Sonos Era 100 review: a superb small smart speaker

I've been a Sonos user for years (nearly a decade, thinking about it) and I was a huge fan of both the earlier Play:1 and Sonos One speakers. It's fair to say, therefore, that when I came to review the Sonos Era 100, it had a tough job on its hands to compete with the previous baby Sonos speakers.

But I've used the Era 100 smart speaker in my home for over a year – yes, we're a bit late to market with this review – and it has yet to disappoint. I still have the Sonos One, and I still use the Play:1 too, and therein lies the beauty of Sonos speakers – they have years of life in them, even after they have been succeeded, and all work together nicely.

If you're considering the Sonos Era 100 as a first Sonos speaker, as an upgrade, or you're simply looking for one of the best smart speakers around, it's a smart choice. I've lived with one for an extended period and here's how it stacks up all these months later.

Sonos Era 100: Price & Availability

The Sonos Era 100 was released back in March 2023 – so it's been around for some time. It launched at £249 / $249 / AU$399 – and that's the price you'll usually find it at, as Sonos doesn't often heavily discount its prices.

As it's no longer brand new, there's a better chance of finding this speaker discounted during sales periods like Black Friday or during Boxing Day. It's unlikely to be much cheaper than its predecessor, the Sonos One, which retailed at £199 / $199 / AU $299 in its heyday.

Sonos Era 100: What's new?

When the Sonos Era 100 launched, it replaced the Sonos One and ushered in an entirely new design. It's more cylindrical in shape than the previous entry-level Sonos and it has different controls too, being the first Sonos speaker alongside the Era 300 to feature a volume trough. This feature has since been put on the Sonos Move 2 and the Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar, allowing for easier volume control compared to older Sonos speakers, but it was the Era 100 and Era 300 where it debuted.

The Era 100 was also the first non-portable Sonos speaker to feature Bluetooth connectivity and the first to introduce a USB-C line-in port too, offering direct connection to audio devices like a turntable. Elsewhere, the Era 100 also introduced Quick Tuning, which is similar to the company's Trueplay tuning – but it uses the speaker's on-board microphones to adapt and optimise the sound output rather than requiring an iPhone or iPad. The sound architecture within the Era 100 was also updated, allowing for stereo, and a faster processor was also introduced.

Sonos Era 100 review: Design & Setup

The Sonos Era 100 has a lovely design – one that's a lot nicer than the Sonos One and Sonos One SL speakers it replaced. It's softer and not as boxy, though it remains compact, making it the perfect size for a kitchen or bedroom.

I have the Era 100 in white and I think it's nicer than the black finish – though I do wish Sonos would have pushed the boat out a little with some more actual colour choices. The Sonos One came in a couple of different options after Sonos did the Hay collaboration, but the Era 100 has been around for over 18 months and there's still no sign of a pink or yellow edition – so it's probably safe to assume black and white are going to remain the only choices.

It wasn't just the shape that changed on the Era 100: the control panel on the top got a refresh, which makes for much easier control. A volume trough sits in the middle, enabling you to glide your finger through it to increase or decrease volume, or just tap each end. There's a separate play/pause button, as well as separate skip and rewind controls, all of which makes for a better experience than the Sonos One and its three single controls. There's also a microphone mute button on the top, though a physical microphone switch is present at the back too – if you really want to make sure those mics aren't listening.

Along with the mute switch on the rear is a Bluetooth button for putting the speaker into Bluetooth mode. The USB-C line-in port lives on the back too, though you do need a separate adapter to use that.

The power port is at bottom and there's a neat slot for the lead so the cable sits nicely – it's also better than the Era 300, which has a power cable coming out the middle of the rear. The result is a clean and concise design that will look great anywhere you put the Era 100 in your home.

Setup is simple, though Sonos is experiencing some issues with its redesigned app at the moment. Most of the issues have been resolved at the time of writing, but it's worth mentioning – as setup has been a problem for some users. When it runs smoothly, however, it only takes a few minutes from unboxing to listening.

Sonos Era 100 review: Features

Sonos may not have as much of an edge when it comes to seamless multi-room audio as it did a decade ago, but it still packs a punch when it comes to features. If you have other Sonos speakers, the Era 100 connects seamlessly to them and delivers an excellent overall experience. But it also stands strong on its own – ideal if it's your first Sonos speaker.

Bluetooth capabilities were unheard of for wired Sonos speakers before the Era 100 launched, and while they are now standard across the newer speakers being introduced into the line-up, it's still a feature worth mentioning. Apple's AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect are both on board too, so there are a number of ways to get music or audio playing from the Era 100.

Use the Sonos app, however, and you get features like the ability to adjust the EQ and setup voice assistants including Sonos Voice Control and Amazon Alexa – there's no Google Assistant on board here anymore (like there was on the older Sonos One). I always liked having the choice, but it's not a deal-breaker. You can still control smart home devices through Alexa, though.

You can also group and ungroup the Era 100 with other Sonos speakers through the Sonos app, and there are some great tricks like presetting groups of speakers you might always want to use for a dinner party, for example. Sonos also has great compatibility with music services, with over 100 supported, while its multi-room capabilities remain a smooth and consistent experience.

Sonos Era 100 review: Sound Quality

It's the sound quality where the Sonos Era 100 really excels, however. As I mentioned, the speaker features a redesigned architecture compared to the Sonos One, with not a single element remaining the same. That was a pretty bold move from Sonos, given the Sonos One had long been heralded as one of the best smart speakers in its field – but it was a move that paid off.

The 25% larger woofer in the Era 100 (compared to the Sonos One) offers more depth to bass, while the two dual-angled tweeters offer stereo output and a wider soundstage. The result is a broader listening experience across the spectrum, from low to high frequencies, no matter what tracks or genres you play.

It's worth noting there's no Dolby Atmos support or Spatial Audio here, like you’ll find on the Era 300. And while that's somewhat fair enough given the size of this speaker, it is something the Apple HomePod (2nd generation) offers – and that's not all that much bigger.

Forgive its lack of Atmos though, and the performance of the Era 100 really is superb. It handles everything like a boss, and I say that having put it through its paces month after month.

I've listened to a huge variety of content in that time, from October Sky by Yebba, Billions by Caroline Polachek, and About Damn Time by Lizzo – and everything sounds brilliant. Space Ghost Coast to Coast by Glass Animals is one of my favourite test tracks and the Era 100 does a great job of handling and separating the mix of vocals, instruments, and textures.

Crank up the volume and you do lose a bit of detail compared to the Era 300 and Sonos Five, while the overall balance leans towards the bassier side like many Sonos speakers. But as I mentioned, you can change the EQ settings in the Sonos app if bass is not to your preference.

Sonos Era 100 review: Verdict

The Sonos Era 100 is a smashing little speaker. It offers a lovely design, a great set of features, and excellent sound performance.

The Sonos app has had a bit of a tough time over recent months, and the Era 100 ditches support for Google Assistant, but those are minor setbacks in an otherwise brilliant proposition.

If you're looking for a smart speaker that looks great, sounds superb for its size, and packs a punch when it comes to its feature set, then this entry-level Sonos is a winner every single time.

Also consider

If you just want a speaker with Alexa capabilities then you could opt for Amazon's Echo (4th generation), or the Echo Studio for Alexa with decent sound performance. If you want even better sound performance then the Era 300 is an excellent choice. Or if you want something cheaper then consider the Apple HomePod mini.