Sonos has long been a leader in the smart speaker industry, and the company has recently unveiled its newest offerings – the Sonos Era 300 and the Sonos Era 100. These next-generation smart speakers represent a significant step forward for Sonos in terms of sound quality and design innovation, as well as a renewed commitment to responsible design practices.
The Sonos Era 300 is the more advanced of the two speakers, designed to deliver an unparalleled spatial audio experience with Dolby Atmos. This speaker boasts six powerful drivers that direct sound in all directions – left, right, forward, and upward – creating a truly immersive listening experience. The speaker’s design is also striking, with an hourglass shape that enhances the direction and dispersion of sound.
In addition to its impressive spatial audio capabilities, the Sonos Era 300 is also the company’s first speaker to deliver multi-channel surround sound when used as home theater rears. When paired with the Sonos Arc or Beam (Gen 2), two Era 300 speakers can create a supercharged Dolby Atmos experience that draws the listener deeper into the action.
To fine-tune the Era 300, Sonos worked closely with a community of leading artists and creators, including members of the Sonos Soundboard, to ensure that the speaker delivers sound that is true to the artist’s intent. This collaboration highlights the company’s commitment to elevating the listening experience and embracing the latest audio technology.
The Sonos Era 100 is a remastering of the best-selling Sonos One, and while it may not be as advanced as the Era 300, it still packs a punch. With all-new hardware and software, the Era 100 features next-gen acoustics and design that deliver detailed stereo sound and deep bass. Two angled tweeters send crisp high frequencies left and right for a rich stereo experience, while a larger midwoofer creates stunning bass that’s unexpected from such a compact speaker.
The Era 100’s slim, modern design makes it a chic accent piece for any bookshelf, kitchen counter, desk, or nightstand. And like the Era 300, it’s customisable, with the ability to add two Era 100 speakers as rears with a soundbar to create a surround sound system, or simply pair two together for room-filling stereo sound.
What sets these new speakers apart from other Sonos offerings is the company’s renewed commitment to responsible design practices. Both the Era 300 and the Era 100 are the first speakers built to Sonos’ new responsible design standards, which prioritise long-term serviceability, energy-efficient technologies, and the use of post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials.
For example, both speakers are made with post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic and packaged in 100% sustainably sourced paper. They are also engineered to reduce power consumption, with under two watts idle power consumption and a new advanced sleep function. The speakers are also built to last, with a design that prioritises serviceability by reducing the use of adhesives and transitioning to screws for easy disassembly and repair.
In addition to their responsible design features, the Era 100 and Era 300 also feature an intuitive new user interface, including a new capacitive volume slider for simple control that complements quick and private control of your music with the Sonos app, Apple AirPlay 2, and Bluetooth. The upgraded connectivity options make it easy to stream all the audio you care about using WiFi or Bluetooth and directly from your device, regardless of the format.
Sonos CEO Patrick Spence sums up the company’s vision for these new speakers: “Our vision is to make listening an experience that is charged with feeling, and help our customers feel joy and vitality through their favorite music and audio content. The Era family is the next generation of smart speakers, epitomising our commitment to sound innovation, responsible design and a deep connection to the creator community.”
Both speakers will be available on 28 March 2023 with the Era 300 costing R10 999.00 and the Era 100 sporting a R6 499.00 pricetag.
