Sonos Era 100 SL Review: A cheaper AirPlay speaker for Apple users

Best prices today: Sonos Era 100 SL

The Sonos Era 100 SL is a compact wireless smart speaker designed to deliver superior sound quality at a more affordable price. Built as a stripped-down version of the original Era 100, it removes the voice assistant and microphone features while retaining the same powerful audio performance, sleek design, and wireless connectivity options.

The Era 100 SL’s lower price is intended to attract new users who may have never owned Sonos speakers before. However, it can also be used with other Sonos products, such as its soundbars and subwoofers, providing an affordable upgrade path for Sonos fans who may want to expand their existing multi-room or home theater setup.

One of the Sonos Era 100 SL’s biggest drawbacks is that its USB-C port can’t be used for direct audio input from devices like laptops, phones, or tablets, meaning users who want a wired connection must purchase a separate Sonos adapter — a drawback that primarily affects people who prefer wired audio setups or want to easily connect non-wireless devices.

What is different between Era 100 SL and Era 100

The original Sonos Era 100 launched a few years ago, with a £249/$249 price tag that put it in competition with Apple’s HomePod. The Era 100 is still available, but Sonos has just launched a new model called the Era 100 SL which aims to offer a “more accessible” – that is, cheaper – option at just $189/£169.

As the name suggests, the Era 100 SL is very similar to the previous Era 100 (which remains on sale, now at a reduced price of $219.00/£199). Available in black or white, the two speakers are virtually identical, with the Era 100 SL measuring 183mm high, 120mm wide and 131mm deep. The Era 100 SL is slightly lighter, however, as it omits the microphone and voice control functions of the Era 100, reducing the weight of the speaker by a few grams to 1.95 kg.

The Era 100 SL also has the same internal setup as its predecessor, with a pair of tweeters handling the higher frequencies, while a single woofer takes care of the mids and bass. Each of the drivers has its own amplifier, although Sonos doesn’t provide specific details on the amplifier’s output.

What features does the Era 100 SL offer?

Like all Sonos speakers, the Era 100 SL is primarily designed for wireless audio, supporting Bluetooth and dual-band Wi-Fi on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. And, as always, it supports AirPlay 2 for Apple devices, allowing it to work with Apple HomePods and other AirPlay speakers as part of a multi-room audio system. The Era 100 SL doesn’t support Dolby Atmos or spatial audio, but it’s possible to pair two Era 100 SL speakers together to create a stereo system, or use them with a soundbar as part of a surround sound system for your TV.

Wired connections, however, are more limited. There’s a USB-C port on the back of the speaker, but this can’t be used to provide a wired connection from a USB-C port on your Mac or mobile devices. If you want to use a wired connection, you’ll need to purchase a separate adapter from Sonos, which costs $19.00/£19.00 for a basic adapter with a 3.5mm audio connector, or $39.00 for a “combo” adapter that includes both a 3.5mm connector and an Ethernet interface for a wired network (although 3.5mm and Ethernet cables are not included). Our only other complaint is that the power connector is recessed into the base of the speaker, which means you have to use the special “angled power cable” provided by Sonos and you can’t just use a standard power cable if you misplace the Sonos cable.

How does it sound?

Unsurprisingly, the Era 100 SL sounds very similar to its predecessor, offering very good sound quality for such a compact speaker. Despite its compact design, it works wonderfully with Madonna’s atmospheric electronics. Frozencreating a relaxed and spacious soundstage for the song’s ambient sounds. There’s a gentle sound in the opening strings, and the Era 100 SL picks out all the little details of the piece, such as the tinkling percussion and gentle electronic chimes.

There’s muscle too, allowing the drums to crack like a whip as they kick us into the chorus, and the bass drum anchors the sound, while Madonna’s multi-tracked vocals float gently above everything. This power really comes in handy for Sturgill Simpson’s raucous rock/dance mash-up. Sing with youand I’m afraid of disturbing the neighbors even with the speaker playing at only 60% of maximum volume.

There’s a big echoing sound in the fuzzy guitar riffs, while the electronic keyboards fizz with infectious energy and, once again, there’s a heavy bass drum sound that holds the whole song together. Granted, the bass at the end of the song could be a bit firmer, but bass delivery is always a weakness with compact speakers like this, and the Era 100 SL offers good sound quality for a speaker in this price range.

Should you buy the Sonos Era 100 SL?

If you just want a Bluetooth speaker to use with mobile devices, there are certainly cheaper options that can match the sound quality of the Era 100 SL. But for Apple users, it’s the AirPlay support that stands out, allowing the Era 100 SL to quickly and easily work with all your Apple devices and apps, as well as work with other AirPlay speakers as part of a multi-room audio system.