The Era 100 is what the Sonos Play:1 should have been a decade ago. Where the Play:1 was a capable single speaker in a black cylinder, the Era 100 is a properly engineered stereo device - two tweeters angled outward for genuine stereo separation, a redesigned midwoofer, and a tweaked cabinet that gets noticeably more bass out of the same footprint.
What changed beyond the drivers matters more than it might appear. Bluetooth 5.0 is now built in, meaning you can use the Era 100 without a Wi-Fi network - useful for a second home, a kitchen, or anywhere the Sonos ecosystem feels like overkill. Line-in via USB-C is included for the first time on a compact Sonos, which lets you connect a turntable or a TV directly without the legacy Sonos port adapter.
Trueplay automatic room tuning runs via the iOS app and takes about thirty seconds. The difference on a bookshelf between tuned and untuned is audible - the software levels frequency response for the room, not just the speaker. For most rooms at this size, it genuinely closes the gap to speakers costing considerably more.
At £199, the Era 100 sits in an honest position. It is not trying to compete with dedicated hi-fi components. It is trying to be the best multi-room compact speaker you can buy without thinking too hard about it - and in 2026 it still is.