Sonos Era 100 with Bluetooth review
Although the IKEA Symfonisk Gen 2 is the entry-level Sonos system with the best price-performance ratio according to our test, the extremely compact Sonos One is still a bestseller. After a rather slimmed-down version came onto the market with the One SL, the new Sonos Era 100 can definitely be seen as a continuation of the successful concept with other means. With some surprises in the form of new functionalities, which we will take a closer look at in the test report.
In any case, the dimensions are very similar, and the Sonos’ price only increased moderately as well. In return, the Era 100 offers several killer features that were always missing in the compact One. First of all, there is the practical Bluetooth streaming or the use of analog inputs on the speakers. Sonos also did not have such a compact all-in-one speaker with virtual stereo imaging in its lineup until now, and you always needed an iPhone for Trueplay room calibration, except for the Roam and Move. For 280 Euros, the Sonos Era 100 is thus a multi-talent, especially since it also masters Airplay 2 and Roon playback. However, Sonos does not make a big fuss about the latter.
Virtual stereo from only 12 centimeters wide
We are usually a bit skeptical about overly narrow speakers with virtual stereo reproduction. We don’t expect any miracles in terms of room and locatability from the Sonos Era 100’s width of only 12 centimeters either. The acoustic concept of the almost round speaker nevertheless reads convincingly: A central woofer takes over frequencies from bass to upper midrange in mono. Above them, two tweeters are placed almost laterally in the round baffle behind the metal grille and thus have the chance to broaden the sound image significantly as well.
Sonos does without a bass reflex port or a passive membrane. So the cone speaker works on a closed cabinet. This promises less maximum level and pressure in the bass. However, it always proves to be an advantage when precise bass is required in acoustically difficult environments, such as near a wall, in a corner or on a shelf.
Sonos room correction now also for Android followers
In these cases, the Sonos Era 100 offers a room calibration called Trueplay . This only worked with iPhones in earlier versions of the stationary Sonos speakers. With the Era 100, however, you can choose to use an iPhone’s microphone or the built-in microphones in the speaker. For Android users, this question does not arise at all. Due to the Android variety with devices from different manufacturers and correspondingly different microphones, Trueplay was only available for them on the two mobile speakers Sonos Roam and Move, which also controlled an independent calibration with their own microphones.
The Sonos Era 100’s self-sufficiency in terms of Trueplay does not only spoil Android aficionados with the convenience of adjusting the streaming speaker to the room acoustics and its respective positioning. Apple fans can also rejoice. With the built-in mics, it’s now fast-paced. A few sweeps from the speaker and the matter is settled. Anyone who has ever gyrated around the room with their iPhone for a while full of contortions after instructions, only to be told by the app to do it all over again better, will surely join the joy in the Android camp. However, bean counters who want to get it exactly right may continue to use their gymnastics exercises for Trueplay while waving their iPhones.
Sonos S2 App: Voice control and many audio sources
The Sonos S2 app for iOS or Android is necessary in any case. With it, you can not only set up the Era 100, but also add voice assistants. This can be done very easily with Sonos Voice Control. Apart from the general login required to use the S2 app via its Sonos account, no other registrations or user accounts are required.
A few clicks are enough and after a short activation phase, which Sonos bridges with information about its proprietary voice control, the operating help is ready on demand: “Hey Sonos, play music” is enough and playback starts. At the same time, I sat on the couch at a distance of a few meters. But even the next task was done perfectly by the ghost in the machine on the first try: “Hey Sonos, stop the music” stops the playback posthaste. Such tricks succeed even at loud listening levels or even from my working area located outside the actual listening zone – around the corner.
Bright new assistant
The voice control immediately recognized the wake word in all test runs, which can be recognized by a small LED at the upper end of the baffle when there is visual contact. And of course, you can tell from any position because immediately after the wake word is detected, the Sonos Era 100 gently lowers the audio to a quiet level for perfect communication with the user.
The developers have really done a great job. Four microphones ensure improved speech recognition, even through Alexa. The well-known Amazon voice assistant is available as a second option. If you have linked your corresponding Amazon account with the Sonos app, you can also use it to ask questions about the weather or the time, which the Sonos Voice Controller answers with “sorry, I don’t understand” at best. After all, it is purely for device control and should be a real boon for the visually impaired or blind. But it does not serve the user as comprehensively as the Amazon voice assistant. Above all, you can also communicate with Alexa in your usual language in many countries. In combination with Sonos Voice Control this privilege is currently only enjoyed by those who live in the English or French-speaking regions.
Protects privacy
As for privacy concerns, Sonos assures you during the setup of its voice control that it processes the data locally, i.e. in the new neural processor chip of the Wi-Fi speaker, and does not record anything. At least it’s a small consolation, especially since English is very common among younger people. And if you don’t trust your voice assistant, you can turn it off completely via a slide switch on the back of the Sonos Era 100.
Touch and feel have improved
The touch controls on the top of the round speaker enclosure have also grown up compared to previous Sonos products. Thus, there are not only the usual control buttons for playback and track jump, but also a direct selection of the voice assistant and a stepless touch bar for volume control.
Bluetooth also works as a playback method without deactivating the Wi-Fi and Multiroom functionality. All you have to do to establish a connection is press the Bluetooth button on the top of the back. What I find really cool is that the Sonos Voice Control continues to listen very attentively and reliably complies with commands like “Hey Sonos, make it louder” even while using Bluetooth.
Analog and LAN connection only via additional adapters
Analog signals can be imported via the input adapter from 3.5 mm jack to the rear USB-C port of the Era 100, which is offered separately for 25 Euros. If you have a turntable with a built-in phono amplifier, for example, you can also listen to records very easily via the Era 100. The Sonos S2 app is used to switch to the line input. All those who do not want to do without Ethernet cables for the network connection of their Sonos Era 100 will also have to buy an adapter.
The smallest stereo Sonos in the listening test
Sonos did well to position the Sonos One SL slightly below the Sonos One in price, because otherwise it would be really tight for it at 230 to 280 euros – especially if its special compactness of the Sonos One does not count. The Sonos Era 100 is not only a good deal bigger than the well known entry-level model, it also sounds much more grown-up. This makes it worth every penny it costs more. The louder the playback, the greater the difference.
On the one hand, the Era 100 showed a much greater transparency in the mids in the listening test. And it also sounded much more open, fresher in the treble reproduction. In addition, he proved with a wide variety of recordings that he can reproduce not only lower notes in the bass. He also showed more contour and precision. With some recordings the bass kicked properly. Only in the area of the volume maximum, the neural Processor chip inside restrained the bass very subtly to avoid distortions or mechanical overload.
With its very dynamic, broadband reproduction full of pressure and detail, the Sonos Era 100 clearly distances the Sonos One and the One SL, respectively. No traces of traditional American sound tuning can be detected on the new Era. The One in particular followed the Anglo-Saxon trend of a mild, warm tuning that had been cultivated for a long time and which sacrificed subtle details in the mid-high range.
Live now makes even more mood
The Era 100 therefore convinced in the review, especially with live music. One could not only witness the applause or heckling very vividly. It even allowed capturing the acoustic fingerprint of the concert hall. For example, in the live version of “Psycho Killer” from the Talking Heads you could hear quite clearly that the recording was made in a large hall and not in an acoustically muffled recording studio. This was previously unthinkable for Sonos in this price range. In addition, you can’t get a wide stage out of a 12 centimeter wide multi-room speaker like you can with a hi-fi system with two separate, widely spaced stereo speakers. However, the Era 100 produced a much bigger picture in the test than the Sonos One, which is designed as a mono speaker. The sense of spatial depth thus gained in persuasiveness.
After we enjoyed a few tracks from the new Depeche Mode album “Memento Mori” on the Sonos with sonorous, clean synth basses, it was clear: The Era 100 really breaks a new era in terms of sound among Sonos speakers in the entry-level range. It is more broadband, crisper and more international in its tuning. This allows for much more authentic music playback than anything you’ve gotten from Sonos below the Sonos Five. And even against him, he still scores a point or two in some disciplines. Most importantly, for less than a Sonos Five costs, you get two Sonos Era 100s that you can connect into a stereo pair to experience true spatiality. The setup is simple, the price moderate, but the stereophonic effect decisively better. That’s just a little tip on the side.
Test conclusion and alternatives to the Sonos Era 100
Those who use a Sonos system will find few compatible alternatives in this size range. Both the Ikea Symfonisk Gen 2 and the Sonos One versions are cheaper, but can also do much less than the Era 100. This is not only true in terms of sound. They also can’t keep up with the connectivity of the Sonos Era 100. And they are certainly not as practical as the new smart speaker with Sonos Voice Control and Alexa.
Sonos has been beating the drum for its new speaker line in the run-up and some colleagues could not get their reviews up fast enough. But in this case, there really is substance behind all the tam-tam.
Specifications Sonos Era 100
- Manufacturer’s suggested retail price: 280 Euro
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 12 x 18 x 13.5 cm
- Weight: 2 kg
- Features: 2-way, virtual stereo, stereo pairing, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Sonos 2 app compatible, standalone Trueplay room calibration, Alexa voice control via integrated microphones built in
- More at www.sonos.com
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