Short answer: the Sonos Era 100. It ranks #16 of 24 powered desktop speakers by sound quality, rated 3.6/5, at $219. The Apple HomePod Mini ranks #10, rated 3.3/5, at $149.36, $69.64 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 $69.64 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.
Specifications Side By Side
| Apple HomePod Mini | Sonos Era 100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $149.36 each | $219.00 each |
| Ranked | #10 of 14 in Small Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #16 of 24 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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Prices on this page were last checked October 7, 2026 at 9:25 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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The Two Speakers In Full
Apple HomePod Mini: $149.36 each Amazon eBay
Same family: the Apple HomePod 2nd Gen (larger model, rated 4/5).
Pros: SoundGuys called it good sound for its size, with a full-range driver and dual passive bass radiators giving the bassline in Anderson .Paak’s “Come Down” a decent thump most speakers this small can’t manage. “Hey Siri” reliably hears the wake phrase even at full volume, it can distinguish different people’s voices for personalized requests, and setup with an iPhone nearby takes moments.
Cons: SoundGuys’ listed cons include no mute button at all, an occasionally annoying Handoff prompt, and no direct Spotify integration since Siri only launches Apple Music by voice. There is no way to stream to it over Bluetooth, only Apple’s AirPlay/Handoff, no battery, and no IP rating (Apple only claims humidity resistance, not a certified rating). It requires an iPhone or iPad to set up and get the most out of.
Full Apple HomePod Mini review and specifications →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (Apple Home) |
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | No |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (4 far-field mics, no mute button) |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Dimensions | 3.3” x 3.9” (84.3 x 97.9 mm) (H x diameter) |
| Drivers | Full-range driver + dual passive bass radiators |
| EQ | No |
| HDMI Input | No |
| IP Rating | None |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2 |
| Optical Input | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (AirPlay 2 multi-room) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | External AC adapter (USB-C) |
| RCA Input | No |
| Stereo | No |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Apple Music (direct voice control); other services via AirPlay only |
| TRS Input | No |
| TWS | Yes (stereo pairing via Home app) |
| USB Input | No |
| Voice Assistants | Apple Siri |
| Weight | 0.8 lbs (345 g) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
| XLR Input | No |
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Sonos Era 100: $219.00 each Amazon eBay
Same family: the Sonos Era 300 (larger model, rated 4/5).
Pros: RTINGS lists room correction tools and bass/treble adjustments as its real strengths, and its balanced midrange suits a wide range of genres, with wider stereo separation than the mono Sonos One SL it replaced thanks to two angled tweeters plus a 25% larger mid-woofer than the original Sonos One. Alexa is built in with a far-field mic, and it ties into the wider Sonos S2 app ecosystem for multi-room audio.
Cons: RTINGS’ own two listed cons are not loud enough for larger rooms and very little low-bass thump, so genres like EDM and hip-hop lack rumble even with the tone adjustments. There’s no Google Assistant, the USB-C line-in needs a separately purchased adapter, and there’s no battery.
Full Sonos Era 100 review and specifications →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (Sonos S2) |
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field, mic mute button) |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.2” x 4.7” x 5.1” (182.5 x 120 x 130.5 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x angled tweeters, 1x mid-woofer |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble + Trueplay room correction) |
| HDMI Input | No |
| IP Rating | None |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C (line-in adapter sold separately) |
| Optical Input | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Sonos multi-room, AirPlay 2) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | External AC adapter |
| RCA Input | No |
| Stereo | Yes |
| Streaming Services | Sonos app streaming (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and more), AirPlay 2 |
| TRS Input | No |
| TWS | Yes (stereo pairing via Sonos app) |
| USB Input | Yes (line-in adapter sold separately) |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa |
| Weight | 4.5 lbs (2.02 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (Wi-Fi 6) |
| XLR Input | No |
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