Sonos Introduces Flagship Era 300 Spatial Audio Speaker

It’s a new era for Sonos.

Available March 28, the Sonos Era 300 brings spatial audio to the forefront of your listening experience. It’s the new flagship speaker from Sonos, priced at $450. Additionally, Sonos is introducing the Era 100, a $250 revision of the old Sonos One speaker.

Note that Apple Music spatial audio support will roll out to the Era 300, Arc soundbar, and Beam Gen 2 soundbar on March 28. Previously, Apple Music spatial audio required an Apple TV set-top box.

Sonos Era 300: spatial audio at all times

The Sonos Era 300 features an odd “hourglass” design, a byproduct of its Dolby Atmos and spatial audio capabilities. It uses four tweeters, including two that point to the sides and one that reflects sound off the ceiling to mimic a surround sound system. There are also dual woofers angled left and right to complete the stereo environment, plus a beamforming microphone for Sonos’s Trueplay software (which automatically adjusts the EQ to your room).

Like other Sonos speakers, the Era 300 can be integrated into a home theater system when paired with a second-generation Arc or Beam soundbar. But you can also use this product as a standalone speaker, unlocking a spatial audio experience at a relatively low price. Just think; at $450, the Era 300 is $100 cheaper than Apple’s AirPods Max headphones.

The Era 300 also offers Wi-Fi 6, AirPlay and Bluetooth connectivity, and has a USB-C port for connecting with Sonos’ Line-in Adapter (for wired 3.5mm audio input) or Combo Adapter (for wired internet). There is also a mounting system on the bottom of the Era 300, making it very easy to use as a rear speaker in a home theater.

Again, the Era 300 is $450 and launches March 28. It’s the first Sonos speaker to offer Dolby Atmos support, assuming you don’t count Beam Gen 2 or Arc soundbars as “speakers.” I should also point out that this speaker uses a “fixable” design with lots of screws, as opposed to adhesive ones (Sonos seems to have learned something from the 2020 “recycling” controversy).

Sonos Era 100: a renewed Sonos One

Along with the Era 300, we’re getting a replacement for the Sonos One: the Sonos Era 100. It looks almost identical to the Sonos One, but remarkably, it delivers true stereo sound. (Like many other smart speakers, the old Sonos One combines stereo audio for mono output. So this is a truly awesome upgrade.)

Tucked beneath the Era 100’s grille are two angled tweeters (firing left and right), plus a larger mid-woofer to drive those low frequencies. Interestingly, Sonos is using waveguides in this speaker to help disperse audio, producing a more convincing stereo soundstage. (And, unsurprisingly, this speaker uses TruePlay to tailor its audio quality to your room.)

Otherwise, the Sonos 100 does what you’d expect. It has Wi-Fi 6, AirPlay and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as a USB-C port for external accessories (such as the line-in adapter). You can also pair two Sonos 100 speakers together for a more traditional stereo system, or pair them with a Beam Gen 2 or Arc sound bar for your home theater system.

The Era 100 costs $250 and launches on March 28, the same day as the Era 300. Like the Era 300, this speaker features a more screw-repairable design, rather than adhesives.

We plan to review the Era 300 when it launches. To see our review as it’s released, be sure to join our free newsletter.