I am currently updating my living room set up and so decided I needed to swap out my Q Acoustics floor standing speaker. Initially for a set of bookshelf speakers, but as part of my investigations I got caught up in the hype of Dolby atmos and spacial audio and convinced myself I needed to replace my passive system with active speakers and specifically the Sonos ERA300’s in a stereo pair. I justified the expense by initiating an Amazon return for the WiiM app and Mini and adding sale of my existing speakers into the mix - it wasn’t a lot more really 
I was so excited when the 300’s arrived and I set them up and started streaming Dolby Atmos/Spacial Audio content from Apple and Amazon (trial subs on both)…. My partner made all the right noises “sounds amazing” “can really hear the difference” but I gradually came to a realisation that however good the electronic trickery, to my ears they simply weren’t as good for music as my old setup. I was disappointed and really quite surprised how dull they sounded and I knew that I simply wouldn’t listen to music in the way I wanted to with the 300’s as my main stereo. I did a bit of side by side listening and the difference to me was “night and day” and really brought home to me why we listen to traditional analogue HiFi and should resist the temptation of active speakers even the really good ones particularly when partnered with the WiiM amp that gives most of the benefits of speakers such those from Sonos (in fact you could argue it’s actually better)
Anyway - within only an hour or two of opening the 300’s were back in their boxes and the WiiM amp unboxed again and back in its rightful place under the tv. Luckily I found a pair of KEF LS50’s locally secondhand to replace the Q Acoustics 2050’s and everything is wonderful again…. Luckily Sonos provide a 100 day money back guarantee and so financial impact isn’t as bad as it might have been - but a lesson learned.
I was so excited when the 300’s arrived and I set them up and started streaming Dolby Atmos/Spacial Audio content from Apple and Amazon (trial subs on both)…. My partner made all the right noises “sounds amazing” “can really hear the difference” but I gradually came to a realisation that however good the electronic trickery, to my ears they simply weren’t as good for music as my old setup. I was disappointed and really quite surprised how dull they sounded and I knew that I simply wouldn’t listen to music in the way I wanted to with the 300’s as my main stereo. I did a bit of side by side listening and the difference to me was “night and day” and really brought home to me why we listen to traditional analogue HiFi and should resist the temptation of active speakers even the really good ones particularly when partnered with the WiiM amp that gives most of the benefits of speakers such those from Sonos (in fact you could argue it’s actually better)
Anyway - within only an hour or two of opening the 300’s were back in their boxes and the WiiM amp unboxed again and back in its rightful place under the tv. Luckily I found a pair of KEF LS50’s locally secondhand to replace the Q Acoustics 2050’s and everything is wonderful again…. Luckily Sonos provide a 100 day money back guarantee and so financial impact isn’t as bad as it might have been - but a lesson learned.
