The Sonos Era 100 represents a significant evolution in the company's wireless speaker lineup, replacing the beloved Sonos One with a completely redesigned approach to premium home audio. During my extensive testing, I discovered a speaker that delivers on Sonos's promise of superior sound quality while introducing welcome new features like Bluetooth connectivity and true stereo reproduction.
Design and Build Quality
The Sonos Era 100 marks a departure from its predecessor's design language, featuring a more oval-shaped profile compared to the rounded square aesthetic of the original Sonos One. At 18.25cm tall and weighing 2.02kg, the Era 100 feels substantial without being cumbersome, easily fitting onto shelves, desks, or side tables throughout the home.
I found the build quality exceptional, with premium materials and attention to detail evident throughout. The matte finish options in black or white feel sophisticated, while the wraparound grille extends seamlessly to the edges for a cohesive appearance. The redesigned shape isn't merely aesthetic – it accommodates the new stereo driver configuration that fundamentally changes the Era 100's audio performance.
The control interface has been thoughtfully updated with touch-capacitive buttons for playbook and voice control, complemented by an innovative volume slider integrated into the top panel. This 'trough' design allows smooth volume adjustments, though I occasionally found it overly sensitive during testing.
Audio Performance: The True Strength
Where the Sonos Era 100 truly excels is in its audio reproduction, delivering a significantly more spacious and detailed sound compared to its predecessor. The transition from mono to stereo represents the most substantial improvement, with two angled tweeters and a 25% larger woofer creating genuine stereo separation that transforms the listening experience.
During my testing with diverse musical genres, I was consistently impressed by the Era 100's ability to create an expansive soundstage from such a compact form factor. Bass response is notably deeper and more controlled than the previous generation, with sufficient low-end extension to satisfy most listeners without overwhelming the midrange frequencies.
The midrange reproduction is particularly noteworthy, delivering vocals and lead instruments with clarity and presence. I found dialogue in podcasts and audiobooks exceptionally clear, making the Era 100 an excellent choice for spoken content. However, I did notice a slightly warm character to vocal reproduction that, while pleasant, may not appeal to listeners preferring completely neutral presentation.
High-frequency response is generally well-balanced, though there's a subtle recess in the lower treble that smooths harsh recordings while occasionally dulling percussion elements. The Era 100's dynamic capabilities impressed consistently, maintaining composure at higher volumes while delivering sufficient output to fill medium to large rooms effectively.
Smart Features and Connectivity
The Era 100 introduces Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity to Sonos's home speaker lineup for the first time, providing welcome flexibility for quick connections from mobile devices. I found pairing swift and reliable, with stable connections maintained throughout extended listening sessions. The implementation supports AAC and SBC codecs, delivering quality that, while not matching Wi-Fi streaming, proves perfectly adequate for casual listening.
Voice assistant integration includes both Amazon Alexa and Sonos's proprietary voice control system. During testing, I found Alexa implementation robust and responsive, accurately interpreting commands even from across the room. Sonos Voice Control, while more limited in scope, offers music-focused functionality without cloud data storage for privacy-conscious users.
Notably absent is Google Assistant support, which Sonos cites as requiring significant engineering resources for the Era platform. This omission may disappoint existing Google ecosystem users, though the available alternatives prove capable for most audio control scenarios.
App Experience and Room Correction
The Sonos S2 app continues to excel as one of the industry's most comprehensive and user-friendly control applications. I appreciated the intuitive interface that seamlessly integrates multiple streaming services, provides detailed speaker management, and offers extensive customisation options including EQ adjustments and multi-room grouping.
Trueplay room correction represents a significant advancement, now supporting Android devices through Quick Tuning alongside the existing Advanced Tuning for iOS users. During testing, I found both methods effective at optimising the Era 100's performance for room acoustics, with noticeable improvements in bass response and midrange clarity in my listening environment.
The EQ controls provide meaningful adjustment capability, allowing users to fine-tune bass and treble response to personal preference. I found these controls particularly useful for compensating for room placement limitations or personal listening preferences.
Streaming Services and Compatibility
The Era 100 supports an extensive array of streaming services, from major platforms like Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon Music to specialised services like Qobuz for high-resolution audio. I tested 24-bit streaming through supported services and found the Era 100 capable of resolving the additional detail, though the differences prove subtle rather than transformative.
Apple AirPlay 2 integration works flawlessly, providing another pathway for iOS device streaming that bypasses the Sonos app when desired. The speaker also includes a USB-C connection for wired sources, though Sonos's decision to sell the required adapter separately feels unnecessarily penny-pinching at this price point.
Multi-Room and Ecosystem Integration
As expected from Sonos, the Era 100 integrates seamlessly into existing multi-room setups, allowing synchronised playback across multiple zones or independent control of different areas. I tested stereo pairing with two Era 100 units and found the experience transformative, creating a significantly wider soundstage that competes with much larger traditional speakers.
The speaker also functions as surround channels with compatible Sonos soundbars including the Arc, Beam, and Ray. While I couldn't test this configuration extensively, the integration appeared seamless through the app interface.
Comparison with Competitors
Against direct competitors like the Apple HomePod 2, the Era 100 offers a more customisable experience with broader streaming service support and Bluetooth connectivity. However, Apple's speaker provides slightly more natural vocal reproduction and superior bass extension, creating a challenging decision for users not already committed to either ecosystem.
In the current 2023 wireless speaker market, the Era 100 faces stiff competition from both established and emerging brands.
Pricing and Value Proposition
At £249/$249, the Sonos Era 100 commands a premium price that reflects its build quality, feature set, and brand positioning. While not inexpensive, the pricing feels justified considering the comprehensive app experience, multi-room capabilities, and superior audio performance compared to many 2023 competitors.
For users already invested in the Sonos ecosystem, the Era 100 represents a natural upgrade path offering meaningful improvements in sound quality and functionality. New users should consider whether they value Sonos's particular strengths in app design and multi-room audio enough to justify the premium over alternatives currently available.
Final Verdict
The Sonos Era 100 successfully builds upon the company's wireless speaker legacy while addressing key limitations of previous generations. The transition to stereo reproduction creates a markedly more engaging listening experience, while additions like Bluetooth connectivity provide welcome flexibility for today's users.
During my testing period, I consistently returned to the Era 100 for casual listening, appreciating its ability to make familiar music sound fresh and engaging. The combination of excellent build quality, comprehensive smart features, and superior app integration creates a compelling package that justifies its premium positioning in the current market.
While the absence of Google Assistant and the separately-sold line-in adapter represent minor disappointments, these limitations don't significantly detract from what is ultimately an excellent wireless speaker. The Sonos Era 100 stands as a worthy successor to the Sonos One and establishes itself as a strong contender in the competitive premium wireless speaker market.