The Era 100 supersedes Sonos’s One, but the One is not done yet. Hold tight for our One vs 100 head to head…
T he new Sonos Era 100 replaces the Sonos One in the company’s product range, but the One is still available, and you can still nab a deal while stocks last. So what is the difference between these speakers? And should you opt for the new model over the five-star original?
Price
The Sonos One launched back in 2017, and the Gen 2 model you can currently buy dates from 2019. Because the Era 100 will replace the One, retailers are discounting the One to get rid of stock – in the UK, you can pick one up for as little as £159.
At £249, the Sonos Era 100 is a fair bit more expensive. Discounts? You’ll be lucky. Sonos kit is rarely discounted, especially when new. WINNER: SONOS ONE
Design
After the unique design of the Sonos Era 300, the Era 100 looks a touch unexciting – though it has moved on from the Sonos One. Gone is the One’s rounded-off square design, in favour of a more oval shape. The Era 100 is a little bigger (about 2cm taller) and heavier than the One, though it is still compact enough for any shelf, desk or table (with a plug socket nearby).
The change in shape isn’t just for show. The larger body accommodates some new drivers – the Era 100 now delivers stereo sound, whereas the One is just mono. Inside are two angled tweeters with custom waveguides, alongside a woofer that is 25 per cent bigger than before, all powered by their own Class D amplifier.
The Era 100 comes in a matt black or matt white finish, and the wraparound grille now stretches to the edges more than before for a seamless look.
Like the Era 300, the 100 also has a new control panel on the top, complete with an enhanced volume slider that is recessed like a trough.
The Sonos One looks very similar to the old Play:1 that it replaced, though its touch-sensitive top panel is the main departure. The wraparound grille helps it blend into its surroundings, though again it looks a little dated – hardly surprising, given that the design is now six years old. WINNER: SONOS ERA 100
Features
While the Sonos Era 300 is focused on spatial audio, the Era 100 is a different proposition entirely; there is no spatial audio onboard. Sonos claims the speaker’s smaller dimensions wouldn’t do it justice – but it can play in stereo, as opposed to the Sonos One’s mono.
Just like the Era 300, it
