Sonos Era 100 vs. Era 300: Budget or brawn?

• 

  Sonos Era 100

  Best value

  With next-generation acoustics, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity for audio playback, the Sonos Era 100 has been significantly upgraded compared to its predecessor, the popular Sonos One. For around $250, you get a great-sounding speaker that excels as a single-speaker solution or as part of a built-out Sonos system with multiple speakers.

  Pros

  • Clear, balanced sound
  • Relatively affordable
  • Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Airplay connectivity

  Cons

  • Lacks Dolby Atmos
  • Ethernet/line-in requires dongle (sold separately)
  • No Google Assistant support

• 

  Sonos Era 300

  Atmos support

  The Era 300 is a large and powerful speaker that weighs nearly 10 pounds. It can fill a room with musical sound and is among Sonos’ first speakers to offer Dolby Atmos spatial audio support. Although it’s fairly expensive, the Era 300 is a versatile and highly capable speaker that delivers Sonos’ latest and greatest feature set.

  Pros

  • Big, clean sound
  • Dolby Atmos included
  • Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and AirPlay connectivity

  Cons

  • Fairly pricey
  • Ethernet/line-in requires dongle (sold separately)
  • No Google Assistant support

Sonos creates excellent smart speakers that prioritize sound quality and versatility. Depending on your needs and budget, your Sonos system might comprise a single portable speaker or up to 32 units throughout your home. Best of all, you can start small and build up from there. With the Sonos app, the entire operation is centralized at your fingertips, whether you want to stream the same music throughout your home or play different sources in discrete zones, for example.

There are some noteworthy distinctions between the Era 100 and Era 300. In comparison to the Sonos Era 100, the 300 is costlier, bigger, and heavier. However, it boasts additional speakers, Dolby Atmos spatial audio capabilities, and somewhat higher sound quality. Let’s take a look to determine which one is going to be your jam.

Price, availability, and specs

The Sonos Era 100 is a relatively compact smart speaker that goes for $249. In comparison, the Era 300 costs $449. Both are available from Amazon, Best Buy and Sonos.

The Era 100 has a four-driver array, whereas the Era 300 leverages six drivers. As such, the Era 300 is more powerful and better equipped to fill larger rooms as a single-speaker solution. The Era 300 incorporates an upfiring tweeter to deliver Dolby Atmos, which you will not get with the 100.

• 	Sonos Era 100	Sonos Era 300
  Dimensions	7.18″ x 4.72″ x 5.13″	6.3″ x 10.24″ x 7.28″
  Weight	4.85 lbs	9.85 lbs
  Connectivity	Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C	Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C
  Price	$249	$449
  Colors	Black, white	Black, White
  Speakers	4	6

Design and capabilities

The Era 100 is just a hair larger than its predecessor at 7.18 x 4.72 x 5.13 inches and 4.85 pounds, but it’s still less than half the weight of the Era 300, which we’ll get to in a minute. The design is a conventional and appealing rectangular shape with rounded edges and a matte finish, available in white or black. A metal grille covers the front and sides. Physical controls located atop the speaker include play/pause, volume up, volume down, and microphone mute.

The Era 300 introduces a new and somewhat controversial form factor that has been referred to as an “elegantly cinched hourglass” shape. Whether you find the squeezed shape to be sophisticated or awkward is really a matter of personal taste. It’s available in all black or all white to match your decor, and the front, top, and sides are clad in a perforated grille that cloaks the drivers within. At 6.3 x 10.24 x 7.28 inches and 9.85 pounds, the Era 300 is a relatively bulky speaker that doesn’t exactly beg to be toted around the house, although neither model has a built-in battery. Physical controls include play/pause, next/previous, and volume.

Features

The most significant point of feature differentiation between the Sonos 300 and Sonos 100 is Dolby Atmos — the 300 has it, and the 100 does not. Dolby Atmos is a spatial audio technology that creates a more 3D-like and immersive soundstage by bouncing sound off the ceiling with top-firing drivers as found in the Era 300. But here’s the thing, while the Era 300 would work well as a surround speaker in an Atmos setup, it’s primarily a music-first speaker. With that in mind, your options for streaming Atmos-enabled music to the 300 are limited to Amazon Music Unlimited or Apple Music.

Thankfully, the Era 100 and 300 support music over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, unlike previous Wi-Fi-only Sonos speakers. In a world where Bluetooth speakers predominate, that improves the overall quality of the user experience and feels essential. Both models offer line-in audio support via an audio-to-USB-C adapter (not included). And last but not least, Alexa and Sonos’ own voice assistants are supported, but Google’s isn’t. Given Google’s moves in the AI space, that’s an omission that could sting in the future.

Sound quality and performance: Key differences to keep in mind

Really, both speakers sound great, but there are some important differences to consider. While the Era 100 does not support spatial audio like the Era 300, it does deliver convincing stereo imaging and an enveloping soundstage. It leverages a larger woofer than its predecessor and, as a result, delivers more bass. However, it can’t match the Era 300’s bass output.

Overall, the frequency response feels natural, with highs and mids sounding clear but not brash and with good separation between instruments. The Era 100 would make a great cornerstone for a multi-speaker Sonos setup and is also a good choice as a single-speaker solution for small to average-sized rooms around the house.

The Era 300 is a different animal, marking Sonos’ first foray into the realm of Atmos spatial audio in a music-oriented speaker. In addition to firing sound to each side and the front, the Era 300 earns its Atmos stripes with an upfiring driver that bounces sound off the ceiling. This creates a more enveloping and 3D-like soundstage than is possible with non-Atmos speakers such as the Era 100. It’s a cool experience that’s worth trying for technophiles and audiophiles, but for everyone else, Atmos is more of a nice-to-have add-on feature.

As noted, the 300 is a relatively large speaker with an extensive 6-driver array. Whether you use it as a single-speaker solution or as part of a multi-speaker setup, the 300 can fill even a large room with enveloping sound. It’s capable of delivering a significant amount of well-controlled bass, obviating the need for a separate subwoofer except in circumstances where you want a huge thump.

The Era 300 would make a great surround speaker in a setup with a Sonos Arc or Beam as your soundbar; just be aware that you will need to use two of them as surrounds because the configuration does not allow using a single Era 300 for that purpose. It’s also worth noting that the Era 300 is not a great substitute for a soundbar, mainly because it doesn’t have an HDMI input.

Which Sonos speaker is best for you?

Choosing between the Era 100 and the Era 300 requires considering your budget and your needs. If you’re all-in on Dolby Atmos music or just want one of the more powerful Sonos speakers that’s available, the 300 will do the trick with aplomb.

The Era 100 can do almost everything the Era 300 can, and as such, it is a great choice for most people. In short, the Era 100 trades off Dolby Atmos capability and some power for a lower price tag and a smaller, more convenient form factor. If that doesn’t sound like much of a compromise to you, save some cash and choose the Era 100.