Sonos announced two new speakers intoits portfolioin March 2023, with theEra 100replacing the Sonos One and One SL and the Era 300 coming in just below theSonos Fivein terms of price but offering a number of new features.
The Era 100 is therefore the new entry-level Sonos - if you ignore theportable Sonos Roam- and it brings with it a new design, new sound architecture and new features.
Whether you’re considering starting a Sonos system or adding to one, here is how the Sonos Era 100 compares to the Sonos One and Sonos One SL to help you work out which is the right baby Sonos speaker for you.
Sonos Era 100
The Sonos Era 100 is a little taller and wider, as well as pricier than the Sonos One and One SL, but it offers a more environmentally-friendly design, Bluetooth capabilities, USB-C line in and more intuitive controls, as well as stereo sound.
The Sonos One is being replaced by the Era 100, but this is still an excellent speaker with great sound performance for its size, along with a choice of smart assistants including Alexa and Google Assistant.
Sonos One SL
The Sonos One SL has the same design and sound architecture as the Sonos One so it’s got the same great sound performance, but it doesn’t have microphones so there are no smart assistants on board.
Price and availability
The Sonos Era 100 will be available from 28 March and it costs £249 in the UK, $249 in the US and €279 in Europe.
The Sonos One meanwhile, launched at £199 in the UK and $199 in the US, with the Sonos One SL launching at £179 in the UK and $179 in the US.
TheSonos Oneand One SL are being phased out with the launch of the Sonos Era 100, so while Sonos will eventually stop selling the speakers, you might still find stock online elsewhere and for a cheaper price than they launched at if you shop around.
Sonos Era 100 vs One design
The Sonos Era 100, Sonos One andSonos One SLare all small and compact speakers and they all come in black and white options, but while the One and One SL are boxy in their designs, the Era 100 is cylindrical and a little taller.
The Era 100 is cleaner and more modern, offering a fuss free approach and a polycarbonate body and speaker grille, while the One and One SL have a polycarbonate top and bottom, but they have a metal colour-matched grille. Their top is also a lot thicker than the Era 100, with a Sonos logo printed horizontally, while the Era 100 has a Sonos tag positioned vertically on the speaker grille, matching the likes of the Sonos Roam,Moveand Era 300.
Capacitive controls are present on top of the Era 100, Sonos One and Sonos One SL, though they are different across all three models. The Era 100 has an indented bar spanning the width of the top for volume control, along with separate controls for play/pause, skip and rewind and microphone on/off.
The Sonos One meanwhile, has play/pause and controls for volume either side, with a swipe between the volume controls allowing for skipping to the next track or going back to a previous track. There is also a microphone on/off control. The One SL has the same controls as the One but it doesn’t have the microphone control as there are no built-in microphones on the One SL.
On the back of the Era 100, there is a Wi-Fi to Bluetooth hardware switch, as well as microphone switch and a USB-C line in port too. The power port is located underneath the Era 100. The Sonos One and Sonos One SL come with an Ethernet port and a pairing button on the back, as well as a power port underneath. There is no USB-C line in, microphone or Bluetooth switch on the One and One SL.
Sonos Era 100 vs One features
All three models being compared here have a number of the same features, with the Era 100 then offering a couple of extras on top of the Sonos One and Sonos One SL.
Being Sonos speakers, they all havethe features you would expect from a Sonos speaker, which includes the ability to adjust EQ from the Sonos app, compatibility with more than 100music servicesand the ability to be used individually or as part of a Sonos system.
They also all feature Trueplay tuning,AirPlay 2support and they all support music playback over Wi-Fi. The Sonos One and One SL only support music playback over Wi-Fi though, while the Era 100 also offers it through Bluetooth, acting as a traditionalBluetooth speakerwhen the hardware switch on the rear is in Bluetooth mode.
The Sonos One and the Era 100 have voice control on board too, with both offering Sonos Voice Control, which is useful for controlling the speakers themselves, as well support forAmazon Alexa, which is beneficial for smart home control and other smart assistant features like weather information or adding items to a shopping list for example. The Sonos One also has support forGoogle Assistant, giving you a choice. The Era 100 doesn’t have Google Assistant as an option.
The Sonos One SL meanwhile has no built-in microphones so it doesn’t have any form of voice control, includingSonos Voice Controlor Alexa.
We mentioned the Era 100 offering a USB-C line in port, which enables you to connect an audio device to it directly - something that isn’t possible on the One or the One SL. You will need a Sonos Line-in Adapter though, as well as an auxiliary cable.
The Era 100 also offers something called Quick Tuning, which is similar toTrueplay tuning, but it uses the built-in microphones to adjust and optimise the speaker’s sound output based on its surroundings, rather than requiring an iOS device. Essentially its Trueplay for Android users.
Hardware and specs
The Sonos One and One SL share the same sound architecture, which consequently was also the same as theSonos Play:1that launched in 2013. The Era 100 doesn’t have a single element the same as the One or One SL though, so while you’re still getting big sound from a small body, the internals are different.
The Era 100 has three Class-D drivers on board, along with two dual-angled tweeters and a mid-woofer. The woofer is said to be 25 per cent larger than the Sonos One and One SL’s woofer, and there is a 47 per cent faster processor too, which should enhance performance and future-proof the Era 100 for software updates.
The Era 100 also delivers stereo sound rather than mono and you can stereo pair two Era 100 speakers together and use them as rear surrounds for an enhanced experience.
The Sonos One and One SL have two Class-D drivers, coupled with one tweeter and one mid-woofer so there is one less driver and one less tweeter on board compared to the Era 100. Both deliver mono sound, though you can combine two Sonos One speakers, two One SL speakers or a One and a One SL for stereo sound.
It’s worth noting that you may’t combine a Sonos One or One SL with an Era 100 so if you have been considering getting another One or One SL to stereo pair with an existing one, you won’t be able to fulfill this with an Era 100.
Conclusion
The Sonos One and One SL are excellent speakers and despite being six years old, they are still more than capable, delivering great sound in a small and compact format. You might also find them at a great price following the launch of the Era 100, and if so, grab one quick.
The Era 100 will no doubt do the same, replacing the trusty Ones with more processing power, a more modern and improved design and a better sound experience overall. It also adds some great features, like USB-C line in, Bluetooth capabilities and Trueplay for Android users, even if does lose Google Assistant.
The Sonos Era 100 is the superior speaker on paper compared to the One and One SL and it’s the one to buy if you’re looking to start a Sonos system from scratch. If you are planning to add to an existing Sonos system and you already have a One or One SL, you might want to try and snap up another One or One SL to stereo pair your existing ones with, or simply add to your system for a good price.
Either way, you’re unlikely to be disappointed whatever you choose, but the Era 100 will give you more longevity so if your budget allows, it’s the one you want.
