Sonos Era 100 review: what can the successor to the Sonos One do?

Sonos presented some time ago together with the upper class model It was 300, also the mid-range equivalent, the Era 100. I found out for you whether it is worth buying the Era 100.

The Era 100 is the successor to the popular Sonos One. It offers better sound thanks to stereo speakers and a new design, as well as more control options and a USB-C line-in port. Sonos kindly provided me with two Era 100s for testing. You can read below how the speakers performed in everyday use and whether an upgrade from the predecessor is worthwhile.

tl; dr

The Sonos Era 100 was able to completely convince me review. I really liked the sound, the design and the integration into the Sonos ecosystem. The Era 100 is also perfect for use as a stereo pair and as a surround speaker for one of the Sonos soundbars. The price is fair at 279 euros. I would recommend the Era 100 to anyone looking for a good speaker with smart features. However, in my opinion, the upgrade is only partially worthwhile for owners of the Sonos One.

• Sonos Era 100 on Amazon
• Sonos Era 100 at Sonos

Unboxing & setup

The Sonos Era 100 is packaged in a simple box that is very similar in design to other Sonos Products remembered. The scope of delivery of the speaker is kept very manageable. In addition to the Era 100 itself, only a power cable and the usual paperwork are included.

After the buyer has placed the speaker in the desired location and connected it to the power supply, you have to set it up using the Sonos app as usual with Sonos. The step-by-step setup is kept very simple and straightforward. The user must connect the speaker to the WLAN, give it a name and room, and update it if necessary. Once that's done, the speaker can adjust its sound to the room using the Trueplay function. What is new here is that the loudspeaker can measure the room itself. For more precise tuning, however, you can still walk through the room yourself with your compatible smartphone or tablet.

Design, processing & operation

Sonos offers a new design for the Era 100, which I like much better than that of the Sonos One. The speaker has grown noticeably in height and is now much rounder. The processing is at an extremely high level. Everything seems very stable. The speaker is available in the colors black and white.

Picture: TechnikNews

On its top there are some control buttons to control the speaker as well as the music. The volume control is new here. The user can now swipe a slider to quickly adjust the volume, which has always worked extremely well for me. There is also a button to activate or deactivate the voice assistant.

The power connection and a hole for the thread of a bracket are on the underside of the speaker. On the back of the Era 100 is everything else. In addition to the USB-C connection, there is also a button for the Bluetooth connection and a switch to switch off the microphones. Thanks to Line-In, the USB-C connection also makes it possible to connect analog devices such as a CD player or record player, or to connect the Era 100 to the Internet via cable. However, adapters are required for this, which you have to purchase separately.

Sound Quality & Connections

Sonos has audibly improved the sound of the Era 100 compared to the Sonos One. The speaker now offers 2 tweeters and a 25 Procent larger woofer. Sonos now advertises the Era 100 with stereo sound because the two tweeters are angled. In reality, however, you don't hear much about it. But it still sounds much fuller and more spacious than its predecessor. The bass isn't neglected either and is pretty punchy. Thanks to the equalizer, the buyer can also significantly increase the bass if desired, which I did. At higher volumes, however, the Era 100 overdrives a bit. Still, I really liked the sound.

The user can listen to music in several ways. You can also stream music via the Sonos app or connect a device to the Era 2 via Apple's Airplay 100. It is also possible to stream music from the speaker itself via Alexa. As already mentioned, devices can also be connected to the speaker via line-in.

Stereo Pair & Surround Speakers

I also have the Era 100 with a second Era 100, as well as mine Beam (Gen 2) and meinem Submini tested. Stereo pairing two Era 100's mainly improves the spaciousness and stereo effect, but I also find that everything is a bit clearer. For people who like to listen to music, it is definitely worth getting a second Era 100.

If you already have a Sonos soundbar and possibly also a Sonos subwoofer, it makes sense to get two Era 100 as surround speakers. As already mentioned, I tested the Era 100 with a Sonos Beam (Gen 2) and a Sub Mini and was extremely impressed. With films and series that support surround sound or even Dolby Atmos, everything sounds much more spatial and sometimes you can hear an airplane or something similar flying from the back to the front, which is pretty cool.

Surround speakers are also worthwhile for people who like to listen to music with their Sonos system. The music then comes from all sides and sounds much more spatial. This is especially noticeable with titles that support Dolby Atmos. I myself really like listening to music via my Sonos system and I also like watching films and series about it, which is why I ordered two Era 100.

Sonos app

The free Sonos app is probably the best app from a speaker manufacturer thanks to its huge range of functions. It is a prerequisite for operating and controlling the loudspeaker. The user can download it on iOS, Android, Windows and even on macOS. You can use the app to adjust all the speaker settings, stream music to it via many streaming services and control the Sonos Multiroom Audio. There is also an equalizer that can be used to control the bass and treble. The app is very well implemented and offers many functions, which is why I like it very much.

Prices and availability

The Sonos Era 100 is available from all major electronics stores such as MediaMarkt, Saturn and Amazon, but also from Sonos itself. Its recommended retail price is 279 euros, which I think is reasonable for what is on offer. Buy Sonos Era 100 at:

• MediaMarkt
• Saturn
• Amazon
• Sonos

Recommendations for you

• Airplay 2 for Sonos speakers is now available
• Sonos Era 300 review: Very strong, with a catch
• Sonos Era 100 presented: successor to the Sonos One
• Sonos Era 100 and Era 300 are coming