Short answer: the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker. It ranks #14 of 29 powered desktop speakers by sound quality, rated 3.7/5, at $279. The Sonos Era 100 ranks #16, rated 3.6/5, at $217.99, $61.01 cheaper, not enough of a saving to outweigh the sound-quality gap.
Why pick the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker: A compact smart speaker with an up firing driver for taller sound, built in Alexa, AirPlay 2, Google Cast and an aux input. It keeps a wired aux input, which the Sonos Era 100 lacks. Watch for: RTINGS lists sub-par directivity as its main weakness, and reviewers agree a single unit sounds narrow from side to side, so it works best as a stereo pair.
What the Sonos Era 100 does well: A compact Wi-Fi smart speaker with stereo from two angled tweeters, Trueplay room tuning, Alexa and Sonos multiroom. It plays in stereo from a single unit, unlike the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker. Watch for: 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.
Buy the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $61.01 saving on the Sonos Era 100 is not enough to make up the difference.
Still deciding? The full Powered Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Prices on this page were last checked November 11, 2026 at 3:26 AM 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
| Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker | Sonos Era 100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $279.00 each | $217.99 each |
| Ranked | #14 of 29 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #16 of 29 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers |
| Aux Input | Yes | No |
| Battery Life | No Battery | No Battery |
| IP Rating | None | None |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose app multi-room, AirPlay 2, Google Cast) | Yes (Sonos multi-room, AirPlay 2) |
| Power Input | AC power cord | External AC adapter |
| Stereo | No | Yes |
| Weight | 3.7 lbs (1.68 kg) | 4.5 lbs (2.02 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes (Wi-Fi 6) |
| App | Yes (Bose) | Yes (Sonos S2) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field, mic mute button) | Yes (far-field, mic mute button) |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Mid/Treble + up-firing driver level) | Yes (Bass/Treble + Trueplay room correction) |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (stereo pairing via Bose app) | Yes (stereo pairing via Sonos app) |
| Drivers | 3in woofer, 1in tweeter, 1.5in up-firing mid/high driver | 2x angled tweeters, 1x mid-woofer |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3.5mm aux | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C (line-in adapter sold separately) |
| XLR Input | No | No |
| RCA Input | No | No |
| TRS Input | Yes (3.5mm) | 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 |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.0 |
| Dimensions | 7.2” x 4.8” x 6.6” (184 x 121 x 167 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 | AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect | Sonos app streaming (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and more), AirPlay 2 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | - | SBC |
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