The best Alexa smart speaker I have tested is not Eco – and this is $ 30 for Prime Day

Key takeaways of zdnet

• Sonos ERA 100 is a $ 249 smart speaker that I recommend most people, audiofile or not.
• In addition to a complete, bouncy sound, the sonos speaker produces crystal-cleaer vocals that enhance any song and are hand-free Alexa for voice control.
• Since the ERA 100 is designed for small places, it does not support spatial audio or dolby atomos like its elder brother -in -law, ERA 300.

Sonos era 100 The speaker is on the sale of $ 179 as part of Amazon Prime Day, $ 30 for $ 30.

Too: Best Prime Day deals You can shop now,

When Sonos reached me to discuss the launch of a new line of smart speakers, I was a gidhi for a better word lack. The company is behind many magnificent audio products, including closed Sonos forestRight now the market is one of the best smart speakers.

Also: I have used my AirPods Pro 2 as they launched for the first time. Here is my purchase advice for 2025

This enthusiasm came to a great extent because it had been almost six years since Sonos launched a speaker when it launched ERA 100, and one was still a favorite among Audiofiles and Smart Home enthusiasts. It makes Era 100A direct replacement for one, a big thing. Here are the important features that you should know about and make the latest Sonos speaker a worthy upgrade.

Anboxing experience

The clean beauty of Sonos packaging alone is captivating. Sonos is committed to environmental stability, from manufacturing to packaging design. The ERA 100 speaker includes recycled materials, and Sonos is switching on 100% paper packaging this year, so the unboxing experience was like opening a current.

However, what is inside, is still the star of the show.

Era 100 is a smooth smart speaker, which is slightly larger than its predecessor, Sonos forestAnd narrow than a few inches Eco studio To set it, it needs to connect and download the sonos app with power, which will automatically find the speaker nearby and guide you through the coupling process.

What is new with sonos era 100

Era 100 has touch controls touch control at the top of the speaker, which has found me very comfortable. These controls can be used to accommodate volumes, plays, poses, skip and riplay. There is also a Bluetooth button on the back. Yes, you read the right: The smart speaker has a Bluetooth connectivity, a feature that lacks sonos.

Also: 5 Best Bluetooth Speaker

Sonos speakers do the best work with the Sonos app – at least this company wants you to believe. They are not wrong, but there are some quirks that I saw. For the beginning, the audio feels fantastic when played through Wi-Fi, and if you have guests who want to play something on the speaker, Bluetooth connectivity makes it possible for them to do so that they do this without downloading the sonos app on their equipment.

However, the overall app experience can be finish and slow with software with software.

Era 100 has a voice control, which you can close by toggling the microphone switch at the back. While the new model supports Amazon Alexa and Sonos Voice Control, it does not support Google assistant like Sonos One.

Sonos has stopped her support for Google Voices on the speakers of the new era, so if you are looking for a smart speaker to round your Google Smart Home Ecosystem, then you are better with the old Sonos forest Or one Google nest speaker,

Also: The best stereo speaker you can buy

The speaker has another big upgrade on the USB-C port Era 100 on the back. If you want to add an audio source or Ethernet cable, now you can do it with one of the sonos’ Line-in and combo adapter,

How does ERA 100 sound?

Era 100 is the best speaker of its size that I have ever tested. This is an improvement from Sonos One, which was already considered to be the best -looking smart speaker, but it seems better than Amazon Eco Studio and naturally, removes all other compact smart speakers out of water.

Since ERA is designed for 100 small places, it does not support spatial audio or dolby atomos like its elder brother, Era 300Nevertheless, the younger era 100 is powerful enough to successfully fill a medium-to-big-sized room.

Too: Sonos Era Smart Speakers are now available to buy: what’s new here

While I could not compare over-the-top speaker and woofer on an old car 25+ years ago with the grand sound quality of a sonos speaker in 2023, 25+ years ago, I can tell you that listening to music on ERA 100 gave me a lot of experience of thanks to bouncing bass and crystal clear vocals.

ZDNET purchase advice

ERA 100 has raised the bar for compact, high quality speakers. In addition to a complete, bouncy sound, the sonos speaker puts crystal-cleaer vocals at the forefront of any song. It is also highly powerful, yet it does not lose full amount of sound quality, and deep bass does not stand up, even in its highest settings.

Compared to other smart speakers, Sonos era 100 Is outstanding. The sound is at a distance of others in the same value range. This is just so good.