I traded my Sonos Era 300 for Denon’s new home speaker – and see no reason to go back

Denon just launched its second-gen Home speaker lineup, and the Home 400 is gunning for Sonos’ crown. Here’s what you need to know:

Denon Home 400 vs Sonos Era 300: The Battle for Best Smart Speaker

The Denon Home 400 is the mid-tier option in Denon’s new lineup, positioned to take on the Sonos Era 300. Both speakers feature similar form factors, up-firing Dolby Atmos drivers, and premium smart streaming capabilities.

What Makes the Denon Home 400 Special?

• True Dolby Atmos support with physical up-firing drivers (not just virtualized effects)
• Hi-res audio playback up to 24-bit/192kHz natively
• HEOS multi-room platform for integration with other HEOS-compatible speakers
• Physical connections including Wi-Fi, USB-C, 3.5mm aux, and built-in microphone

Sound Quality: Where Denon Pulls Ahead

The Home 400 packs six dedicated drivers with individual Class D amplifiers: two tweeters, two 4.5-inch woofers, and two height drivers. This is a significant upgrade from the previous Home 250 and marks the first HEOS speaker to support genuine Atmos music playback.

During testing, the spatial audio effect was noticeable and immersive, particularly when used as surround speakers in a home theater setup. The speaker also excels at hi-res audio playback, natively handling 24-bit/192kHz files that Sonos downscales.

The App Experience: Room for Improvement

While the HEOS platform works well for streaming and multi-room grouping, the app interface feels less intuitive than Sonos’. EQ adjustments are basic (bass, treble, height) and oddly hidden – you can only access them while audio is playing.

The Price Question

Here’s where things get interesting: in the US, the Denon Home 400 costs $150 more than the Sonos Era 300. In Europe, they’re priced identically. For most buyers, especially those without hi-res audio collections, the Sonos remains the better value proposition.

ZDNET’s Verdict

The Denon Home 400 delivers excellent sound quality with true Atmos support and superior hi-res audio handling. However, its higher price point in the US market makes it a tough sell against the well-established Sonos ecosystem, unless you’re specifically seeking the best possible audio fidelity.

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