A better price for the same performance: I reviewed Sonos cheaper Era 100 SL wireless speaker, and was shocked at how few concessions were made to make this a bargain

Date:
Sun, 21 Jun 2026 01:00:00 +0000

Description:
Sonoss cheaper Era 100 makes no sonic sacrifices although some users might find themselves missing out on a few nice-to-have features.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Sonos Era 100 SL: two-minute review The Sonos Era 100 SL is a wireless speaker that features nearly all the strengths of 2023s original Sonos Era 100 , but at a cheaper price. While it isn't a surprise that there have been some trade-offs to get that cost down, I doubt they'll be a dealbreaker for most people.

Sonically speaking, there arent many sacrifices at all. In the mid-range, the Era 100 SL is capable of impressive detail. When I played I Want You by Moloko, I was impressed by how well its funky guitar noises, strings and
acidy synth line cut through the mix, without interfering with the
wonderfully polished vocals. However, I found the high end a little more cluttered on occasion: listening to The Gloaming by Radiohead, I did feel
that the rhythmic pulsing static was a bit too forward, treading on the toes of the granular synth. It sounds great for the price, but you do get a finer presentation if you pay more. Latest Videos From Watch full video here:

Bass was always the original Era 100s achilles heel. It often tipped into being brash, slightly swamping the rest of the mix. When I played Six Days (Machinedrum remix) by DJ Shadow on the SL, the low-end appeared slightly
more dynamic when compared to the original Era 100, leading me to wonder if a software tweak to rein in bass was responsible, or whether it's part of the re-engineering inside that Sonos CEO Tom Conrad told us the company had done, to hit the lower price.

Either way, it still isn't great with sub, though: it falls away just when it hits the drop, that swelling bassline feeling nowhere near as substantial as it sounds on the best wireless speakers that are pricier.

Generally, though, the SL offers a spacious presentation, especially when fed high-quality recordings. Playing Wasting My Young Years by London Grammar
from Tidals hi-res tier, I was struck by the airiness of the mix, which allowed the silvery vocals to stand apart from the piano and drums.

Unfortunately, this doesnt quite extend to the speakers stereo field as with its predecessor, I found it hard to differentiate a clear stereo separation unless I was very close. As such, youre unlikely to get a clear sense of left and right from halfway across the room but then, at this price, you could actually buy two happily. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from
us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

So the Era 100 SL is as easy on the ear as its predecessor, albeit with some of the same drawbacks. But how does it look?

Given its largely decked out in the same getup as the Era 100, there really are few surprises here. Its the same dimensions and has the same wraparound grille and matte-plastic top surface. The touch-capacitive control scheme is also largely identical with the voice control button being the only real omission, because Sonos removed that feature. Otherwise, Sonos has stuck with what works for the SL, and Id say that was the right instinct.

In fact, probably the only area where the SL makes a real departure from its namesake is in its feature set. Connectivity remains solid, offering Wi-Fi 6, AirPlay 2 and a whole host of built-in streaming services although the only wired input youll get is if you splash extra cash on its USB-C to 3.5mm
analog converter. EQ options are identical to those on the Era 100, offering just the option to boost or duck bass or treble.

But there are two significant differences. First off, as I alluded to above, voice control has been stripped out of the SL. This feels like a reasonable sacrifice to lower that price and Id rather that than weaker sound quality.

Slightly more an issue for me is the omission of Trueplay room correction for Android users (which is a consequence of dropping the microphones, since the Android solution relies on them). Those with an iPhone can still tailor the SLs sound to their space using their device to track calibration sound as
they walk around the room. Given how well this feature polishes its sound, it is a shame that you'll miss out if you're on an Android device.

Despite this though, the Sonos Era 100 SL is well worth it. You get the quality sound plus classic design of Sonoss pricier speaker, for the reduced price of $189 / 169 / AU$289. Thats a pretty great bargain and ameliorates
our biggest hesitation with its pricier predecessor. Yes, it's a shame that Android users miss out on a great feature but it's still the best home
speaker you'll get for this price. (Image credit: Future) Sonos Era 100 SL at Amazon for 149 Sonos Era 100 SL review: specs Swipe to scroll horizontally

Category

Specification

Drivers

2 x angled tweeters, 1 x mid-woofer

Amplification

3 x Class-D digital amplifiers

Dimensions

182.5 x 120 x 130.5mm / 7.18 x 4.72 x 5.14 inches

Connectivity

Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C (Line-in via adapter)

Streaming support

Apple AirPlay 2, Sonos app (Spotify, Tidal, etc.), Amazon Music

Voice assistant support

None

Other features

Advanced Trueplay (iOS only), Stereo pairing, Humidity resistance Sonos Era 100 SL review: price & availability Launched on March 31, 2026 Costs $189 / 169 / AU$289 Available in black or white Having launched on March 31, 2026, the Sonos Era 100 SL is available now, at a cheaper price than its predecessor, the Era 100.

The SL comes in at $189 / 169 / AU$289, compared to the Era 100s now-reduced price of $219 / 199 / AU$319. While not a huge gulf, it still amounts to a decent saving, especially given the near-identical specs.

And, as is usually the case with Sonos gear, for that price you have the option to pick up the speaker in white or black. (Image credit: Future) Sonos Era 100 SL review: features Good connectivity options and streaming service support Room correction only compatible with iPhone No voice control of any kind So how does the Sonos Era 100 SLs featureset differ from its spendier stablemate? Well, on paper, its very similar to the Era 100, with only a couple of key differences.

Lets start with its drivers. The SL offers the same setup as as the Era 100, with a mid-woofer to handle both mid-range frequencies and bass, while two angled tweeters take care of the treble and help form its stereo field. These are all driven by the speakers three class D amplifiers, meaning you get decent volume and low-end heft.

Setting up Sonos products has always been a breeze, and the Era 100 SL is no exception. Simply plug it in, download the Sonos app, and select the system you want to add it to. Tap on your speaker when it appears, and it will play an audio pin to connect it to your system. After installing an update via the app, I was good to go.

The last (optional) step is to set up the SLs Trueplay room-calibration tuning, which is designed to get you the best possible sound from the
speaker, and that works much the same as it did on the Era 100.

Essentially, you point your iPhones mic toward the speaker, then walk around the room while whirling it around in slow circles with one arm , like a lopsided propeller.

Following calibration, the sound definitely seemed free of obvious acoustic issues there wasnt any boom back from the bass, nor any unfortunate reverberations off the surfaces or walls so Sonos room correction seems as effective as ever.

Unfortunately, theres a pretty major caveat here: unlike on the Era 100, the SLs Trueplay tuning is only compatible with iOS. And that is a real shame, given it does help unlock the SL's best sound. However, it still offers great performance for Android users, even if the lack of Trueplay does add an asterisk there. (Image credit: Future) Trueplay for Android users isnt the only feature removed to help reduce the SLs price. The voice control offered by the full Era 100 has been omitted, too, saving you the price of the mic module and controls. Personally, it takes me far longer to horsewhip my thoughts into a spoken command than it does to simply pull out my phone, so
Im not all that bothered about the lack of voice assistant. But if you are, youll probably prefer the Era 100.

While Ive mentioned how much I rate the Era 100 SLs room-correction tech, I cant really say the same for its EQ options. The Sonos app only offers the ability to boost or duck the treble or bass by up to 10 levels. While I do think Sonoss speakers sound a lot better than some wireless speakers out of the box, plenty of rivals now offer nine-band or even parametric EQ which makes the SLs bass and treble sliders feel like old hat.

As far as connectivity options are concerned, the Era 100 SL offers a decent range. Using Wi-Fi 6, you can stream tunes directly from your devices using AirPlay 2, or from the speaker using built-in apps including Amazon Music, Apple Music, Deezer, Soundcloud, Spotify, Tidal and a whole heap more. Meanwhile, Bluetooth 5.3 will allow you to hook up all your non-Apple
devices, although theres no support for higher-res formats such as aptX HD.

Sadly, the Era 100 SL is less well equipped when it comes to physical connections. Its USB-C port is only for plugging in adapters, so banish any thoughts of hooking up wired digital audio. So while it does allow you the option for plugging in either a 3.5mm jack for analog audio or an Ethernet cable, each of these requires you to buy a separate adapter. Its a world away from the wealth of ports that a speaker such as the Bluesound Pulse Flex offers. Features score: 4 / 5 (Image credit: Future) Sonos Era 100 SL review: sound quality Impressive detail Rich mids, and bass feels slightly less muddy Relatively weak stereo field My big worry when preparing to test the Sonos
Era 100 SL was that in trying to hit the cheaper price point, there would
have been a negative impact on the quality of its sound. Fortunately, Im pleased to reveal this isn't the case the Era 100 SL happily holds its own against its predecessor and, in some areas, I actually wonder if software tweaks have reined in some of the Era 100s worst impulses.

First, lets start with the mid-range. When listening to Venera by George Fitzgerald, I was impressed with how much presence and detail the SL could squeeze out of the tracks vocal, pad washes and synth lines, making them
sound like a richly textured whole. Admittedly, some of the percussion felt a little less punchy than Im used to, but that was more than made up for by how well it balanced the saturated, arpeggiated synth and organic organic
woodwind sounds that close out the track.

The original Era 100 came unstuck mainly in the bass like an overexcitable puppy, it was both enthusiastic and yet lacking in discipline. Here, it
sounds like the SLs software has been tweaked slightly to rein this in.

Comparing Listen by Pola & Bryson and Goddard on both speakers, sustained
bass notes sound less reverberant and flabby on the SL, while snarling distorted bass synths seem more tightly expressed. However, not that if youre expecting super-low bass from either device, youll be left wanting: theres very little in the way of sub from either. (Image credit: Future) I tested
the SLs treble by playing Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac an exam it easily passed, even if it didnt quite ace it. There wasnt any unpleasant distortion or oversaturation to it, while the snare and toms had a delicious punch that kept everything moving forward. However, my one reservation was that the rhythmic punch and the polished vocals slightly outshone the twangy rhythm guitar for me, theyre part of what makes the track so iconic, so it was a shame they didn't get to share as much of the limelight.

Given the Era 100 SL doesnt exactly sit at the premium end of the market, it also does a good job of separating different instruments in the mix. Playing
a hi-res stream of Clair de Lune by Kamasi Washington straight from Tidal, I was impressed by the clarity of timbre of each instrument, especially during the solos. The trumpet beautifully conveys the instruments rich harmonics, while the sliding strings of the double bass as the player launches into
their solo are brilliantly expressed.

Like its predecessor, the SL is only capable of so-so stereo. Unlike some
more premium speakers, it still largely feels like the sound is issuing from
a single point. And when I played Manchild by Eels, I could appreciate the stereo separation between elements with the guitars clearly panned to the right and the vocals to the left but only when I was sat within a few feet
of the device. At least listening angles are pretty consistent, with only a very slight drop off in the treble as you travel toward the speakers back.

All in all, my biggest worries going into this were ill-founded. Despite the cheaper price of the Sonos Era 100 SL, it doesnt demonstrate any significant sonic sacrifices compared to its full-fat sibling. And there may have even been a few software tweaks behind the scenes to slightly rein in the wilder tendencies of the older speaker. Either way, its a very decent-sounding speaker for the price. Sound quality score: 4.5 / 5 (Image credit: Future) Sonos Era 100 SL review: design Almost identical to the Era 100 Solid,
tactile build Effective touch-capacitive controls When it comes to looks, the Sonos Era 100 SL remains almost identical to its older sibling. They share
the same cylindrical ellipse shape, are wrapped in the same metallic grille, and arrive in the same black or white colorway. If youve ever gawked at the older Era 100, youll know exactly what youre getting here.

All in all, the Era 100 SL is decently stylish, feels solidly built, and the matte plastic of its top surface is pleasingly tactile. While Ive poured
scorn on quite a few wireless speakers lately for defaulting to this same basic format, Ill give Sonos a pass here. First off, it was largely the brand that coined this look in the first place and, more importantly, the Era 100 SL is principally a cheaper speaker wearing its spendier brothers clothing, meaning it was never going to break the mould of existing speakers.

In light of this, so not surprisingly, the Sonos Era 100 SL is the same size as its full-fat sibling, measuring 7.19 x 4.72 x 5.14 inches / 182.5 x 120 x 130.5mm. However, it's ever so slightly lighter presumably thanks to its shedding of voice control mics weighing in at 4.3lbs / 1.95kg compared to
its predecessors 4.45lbs / 2.02kg. That makes it a pretty average size in the grand scheme of things, neither Lilliputian like the 0.96lbs / 0.44kg Sonos Roam 2 , nor Brobdingnagian like the hulking, 3 lbs / 14.5kg Cambridge Audio Evo One . (Image credit: Future) With one notable exception, the erstwhile voice control button, the buttons on the Era 100 SL are the same. And thats very much a plus: theres no need to fix the Era 100s control scheme since it definitely isn't broke. Its touch-capacitive controls are easy to activate, allowing you to play, pause and skip tracks, while swiping its touch bar lets you tweak its volume. Sure, it could offer light-up symbols for use in darker rooms or customizable shortcut keys, but it covers the core functions well.

Fundamentally, the Era 100 SL is the spitting image of the Era 100 before it. So if you were a fan of the older model, you can be sure youll like its younger sibling. Design score: 4 / 5 Sonos Era 100 SL review: value In our review, one of our criticisms of the original Sonos Era 100 was its increased cost. Its initial list price of $249 / 249 / AU$399 presented a chunky markup on the Sonos One at $219 / 199 / AU$319 , but even more so when compared to the Sonos One SL's $199 / 179 / AU$289. Even though the Era 100 has now come down in price to $219 / 199 / AU$319, thats still only roughly comparable to the Sonos One.

Conversely, the Era 100 SL has a list price of $189 / 169 / AU$289, making it the same price or even cheaper than the Sonos One SL but with many of the
same features and the exact same sound quality as the Era 100. Thats not to
be sneered at.

In fact, if youre an iPhone user, the only real thing youre losing here is voice control, something Im personally happy to sacrifice for a bit of a bargain. And even if youre an Android user, this price is still well worth it as you're unlikely to get much better performance by investing your spend elsewhere. Access to Trueplay is a definite bonus but that shouldn't detract from the fact the SL still offers great sound for its price. Value score: 4.5 / 5 (Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Sonos Era 100 SL? Swipe to scroll horizontally

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Good range of connectivity options, but weaker EQ settings. No voice control. Room correction not available on Android

4/5

Sound quality

Well-expressed mids and highs, and excellent clarity and separation; bass seems slightly less doughy.

4.5/5

Design

Near-identical to its predecessor, with the same classy looks and effective touch controls.

4/5

Value

Much better price than its predecessor for much the same performance, even if one or two features were dropped to get it there.

4.5/5 Buy it if You want very decent sound While the Era 100 SL isn't audiophile-grade per se, it offers very creditable sound for a speaker for
its price, with bold bass, detailed mids and punchy yet not overdone treble. You want better value Given it comes in at $30 / 30 / AU$30 less than its older sibling, but without any significant sonic differences, the SL offers a more affordable way to get the Era 100s sound into your home. Dont buy it if Lack of room-correction is a deal-breaker If you're running Android and you can't bear to miss out on Sonos's most polished sound, it may still be worth you picking up the Era 100 instead. Voice control is a necessity The main way Sonos has achieved the SLs lower price is by excising its mics and voice control. If you hate using your fleshy digits to control devices by hand, youll also want to opt for the pricier Era 100. Sonos Era 100 SL review: also consider Swipe to scroll horizontally Header Cell - Column 0

Sonos Era 100 SL

Sonos Era 100

WiiM Sound Lite

Drivers

2 x angled tweeters, 1 x mid-woofer

2 x angled tweeters, 1 x mid-woofer

2x 1-inch silk-dome tweeters, 1x 4-inch paper-cone woofer

Amplification

3 x Class-D digital amplifiers

3 x Class-D digital amplifiers

100W (50W woofer, 2x 25W tweeters)

Dimensions

7.19 x 4.72 x 5.14 inches / 182.5 x 120 x 130.5mm

7.19 x 4.72 x 5.14 inches / 182.5 x 120 x 130.5mm

7.6 x 5.7 x 5.7 inches / 193 x 146 x 146mm

Connectivity

Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C (Line-in via adapter)

Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C (Line-in via adapter)

Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, Ethernet (100Mbps), 3.5mm Aux-in

Streaming support

AirPlay 2, Sonos app (Spotify, Tidal, etc.)

AirPlay 2, Sonos app (Spotify, Tidal, etc.)

Chromecast, Spotify/Tidal/Qobuz Connect, DLNA, Roon Ready

Voice assistant support

None

Amazon Alexa, Sonos Voice Control

Works with Alexa/Google (via external device) Sonos Era 100 The OG Era 100 is identical to the SL in many ways. It looks almost exactly the same, delivers very good sound, and comes with all the same smarts built into its app. The extra cost comes from the inclusion of voice control. On top of this, it also offers Trueplay for Android users, something the SL unfortunately omits. Read our full Sonos Era 100 review . WiiM Sound Lite While the WiiM Sound Lite
cant keep up with either Era 100 speaker in some areas, it absolutely outstrips them in others. I found its bass to be somewhat lacking, its room-tuning less smart than Sonos, and it has an even narrower stereo field. However, its capable of hi-res 24-bit/192kHz playback, offers gorgeously spacious and expressive mids, and its parametric EQ is a quantum leap ahead
of Sonoss bass / treble tweaking. Read our full comparison of the WiiM Sound Lite vs Sonos Era 100 . (Image credit: Future) How I tested the Sonos Era 100 SL Tested it over four weeks Compared it to the Era 100 using a wide range of tracks Have decades of experience using audio hardware I tested the Sonos Era 100 SL over the course of about a month. I made sure to utilize many of its key features, including room-tuning and EQ, and tried connecting to it
through a range of options from direct streaming on the device through to connecting discrete devices using AirPlay 2.

To assess its sound quality, I played a wide variety of music, from classic rock to liquid drum & bass. I also compared the sound, side by side, with the Era 100 to see whether I could perceive any significant differences between their sound signatures. In addition, I compared each versions stereo field
and angle drop-off to see whether either revealed any issues with their soundstage.

As well as spending at least the past six years reviewing wireless speakers for tech publications, I have decades of experience using audio hardware in
my home environment, including a range of wired and wireless speakers and headphones. Ive also spent 20 years producing music from home, which has
given me a firm understanding of how to assess the balance of frequencies and stereo elements. First reviewed: June 2026 Read more about how we test Sonos Era 100 SL: Price Comparison 149 View 169 View 169 View 169 View 169 View
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