You want a Bluetooth-only speakerย
The Marshall Stanmore IV doesn't have Wi-Fi connectivity, which powers features such as Apple AirPlay, Google Cast, and advanced voice assistant queries. This speaker also lacks built-in microphones, so there's no voice assistant support. Instead, the Stanmore IV is a dedicated Bluetooth speaker that does one thing and does it brilliantly.
Bluetooth usually gets a bad rap for sound quality, but Marshall's tuning does the heavy lifting. For a Bluetooth speaker, the Stanmore IV delivers deep, controlled bass and clear mids for an enjoyable listening experience. I like Marshall's sound more than Sonos's because it doesn't cause me ear fatigue, despite its bass-heavy tuning.
Also: These Marshall ANC headphones might finally pull me away from Bose and Sony – here's why
The Stanmore IV supports Bluetooth…