The Sony SRS-RA3000 is an elegant home speaker with a 360-degree design and an incredible natural-sounding soundstage. It comes with 'Auto Volume' feature that adjusts its volume according to your tracks to play them at similar levels. It supports Sony's '360 Reality Audio' format, and you can use its 'Immersive Audio Enhancement' feature to enable a virtual soundstage when '360 Reality Audio' is unavailable, though we don't test currently test these functions. It also has a room correction feature that adjusts the speaker's sound to the acoustics of your room and recalibrates when it's moved. Unfortunately, it doesn't get very loud, and it isn't very portable due to its wired design.
Our Verdict
The Sony SRS-RA3000 is decent for music. Thanks to its 360-degree design, it has a fantastic soundstage that can be perceived as wide and spacious. It has a balanced mid-range that ensures vocals and lead instruments sound present in the mix. That said, it lacks a thumpy and rumbling low-bass, and the slight underemphasis in the treble range can make higher-pitched voices and instruments sound dull and veiled. Fortunately, its companion app features a graphic EQ and presets you can use to customize its sound to your liking.
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Graphic EQ and presets.
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Outstanding soundstage.
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Doesn't get very loud, with compression artifacts at max volume.
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Lacks low-bass.
The Sony SRS-RA3000 is okay for watching videos and movies. Its relatively balanced mid-range should ensure dialogue in movies and videos sound clear, though they can also be a bit dark. It lacks some low-bass which can make it hard to feel the thump and rumble in action-packed scenes. That said, you can use its graphic EQ to tweak its sound to your liking. It also has a fantastic soundstage, so you can feel immersed in your audio from all angles. Additionally, it has low latency with iOS and Android devices, making it suitable for watching movies.
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Graphic EQ and presets.
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Low latency with iOS and Android devices.
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Doesn't get very loud, with compression artifacts at max volume.
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Lacks low-bass.
The Sony SRS-RA3000 is passable for podcasts. Its somewhat balanced mid-range makes voices and dialogue sound clear. However, its slightly underemphasized treble range can make higher-pitched voices sound veiled. That said, it comes with a graphic EQ you can use to tweak its sound to your liking. It also has amazing directivity, so your audio should sound clear from all angles. Unfortunately, it has some compression artifacts at max volume, so your audio may not sound as clean at louder volumes.
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Graphic EQ and presets.
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Outstanding soundstage.
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Doesn't get very loud, with compression artifacts at max volume.
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Poor portability.
The Sony SRS-RA3000 doesn't support voice assistants.
The Sony SRS-RA3000 isn't designed for outdoor use because it's a wired-only speaker.
- 7.2 Music
- 6.5 Videos/Movies
- 6.4 Podcasts
- 3.1 Voice Assistant
- 5.5 Outdoors
- Updated Jul 19, 2021: Updated the text to provide more information regarding Sony's '360 Reality Audio' and 'Immersive Audio Enhancement' features.
- Updated May 07, 2021: Review published.
- Updated May 05, 2021: Early access published.
- Updated Apr 23, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Apr 23, 2021: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Mar 03, 2021: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Sony SRS-RA3000 comes in two color variants, 'Black' and 'Light Grey'. We tested the 'Black' variant, and you can find its label here. We expect both variants to perform similarly.
If you come across any other variants, let us know in the discussions so we can update our review.
Compared To Other Speakers
The Sony SRS-RA3000 is an elegant-looking, wired home speaker with an exceptional soundstage that can be perceived as open and natural. It comes with a graphic EQ and presets you can use to tweak its sound to your liking. Its room correction feature adjusts its sound to the acoustics of your room and recalibrates when the speaker is moved. Also, it supports Sony's '360 Reality Audio' surround format, and it also has an 'Immersive Audio Enhancement' feature to enable a virtual soundstage, though we don't test currently test this. That said, unlike most home speakers we've tested, it doesn't have built-in voice assistant support. This means you need to connect it to another device with built-in Alexa or Google Assistant over the Google Home or Amazon Alexa apps to access the voice assistant.
See our recommendations for the best home speakers, the best Bluetooth speakers, and the best speaker brands.
The JBL PartyBox 310 is a better speaker than the Sony SRS-RA3000, though they're designed for different uses. The JBL is a party speaker that can get louder than the Sony and produce more low bass. It's battery-powered and has a built-in handle and wheels, making it more portable than the Sony. It also has multiple inputs to connect a microphone or a guitar. That said, the Sony is designed to be used at home. It has fantastic directivity, resulting in a wider and more spacious-sounding soundstage.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Sony SRS-RA3000 or the Sonos Five. The Sonos can produce deeper bass and can get louder than the Sony. You can also connect it to other compatible Sonos speakers when you want your audio to fill a large room without increasing its volume. That said, the Sony has outstanding directivity, resulting in a wider-sounding soundstage. It has fewer compression artifacts at max volume, so your audio sounds cleaner during louder listening sessions. It also supports Bluetooth and features a graphic EQ and presets you can use to tweak its sound to your liking.
The Sony SRS-RA3000 is a slightly better speaker than the Sony SRS-RA5000. While the RA5000 didn't display a clear separation between left and right channels when playing stereo content during our testing process, the RA3000 can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono. The RA3000 also has better directivity, resulting in a wider-sounding soundstage. However, the RA5000 is a larger speaker that can get somewhat louder than the RA3000. It's important to note that we haven't tested these speakers' '360 Reality Audio' and 'Immersive Audio Enhancement' features.
The Sony SRS-RA3000 and the Harman/Kardon Aura Studio 3 are similar speakers. The Harman/Kardon can get louder with less compression present at max volume and can produce a slightly more extended low-bass out-of-the-box. Some users may also prefer its unique design and lights. However, the Sony offers a wider-sounding soundstage. It supports Sony's '360 Reality Audio' surround format and comes with an 'Immersive Audio Enhancement' feature to further enhance the speaker's soundstage. Its companion app also features a graphic EQ and presets you can use to tweak its sound to your liking.
The Sony SRS-RA3000 and the Sony SRS-XB43 have different strengths. While the SRS-RA3000 has a more natural and open-sounding soundstage, the SRS-XB43 is better-built, with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance certifying it to be fully dust-tight and immersible in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes. It's battery-powered, making it more portable, and also supports voice assistants through your smartphone.
The Bose Home Speaker 500 and the Sony SRS-RA3000 are similar speakers with different strengths. While the Bose has outstanding voice assistant performance, and a better selection of controls, the Sony has a remarkable soundstage that can be perceived as spacious and open. Its companion app also features a graphic EQ and presets you can use to customize its sound to your liking.
The Sony SRS-RA3000 and the Amazon Echo Studio have different strengths. The Amazon has excellent voice assistant performance, with Alexa built-in. It has a built-in Zigbee hub to control other smart home devices like lightbulbs or thermostats. The Sony has a much better soundstage performance and features a graphic EQ and presets, making it more customizable than the Amazon.
The Sony SRS-RA3000 is a better speaker than the Sony SRS-XB23, though they have different strengths. The SRS-RA3000 is a wired speaker designed for home use, with a better-balanced sound profile out-of-the-box and an incredible soundstage performance. It can also get louder than the SRS-XB23, with fewer compression artifacts at max volume. That said, the SRS-XB23 is battery-powered, making it more portable than the SRS-RA3000. It also is better-built, with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance.
The Sony SRS-RA3000 and the Google Home Max are similar home speakers with different strengths. The Sony has a much better soundstage, and its sound profile is more customizable than the Google. That said, the Google offers excellent voice assistant support, while the Sony doesn't have this feature.
The Sony SRS-RA3000 is a slightly better speaker than the JBL Flip 5. The Sony has a better-balanced sound profile that you can customize thanks to the graphic EQ and presets available on its companion app. It also has an exceptional soundstage performance. However, the JBL is better built and is rated IPX7 for water resistance. It's also battery-powered and more portable than the Sony.
The Sonos Move is a better speaker than the Sony SRS-RA3000. The Move is better built, with an IP56 rating for dust and water resistance. It's battery-powered, so you can take it outdoors with you without needing to plug it into an outlet. It also offers outstanding voice assistant support. That said, the SRS-RA3000's sound is more customizable. It can also play stereo content without downmixing it to mono, resulting in a more immersive soundstage.
Test Results
The Sony SRS-RA3000 is a 360-degree wired speaker designed for home use. It's made to sit vertically, and its controls are on top of it. It also has two unique, bronze-colored vertical metal grilles on its body. It comes in two color variants, 'Black' and 'Light Grey'. For another home speaker with a unique design, check out the Harman/Kardon Aura Studio 3.
The Sony SRS-RA3000 isn't very large or heavy. However, it isn't very portable due to its wired design and needs to be plugged into an outlet to work, so it isn't suitable to bring with you on the go.
The Sony SRS-RA3000's build quality is adequate. Its fabric-wrapped body has two bronze-colored metal grilles near its front and a plastic bronze panel on its rear. It also has a power port for its removable power cable on its bottom rear and a rubber circle at its base to prevent it from moving.
While this speaker isn't water-resistant, the manufacturer advertises that it's humidity resistant, but also warns not to place it near a water source. That said, we don't currently test for this.
Update 07/19/2021: We updated the text to provide more information regarding Sony's '360 Reality Audio', and 'Immersive Audio Enhancement' features.
The Sony SRS-RA3000 has a reasonable selection of touch-sensitive controls on top of the speaker, though they can be activated by accidentally touching them. There are light indicators above each button to indicate when they're active, and the speaker also provides audible feedback when the controls are touched. You can use its power button to turn the speaker on and off. You can use its volume buttons to adjust the speaker's volume, backtrack, and skip tracks. To pair the speaker to your device, touch and hold the Bluetooth button. You can also touch the Audio IN button when you want to wire your devices to it instead. Also, you can use its Music Mode button to enable its 'Immersive Audio Enhancement' features.
This speaker can play Sony's '360 Reality Audio' virtual surround format, though it's only available through select premium music service providers that support it like Amazon Music HD or TIDAL. That said, not all audio content on these platforms is compatible with '360 Reality Audio'. Fortunately, this speaker comes with an 'Immersive Audio Enhancement' feature that mimics Sony's '360 Reality Audio' format, though we don't test for this. To connect the Sony SRS-RA3000 to music service providers like Spotify, Amazon Music HD, or TIDAL, the speaker and your smartphone must first be connected to the same Wi-Fi network, which will cause the light indicator on its music service button to turn white. Though this isn't part of our testing process, you can then find the speaker's name in your music service app and set it as the playback device, which should cause the indicator light to turn green.
The Sony SRS-RA3000's frequency response accuracy is okay. Out-of-the-box, it lacks some low-bass which can make it difficult to feel the deep thump and rumble in bass-heavy music. Its mid-range is somewhat balanced, so vocals and lead instruments should sound relatively clear and present in the mix. However, the slight underemphasis in the treble range can make some higher-pitched vocals and instruments sound dull. Fortunately, its companion app offers graphic EQ along with presets you can use to customize the speaker's sound to your liking.
Note: We tested this with its room correction feature turned on. This allows the speaker to adjust its sound to the acoustics of your room and recalibrates when it's moved.
Update 07/19/2021: We updated the text to provide more information regarding Sony's '360 Reality Audio', and 'Immersive Audio Enhancement' features.
The Sony SRS-RA3000 has a fantastic soundstage. Thanks to its 360-degree design, it has outstanding directivity, resulting in an open and spacious-sounding soundstage.
This speaker supports Sony's '360 Reality Audio' surround format that can be found on premium music service apps like TIDAL and Nugs.net, though not all music on these apps is compatible with the format. The SRS-RA3000 has an 'Immersive Audio Enhancement' you can use when '360 Reality Audio' isn't available, which enhances the speaker's soundstage and creates a more immersive experience. That said, we don't test these features.
The Sony SRS-RA3000's dynamics are alright. It can't get very loud, and there are some compression artifacts when you play it at max volume, so it isn't suitable to use at parties or in large rooms. If you're looking for a similar speaker that can get louder, check out the Sony SRS-RA5000.
This speaker isn't battery-powered. However, it features a power-saving mode that automatically shuts the speaker down after 15 minutes of inactivity.
The Sony SRS-RA3000 doesn't support voice assistants. However, the manufacturer claims that it supports Alexa when connected to another speaker with Alexa built-in over the same Wi-Fi network. Since this requires purchasing a third-party device, we don't test for it. This speaker's microphone is only for its auto sound calibration feature.
The Sony SRS-RA3000's Sony Music Center app is poor. It features a graphic EQ and presets that are handy if you want to customize the speaker's sound to your liking. You can use it to enable its 'Auto Volume' feature, which automatically adjusts the volume of your tracks, though we don't test for this. It also features an 'Immersive Audio Enhancement' function which enables a virtual soundstage, though we don't test for this either. That said, you can't use it to connect it to a second speaker to create a stereo pair. You can also only access the Multi-Room and Party Mode features when you add it to a speaker group over the Google Home app, which can be limiting for some users.
Aside from its power port, this speaker has an AUX port you can use to connect it to your devices. This can come in handy when wiring older devices and smartphones to the speaker to playback audio.
The Sony SRS-RA3000 has a very good Bluetooth performance. It has an outstanding range, so your paired device stays connected to the speaker even when it's far from it. It also has low latency with iOS and Android devices, making it suitable for watching videos and movies. However, some apps compensate for latency differently, so your experience may vary. Unfortunately, you can't pair it to more than one device at a time, making it hard to switch between audio sources quickly.
The Sony SRS-RA3000 is Wi-Fi compatible and supports Google Chromecast. However, while it had no problem casting from VLC, it couldn't cast from YouTube without connecting to the Google Home App first and had very high latency when doing so. This doesn't make it very suitable for watching YouTube videos via Chromecast.