The Best Alexa Smart Speaker I've Tested Isn't An Echo

3 days ago

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

The Sonos Era 100 is simply a $249 smart speaker that I urge to astir people, audiophile aliases not.
In summation to a full, booming sound, nan Sonos speaker produces crystal-clear vocals that heighten immoderate opus and has hands-free Alexa for sound control.
Since nan Era 100 is built for smaller spaces, it doesn't support spatial audio aliases Dolby Atmos for illustration its larger sibling, nan Era 300.

When Sonos reached retired to maine to talk nan motorboat of a new statement of smart speakers, I was, for deficiency of a amended word, giddy. The institution is down a number of superb audio products, including nan discontinued Sonos One, is 1 of the champion smart speakers on nan marketplace correct now.

Also: I've utilized my AirPods Pro 2 since they first launched. Here's my buying proposal for 2025

The excitement came mostly because it had been conscionable astir six years since Sonos launched nan One speaker erstwhile it launched nan Era 100, and nan One was still a favourite among audiophiles and smart location enthusiasts. This makes nan Era 100, a nonstop replacement for nan One, a large deal. Here are nan cardinal features you should cognize astir and what makes nan latest Sonos speaker a worthy upgrade.

Unboxing experience

The cleanable aesthetics of nan Sonos packaging unsocial are captivating. Sonos is committed to biology sustainability, from manufacturing to packaging design. The Era 100 speaker incorporates recycled materials, and Sonos is switching to 100% insubstantial packaging this year, truthful nan unboxing acquisition was for illustration opening a present.

What is inside, however, is still nan prima of nan show.

The Era 100 is simply a sleek smart speaker, conscionable somewhat larger than its predecessor, nan Sonos One, and a fewer inches narrower than an Echo Studio Setting it up requires connecting it to powerfulness and downloading nan Sonos app, which will automatically find nan speaker adjacent and guideline you done nan pairing process.

What's caller pinch nan Sonos Era 100

The Era 100 features touch controls astatine nan apical of nan speaker, which I've recovered very intuitive. These controls tin beryllium utilized to set nan volume, play, pause, skip, and replay. There's besides a Bluetooth fastener connected nan back. Yes, you publication that right: The smart speaker has Bluetooth connectivity, a characteristic that nan Sonos One lacked.

Also: The 5 champion Bluetooth speakers

Sonos speakers activity champion pinch nan Sonos app—at slightest that's what nan institution wants you to believe. They're not wrong, but location are immoderate quirks that I noticed. For starters, nan audio sounds awesome erstwhile played done Wi-Fi, and if you person guests who want to play thing connected nan speaker, Bluetooth connectivity makes it imaginable for them to do truthful without having to download nan Sonos app connected their devices.

However, nan wide app acquisition tin beryllium finicky and slow, pinch nan package occasionally demonstrating a lagged response.

The Era 100 features sound control, which you tin move disconnected by toggling nan microphone move connected nan back. While nan caller exemplary supports Amazon Alexa and Sonos Voice Control, it doesn't support Google Assistant for illustration nan Sonos One.

Sonos has discontinued its support for Google Voice connected nan caller Era speakers, truthful if you're looking for a smart speaker to information retired your Google smart location ecosystem, past you're amended disconnected pinch nan older Sonos One aliases a Google Nest speaker.

Also: Best stereo speakers you tin buy

The USB-C larboard connected nan backmost of nan speaker is different large upgrade connected nan Era 100. If you want to link an audio root aliases an ethernet cable, you tin now do it pinch 1 of Sonos' Line-in and Combo adapters.

How does nan Era 100 sound?

The Era 100 is nan champion speaker of its size that I've ever tested. It is an betterment from nan Sonos One, which was already considered nan best-sounding smart speaker, but it besides sounds amended than nan improved Amazon Echo Studio and, naturally, blows each different compact smart speakers retired of nan water.

The apical controls connected nan Sonos Era 100.

Since nan Era 100 is built for smaller spaces, it doesn't support spatial audio aliases Dolby Atmos for illustration its larger sibling, nan Era 300. Still, nan smaller Era 100 is powerful capable to successfully capable a medium-to-large-sized room.

Also: Sonos Era smart speakers now disposable to buy: Here's what's new

While I can't comparison nan over-the-top speakers and woofers connected an aged car from 25+ years agone to nan gorgeous sound value of a Sonos speaker successful 2023, I tin show you that listening to euphony connected nan Era 100 gave maine a very akin acquisition to that acknowledgment to nan booming bass and crystal clear vocals.

ZDNET's buying advice

The Era 100 has raised nan barroom for compact, high-quality speakers. In summation to a full, booming sound, nan Sonos speaker puts retired crystal-clear vocals astatine nan forefront of immoderate song. It's besides highly powerful, yet it doesn't suffer sound value astatine afloat volume, and nan heavy bass doesn't rattle, moreover astatine its highest setting.

Compared to different smart speakers, nan Sonos Era 100 is outstanding. The sound is miles supra that of others successful nan aforesaid value range. It's conscionable that good.