Era 100 - Wireless, Alexa Enabled Smart Speaker (White)

I had been researching a high-end wireless speaker for some time and the Sonos Era 100 had consistently good reviews, so after much deliberation I took the plunge - and it is definitely worth it, as the sound is excellent - more on that later, but the setup for using through a laptop is a bit tricky as it's not explained very well (indeed, AT ALL!!) in the box instructions - so here's a few tips: 1. The Era 100 is ENTIRELY set up through the mobile phone app (even if you plan on using it exclusively through your laptop) - you NEED to set it up through the phone app (android or apple), even if you will never, ever play music from your phone through it. This is a glaring omission from the box instructions!!! 2. The Sonos app you download to your laptop, is essentially an interface to play music - thats it. It has NOTHING to do with the set up. This is not at all made clear out the box, and I ended up having to contact their online chat to establish this! 3. The Sonos connects by default to your wi-fi rather than Bluetooth, and this is normal - wi-fi gives you a much more stable connection, and wider bandwidth for playing lossless or higher bitrate music (such as Dolby Atmos). You can also connect via Bluetooth, if you really wanted to - but Wi-fi is the way ahead here for laptop usage. 4. You can connect Amazon Music - again using the phone to do so - open the App, and go to "Your Services", then add Amazon Music. You'll need to login to Amazon Music via the setup, but only need to do this once. Once you have added Amazon Music to the Sonos App, this will let you play Amazon Music through your speaker - but to activate voice control, there's a further step required: 5. For "Alexa" voice control - Go to the Sonos app (on your phone) again, and click on the gear symbol at the very top right. Then click on General Settings, then click on Voice assistants - add voice assistant "Amazon Alexa" (you'll need to login to Amazon again to add it) After doing this, you will have connected Amazon Music, and Amazon Alexa (voice commands) to your Sonos speaker, and it will work exactly the same as an Alexa speaker - IE, say "Alexa - play (song name)" and it will play on the speaker. 6. The Sonos App for your laptop will need to be downloaded, and will have an Orange tile - and it's essentially just a different interface to look at/play your music lists via Sonos. Think of it a bit like the Amazon Music Web version, but with a Sonos coat on - it works in exactly the same way, but via the Sonos desktop app (playing the web Amazon Music desktop app "through" the Sonos desktop app if you like) ------------------------------------ If the necessity to use the phone for set up had been made clear out the box, the setup would actually be fairly straightforward - but as it isn't, the above steps took me about an hour and a half to get/understand from Sonos live chat, so hopefully this is of some help and saves you some pain!! All setup faffing aside, now on to the audio and unit review itself: The unit comes in a premium box, and immediately looks expensive and good quality - it's quite heavy (in a good way), and looks very well built and solid - it absolutely does not look plasticky or cheap, it screams quality and substance literally as soon as you take it out the box - brilliant first impression. Setup - a bit faffy, but not ridiculous - better and clearer instructions would make a huge difference as noted above!! Sound quality - really, REALLY good. Very full robust sound, with clear definition of all sections. Lovely bass (not too much, not too little - just goldilocks perfect), midrange/vocals clear and crisp across a wide range of music styles and types. Treble/highs are similarly nice and crisp - not too bright or tinny, and everything just gels together really well and gives a very balanced and nuanced sound across the board - a really first class audio experience for a speaker of this size, and a non-wired speaker at that. The many, many reviews I read on this speaker very much live up to the great performance stated in my own personal experience. The Sonos desktop app (which remember is basically just a means to play Amazon music with a different interface) has a very basic Equaliser - standard bass and treble (no mid-range slider, surprisingly) which was a bit surprising given such a good sounding speaker - I personally would have like a bit more control here, but it's not a deal breaker or a star-dropper on the review. It also has a "Loudness" button that you can tick on or off (sounds better with it on) but as far as fine tuning your EQ's goes, that's it. In summary, this is a brilliant sounding speaker for it's type and price range, I'm seriously impressed with the rounded and balanced sound out of it, like really! Clear, defined, punchy and separated - quite incredible for a speaker this size that is not hard wired into an amp via speaker cables. It honestly sounds like a bi-wired speaker, and yet is connected via wi-fi which is head shakingly amazing. I bought mine for a small study and it can fill that space without breaking sweat - and I'm talking quality and depth of sound here - not volume (although volume wouldn't be an issue in the slightest). I will only need one speaker for the small room I have, but pairing this speaker with another one would just enhance the sound yet further so I might look into that - but that would be an absolute indulgence, and not in any way required as just one speaker sounds terrific on it's own. I bought a separate desktop stand for mine, just to elevate it slightly for maximum sound enhancement, but it is not essential by any means - very much personal taste. The stand I got (from Amazon) was £25 quid - there's a couple to choose from if you wanted a stand too. As I finish writing this review, "Behind Blue Eyes" by The Who has come on my playlist, and it sounds just superb on this speaker, Daltry's voice and Townshend's guitars just shining with clarity and depth!! This is after using the speaker for just a couple of hours - like all decent audio kit and especially speakers, they take a bit of time and use to "bed-in" so will only get better over time - and it sounds great right out the box, so will only improve yet further after a few more hours use and bedding in. £200 quid for a speaker is a punt - but it's well worth it for the Sonos Era 100 - if you are considering this and concerned whether the cost is worth it - don't be. Don't be AT ALL - it's sound blooming fantastic, I'm chuffed to bits with mine.

I had been pretty disappointed with Bose and could not find a soundbar that really delivered what I wanted, so I took a punt on the Sonos Era 100. Glad I did. For a relatively compact speaker, this thing seriously packs a punch. The sound is rich and full, with proper depth rather than that thin, hollow feel I had been getting elsewhere. Bass is strong without being over the top, and vocals are clear. In this price range, it is hard to argue with how well it performs. The Sonos app is straightforward and links easily to the usual music streaming apps, so setup was painless. Volume is more than enough for everyday listening and it fills the room nicely. The voice assistant is a nice touch too, especially being voiced by Giancarlo Esposito, which gives it a bit of character. I am now genuinely considering building out the Sonos ecosystem to improve both the TV setup and general music listening. That probably says more than anything else.

I love these little speakers. I have two in my bedroom, stereo paired, and one in the kitchen. They sound great to my old and jaded ears, are easy(ish) to set up, and they look nice. Bluetooth connection is straightforward, but these speakers will run apps like spotify, audible etc. over your wifi - so your phone isn't losing charge (in fact you can turn your phone off once the relevant media has started playing) and the quality loss you get from bluetooth is bypassed. I had a little problem with connection dropping out at first, but it seems to have stopped happening. You will have to buy a cable if you want to plug anything in to the speakers directly (e.g. a CD player). Sonos peripherals are expensive, you can save money buying non-branded wall mounts, cables, but these are optional add-ons, the speakers work straight out of the box once you have the app installed. They play well at high volume and play well at low volume too - I use these speakers to play the audiobooks to fall asleep to. Recommend.

Beyond the modern and tasteful aesthetic the sound is excellent. Listening to my studio monitors is great , but when casually listening to music I want a speaker that isn’t so clinical and embellishes the music while not fatiguing the ears. Here is where the era 100 excel. It’s almost like listening to everything through a 1/4 inch tape machine, it makes digital music sound as smooth and buttery as tape audio. Snares are clear with papery like harmonics , bass sits very well and when calibrated still is a little too much for my liking , although it still sounds detailed , almost pulling out every harmonic overtone to define it. The eq doesn’t stress out the compressor too much so your music doesn’t sound squashed , but reducing the bass a couple of notches in this smallish room made a world of difference , opening up the sound. I did find that there is a ‘wear In period’ for the drivers , so expect the sound to get better after about 5- 6 hours of listening time. The calibration routine gave me a forward mid signature that works well in this room, I removed loudness and dropped bass eq two notches and now I think I have my sweet spot for most occasions. I have eclectic taste but the majority of my music is Electronic and Jazz. This can means anything from Classical, I did find badly mastered piano music to distort the tweeters, most things are fine, to Drum and Bass and progressive techno, Coltrane and Classical Japanese music. The single speaker does handle stereo information via its two tweeters I believe , but obviously two would be best for larger rooms. The app is ok and I did find WiFi a bit dodgy at first with lag , I wonder if it’s downloading/ uploading initial data, because after 30 mins or so it began behaving as it should, bit like when you first use a new computer , takes a while to settle down. Voice control is very responsive after this and as I play mostly from Apple Music and Bandcamp , the main Sonos app integrates these, but using Apple play 2 directly and using the apps on their own is a quicker experience. So far it’s been reliable , the sound is really great for home listening and a welcome break from my sterile and clinical studio monitors. It only drops a star because the app is laggy compared to using things like Apple Music directly , but this is trivial compared to the overall experience , which is worth the asking price.

Bought this to replace an older speaker and I’m really impressed with it. The sound is much better than I expected for something this size. It’s clear, has decent bass without being over the top, and fills a room easily. I mainly use it for everyday listening and it’s been spot on for that. Setup was straightforward through the app and it’s been reliable since. It works well with Amazon Music and Alexa, which was one of the reasons I went for it. Voice control has been responsive and handy for quick things like changing tracks or volume. It feels solid and well made, and it looks neat without drawing too much attention to itself. Not cheap, but you can hear where the money’s gone. If you’re after a compact speaker with proper sound and easy integration with Amazon services, this does the job well.

Smart looking, simple functionality, easy set up, mind blowing sound quality. I bought this specifically to listen to HD streaming which I couldn't through my phone and Bluetooth. The Sonos connects directly to WiFi. It did not disappoint, the sound is phenomenal, the clarity is exceptional even at loud volume. Most of my audio equipment is Bose and Bang & Olufsen but this eclipses them both, by a margin. I managed to get this speaker in a prime deal for £159 and at that price it's very good value, even at full price it would be worth it. I only have one at the moment, but intend to buy a second speaker for true stereo sound. It was simple to connect to Alexa and to various streaming services, Spotify, Amazon, BBC sounds etc. I was disappointed that it didn't support Spotify lossless, hopefully that'll come in time. Regardless, I thoroughly recommend this speaker, it's a beautiful thing and the sound quality is astonishing. *update* this speaker now supports Spotify lossless. I'm not sure if it really makes a discernable difference, but I like to think it does.

Amazing speaker, sounds clear and crisp, and can pair with another Era 100 and Sonos soundbars too. There’s no wires to worry about, as everything runs through WiFi - this initially concerned me as I wasn’t sure about my WiFi strength or bandwidth, however I have had no issues at all. The app is much improved, and provides connectivity options like Bluetooth, AirPlay, Apple Music, Amazon Music and others. Adjustments for EQ, surround, TruePlay etc are all here, provided you have the setup. I currently use the Era 100’s as a pair of rear surrounds for my Beam Gen 2 and Sub Mini, and it sounds incredible. I would say they are overkill for my setup, and some of the features are lost (they are still available through the soundbar though) and I’m not using these speakers to their full potential. A little on TruePlay - it really does help when setting up your speaker or surround system. It measures the room acoustics using your phone microphone and works a treat. A clear difference can be heard after using TruePlay, so it’s recommended if you can. Just a warning though, the sound it plays during setup is pretty loud, so try not to do it late at night..! In summary, I’m sure you’ll enjoy these speakers. They offer clarity and can present much more of the soundstage, meaning you hear new things in tracks you’ve listened to many times before. There’s are regular offers on these speakers too, so be sure to check when purchasing. Happy listening!

I love this speaker, a great addition to our house. The most important factor is how it sounds, and it's brilliant. It's replaced an older Bose Bluetooth speaker we used to have in our kitchen, and the difference in audio quality is night and day - well worth what I paid for it. It is very easy to setup and control via an app on your phone, and for me it integrates seamlessly with Spotify and BBC Sounds. I would recommend this product to anyone who thinks it's reasonable to spend over £200 on a speaker. I originally wrote this review with the title "Excellent speaker - but voice control is poor". This is because the voice controls did not work properly in my first few weeks of owning the product in February 2024. Alexa was completely unusable - simple commands rarely worked, complex commands never worked. Also, there are no good alternative ways to control the device with your voice (this is still true - the built-in "Hey Sonos" is useless for everything apart from adjusting the volume, and it's not compatible with Google Assistant). However, as of March 2024 Alexa now works without any problems and the device works properly as a smart speaker. I've read that this was a known bug with Alexa on this particular speaker, and it has now been fixed. Therefore, I've updated this review with 5 stars.

La valutazione fatta da Sonos per le era 100 corrisponde alle aspettative. Il suono è ampio e avvolgente con bassi profondi anche senza il subw Insomma notevole la differenza di ascolto con le altre casse. Le consiglio vivamente

Really great purchase. First smart speakers I've had and really impressed with the quality. Get them if the offer is below 700 aed.

Die Sonos Era 100 ist wirklich ein herausragender Lautsprecher. Der Klang ist absolut erstklassig und die Steuerung über Apple AirPlay macht die Nutzung zu einem Traum. Die Integration von Alexa über die Sonos App ist genial, und die Funktionen harmonieren perfekt. Dieser Lautsprecher hat meiner Meinung nach seinen Platz als der Beste auf dem Markt mehr als verdient!

Sleek design and good sound quality. Product well made and easy to set up. However could have been better. Perhaps I chose the wrong model 😕

Sonos is always great and always recommended 👌. The seller is genuine 👌