Sonos Era 100 Review: The Most Versatile Smart Speaker?
The Sonos Era 100 marked a new “era” for Sonos, bringing in a new wave of smart speakers for the popular multi-room audio brand. As the replacement for the award-winning Sonos One (Gen 2), the Era 100 had some big shoes to fill and in this Sonos Era 100 review, we'll find out if it lives up to the hype.
The Sonos Era 100 delivered major upgrades to its sound performance with a 25% larger woofer for deeper bass and new stereo sound courtesy of two angled tweeters. Its refreshed design offers a modern, sleek aesthetic, while enhanced connectivity options—including WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, and a USB-C line-in connection provide true versatility for any audio setup.
We’ve spent countless hours testing this speaker and pitting it against its predecessor to help you decide if it's the right Sonos speaker for you.
Reading not your thing? Watch our Sonos Era 100 Review on YouTube.
There’s a lot to cover in this review so feel free to use the chapters below to skip ahead:
Sonos Era 100 Review: Pros & Cons
| Sonos Era 100 Pros | Sonos Era 100 Cons |
| ✅ Powerful bass performance from a compact form factor | ❌ No support for Google Assistant |
| ✅ Wide soundstage, impressive details & standout vocals | ❌ No Sonosnet |
| ✅ Versatile connection with WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 and line-in connectivity | ❌ Bluetooth & line-in disabled when used as rears |
| ✅ Sleek, modern design that fits well in most spaces |
Sonos Era 100 Review: Price & Availability
The Sonos Era 100 launched on the 28th March 2023 alongside the Sonos Era 300, Sonos’ first Dolby Atmos-enabled smart speaker.
With an RRP of £249, the Era 100 launches £50 more than its predecessor and sits above the Sonos One SL in the Sonos Wireless Speaker range.
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Sonos Era 100 Review: Design
Available in both black or white, the Sonos Era 100 is modern upgrade from the Sonos One (Gen 2) and it feels more like a lifestyle piece rather than a speaker. The logo running down the front seems to be the way Sonos are going with their newest products and the overall feel is similar to more recent Sonos releases like the Sonos Roam 2 and Sonos Sub Mini.
Side by side with the Sonos One (Gen 2), you can see it’s slightly taller and slimmer than the Sonos One but overall pretty similar in size. There are, however, some differences to highlight. They have removed the ethernet port on the back of the Era 100 and added a USB-C line-in port for connecting to an external audio source (you’ll have to purchase a separate Sonos line-in adapter) and the top panel controls look a little different on the Era 100 too.
There are still touch controls for playback but the Era 100 now has an indented volume slider on the top which not only looks better but is more intuitive to use. One quick swipe from one side to the other increases the volume by 30%.
Sonos Era 100 Review: Internals
Under the hood, the Sonos Era 100 packs a serious punch with a 25% larger woofer than its predecessor, the Sonos One (Gen 2). Sonos has maxed out the woofer size for this compact form factor, so you can expect a big boost in bass performance.
But the upgrades don't stop there. The Era 100 now features a true stereo setup with two angled tweeters, delivering a more immersive audio experience. Three class-D amplifiers power the woofer and tweeters, ensuring rich, room-filling sound. Sonos has also introduced custom waveguides that help spread sound waves more evenly, creating an impressively wide soundstage that fills every corner of the room.
Where Should You Place The Sonos Era 100?
When it comes to placement, the Era 100 is a versatile Sonos speaker and can be placed almost anywhere. The main thing to look out for is when placing the speaker next to a wall or on a shelf, be sure to leave at least 1” of space around the back to avoid impacting performance.
It's also worth noting that, as the speaker is humidity resistant, you could choose to place this in a kitchen or on a covered patio.
How Have Sonos Improved The Energy Efficiency of the Sonos Era 100?
Sonos have made the Era 100 more sustainable by using less virgin plastics and more screws instead of glue. The packaging is also 100% recyclable.
But the brand have also said they have improved the energy efficiency of the speaker when playing and when idle and from our tests, it looks like the Era 100 is considerably more efficient than the Sonos One (Gen 2).
When playing music at 50% volume, the speakers seemed to use pretty similar power (between 5 and 10 watts) which costs around 7p if you were to have them playing at that volume for 24 hours. However there is a difference when the speakers are idle which for a lot of us is maybe 80% of the time.
When idle, the Sonos One (Gen 2) used 3.47 watts which works out around 3p per day whereas the Era 100 used around 1.76 watts, around 1p per day. So over a year, you’re looking at £10 for the Sonos One compared with £4 for the Era 100. For reference these figures are based on 34p per kwh.
Sonos Era 100 Review: Connectivity
When it comes to connectivity, the Sonos Era 100 keeps you well-covered with WiFi 6, which still reigns supreme for reliable streaming at home. You’ve also got options like AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and voice control with either Sonos Voice, Siri or Amazon Alexa.
But hold on—did you notice something missing? Yep, there’s no Google Assistant support. It seems like Sonos and Google aren't quite seeing eye to eye right now, so if your smart home is powered by Google Assistant, this might be a bit of a hurdle.
One of the biggest changes with the Sonos Era 100—and a significant shift for Sonos as a brand—is the addition of Bluetooth connectivity. It's been a long-standing request from fans, and it looks like Sonos has finally listened. With Bluetooth 5.0 on board, you can easily connect devices without needing to jump on the WiFi. This is perfect for when friends or family want to play DJ without all the hassle.
However, there is one notable absence: Sonosnet. While Sonos hasn’t provided a clear reason for dropping it, it could be that the improved reliability of WiFi 6 makes Sonosnet less necessary. Plus, with Matter on the horizon, Sonos might be looking ahead to this new standard for connecting smart home devices.
Sonos is already registered with Matter, but there’s no official word yet on whether the Era 100 can function as a Matter Thread Radio. Still, we wouldn’t be surprised if this feature is introduced in a future update, keeping the Era 100 ready for whatever the smart home world throws at it next.
Can You Connect a Sonos Era 100 To A Turntable?
Yes! The Era 100 is now the most affordable solution for adding a turntable into your Sonos setup. You will need to purchase either the Sonos Line-In Adapter or Sonos Combo Adapter to connect your turntable to the USB-C line-in on the Era 100.
Can You Connect The Sonos Era 100 To Your Desktop via Bluetooth?
Yes. We’ve tested pairing an Era 100 with a desktop via Bluetooth and found it works great. We’ve not experienced any lag when watching videos or on a call but you do need to use the microphone on your computer as it wouldn’t work with the microphones on the speaker itself.
How Do You Use Trueplay Tuning on the Sonos Era 100?
We’d suggest using Sonos’ room correction software, Trueplay Tuning, with the Era 100 to make sure you’re getting the best performance for your space. With the new Sonos Era products, there are now 2 versions of Trueplay available. Quick Tuning uses the microphones in the speaker to analyse your space and acoustically optimise the speaker to suit. As this doesn’t require an iOS device, Android users now have an option to Trueplay their Era 100 speaker which is great news.
You still have the traditional method of trueplay available for iOS users, now called Advanced Tuning, and Sonos have said that this will give a more accurate result. In our testing, we tried both versions and toggled them on and off to test the difference and to be honest, I couldn’t hear much difference after performing the Quick Tuning. It was only with Advanced Tuning that I could hear a change.
Sonos Era 100 Review: Sound Performance
From our testing, the Era 100 offers an impressive, balanced performance. The added bass brings extra depth to the performance while the dual tweeter setup delivers a wide soundstage and vocals are crisp and captivating.
The Era 100 brings a room filling sound from a surprisingly small footprint. In a stereo pair, the Era 100s are again impressive when it comes to bass and stereo separation. "Human" by Rag’n’Bone Man sounded like a completely different performance, almost like it had been remastered. The vocals and the wider soundstage gives you another level of performance.
Sonos Era 100 vs Sonos One (Gen 2)
We've always been big fans of the Sonos One (Gen 2). It’s a solid performer, but we’ve always felt the bass could use a bit more oomph, and its sound can be quite directional.
Enter the Sonos Era 100. Not only does it deliver deeper bass and a wider soundstage as promised, but it also brings a richer, livelier audio performance. It’s like the Era 100 adds an extra layer of depth to your music. The bass is tight and punchy, and you get great separation between different elements of the track, making for a more immersive listening experience.
One of the standout improvements for us is how the vocals sit within the mix. With the Sonos One (Gen 2), vocals often felt like they were projected forward in some tracks, while on the Era 100, they blend seamlessly into the overall sound. After testing both speakers as standalone options for music, we’re confident the Era 100 is worth the additional £50.
Sonos Era 100 vs Sonos Move 2
The Sonos Move 2 isn’t really a comparable speaker for the Sonos Era 100 as both have been designed for different use cases. In general, you do pay a premium for the portability of the Move 2 but it’s still a larger and more powerful speaker.
The Era 100 comes closer to the Move 2 than something like the Sonos One (Gen 2) but it still sits beneath it in the range. If you would like a full comparison then let me know and if enough of you ask for it then we’ll delve deeper on this topic in a video on our YouTube channel.
Recommended Sonos Era 100 Soundbar Pairings
The Sonos Era 100 isn’t just a great standalone speaker—it also shines as part of a home cinema setup. You can pair two Era 100s as rear surround speakers with any Sonos soundbar, as long as your system is running on the Sonos S2 app.
Whether you're rocking the flagship Sonos Arc Ultra, the versatile Sonos Beam (Gen 2), the budget-friendly Sonos Ray, or even older models like the discontinued Sonos Playbar or Playbase, the Era 100s can seamlessly integrate into your setup, adding an immersive layer of sound to your movie nights.
Sonos Era 100 Review: Performance As Surround Sound Rears
We've put the Sonos Era 100s to the test as rear surround speakers with the Sonos Arc Ultra, Sonos Arc, and Sonos Beam (Gen 2), and they definitely add an extra layer of immersion to your home cinema experience. Soundtracks, in particular, feel more vibrant and dynamic, and the overall performance is noticeably more expansive compared to the Sonos One (Gen 2) rears.
One standout moment for us was during the intense scene in James Bond: No Time To Die when Bond and Madeleine are under fire in the car. With the Era 100s, the gunshots coming from behind had a heavier, more impactful feel, adding a heightened sense of realism and putting you right in the middle of the action.
That said, if you already have Sonos One (Gen 2) or Sonos One SL rears, I wouldn't necessarily recommend upgrading to the Era 100s. The £500 price difference might not give you enough of an upgrade, especially if your setup includes a Sonos Sub 4, which already takes care of the low-end impact.
That said, if you’re coming in from scratch either for a full Sonos Home Cinema Bundle or you only have a Sonos Soundbar, we think these are a great option for surround sound rears.
Sonos Era 100 Review: Our Verdict
So, after thoroughly testing the Sonos Era 100, what's the final verdict? In short, the Era 100 is a fantastic addition to Sonos' lineup and a solid upgrade from the Sonos One (Gen 2). Its enhanced internals deliver impressive sound quality, keeping Sonos competitive in the ever-evolving smart speaker market. The added versatility with WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, and the USB-C line-in port gives the Era 100 an edge, especially as the most affordable way to integrate a turntable into your Sonos ecosystem.
For existing Sonos One (Gen 2) users, if you're looking to expand your audio setup with a new zone, the Era 100 is definitely worth considering. The improved sound performance and additional features make it a smart investment, whether you’re upgrading or adding to your home audio setup.
Other Useful Content
Blog: The Best Sonos Speakers to Buy in 2025
Blog: Sonos Arc Ultra Review: The Dolby Atmos Soundbar To Beat?
Blog: Sonos Era 100 vs Sonos Era 300: Which Speaker Is Best?
Blog: Best Dolby Atmos Soundbars 2025: The Complete Buyer's Guide
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