SRS RA5000 and 3000: Sony speaker review
26/8/2021
Translation: Julia Graham
Sony has released new wireless speakers. Dubbed SRS RA5000 and SRS RA3000, they hail from the same family. The catch is, they’re neither portable nor compatible with one another – but they do sound good on their own.
Before we jump straight into testing, let me introduce the speakers so you can get to know them a bit better. The product names SRS-RA5000 and SRS-RA3000 give you the impression that the speakers are similar. But they’re actually not. One of the speakers is round, while the other is triangular. One of them can do more than the other. There’s also a difference in price point.
So far, that’s nothing out of the ordinary. The thing is, they’re not compatible, despite the fact they’re both Sony products. What it comes down to is that they’re two distinct speakers for different requirements. Full stop.
That being said, I’m still putting the speakers through their paces together. The reason being that their features are very similar. For instance, they’re both the first to support Sony’s 360 Reality Audio. Up until now, this was only included in new Sony headphones. Both speakers also boast the sound calibration feature. How this works is they analyse the room and adjust the volume in such a way that it stays at a constant level throughout.
The remaining features give a brief overview of the key specifications.
SRS RA3000:
- Dimensions (W×H×D): 146 × 247 × 155 mm
- Weight: 2.5 kg
- Features: 1× full-range speaker, 2× passive radiators, 2× tweeters
- Streaming: Google Cast, Spotify Connect
- Audio ports: AUX in (3.5 mm)
- Wi-Fi standard: Wi-Fi 4/802.11n
SRS RA5000:
- Dimensions (W×H×D): 235 × 329 × 225 mm
- Weight: 4.9 kg
- Features: 3× upfiring speakers, 3× mid-range speakers, 1× subwoofer
- Streaming: Google Cast, Spotify Connect
- Audio ports: AUX in (3.5 mm)
- Wi-Fi standard: Wi-Fi 4/802.11n
In terms of price, the SRS RA5000 is at the higher end of the scale. Compared with the Harman/Kardon Citation 300, which, while admittedly smaller, can do the same amount, the Sony speaker will set you back more. The smaller SRS RA3000, on the other hand, can keep up with the likes of the Sonos One speaker. And unlike the Sonos One, it’s Bluetooth-enabled.
Wireless but not portable
I assumed that both speakers were portable. «Wireless speaker» features prominently in Sony’s product description. The only thing is, when it says «wireless», it’s not referring to the power cable. The SRS RA5000 and 3000 don’t have a battery, which means they have to be powered by a cable from the mains. The «wireless» phrase that Sony’s trotting out is a bit deceiving. I wouldn’t want to carry the larger SRS RA5000 around anyway given it weighs almost 5 kg. If you’re looking for a portable speaker, you can stop reading here as this isn’t for you.
But what these speakers lack in portability, they make up for with other benefits.
360 Reality Audio and what it sounds like
360 Reality Audio delivers surround sound as though you’re right in the middle of a live concert. It’s a feature Sony is terribly proud of.
I tried it out recently in my home office and I can report that 360 Reality Audio is good. But it didn’t blow me away. Who’d have thought it? My living room didn’t morph into a live gig. What it did do was transmit the music to my ears so it seemed richer and reverberated more. I can see what Sony’s trying to do.
Interestingly, 360 Reality Audio isn’t available with Spotify or Apple Music. You can only use it with Tidal, Deezer or nugs.net. And you’ll need a paid premium account for all of those music streaming services. One thing to point out is that with every SRS speaker, you get a code that gives you a free six-month trial of one of those services.
I opted for Tidal and I’m only semi-satisfied with it. The issue being that your song choice is limited. Take my favourite music, for instance. Those tracks are underrepresented in the 360 selection. While it’s not as though Sony can do anything about that, I still find it a shame. I’d have expected more. On the plus side, it meant I discovered new tunes. Unsurprisingly, live tracks sound particularly good with the 360-degree technology that’s designed to make you think you’re listening to live music. I feel like I lose myself in the music a bit more. It rekindles that concert feeling we’ve been missing for over a year. But it doesn’t last long. The details in the sound are lacking. As are the nuances. And I notice the music only comes from one source.
The other sound
If you don’t want to limit your song choices, you can choose to just stream «normal» music. In both models, the highs sound sharp and piercing. While the mids are good, I find them cold compared to the sound from my Sono system. Both speakers feature a lot of bass, although this can also be reduced or cranked up to suit your taste.
I personally don’t find the sound that rich and full – but given the speaker’s construction, that’s not unexpected. When I do a side-by-side comparison of the Sonos One and the Sony, I’d have expected more from the latter. That explains why I listen to more podcasts than music on the 3000 SRS. And it’s perfect for that.
Moving on to the SRS RA5000, the sound is rich in all directions. You can tell sound calibration works well. No matter where I am in my living room, the sound is equally loud.
As I explained above, these speakers aren’t compatible with each other. While you can use Google Cast to play music on them simultaneously, I wouldn’t recommend it. The tone and quality of the sound on these two speakers are just too different. In any case, I’ve split them into Multiroom groups using Google Home. That way I can play the same music source in various rooms at the same time and control playback via the Google app rather than in the unwieldy Sony one.
Design: fantastic
In terms of outward appearance, both speakers look great. Having won the Red Dot design prize, the SRS RA5000 is even certifiably good-looking.
In terms of the SRS RA3000, the top of the speaker acts as a touch-sensitive surface with individual buttons. These are integrated into the top so they don’t protrude next to the touch surface. The RA3000 goes well with your furniture and can also be placed in the bathroom. Although it doesn’t come with IP certification, Sony claims that moisture doesn’t affect it.
As for the SRS RA5000, the button names are listed on the top of the speaker, but when it comes to actually pressing them, you have to do that on the side. The buttons protrude a bit, which makes the user experience more comfortable. Design-wise, the copper elements on the top of the speaker look fantastic. In fact, the shape of the whole product is aesthetically pleasing.
The large one only comes in black, while the small one is available in grey and black.
What’s a shame is the fact you need to keep the speaker next to a plug. I say this because Sony’s marketing photos suggest it can also go in the middle of your home – using electricity from the air or something. Of course, that’s not how these things work. So, if you’re not keen to have cables trailing across the room as a trip hazard, you need to put the speaker next to the wall. To be fair, that’s not so bad. After all, the wall reflects the sound well, which is advantageous for the sound quality.
To stand up, the RA5000 has three small legs on each of the three corners, while the power cord connects underneath the speaker. The RA3000, on the other hand, stands on its own base, where it features a small cut-out for the cable.
Connection: sometimes faltering
To connect wirelessly to a music service, you can use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. That’s an instance where these speakers really are wireless and live up to their description. You can also use Chromecast and Spotify Connect to play music through the speakers. If the power cable doesn’t do the job, it also comes with a 3.5 mm AUX port.
My playback via Spotify Connect falters every now and then – usually when I skip a song or want to go back to the previous track. That’s when both speakers react with a certain lag. There’s even a big delay in the volume adjustment. Sometimes Spotify completely loses the connection, which means my neighbours get treated to my music blasted at full volume on a Sunday morning before I manage to re-establish the connection a minute later and turn the volume down.
The speakers have their own app: Sony Music Center. You can find it here for Android and here for iOS. The app is only slightly remiss, as it keeps faltering. What’s more, the app isn’t particularly user-friendly, with a lot of features being hidden or arranged in an illogical way.
Conversely, the Bluetooth connection is very quick, easy and reliable. The only snag is the sound quality isn’t the best. That’s because in this set-up, audio is only sent via SBC or AAC Bluetooth Codec. Bear in mind that 360 Reality Audio is only available on Wi-Fi, not via Bluetooth.
Verdict: cables, small issues and good sound
The SRS RA3000 and the SRS RA5000 are exciting speakers. They pack a punch, but they do also come with their own issues. You can’t class them as hi-fi speakers. But they make up for that with impressive design and diverse features, including Bluetooth, Multiroom, Spotify Connect, Google Cast and 360 Reality Audio.
What’s annoying is the fact Sony has a different definition of wireless to the rest of us. Especially in the case of the smaller speaker, which would be great if it was portable. The 360 Reality Audio feature is nice but not a must. Given the larger speaker is priced at the higher end of the scale, you expect it to almost be perfect. But it’s not. That’s why the smaller speaker is more worthwhile if you look at it from a price point of view.
Testing devices and gadgets is my thing. Some experiments lead to interesting insights, others to demolished phones. I’m hooked on series and can’t imagine life without Netflix. In summer, you’ll find me soaking up the sun by the lake or at a music festival.
