Short answer: the Sonos Era 100. It ranks #16 of 29 powered desktop speakers by sound quality, rated 3.6/5, at $217.99. The Apple HomePod Mini ranks #10, rated 3.3/5, at $149.36, $68.63 cheaper, not enough of a saving to outweigh the sound-quality gap.
The Era 100 is the bigger, more adjustable speaker. Two angled tweeters and a larger mid-woofer give it some stereo width, Trueplay room correction and bass and treble controls adjust it, and it works with AirPlay 2, Bluetooth and Sonos multi-room. RTINGS found it short on low bass and not loud enough for large rooms.
The HomePod mini is the small, cheap Apple choice. Its full-range driver and two passive radiators give more thump than most speakers its size, Siri hears it well even at full volume, and setup with an iPhone takes moments. It streams only over AirPlay, with no Bluetooth playback, and it needs an iPhone or iPad to set up.
Buy the Sonos Era 100. It is rated higher for sound quality, and saving $68.63 with the Apple HomePod Mini does not make up for the sound-quality gap.
Still deciding? The full Powered Home rankings cover every ranked option.
A tiny Siri smart speaker that hears you even at full volume and gives decent bass for its size.
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
| Apple HomePod Mini | Sonos Era 100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $149.36 each | $217.99 each |
| Ranked | #10 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 (AirPlay 2 multi-room) | Yes (Sonos multi-room, AirPlay 2) |
| Power Input | External AC adapter (USB-C) | External AC adapter |
| Stereo | No | Yes |
| Weight | 0.8 lbs (345 g) | 4.5 lbs (2.02 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes (Wi-Fi 6) |
| App | Yes (Apple Home) | Yes (Sonos S2) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (4 far-field mics, no mute button) | Yes (far-field, mic mute button) |
| EQ | No | Yes (Bass/Treble + Trueplay room correction) |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (stereo pairing via Home app) | Yes (stereo pairing via Sonos app) |
| Drivers | Full-range driver + dual passive bass radiators | 2x angled tweeters, 1x mid-woofer |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2 | 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 | No | Yes |
| Dimensions | 3.3” x 3.9” (84.3 x 97.9 mm) (H x diameter) | 7.2” x 4.7” x 5.1” (182.5 x 120 x 130.5 mm) |
| Voice Assistants | Apple Siri | Amazon Alexa |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Apple Music (direct voice control); other services via AirPlay only | Sonos app streaming (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and more), AirPlay 2 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | - | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | - | 5.0 |
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