What you need to know
- Sonos has revealed its new Era lineup of speakers.
- The Era 300 is the flagship speaker with six multi-directional drivers, spatial audio, and Dolby Atmos support.
- The Era 100 is the successor to the popular Sonos One speaker, bringing a new stereo experience.
Sonos has long been rumored to have powerful new speakers in tow, and the company has finally revealed its latest Era 300 and Era 100 as part of a new lineup.
The Sonos Era 300 is the flagship speaker, sporting a unique "cinched hourglass design" with six multi-directional drivers. Sonos says the Era 300 was built to provide spatial audio along with Dolby Atmos support, putting listeners at the center of their favorite tunes. This is thanks to the placement of upward-firing tweeters, one of which allows audio to bounce off the ceiling, and two side-mounted woofers for enhanced bass.
Of course, you'll need a compatible streaming subscription to make spatial audio work, and both Amazon Music Unlimited and Apple Music will be supported with the device launches later this month.
In addition, two Era 300 speakers can be paired with other Sonos speakers, such as the Sonos Arc or Beam (Gen 2), to create a theater-like surround sound experience in your home. And similar to other Sonos speakers, you can connect the Era 300 via Wi-Fi or an in-line auxiliary cord. The Era 300 also includes Bluetooth connectivity for users that prefer this method over others.
Controlling the speaker can be done via various methods, including the Sonos app, voice assistants (Alexa or Sonos Voice Control), or other music streaming apps. There are also new touch controls at the top, including a volume slider and additional playback keys. There's a button to disable voice assistants and a hardware switch that turns the mic off for peace of mind.
You can also use the Sonos app to analyze the acoustics of your home to provide the best audio experience. This feature, dubbed TruePlay, was previously only available for iOS users but is now coming to Android phones.
In addition to the Era 300, Sonos also revealed the Era 100, which is the successor to the popular Sonos One speaker and features a similar, more conventional speaker design. The Era 100 features a larger chassis, which likely gives it room for the two tweeters to bring stereo sound, something the Sonos One lacked. The woofer is also 25% larger, so there should be improved bass.
The Era 100 also benefits from the addition of Bluetooth connectivity.
The Era 300 and Era 100 will be available on March 28 for $449 and $249, respectively. They're not exactly cheap when compared to many of the best speakers, but that's par for the course when it comes to Sonos speakers. Both come in black or white.
The new Sonos Era 300 is the ultimate speaker for audiophiles or anyone looking to upgrade their audio setup. Spacial audio puts you right in the center of your favorite tunes, and the Era 300 can pair with other Sonos speakers for a fuller sound around your home.
Correction: A previous version of the article stated that Apple Music would be supported later. The article has since been updated to indicate that the service will be supported on March 28, the same day the Sonos Era 300 will go on sale.
