9 reviews for Sony SRS-RA3000 360 Reality Audio Wi-Fi / Bluetooth Wireless Speaker, Works with Alexa and Google Assistant, Light Gray

1. 

   5 out of 5

   DerekDerek – April 17, 2020

   This Sony SRS-RA3000 360 Reality Audio Premium Wireless Speaker with Wi-Fi measures 5.75″ x 9.75″ x 6.13″ and weighs five and a half pounds. The casing houses two 11/16″ tweeters, one 3 1/8″ full-range driver, and a couple of passive radiators. This speaker offers auto sound calibration, 360 Reality Audio and 5-EQ Presets.I have been using this RA3000 daily with my Alienware Lunar Light PC because it matches the colorway perfectly. Initially, I was very disappointed with the sound of this speaker. I had to crank it 80% just for it to product acceptable volume and even then the sound reproduction was lifeless. I understand speakers that sit in boxes indefinitely will inevitably need to be played for a couple of days to loosen the drivers so they can reproduce sound as the manufacturer intended but even with that this speaker fell flat.I eventually decided to give the speaker a last chance before sending it back by connecting it to WiFi, downloading the Sony Music Center App, and going through the setup process with Alexa so I could access 360 audio. Admittedly, this is a lot of effort to invest but anyone who’s willing to spend $300on a speaker is likely to want to get the most out of their purchase and without this time investment I think many will be disappointed with the out of the box experience they get with this speaker.After going through a far more involved process than I would’ve liked I was rewarded with magnificent sound. On their website, Sony claims this speaker only has 20 watts of output. However, once the speaker was properly setup my comfortable listening level dropped from around 80% of max to 40% of the speaker’s maximum volume. The 360-degree audio is a unique listening experience especially when gaming. Whether it’s through Luna, Amazon’s cloud gaming service, or through my own game library being able to get directional cues is very important and this speaker offers a superb experience.What I liked most about the Sony SRS-RA3000 was:- Sound. The RA3000 delivers deep bass and enough separation between mids and highs to keep vocals and primary instruments clear at all volume levels.- Functionality. Being able to use this speaker with my computer, phone, and smart assistants makes it highly functional for me as I can get a variety of sources to connect with this speaker wirelessly or through its 3.5mm connection.- Aesthetics. This speaker looks amazing and fits perfectly with white and silver builds. I have it positioned behind my laptop looks natural on my desk in that position.- Lifestyle speaker. There are a ton of competing options available at 300 dollars. JBL owns this space and as someone who also owns $300 JBL speaker I can say I am happy with both purchases. They really are vastly different speakers though. Both are lifestyle speakers with the JBL fitting better for those who like to entertain on-the-go or party indoors in noisy environments. This Sony speaker is designed for young professionals like sophistication and subtlety over bass and bravado. As this speaker is more suited for casual dinner parties and cozier settings with a guest list that is small but persnickety.What I liked least about the Sony SRS-RA3000 was:- Bass. The bass on the RA-3000 is deep and punchy. However, there isn’t much sub-bass. If you’re definition of bass is grumbling, rumbling sound you’re probably not going to be a fan of the way this speaker reproduces bass. However, if you appreciate natural, punchy bass that supports audio without overpowering it you won’t consider this a negative item at all. Sub-bass lovers however should be aware this speaker only gives a hint of sub-bass even with the bass heavy EQ setting toggled on.- Setup. I can’t stress enough how vital it is to invest effort in setting this speaker up. It absolutely does not deliver a good out of the box experience. I have sub-$100 speakers that sound better than this one did when I first unboxed it. Setup is involved as it requires downloading the Sony Music Center App, using Amazon Music for 360 sound, and playing the speaker for a couple of days to loosen the woofers. Even then I would say it took a couple more weeks for the speakers to properly burn-in and produce optimal sound.Overall, if you are in the market for a speaker in the $300 price range the Sony RA-3000 deserves a great deal of consideration in your purchasing decision. The sound, functionality, aesthetics, and lifestyle features this speaker offers puts other speakers in this price range to shame. However, if you are someone who loves synthetic, sub-bass, portability for an outdoor lifestyle the RA-3000 probably isn’t the best choice you can make at this price. However, if you love quaint gatherings at home and want a sophisticated speaker that blends in with your decor, offers 360-degree audio, and the ability to connect to a variety of sources with ease this Sony RA-3000 might be right for you. 5.0 out of 5.0

2. 

   5 out of 5

   Kenny Wyatt – April 17, 2020

   First off give this speaker break in time. It sounds better as it breaks in. Extremely clean sound. Easy setup and Extremely simple just cast to it.

3. 

   5 out of 5

   Fraun Moore – July 12, 2020

   Love the sound. Esthetic

4. 

   5 out of 5

   Charlene – July 12, 2020

   Awesome sound in every room ! #10

5. 

   5 out of 5

   oscar cardona – August 1, 2020

   Good product for Home

6. 

   5 out of 5

   Smart Shopper – August 13, 2020

   This review is for Sony SRS-RA3000 360 Reality Audio Wi-Fi / Bluetooth Wireless Speaker, Works with Alexa and Google Assistant, Light GrayThe setup process was easy. It didn’t give me any trouble connecting to my phone or TV. The sound quality is really good the bass and the vocals feel strong. It is not too big or too small. It works well with Alexa

7. 

   5 out of 5

   EAS – September 25, 2020

   The speaker’s functionality is great and what I was looking for. I wanted a speaker with Wifi, good bluetooth, aux in, and good sound. You won’t find better at this price point I think. As others have pointed out, the sound isn’t the best in the world. You might be able to find better sounds from AudioEngine or UE at this price, but this Sony still sounds good and you probably won’t find the combination of sound and features near this price. Because of that, I am very happy. Also, some have said that the Alexa connection doesn’t work well and I can’t speak to that because I find Alexa and the Google competitor annoying and don’t use those features.

8. 

   5 out of 5

   LMM – January 11, 2021

   I love the design, color and especially sound quality of this Sony Bluetooth! Set up and connectivity was effortless! The only downfall is it Has to stay plugged in to electrical outlet :(

9. 

   5 out of 5

   Hairy PotterHairy Potter – February 10, 2021

   For consumer clarity, this speaker system is designed to provide “ambient room-filling sound.”  It is not designed to be a head pounding sound system, although it can do this to an extent.  To review this system by comparing it to soundbar products, theater sound systems, or other 360-degree sound systems, whose purpose is to play booming audio in whatever direction the speaker is aimed, is missing the whole point of this product.One of the main features of this system is its ability to play Sony’s 360 Reality Audio technology.  Reality Audio (RA) is a process whereby music producers encode each channel of audio onto tracks in a way that only a RA speaker can understand.  This music can be played on other speakers too, but they will not interpret the audio the same as the RA speaker does.  With RA tracks, the music producer places each channel in a specific location in the listener’s space.  For example, lead vocals can be centered, and in front of the listener while the background singers can be placed off to one side.  And each instrument can be placed in their own position in space relative to the listener.  For example, a violin can be to the right and below the listener, while a special effect could seem to come from behind the listener and move to the front as the track progresses.  This then becomes the immersive, room-filling, effect.  This audio experience is noticeably different from stereo, in a good way.It should be noted that the RA engineered music tracks are available from many streaming services, and while the number of songs using this technology is increasing, it remains a small percentage of the total number of songs available for streaming.I have already experienced the RA technology since I have Sony’s SRS-RA5000 system, which is the much bigger brother to the SRS-RA3000 system, and its RA audio experience is awesome.  The RA3000 system is smaller, has fewer and less powerful speakers, and its RA experience, although good, is not as impressive as the RA5000.  Of course, these two speaker systems are in totally different classes, and their price points alone tell you that right away.  Is the RA3000 still a good system to experience RA?  Yes it is.  I use the RA5000 in the living room, which is a large space, and I use the RA3000 in the bedroom, which is a much smaller space.  In the bedroom, the RA3000 works well.Is this speaker worth getting if you do not intend to take advantage of RA?  I think so.  Even without RA, the speaker is designed to radiate audio throughout the room in all directions using Sony’s Immersive Audio Enhancement Technology.  This technology creates a stereo effect despite the system being located in one location rather than multiple locations as found with a true stereo system.This system produces good audio at all points in the room despite its small package.  At low to moderate outputs, the audio quality remains clear.  As you near the highest volume settings, the clarity diminishes.  Since this speaker is intended to be a more subtle sound system, you likely will not run it at its highest volumes anyway.Other than basic operations that are controlled on the speaker itself, such as volume, all audio controls are set from the Sony Music Center app.  At the default configuration, all of the system’s speakers are set at 0db.  At these settings, the audio is somewhat flat, with the bass tones lacking in particular.  However, by using the Sony Music Center app, the bass (and other tones) can be adjusted to where the speaker will produce decent audio.  Since all audio settings, except volume, are set from the app, if a user does not use the app in this way, it would be easy to think that the speaker is lacking.  The app’s equalizer has five preprogrammed settings that can be set depending on the type of music being broadcast, and one custom setting that can be programmed by the user.The device comes with the speaker, power cord, and manual.  The included manual is complete enough to take advantage of all features, but a more comprehensive manual can be found on Sony’s website.  The speaker is a small size.  It measures 9.75 inches tall, about 6 inches wide, and weighs 5.5 pounds.  On top of the speaker are control buttons that control power, audio input, music service, Bluetooth pairing, sound mode, play/pause, and volume.  Many of the buttons have their own indicator light that provides information and status.  Power is supplied by a power cord that must be plugged in, which limits the placement of the speaker in a room.  An improvement would be to make this a cordless system so that room placement is not restricted.The speaker works either by receiving a broadcast from a Bluetooth connected mobile device or TV, using WiFi to access a streaming service, or by using a 3.5mm input cord.  The Bluetooth device must remain in the general proximity of the speaker for a signal to be received.Connecting to the speaker is easy.  Simply turn the speaker on, switch to Bluetooth pairing mode, then select the speaker in your mobile device’s Bluetooth menu.  Once connected, your mobile device’s audio will broadcast through the speaker.  The device connected easily to my compatible Sony TV by simply going into the TV’s Bluetooth setting and pairing with the speaker.  Connecting to WiFi and to Google Assistant was painless.