New Wireless Speakers from Sonos Include Spatial Audio

With the announcement of the Sonos Era 100 and Sonos Era 300 wireless home speakers, the brand continues its tradition of providing speakers that can work as stand-alone audio solutions or be integrated into a larger Sonos system. The Era 100 is an upgrade on the existing Sonos One, and works for those who want traditional stereo music playback, while the Era 300 puts the Sonos stamp on immersive spatial audio.

As an upgrade to the Sonos One, the Era 100 changes the rounded-square look for a pure cylindrical exterior. More importantly, it adds an extra tweeter for stereo output and support for mobile streaming via Bluetooth. The Era 300, on the other hand, is a completely new entry, with a drum-shaped body and support for spatial audio, similar to what you can find from Dolby Atmos Music. The Era 300 creates an encompassing and immersive music experience with the clever placement of six different drivers. On top of two dedicated woofers for bass, six angled tweeters send audio forward, to the sides, and above for wall-to-wall, ceiling-to-floor coverage.

What makes the Era 100 and Era 300 such attractive options in the audio category is that they can be grouped with other Sonos speakers in the home. In particular, if you own a Sonos Arc, Beam, or Ray soundbar, a pair of Era speakers can be set up to handle surround sound for a more cinematic experience in a home theater.

While significant audio technologies separate the speakers, many features are shared between them. Trueplay uses each speaker’s far-field microphone array and a mobile device to adjust EQ settings automatically, commensurate to the room’s acoustics, an additional task for the array from its main duty of providing voice control over playback. When playing music, each gives three source options. Play lossless audio over a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 connection, stream via Bluetooth from a mobile device, or pick up an accessory to hook up the Era 100 or 300 to a 3.5mm-equipped device.

A wide variety of accessories is offered for the Era 100 and 300. The Line-In Adapter and Combo Adapter both convert the speaker’s USB-C port to 3.5mm, making it suitable for use with turntables and other components. The Combo Adapter gives you that 3.5mm port and adds an Ethernet port for wired home network access. Additional accessories include sleek wall mounts and floor stands that save you space by giving you more control over speaker placement.

With the release of the Era 100 and 300, Sonos continues to innovate and add options for all types of music fans. Do you want the upgraded standard wireless speaker experience, or are you interested in diving into Dolby Atmos and spatial audio with the Era 300? Both speakers and their full line of accessories are available now at B&H.