Sonos Era 100 review: a small smart speaker with big, wide sound

This Sonos Era 100 review looks at the compact smart speaker Sonos launched in March 2023 as the successor to the Sonos One. Three years on, it is still part of the range, now at a lower price and joined by a cheaper Era 100 SL without microphones. That makes it a good time to ask whether the Sonos Era 100 is worth it in 2026.

Our assessment draws on Sonos's specifications, independent reviews from What Hi-Fi?, TechRadar and others, and owner feedback. We cover sound quality, connectivity including Bluetooth and line-in, Trueplay tuning, the Sonos app and how the Era 100 compares with the Era 100 SL and Apple HomePod.

Design and controls

The Era 100 is a small, rounded, pill-shaped speaker measuring 182.5 mm tall and weighing about 2 kg. It is roughly 2 cm taller and a little heavier than the Sonos One. A wraparound grille and a matte top panel give it a clean look in black or white, and it fits easily on shelves and kitchen worktops.

On top, a touch-sensitive groove controls volume, with buttons for play, skip and voice. At the back you will find a Bluetooth pairing button, a physical switch that cuts power to the microphones, and a USB-C port. The speaker is humidity resistant, so it can live in a bathroom or kitchen, but it is not waterproof and must stay plugged in.

Setup takes place in the Sonos app, which finds the speaker and connects it to your Wi-Fi.

Sound quality: wide, clear and lively

Inside are two tweeters angled left and right, a larger mid-woofer and three amplifiers. Sonos designed this layout to produce stereo sound from one box and to spread it widely, so there is less of a single sweet spot. Reviewers agree that it sounds bigger and more open than the Sonos One, with crisp detail and good timing. What Hi-Fi? awarded it five stars.

The main criticism is the bass. It is fuller than on the Sonos One, but TechRadar found it heavy-handed at times, and some listeners prefer to turn it down slightly in the EQ settings. Stereo separation from a single unit is noticeable up close but fades across a room, so two Era 100s as a stereo pair are the better choice for serious listening. What Hi-Fi? also felt Apple's HomePod sounds more natural with voices.

Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay and line-in

The Era 100 connects over Wi-Fi 6 and works with the Sonos app, which supports dozens of streaming services, as well as Spotify Connect and Apple AirPlay 2. It also has Bluetooth, which the Sonos One lacked, so guests can play from any phone without setting anything up.

For wired sources such as a turntable with a built-in preamp, you need Sonos's optional USB-C line-in adapter; a combo adapter adds Ethernet as well. You can pair two Era 100s for stereo, group them with other Sonos speakers, or use them as rear surrounds with a Sonos soundbar.

Voice control and Trueplay

The built-in microphones support Amazon Alexa and Sonos Voice Control, which handles music commands locally. Google Assistant is not supported. If you prefer no microphones at all, the hardware switch turns them off.

Trueplay tunes the sound to your room. iPhone users can run Advanced Trueplay by walking around with the phone, while Android users can use Quick Tune, which relies on the speaker's own microphones. That is one practical advantage over the cheaper Era 100 SL, which drops the microphones and therefore Trueplay for Android users.

The Sonos app: what to know

Sonos released a redesigned app in May 2024 that removed features and caused widespread complaints. The company apologised, shipped a long series of fixes, and its chief executive stepped down in January 2025. Updates have restored most of the missing features, but the episode dented trust, and it is worth reading recent owner feedback before buying.

In daily use, the app lets you search across services, group rooms, set alarms and adjust EQ. If you mainly stream from Spotify or an iPhone, you can also bypass it with Spotify Connect or AirPlay 2.

Era 100 vs Era 100 SL: which to buy?

Sonos launched the Era 100 SL on 31 March 2026 at a lower price. TechRadar found its sound very close to the original, with slightly tighter bass. The differences are features: the SL has no microphones, so there is no voice control and no Trueplay on Android.

Since launch, the Era 100 itself has also come down in price, so the gap is small. If you want voice control or use an Android phone, the full Era 100 is worth the extra. If you never talk to your speakers and use an iPhone, the SL is the better value.

• Choose the Era 100 for voice control and Android Trueplay
• Choose the Era 100 SL for the lowest price with the same design
• Buy two of either for a proper stereo pair

Who is the Sonos Era 100 for?

The Era 100 suits anyone who wants good-sounding music in one or more rooms and may add more speakers later. It works well as a kitchen or bedroom speaker, a starter for a multiroom system, or a pair of rear speakers for a Sonos TV setup. It is not a portable speaker; for the garden or travel, look at a battery model.

Placement matters with a speaker this small. Positioning it a little away from the wall and at roughly ear height gives the angled tweeters room to spread sound, and running Trueplay afterwards helps tame the bass in corners or on shelves. For TV sound, pair it with a Sonos soundbar rather than using a single Era 100 on its own.

Key specs

Drivers

2 angled tweeters, 1 mid-woofer

Amplification

3 class-D amplifiers

Connectivity

Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C (line-in and Ethernet via adapter)

Streaming

Sonos app, Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and many services

Voice control

Amazon Alexa, Sonos Voice Control

Dimensions

182.5 x 120 x 130.5 mm

Weight

About 2 kg

Colours

Black, White

Alternatives to consider

• Sonos Era 100 SL: Nearly the same sound for less money, without microphones or voice control.
• Apple HomePod (2nd generation): Warm, natural sound and deep iPhone integration for Apple households.
• Sonos Era 300: A larger Sonos speaker with upward-firing drivers for spatial audio and bigger rooms.

Frequently asked questions

The Sonos Era 100 remains one of the best small wireless speakers you can buy. It sounds wider and fuller than its size suggests, offers Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay 2 and optional line-in, and fits neatly into a larger Sonos system. The bass can be a touch heavy, the adapter is extra, and the app saga is worth knowing about. At its reduced 2026 price, the Era 100 is still an easy recommendation for multiroom music, while the Era 100 SL is the pick for iPhone owners who never use voice control.

How we research: Reviews are based on the maker’s specifications, published independent tests and owner reports. Scores compare the product with others in its class.