Marshall Acton III vs Sonos Era 100 SL

Short answer: the Marshall Acton III. It ranks #11 of 28 powered desktop speakers by sound quality, rated 3.7/5, at $189.99. The Sonos Era 100 SL ranks #17, rated 3.6/5, at $149, $40.99 cheaper, not enough of a saving to outweigh the sound-quality gap.

Why pick the Marshall Acton III: Ac-powered operation and limited-stereo playback make its feature set practical for its intended room or portable use. It keeps a wired aux input, which the Sonos Era 100 SL lacks.

Why pick the Sonos Era 100 SL: Uses the same two angled tweeters and mid-woofer as the Sonos Era 100, so it sounds the same for less money. It links with other speakers (Sonos multi-room, AirPlay 2), which the Marshall Acton III cannot. Watch for: Trueplay room correction only works from an iPhone, so Android owners lose automatic tuning.

Buy the Marshall Acton III. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $40.99 you would save on the Sonos Era 100 SL does not close the gap.

About the ratings: the Sonos Era 100 SL’s rating is estimated from measured siblings and predecessors rather than its own measurements, with a likely range of 3.4 to 3.7, so this verdict could change once it is measured.

Still deciding? The full Powered Home rankings cover every ranked option.

Specifications Side By Side

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How Marshall Acton III compares with other leading options:

• Audio Pro C5 MkII vs Marshall Acton III
• Marshall Woburn III vs Marshall Acton III
• Marshall Acton III vs Marshall Woburn II
• Marshall Woburn I vs Marshall Acton III
• Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs Marshall Acton III

Prices on this page were last checked October 11, 2026 at 4:59 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

Marshall Acton III: $189.99 each Amazon $189.99 eBay

Newer model: the Marshall Acton IV, estimated 3.7/5, released Jul 2026. It adds party mode, AAC, LC3 and LDAC.

Older model: the Marshall Acton II (ranked lower, rated 3.5/5). See every Marshall home speakers generation.

Same family: the Marshall Stanmore III (larger model, ranked higher, rated 3.8/5) and the Marshall Woburn III (larger model, ranked higher, rated 4.1/5).

Pros: At 2.85 kg, Marshall Acton III combines 4” (midrange/woofer), 1x 4” midrange, 2x 0.75” Dome tweeters with Bluetooth, Aux. Ac-powered operation and limited-stereo playback make its feature set practical for its intended room or portable use.

Cons: Bass is limited by its 45Hz to 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) specification.

Full Marshall Acton III review and specifications →

Released	Oct 2022 (4 years ago)
AES Input	No
Amplifier Power	60W (Woofer: 30W, Tweeters: 2x15W)
App	Yes
Aux Input	Yes
Battery Life	No Battery
Bluetooth	Yes
Bluetooth Codecs	SBC
Bluetooth Version	5.2
Coaxial Input	No
Dimensions	10.2” x 6.7” x 5.9” (260 x 170 x 150 mm)
Drivers	4” (midrange/woofer), 1x 4” midrange, 2x 0.75” Dome tweeters
EQ	Yes (Bass/Treble)
Frequency Response	45Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)
HDMI Input	No
IP Rating	None
Inputs	Bluetooth, Aux
Optical Input	No
Party Mode	No
Power Bank	No
RCA Input	No
Stereo	Partially (1 woofer)
TRS Input	No
TWS	No
USB Input	No
Weight	6.3 lbs (2.85 kg)
Wi-Fi	No
Woofer Cabinet	ported
XLR Input	No

• Links
  • Official Marshall Acton III Product Page
• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • Danny Pops: Winner Winner Chicken Dinner! Marshall Acton 3 Review! More from DannyPops →
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Marshall Acton III vs Marshall Stanmore II
  • Marshall Acton III vs JBL Authentics 200
  • Marshall Acton III vs Denon Home 250
  • Marshall Acton III vs Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker
  • Marshall Acton III vs Marshall Stanmore IV
  • Marshall Acton III vs Edifier D12
  • Marshall Acton III vs Marshall Stanmore III
  • Marshall Acton III vs Sonos Era 100
  • See all 18 comparisons

Sonos Era 100 SL: $149.00 each Estimated Amazon $149.00 eBay

Pros: Uses the same two angled tweeters and mid-woofer as the Sonos Era 100, so it sounds the same for less money. Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2, Bluetooth 5.3 and Sonos multi-room or stereo pairing are all included, and leaving out microphones suits buyers who do not want a voice assistant in the room.

Cons: Trueplay room correction only works from an iPhone, so Android owners lose automatic tuning. Like the Sonos Era 100, it lacks deep bass and output for larger rooms, line in needs a separately sold USB-C adapter, and there is no battery or voice control.

Full Sonos Era 100 SL review and specifications →

Released	Mar 2026 (7 months ago)
Amplifier Power	3x class D amplifiers
App	Yes (Sonos app)
Aux Input	No
Battery Life	No Battery
Bluetooth	Yes
Bluetooth Codecs	SBC
Bluetooth Version	5.3
Built-in Microphone	No
Dimensions	4.7”W x 7.2”H x 5.1”D (120 x 182.5 x 130.5 mm)
Drivers	2x angled tweeters, 1x mid-woofer
EQ	Yes (bass and treble; Trueplay room correction on iPhone only)
IP Rating	None
Inputs	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C (line-in adapter sold separately)
Party Mode	Yes (Sonos multi-room, AirPlay 2)
Power Bank	No
Stereo	Partially
TWS	Yes (stereo pairing via Sonos app)
Weight	4.4 lbs (2.0 kg)

• Links
  • Official Sonos Era 100 SL Product Page
• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • Smart Home Sounds: Sonos Era 100 vs Era 100 SL - What They Didn’t Tell You… More from Smart Home Sounds →
  • Digital Trends: Sonos Play and Era 100 SL Review | Sonos Comeback Starts Here?
  • MinistryTech: Sonos Era 100 vs Era 100 SL – Don’t Buy the Wrong One!
  • ShortCircuit: Is Sonos Good Again? - Sonos Play & Sonos Era 100 SL
  • TechRadar: Sonos Era 100 SL review More from Techradar →
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Sonos Era 100 SL vs Sonos Era 100
  • Sonos Era 100 SL vs JBL Authentics 200
  • Sonos Era 100 SL vs Edifier D12