Sonos Era 100 review: These functions make the difference

In March 2023, the Sonos Era 100 was launched as the official successor to the Sonos One.

Together with the larger Era 300, it marks a new product line characterized by visual and technical improvements.

Thanks to an additional tweeter, the Era 100 sounds better than its predecessor. The speaker can also be connected directly to Bluetooth sources and can even be connected to external players such as turntables using an adapter.

I put the Era 100 through its paces in the test.

Improved controls and new buttons

At first glance, the recess on the top of the Sonos Era 100 catches the eye. In future, the volume can be adjusted there with a swipe of the finger.

With the predecessor, these buttons could not be felt, so it was often difficult to hit the right points, especially in dark rooms.

The buttons for forward and back as well as for start and pause can now also be found on the top.

Another button with a speech bubble temporarily switches off the integrated microphones and thus also the voice control.

A switch on the back completely disconnects the integrated microphones from the power supply and thus switches them off permanently.

The voice assistants from Amazon Alexa and the in-house Hey Sonos system are firmly on board. Whether the Google Assistant will also be integrated into the new Era 100 at a later date remains to be seen.

Era 100: Bluetooth, WiFi 6 and AirPlay 2

WiFi 6 for more stable streaming

The ability to stream music from Apple devices to Sonos speakers via AirPlay 2 was already available with models such as Sonos One or Sonos Five.

What is new, however, is the Bluetooth function, which previously only the portable speakers Sonos Move, Move 2 and Sonos Roam had.

In many cases, Bluetooth makes it easier and quicker to transfer music from a smartphone or PC to the Sonos system.

The Wi-Fi module has also been improved: the Era 100 is now compatible with WiFi 6 and therefore theoretically achieves higher and more stable data transfer rates.

A faster connection will hardly be noticeable when streaming music, as the previous WiFi standards were also easily sufficient for this.

In terms of connection stability, however, the new speakers can benefit from the technology.

SonosNet via LAN cable

I always recommend activating the so-called Sonos-Net. As soon as a device in the system is connected to the router via LAN cable, all speakers set up their own WLAN and guarantee a much more stable connection without dropouts.

However, this SonosNet is no longer available with the new Era 100. I have already read several reports that users are once again struggling with the familiar dropouts.

This is a clear minus point, and Sonos may continue to move away from this technology in the future.

USB-C connection for LAN and AUX

Almost a sensation for Sonos users: the new Era 100 has a USB-C port on the back.

Two different adapters can be connected there. One adapter offers the option of connecting an external source (AUX-In) such as a turntable or CD player via a 3.5mm jack plug.

Another adapter goes from USB-C to AUX and LAN. This means you can connect both an external audio source and a LAN cable to connect the speaker directly to the router or a repeater.

Fast & advanced tuning

Previously, it was possible to make a so-called Trueplay setting for Sonos speakers. This involved playing test tones from the respective speaker or soundbar.

At the same time, you could walk around the room with your cell phone. The microphone in the smartphone listened to the sounds and was thus able to individually adjust the speaker sound to the room. The result was audibly better.

In the past, however, Trueplay voting was only possible with Apple iPhones and not with Android phones.

The reason: Android devices are available from countless manufacturers, so the integrated microphones were also very different and could not deliver consistently good results.

Fast tuning for Android

The detailed Trueplay tuning is also reserved for Apple users on the Era 100, but will be called extended tuning in future.

However, Android users can now use the so-called fast tuning: The integrated microphones in the Era 100 allow automatic tuning to the conditions in the room.

This function was also available in the past with portable speakers such as the Sonos Move.

Sonos Era 100 as a rear speaker

Just like the Sonos One , the new Era 100 can also be used as rear speakers for home cinema. This requires two speakers placed behind the listening position, e.g. behind the sofa.

With appropriate movies or music, the sound then comes not only from the front, but also from the rear.

Test: Sonos Era 100 sound quality

The most important aspect of a loudspeaker is and remains the sound – and the Sonos Era 100 has improved significantly, at least compared to its predecessor, the Sonos One.

A slightly larger mid-woofer and an additional tweeter ensure better sound. The old Sonos One only had one tweeter.

But it’s all about the details. If you used to listen to the radio at background volume in the kitchen with the Sonos One and now with the Era 100, you will hardly notice any difference.

The differences are only noticeable at higher volumes, with a good alignment of the speaker and with appropriate songs.

The treble of the Era 100 is clearer and more finely resolved, the bass a little deeper and more powerful. The latter is not only due to the larger woofer but also the larger volume of the Era 100.

Low volume difficult

Personally, I had hoped that the Era 100 would not only be louder – but also quieter than its predecessor .

To fall asleep, I like to listen to music or podcasts at the lowest volume setting right by my bed.

However, this level is still a little too loud for me. The software could easily have been adjusted here.

Maybe this option will be added with a software update – or maybe I’m just the only one with this problem.

Conclusion on the Era 100

The Sonos Era 100 is a powerful and versatile smart speaker that is perfect for music lovers and technology enthusiasts.

No question: even the predecessor Sonos One had a fantastic sound for its size.

Thanks to the second tweeter and a larger mid-woofer , the Era 100 is now absolutely HiFi-compatible and can already output stereo signals as a single speaker.

Sonos users have long wished for a connection option via Bluetooth, and it seems that the calls have now been heard and Bluetooth has found its way into the Sonos universe. A clear plus point.

The possibility of finally being able to connect external sources such as record players directly to the speaker is also a big step forward.

In recent years, this option was only available for the large Sonos Five, the Sonos Amp amplifier and the Sonos Port.

The only disadvantage of the speaker is the slightly higher price compared to its predecessor: the device currently costs €279 at Sonos.

After all, the company has also worked on the power consumption of the new Era 100: Now it should consume less than two watts in standby mode.