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Sonos Era 100 and Era 300: Sonos’ new era

14 March 2023

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Multiroom audio specialist Sonos is adding to its range of connected speakers with the new Sonos Era 100 (€279) and Sonos Era 300 (€499). The first replaces the popular Sonos One with a revised design, more powerful bass and Bluetooth compatibility, in addition to WiFi. The second one is even more revolutionary thanks to its Dolby Atmos compatibility with dedicated drivers.

The Sonos Era 100 (left) and Sonos Era 300 (right) take the myriad of Sonos networking features and put them in a new format with an advanced acoustic design.

Sonos Era 300: the first Atmos speaker

With the new Sonos Era 300, the American manufacturer demonstrates its ability to constantly innovate by offering the world’s first connected speaker with real Atmos drivers. Located on the top of the speaker, they allow a three-dimensional listening experience by creating vertical channels by reflection on the ceiling. This revolutionary acoustic design allows you to enjoy Dolby Atmos music available on compatible platforms like Tidal, Amazon Music and Apple Music. When the Sonos Era 300 is paired with an Atmos-compatible Sonos soundbar like the Sonos Arc or Sonos Beam (Gen 2), it also allows you to enjoy Atmos effects in movies.

🔊 See the Sonos Era 300 speaker on Son-Vidéo.com

*Thanks to the drivers built into the top panel, the Sonos Era 300 can provide Dolby Atmos sound with music and movie soundtracks.*

In terms of design, the Sonos Era 300 connected speaker is similar to the current Sonos Five, which remains in the brand’s catalog. However, the format of this new generation model is more curved, with an oval front panel and side panels that curve inwards. Six drivers are distributed all over the speaker and are powered by as many amplifiers.

*The new Sonos Era 300 has an oval shape, more modern and less massive than the Sonos Five which remains in the catalog of the brand.*

Sonos Era 100: a revamped Sonos One

More affordable and compact, the Sonos Era 100 replaces the best-selling Sonos One. Although it is not compatible with spatial audio, it still promises a higher quality listening experience than the One thanks to a completely revamped acoustic design. Its midbass driver is 25% larger to deliver more powerful and deeper bass. On the sides, dual-angle tweeters expand the soundstage and provide extended stereo listening. Custom waveguides amplify this dispersion to ensure that the soundstage is still very wide.

🔊 See the Sonos Era 100 speaker on Son-Vidéo.com

*A worthy heir to the Sonos One, the new Sonos Era 100 promises more powerful bass and better stereo performance.*

The new Sonos Era 100 connected speaker now has a completely circular design and is slightly taller than the One. It features a redesigned touchscreen interface on the top, identical to the one on the Sonos Era 300. It includes all the features already present on current Sonos speakers, including volume control, play/pause control and dedicated controls for changing tracks.

*With its compact size and attractive circular shape, the Sonos Era 100 connected speaker fits discreetly into any corner of your home.*

Sonos Era 100 and 300: streaming

Aside from the acoustic design and size difference, the Sonos Era 100 and 300 speakers offer the same streaming options. You’ll find similar functions to other Sonos multiroom equipment, namely access to the majority of streaming services including Qobuz, Tidal, Amazon Music and Apple Music, web radios, tracks shared over the local network and podcasts. AirPlay 2 is also included for easy streaming from Apple devices.

*Like Sonos speakers, soundbars and amplifiers, the new Sonos Era 100 and Era 300 can access a variety of streaming services, web radios and network-shared tracks and can receive music using AirPlay 2.*

In addition to WiFi, these models introduce Bluetooth for the first time on connected Sonos speakers. Until now, this dual WiFi/Bluetooth connectivity was reserved for the Sonos Roam and Sonos Move portable models. This addition now allows music to be streamed from a smartphone, tablet or computer not connected to the home network.

*The new Sonos wireless speakers feature a built-in Bluetooth receiver to make it easy to listen to music from a source that isn’t connected to the local network.*

Sonos Era 100 and 300: wireless multiroom and home theater

Like all Sonos products, the Sonos Era 100 and Sonos Era 300 are multiroom compatible. Each speaker can be used alone, paired up for stereo sound or added to a Sonos or AirPlay 2 multiroom group. The Sonos Era 100 and Era 300 speakers can also be paired with a Sonos soundbar to provide surround sound effects and create a wireless home theater system. In this configuration, only the Sonos Era 300 allows you to enjoy rear Atmos effects.

Sonos Era 100 and 300: voice assistants

Ease of use has always been at the heart of Sonos equipment. The new Sonos Era 100 and Sonos Era 300 connected speakers are no exception, and can be controlled from their touch interface or from the excellent Sonos app for iOS and Android. Both models can also be controlled by voice thanks to built-in microphones and integration with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant voice assistants, in addition to the recent Sonos Voice Control which promises more privacy-friendly use (read: Sonos Voice Control: a respectful voice assistant with a well-known voice).

Like the Sonos Era 300, the new Sonos Era 100 can be controlled from its touchscreen interface, via the Sonos app, or vocally thatnks to the integration of Alexa, Google Assistant and Sonos Voice Control voice assistants.

Sonos Era 100 and 300: pricing & availability

The new Sonos Era 100 and 300 speakers will be available for purchase on Son-Vidéo.com starting March 14, 2023. They will be available for €279 and €499 respectively. A complete review of these two speakers will be available on the blog at the end of the month. While you wait, you can read our other reviews of Sonos equipment: