Short answer: the Sonos Era 100 for better sound quality, the Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen for the lower price. The Sonos Era 100 ranks #16 of 29 powered desktop speakers, rated 3.6/5, at $217.99. The Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen ranks #12, rated 3.1/5, at $79.99, $138 cheaper.
The Era 100 is the much bigger, better-sounding speaker. Two angled tweeters and a mid-woofer give it some stereo width and a balanced midrange, Trueplay room correction tunes it to the room, and it works with AirPlay 2, Alexa and Sonos multi-room. RTINGS found it short on low bass and not loud enough for large rooms.
The Echo Dot 5th Gen is the cheap, compact Alexa speaker. What Hi-Fi liked its sound for the size, and it adds a temperature sensor and eero Wi-Fi extender support. Its single 44mm driver distorts at higher volume and thins out in the bass. It supports AAC Bluetooth.
Buy the Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen if the price is the priority over sound quality, or the Sonos Era 100 if sound quality is the priority over the price.
Want more options? Browse the full Powered Home rankings.
A small, affordable Alexa speaker with a temperature sensor, eero Wi-Fi extender support and a mic mute switch.
A compact Wi-Fi smart speaker with stereo from two angled tweeters, Trueplay room tuning, Alexa and Sonos multiroom.
Prices on this page were last checked November 5, 2026 at 10:30 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen | Sonos Era 100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $79.99 each | $217.99 each |
| Ranked | #12 of 15 in Small Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #16 of 29 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Battery Life | No Battery | No Battery |
| IP Rating | None | None |
| Party Mode | Yes (Wi-Fi multi-room, Alexa) | Yes (Sonos multi-room, AirPlay 2) |
| Power Input | External AC adapter (DC jack) | External AC adapter |
| Stereo | No | Yes |
| Weight | 0.7 lbs (340 g) | 4.5 lbs (2.02 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4GHz/5GHz) | Yes (Wi-Fi 6) |
| App | Yes (Alexa) | Yes (Sonos S2) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (mic mute switch, temperature sensor) | Yes (far-field, mic mute button) |
| EQ | No | Yes (Bass/Treble + Trueplay room correction) |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (Wi-Fi stereo pairing via Alexa app) | Yes (stereo pairing via Sonos app) |
| Drivers | 44mm front-firing driver | 2x angled tweeters, 1x mid-woofer |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C (line-in adapter sold separately) |
| XLR Input | No | No |
| RCA Input | No | No |
| TRS Input | No | No |
| Optical Input | No | No |
| Coaxial Input | No | No |
| USB Input | No | Yes (line-in adapter sold separately) |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| AES Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Dimensions | 3.9” x 3.9” x 3.5” (100 x 100 x 89 mm) (H x W x D) | 7.2” x 4.7” x 5.1” (182.5 x 120 x 130.5 mm) |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa / Alexa+ | Amazon Alexa |
| Streaming Services | Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Pandora, iHeartRadio, SiriusXM, TuneIn | Sonos app streaming (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and more), AirPlay 2 |
| Bluetooth Version | - | 5.0 |
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