There are a lot of Bluetooth speakers to choose from, from cheap ones to expensive ones. But Sonos always comes out on top in the mid- to high-end range, where sound quality matters more than just getting loud. The Era 100 is Sonos’s small smart speaker for rooms where full-sized speakers are too big and it’s now $169 on Amazon, down from its original price of $199. This is the lowest price ever just before Christmas which makes it a great gift for music lovers who value good sound quality over flashy features.
The Era 100 has WiFi streaming, Bluetooth connectivity, and Trueplay room correction all in one small package that can fit on a kitchen counter or nightstand. It also has stereo separation that most single-unit speakers can’t match which makes it the perfect way to get started with Sonos or a useful addition to an existing multi-room setup.
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Architecture with two tweeters
Sonos designed the Era 100 with two tweeters that point outward to create real left and right channel separation in one box which makes music sound wider and more open than regular mono speakers. The two tweeters in this design let you hear instruments spread out across a soundstage instead of all coming from one point in space. The new Sonos speakers have a processor that is 47% faster than the old ones and lets them process audio more accurately, even at high volumes, so they don’t distort like other speakers do when they are pushed too hard. The midwoofer is 25% bigger and handles bass frequencies with authority, and gives you a low-end punch that you can feel in your chest without needing a separate subwoofer for most types of music.
Trueplay tuning technology turns the Era 100 from a good speaker into one that works best in your room by using your iPhone’s microphone to figure out how sound bounces off of walls, furniture, and other surfaces: You walk around the room waving your phone, which lets the speaker map the room’s acoustic features and change its output as needed. Trueplay makes sure that the sound quality is always the same, no matter where the speaker is. For example, a speaker in a corner sounds very different from one on a bookshelf or kitchen counter.
WiFi streaming is what makes the Era 100 connect: You can access music services like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and many more directly through the Sonos app. This network-based method gives you better sound quality than Bluetooth compression and lets you play different content in each room or group speakers together. The speaker also works with AirPlay 2, which makes it easy to connect to Apple devices.
The small size is just under 7 inches tall and 5 inches wide and makes it easy to put almost anywhere without taking up too much space. The matte black or white finish on the Era 100 makes it look good on both modern minimalist shelves and traditional wood furniture. The top panel has touch controls for play, pause, volume, and skip, so you can interact with it even when your phone isn’t right there.
At this price, the Era 100 is now competitive with mid-range Bluetooth speakers that don’t have WiFi streaming, room correction, or multi-room capabilities.
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