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Overview

The Sony SRS-RA5000 is a premium Wi-Fi speaker built for Sony’s 360 Reality Audio format. With three 70mm upward-firing drivers paired with two 46mm mid-range drivers that bounce sound off walls and ceilings, it creates an immersive, room-filling soundstage unlike traditional speakers. It competes directly with the Sonos Era 300 and a pair of Sonos One SL speakers.

Design & Build

The Sony SRS-RA5000 features a distinctive cylindrical design wrapped in a premium fabric grille. Its unique driver layout includes three 70mm upward-firing speakers for height effects, complemented by two 46mm front-facing mid-range speakers for stereo imaging. The sturdy cabinet minimizes unwanted resonances and the build quality inspires confidence. Built-in calibration microphones automatically adjust the sound to your room’s acoustics.

Performance

The Sony SRS-RA5000 delivers immersive 360-degree sound that fills a room from every direction. With 360 Reality Audio content, the five-driver setup (3x 70mm up-firing + 2x 46mm mid-range) creates a convincing sense of space and height. Standard stereo playback is clear and balanced, with punchy bass and good separation that handles a wide range of genres with composure. Hi-Res Audio support enables playback of FLAC, ALAC, and DSD files at up to 24-bit/192kHz.

Features

360 Reality Audio: The speaker’s main attraction is support for Sony’s spatial audio format, which places instruments and vocals in a three-dimensional sound field using object-audio technology.

Connectivity: Wi-Fi streaming via Google Chromecast and Apple AirPlay 2, Bluetooth 5.0, and Spotify Connect. A 3.5mm auxiliary input is also available for wired sources.

Sound Quality: The Sony SRS-RA5000 delivers clear, balanced audio with support for high-resolution audio formats including FLAC, ALAC, and DSD. Built-in room calibration microphones analyze your room’s acoustics and automatically optimize the sound field for your specific listening environment.

Pros

• Immersive 360 Reality Audio spatial sound
• Three-driver upward-firing design for room-filling audio
• Wi-Fi streaming with Chromecast and AirPlay 2

Cons

• Premium pricing compared to direct competitors
• Large footprint requires dedicated shelf or table space
• Limited codec support for high-resolution Bluetooth streaming

Verdict

The Sony SRS-RA5000 is a unique home speaker that delivers genuinely immersive 360 Reality Audio performance. Its distinctive three-driver design creates spatial effects that standard speakers cannot match, making it an excellent choice for listeners who want to experience object-based spatial audio at home.

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Sources

• Sony SRS-RA5000 Review - TechRadar - techradar.com
• Sony SRS-RA5000 Review - PCMag - pcmag.com
• Sony SRS-RA5000 Review - Rtings - rtings.com

• Sony SRS-RA5000 on Amazon - amazon.com

• [Sony SRS-RA5000 on eBay]