You wouldn’t be remiss to think that Sonos' first wireless speaker, the One, couldn’t be outdone. It landed with fireworks when it launched back in 2017, knocking competitors from their pedestals practically overnight. It may now be a number of years old, but it remains one of, if not the best smart speakers on the market. That was until now. Sonos has outdone itself with the hotly anticipated release of Sonos Era 100 and the incredible Era 300. Two brand new, next generation speakers with design detailing that deliver phenomenal sound and performance. Let’s dive in and explore each.
Sonos Era 100 is much like the Sonos One. In a nutshell, it’s a replacement, with the One eventually being discontinued. This won’t be overnight, but it will be phased out gradually. And while that is happening there will be some sweet deals to nab: right now, you can pick up a Sonos One for less than £200. But, let’s turn our attention to what we’re here for: The Era 100. Firstly, this is not just an upgrade – it has been completely remastered, built from the ground up with post-consumer recycled plastic, less adhesive and fewer screws, no less. Sonos claims there isn’t a single piece of the One inside the Era 100.
On the face of it, the Era 100 looks much the same as the One, but don’t let the likeness in aesthetics fool you as that’s where the similarity ends. The most significant change is the major step up in audio performance. The Era 100 has switched from mono to deliver finely tuned stereo sound and rich deep bass. Two angled tweeters have been designed to send crisp high frequencies left and right for the ultimate stereo experience, while a larger mid woofer, that is 25 percent bigger than in the One, produces outstanding bass that you just wouldn’t expect from a single speaker of this size. So wherever you are in your home, wherever you want to listen to your favourite sounds, you’ll have the highest-quality audio experience possible.
While we’re on the subject of where you want to listen, the Era 100 is a little taller and a fraction wider than the One but all-in-all it’s the same. So wherever you used to place your Sonos One, you can now place your Era 100: bookcase, kitchen worktop, bedside table or desk. And available in matte black or matte white, its compact design will complement any interior decor or scheme.
Back to sound quality… Sonos worked closely with its community of leading artists and creators to guarantee the Era 100 achieved the most exceptional sound quality which is meticulously fine tuned. To ensure the sound quality is best suited to your personal space, you can use the Sonos app for Android, Trueplay, which with just a simple tap measures how sound reflects off walls, furnishings, and other surfaces in a room, fine tuning your Era 100 to ensure it sounds the best it possibly can. It takes just a few seconds and can make all the difference. Oh, and bring in a second Era 100 and you’ll completely transform your sound experience into superior surround stereo – brilliant for movie nights!
So, how do you get sound playing on this thing? Let’s get you connected. You can play directly from any service and any device via Wi-Fi, pair with Bluetooth 5.0 or go hard-wired with line-in auxiliary cable (you’ll need a USB-C adapter). With Wi-Fi you can stream your favourites without any interruptions, whilst Bluetooth or cables will let you directly connect devices such as your phone or even a vinyl turntable. Functionality is easy as pie thanks to its incredibly intuitive user interface, including upgraded on-unit touch controls so you don’t have to rely on your phone or device for control. You’ll find a capacitive volume slider right in the middle on the top, along with new track forward and track backward buttons either side of the central play/pause button. Feeling too comfy to get up and adjust the volume? Make use of Sonos Voice Control – you can also use Alexa or Apple’s Siri. (Google fans, unfortunately, the ongoing dispute means Google Assistant can’t help you out with this one).
For a more immersive sound experience, with next-level audio hitting you from every direction putting you inside your music, the all-new smart Era 300 spatial audio speaker is mind-blowingly impressive. The Era 300 delivers breakthrough sounds from wall to wall and ceiling to floor, totally enveloping you in every dimension; it’s music like you’ve never heard before. Hence its quirky hourglass design that is cinched in the middle to carefully and beautifully wrap its acoustic architecture – six optically positioned drivers all around the front, sides and top to support Dolby Atmos Music – with every angle, proportion and perforation enhancing the direction and dispersion of sound to completely surround you. It’s a transformed listening experience that fills the room with sound, no matter where you are or what you play. It truly is an acoustic masterpiece; spatial audio tracks really can sound as though the artist is in the room with you.
This first-of-its-kind design exquisitely balances sonic performance and visual appeal, by precisely angling each of its six drivers while looking positively beautiful on display. The outside is a delight and is also available in both black and white; on the inside the Era 300 is even more stunning. A pair of tweeters, one on either side, evenly cover the room with consistent listening, no matter where you’re sitting or standing. These tweeters support the centre tweeter that fills the room with dazzling vocals and lead instruments. An upward-firing tweeter reflects sound off the ceiling to bring spatial audio content to life. This is all complemented with custom waveguides that help direct sound outwards, dispersing it for an expansive sound experience. Two high-performance woofers, widely spaced to minimise vibration, produce balanced bass, finishing the overall sound experience – the technology is truly impressive. Pair two of these for an out-of-this-world surround sound experience, supercharged by Dolby Atmos when paired as surrounds with Arc or Beam (Gen 2). Class-leading ergonomics, connectivity and usability mirrors that of the Era 100, with set-up a total doddle – unboxing to full music immersion takes just a few minutes.
Need one more reason to upgrade your Sonos One? When you’re ready to buy your new speaker, whether you opt for the Era 100 (£249) or plump the extra cash for the almighty Era 300 (£449), you can trust the packaging you’ll receive it inside will be made from sustainably sourced material – Sonos is committed to making a positive change to our planet, and this is reflected in its products and packaging. So, what are you waiting for? Check out the new Sonos Era 100 and Era 300 at Currys.
