Sonos Era 100: Mid-range player that convinces on several levels

So, then it was finally time for the next generation of smart multiroom speakers from Sonos to make their entrance. The Era 100, which we are looking at here, as well as the slightly larger Era 300.

The manufacturer has a solid fan base and the interest in all rumors, updates and new launches from Sonos tends to penetrate the media noise on its own without the PR machinery having to make any significant effort.

Time for a sequel

And of course it is about time that we get to know a couple of new speakers intended for listening to music at home and which do not belong to the “home theater” or “portable sound” categories. The latest generation of Sonos One saw the light of day already in 2017 and the third edition of the full-sized Five barely three years ago. Then we shouldn’t forget to mention the now defunct Play:3 launched in 2011, which never got any real successor. Until now, if we can now call the new Era 300 a successor to the Play:3.

The Era 100 thus replaces both the Sonos One and One SL. Although these discontinued models will be on sale for a while longer, that is, as long as they are in stock, it is time to say goodbye to a couple of stalwarts and embrace the new era of speakers. Whether a simpler SL variant of the Era 100 without voice control will also be launched further on remains to be seen.

So what are the innovations Era 100 offers and what is the difference compared to its predecessor? It is to begin with slightly larger (182.5 x 130.5 x 120 millimeters compared to 161.5 x 120 x 120 millimeters) as well as a couple of kilos heavier. The Era 100 also has a more cylindrical shape and a reasonably changed layout regarding the touch controls on the top of the device, mainly the volume control which is used by swiping your finger against the surface.

On the back there is a USB-C port that can be used to connect an external audio source via a 3.5 mm aux cable or alternatively to connect the speaker via network cable to your router. No matter what, you need to buy an adapter (line input adapter for SEK 269 or a combi-adapter SEK 499).

Now with bluetooth and wifi 6

Support for Wi-Fi 6, or Wi-Fi 802.11ax, the latest standard for wireless internet is of course good, although you need a router of the latest cut to take advantage of this, of course it means an advantage in the form of improved stability and longer range. You can also stream music to the Era 100 via bluetooth, perhaps not the most revolutionary technical innovation in the context, but still useful if, for example, you want to take the speaker with you to a place that lacks the possibility of Wi-Fi connection.

Well, the actual installation process of the speaker is no different from before, as soon as you power up the speaker, within a couple of seconds it will be found in the app and connected to your home network. After that, you can then name it as well as place it in an already existing Sonos configuration, if you have one at home. The app itself is clear and easy to use. Like other Sonos speakers, the Era 100 supports Spotify Connect, which further simplifies handling.

If you have another Era 100, you can, just like with the Sonos One and Sonos Five (or for that matter also the IKEA Symfonisk lamps), create a true stereo pair with separated left and right channels or use them as surround speakers in a home theater system – just like the majority use their One speakers. Unfortunately, we initially only received one speaker for testing, so we will simply have to come back later regarding these functions.

Now even Android users can Trueplay-calibrate the sound

For optimal playback quality, you can use Sonos’ “Trueplay” function to optimize the playback sound depending on how the room the speaker is placed looks. The feature itself is not new but has previously required an iOS device and its built-in microphones.

Now you can also optimize the sound with an Android device, although not fully, but you have to make do with the so-called quick adjustment in the app, where the system instead uses the speakers’ built-in microphones to read the room. The traditional method or “advanced adjustment” is still limited to you with an Iphone or Ipad. I’m testing both variants and can honestly say that I don’t notice any difference between the results – congratulations to all Android users!

If you want to control the speaker by voice, Sonos’ own assistant, Sonos Voice Control, or Amazon Alexa applies. Google Assistant, which was previously offered (and is still offered specifically for the Sonos One), is therefore not available at the moment. Whether support for this will be implemented later or not is unclear at the time of writing.

The equipment consists of a larger woofer than the one in the Sonos One and two angled tweeters. Previously, only a forward-directed tweeter was used. This results in a clearly wider sound experience and improved stereo experience. It hardly compares to a true stereo configuration with two paired speakers, but when I compare the new Era 100 side by side with the One, I experience a marked difference. In addition to clearly better volume resources, as well as a more vital and more present upper midrange, the Era 100 delivers a deeper, heavier bass with significantly more “ompf” compared to its predecessor.

Time to replace the One or One SL?

So is this a speaker you just have to get your hands on? Yes, if you’ve already planned to expand your already existing system with another one or a couple of smaller units or are just starting to think about taking the step into the Sonos ecosystem, there’s no question about it (provided you don’t find any of the discontinued models at scrap price). The Sonos Era 100 delivers – they’re stylish, great-sounding and have an equally simple and user-friendly interface. Just like the other members of the Sonos family have.

But are they so good and innovative that you have to immediately retire your existing One or One SL? Absolutely not!

Specifications

Model: Era 100
Tested: Mars 2023
Manufacturer: Sonos
Element: 1 mid woofer, 2 x diskanter
Connection: Wifi 6, bluetooth 5.0, Aux (via adapter), Airplay 2
Music Services: Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, Tidal, and more
Voice control: Amazon Alexa, Sonos Voice
Spotify Connect: And
Measure: 182,5 x 130,5 x 120 mm
Weight: 2 kilo
Taken: SEK 3,390 at MediaMarkt