Short answer: the Marshall Acton III. It ranks #9 of 17 powered desktop speakers by sound quality, rated 3.7/5, at $249.99. The Sonos Era 100 ranks #13, rated 3.6/5, at $219, $30.99 cheaper, which does not close the gap in sound quality.
The case for the Sonos Era 100: 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. The catch: 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.
What the Marshall Acton III does well: At 2.85 kg, Marshall Acton III combines 4” (midrange/woofer), 1x 4” midrange, 2x 0.75” Dome tweeters with Bluetooth, Aux. Watch for: Bass is limited by its 45Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) specification.
Buy the Marshall Acton III. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $30.99 you would save on the Sonos Era 100 does not close the gap.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Powered Home rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Sonos Era 100 | Marshall Acton III | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $219.00 each | $249.99 each |
| Ranked | #13 of 17 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #9 of 17 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Battery Life | No Battery | No Battery |
| IP Rating | None | None |
| Party Mode | Yes (Sonos multi-room, AirPlay 2) | No |
| Power Input | External AC adapter | - |
| Stereo | Yes | Partially (1 woofer) |
| Weight | 4.5 lbs (2.02 kg) | 6.3 lbs (2.85 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (Wi-Fi 6) | No |
| App | Yes (Sonos S2) | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field, mic mute button) | - |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble + Trueplay room correction) | Yes (Bass/Treble) |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (stereo pairing via Sonos app) | No |
| Drivers | 2x angled tweeters, 1x mid-woofer | 4" (midrange/woofer), 1x 4" midrange, 2x 0.75" Dome tweeters |
| Discontinued | No | - |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C (line-in adapter sold separately) | Bluetooth, Aux |
| XLR Input | No | No |
| RCA Input | No | No |
| TRS Input | No | No |
| Optical Input | No | No |
| Coaxial Input | No | No |
| USB Input | Yes (line-in adapter sold separately) | No |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| AES Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes, 5.0 | Yes, 5.2 |
| Dimensions | 7.2" x 4.7" x 5.1" (182.5 x 120 x 130.5 mm) | 10.2" x 6.7" x 5.9" (260 x 170 x 150 mm) |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa | - |
| Streaming Services | Sonos app streaming (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and more), AirPlay 2 | - |
| Bluetooth Version | - | 5.2 |
| Frequency Response | - | 45Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Woofer Cabinet | - | ported |
| Amplifier Power | - | 60W (Woofer: 30W, Tweeters: 2x15W) |
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Prices on this page were last checked September 23, 2026 at 11:24 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
Sonos Era 100: $219.00 each Amazon eBay
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, 5.0 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| 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) |
| Discontinued | No |
| 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 |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Sonos Era 100 vs Google Home Max
- Sonos Era 100 vs Denon Home 250
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Marshall Acton III: $249.99 each Amazon eBay
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 - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) specification.
Full Marshall Acton III review and specifications →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| Amplifier Power | 60W (Woofer: 30W, Tweeters: 2x15W) |
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | Yes, 5.2 |
| 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
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Marshall Acton III vs Marshall Stanmore II
- Marshall Acton III vs JBL Authentics 200
- Marshall Acton III vs Edifier D12
- Marshall Acton III vs Denon Home 250
- Marshall Acton III vs Marshall Stanmore III
- Marshall Acton III vs Apple HomePod 2nd Gen
- Marshall Acton III vs Marshall Acton II
- Marshall Acton III vs Marshall Woburn I
- See all 13 comparisons