Verdict
A hunky-dory upgrade in several ways over the One , the Sonos Era 100 benefits from a sleeker design , reconfigured gadget driver setup and a spate of more accessible feature .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The Era 100 has replace the iconicSonos Onein Sonos speaker line - up , tick off the end of one geological era and the beginning of a new one .
This young earned run average does n’t mark a change in Sonos ’ attack to wirelessmulti - roomsound , but it does represent a change in tone with the earned run average 100 pitch as a more approachable and mainstream - sounding product .
It is more expensive but is it a step up in the performance ?
Design
In a comparison to the nowdiscontinued One , the geological era 100 is improbable , deeper and around the same breadth , but its gentle curve reach it look slimmer . Its footprint is about the same , easily equip onto surfaces such as kitchen desktops or into bookshelf .
It still bond to Sonos ’ ‘ Industrial ’ invention that matches the relaxation of itsspeakers and soundbars . The light-emitting diode spark on top of the speaker has been repositioned to the front so the speaker ’s status can be seen from wherever you are .
On the top control surface are stir capacitive ascendancy for cognitive operation ( playback / track skipping ) , with a slider in the midriff to supervise volume ( you may exploit either end to increase or decrease ) .
The build - in microphones can be turned off to stop vocalisation assistants from eavesdrop . There ’s also a switch on the back disconnects power from the microphones whole . With that row of action , both phonation cognitive operation and Trueplay are handicapped . Also on the speaker ’s back end is a button for Bluetooth pairing .
The Ethernet embrasure is replaced by aUSB - Cport . The verbaliser can still be hardwired into a router , but now involve an adaptor . Sonos sells two of these : Sonos Combo Adapter ( Ethernet ) and Sonos Line - In Adapter ( computer , lazy Susan , etc ) . The USB larboard also allows for link to devices such as a USB - C to Lightning cable for one-time iPhones .
It ’s inauspicious that not one of the adapters are included . Choices of colours remain the stock black and snowy .
Features
Almost everything you ’d expect from a Sonos speaker unit is ticked off here . What is n’t include isGoogle Assistantas Google has changed its policy on third - party devices , leave behind the Era 100 without Google voice support .
For articulation cognitive process it ’s now a choice ofAmazon Alexaand Sonos Voice Control , the latter for pull off music . With the Voice Control , say “ Hey Sonos ” , and you could involve it to play music , or ask for a song , record album , radio place or track from a compatible streaming service .
At launching Sonos Voice Control was n’t set up for Spotify but now you could quest euphony from Spotify and Amazon Music , Pandora , Apple Music , and Deezer . Tidal andQobuzare still absent .
I ’ve line up that you need to speak clamorously or just get skinny to the speaker , and in a fun feature , Sonos Voice Control is voiced by Giancarlo Esposito if you change the options to US English or French in the app .
The Sonos app is where you ’ll be able to control various functions and admission a blanket array of music streaming services such asSonos Radio , Deezerand Qobuz . It ’s an app that remains an intuitive one : easy to navigate , swift in reply and visually more upmarket than other control apps .
The epoch speakers infix a raw version of Trueplay inQuick Tune . rather of curl an iPhone around a room to calibrate the speaker , you may exploit a push button in the Sonos app and the Era 100 ’s built - in speakers measure the outer space around it to make a listening visibility that matches the elbow room ’s acoustics . It ’s a quick process , take up to 20 seconds .
Quick Tune is available on Android devices ( with Trueplayhaving been restricted to iPhone previously ) and it ’s an addition that make Sonos talker more accessible . If you have an iPhone , you still get the option of the more advanced version of Trueplay . you may manually aline bass , three-fold and loudness spirit level in the Sonos app too .
Pair two geological era 100 speaker together and stereo speech sound is possible , and there is , of course , multi - way . you may wirelessly link up two Era 100s to aBeam Gen 2,Ray , orArcas rearward cannoneer in a home celluloid setup . The epoch 100 does n’t have upfiring speakers like theEra 300 , so audio is more directional .
Wireless options includeBluetooth 5.0 , and there ’s casting over Wi - Fi withSpotify ConnectandAirPlay 2(for iOS devices).Bluetoothrequires forge the volume way up as the speaker is very quiet at normal levels , and in damage of well out character it maxes out at AAC .
Sound Quality
Sonos has never been a ship’s company that goes into too much specificity about what ’s inside its loudspeaker system , but I know the Era 100 has three class - D digital amplifiers that power two angle tweeter and a woofer . The tuning has also exchange too , with a bigger emphasis on lower frequency .
This has the effect of the Era 100 ’s performance being weightier across the frequency range of mountains ; basso has more heft , the midrange is grave and twofold thicker in verbal description .
Stranger feat . Mikky Ekko benefits from this richer basso with a more volatile presence , and it ’s the same with Jacob Collier ’s All I ask and Thundercat ’s Them Changes . The epoch 100 engender more deepness , edition , and extension than the original Sonos One could , which was punchy rather than weighty .
That bass mogul is not at the expense of vocal clarity either , but the alteration in tone imply the Era 100 lack that lightness in describing the midrange . While it unearths similar storey of detail , it ’s not as clear or defined as either the One orOne SL .
When I first reviewed the geological era 100 I felt it was n’t as bright as the One with its threefold public presentation . I ’ve come about on that position and palpate the treble on the Era 100 stands out more than it did on its predecessor . It still sounds lovesome but there ’s a better sensation of separation between the highs and mids , making the former brook out more than it does on a One SL .
Nevertheless , I ’d promote toy with the EQ to change bass voice and treble storey , though these changes do n’t present themselves in a sharper or brighter manner for high frequencies , but emphasise the treble above the midrange and bass .
Trueplay could almost be described as bass management . Out of the box with no tuning , the geological era 100 voice limp , and after a Quick Tune it was at the races with a punchier , more speedy reproductive memory of down frequencies . And having placed this speaker in four different position in two rooms the level of basso has been coherent in each location after each re - tune .
Sonos says to conduct out a retune every time the speaker is moved , but I ’d say it ’s more significant to do this if you ’re lease the speaker system from a freestanding situation to one where it ’s either enclosed or reinforced by something behind it . A retune helps get basso back in step .
release the volume up and the DSP ( digital signal processing ) kick in , and freshwater bass levels do n’t increase in step with overall loudness . In fact , it becomes smaller and hollow , but unless the Era 100 is used for parties , I ’d struggle to see why you ’d need ever demand to go above level 50 . At intensity 40 it ’s a cock-a-hoop , room - filling speaker . And with the angled tweeter there ’s a wider listening point than there was on the Sonos One , the Era 100 sounds more consistent wherever I am in a room .
The basso carrying into action is big than the similarly pricedDenon Home 150 , although the Denon is the richer , more musical - vocalise speaker of the two . The Sonos isolate voice better than the Home 150 , but the richness of the Denon ’s midrange makes for a more expressive functioning with voices such as Phoebe Bridgers ’ in her Punisher album , and Janelle Monae ’s in Ca n’t be Without Your Love .
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Should you buy it?
A bigger , more sinewy bass is means the Era 100 is more capable with the broken end than the One , though arguably at the expense of nicety .
A leap of £ 50 in the UK pretend it more expensive than theDenon Home 150 , a wireless speaker with similar Seth of skills .
Final Thoughts
Is this Modern era of Sonos loudspeaker system better than the honest-to-god one ? In some ways yes . The earned run average 100 is a powerful , weighty speaker , more capable with the low-spirited final stage than the Sonos One was , but this comes at the disbursement of midrange subtlety .
The increment in basso makes it more of mainstream - sounding speaker unit than the previous style , give music genre such as R&B , Hip Hop and Pop more impact and excitement , as well as being more accessible with the inclusion of Bluetooth and Quick Tune Trueplay .
At the end of the daytime the Era 100 is a more fun - vocalize wireless speaker but this comes with a bigger price rag . While the Era 100 may not be a domicile run over its forerunner , there ’s much to savor about its music operation .
Trusted Score
FAQs
Google has changed the requirements for supporting their smart supporter on third - company devices , but Sonos says it ’s “ a heavy engineering lift ” to include it on the platform . Whether it come to the Sonos political platform in the future is up to Google .
