Move over Sonos One-there's a new kid on the block and its time has come. The Era 100 is one of two new products from Sonos, the other being the larger, pricier Era 300. The Era 100 boasts an array of features that address many complaints from earlier products.
Most notably, the Era 100 offers "stereo" playback, Bluetooth 5.0, an optional line-in USB-C jack for a turntable or CD player with the Sonos adapter, a 25% larger midwoofer than the One, and finally, Trueplay playback calibration for Android users. Why the quotes around stereo? Unlike a system with truly discreet left and right speakers for each channel, the Era 100 uses a single mid-range woofer and relies on two angled tweeters and wave guides to supply the stereo imaging by dispersing the treble frequencies, each powered by its own Class D amplifier.
While far from ideal, this does give the Era 100 a much wider soundstage than any single mono speaker could ever hope for. It is possible to pair two Era 100 for true, discreet stereo playback, and grouping speakers is simple in the Sonos app. A wall mount or speaker stand is available for the Era 100.
The slightly squared off cylindrical speaker is available in black or white. The power cable connects neatly on the bottom, there isn't a battery, but the speaker is small and light enough to carry around, as long as AC power is nearby. I auditioned the Era 100 in high-desert country, but it is resistant to humidity.
This story is from the August - September 2023 edition of Sound & Vision.
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This story is from the August - September 2023 edition of Sound & Vision.
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