Short answer: the Sonos Era 300. It ranks #6 of 10 powered desktop speakers by sound quality, rated 4.0/5, at $499. The Sonos Era 100 ranks #16, rated 3.6/5, at $217.99, $281.01 cheaper, a saving that is not big enough to make up the sound-quality gap.
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. The tradeoff: 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 Sonos Era 300 does well: A Wi-Fi smart speaker with real stereo and Dolby Atmos spatial audio, excellent Alexa voice pickup and Trueplay room tuning. Watch for: RTINGS’ one listed con is some compression at max volume.
Buy the Sonos Era 300. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $281.01 saving on the Sonos Era 100 is not enough to make up the difference.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Powered Home rankings.
A compact Wi-Fi smart speaker with stereo from two angled tweeters, Trueplay room tuning, Alexa and Sonos multiroom.
A Wi-Fi smart speaker with real stereo and Dolby Atmos spatial audio, excellent Alexa voice pickup and Trueplay room tuning.
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.
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
Specifications Side By Side
| Sonos Era 100 | Sonos Era 300 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $217.99 each | $499.00 each |
| Ranked | #16 of 29 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #6 of 10 in Large Size Powered Desktop Speakers |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Battery Life | No Battery | No Battery |
| IP Rating | None | None |
| Party Mode | Yes (Sonos multi-room, AirPlay 2) | Yes (Sonos multi-room, AirPlay 2) |
| Power Input | External AC adapter | External AC adapter |
| Stereo | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 4.5 lbs (2.02 kg) | 9.9 lbs (4.47 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (Wi-Fi 6) | Yes (Wi-Fi 6) |
| App | Yes (Sonos S2) | Yes (Sonos S2) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field, mic mute button) | Yes (far-field, mic mute button) |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble + Trueplay room correction) | Yes (Bass/Treble + Trueplay room correction) |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (stereo pairing via Sonos app) | Yes (stereo pairing via Sonos app) |
| Drivers | 2x angled tweeters, 1x mid-woofer | 4x tweeters (1 forward, 2 side, 1 upward-firing), 2x angled woofers |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C (line-in adapter sold separately) | 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 | Yes (line-in adapter sold separately) | Yes (line-in adapter sold separately) |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| AES Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Dimensions | 7.2” x 4.7” x 5.1” (182.5 x 120 x 130.5 mm) | 7.3” x 10.2” x 6.3” (185 x 260 x 160 mm) |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa | Amazon Alexa |
| Streaming Services | Sonos app streaming (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and more), AirPlay 2 | Sonos app streaming (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and more), AirPlay 2, Dolby Atmos Music |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More worthwhile head-to-heads for Sonos Era 100: