How do you follow up on one of the best wireless smart speakers on the market? Sonos hit the sweet-spot jackpot with the Sonos One back in 2019, with its enjoyably sophisticated sound, compact size, extensive streaming features and affordable price meaning it easily found its way into people’s homes – not to mention gaining a five-star What Hi-Fi? review.
But Sonos isn’t the type to rest on its laurels. For the sequel, the company went back to the drawing board and redesigned the entire speaker.
Enter the Sonos Era 100. Now packing stereo sound and Bluetooth streaming alongside its plentiful wireless streaming talents, the Era 100 looks to be a souped-up speaker that aims to improve on its predecessor with panache.
The Sonos Era 100 costs £249. The outgoing Sonos One launched at £199 back in 2019 – a £50 increase in price from a four-year-old speaker doesn’t seem too much of an extra outlay in the current landscape, and that’s before you consider the multiple improvements you get with the Era 100.
The Era 100 will effectively replace the One, but this will happen over time rather than immediately – so you can still nab a deal or two on the One while stocks last. At the time of writing, the One is selling for as low as £159 at certain UK retailers.
At this price, the new Era 100 also veers dangerously close to the five-star Apple HomePod 2, which offers a convincing wireless speaker experience for £50 more than the 100.
This story is from the June 2023 edition of What Hi-Fi UK.
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This story is from the June 2023 edition of What Hi-Fi UK.
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