Sonos Era 100 replaces Sonos One while Era 300 is designed for spatial audio and doubles as rear speakers for a Sonos Beam or Arc soundbar for up to 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos.
Details about the Era speakers had already leaked but Sonos has now officially announced Era 100 and Era 300 that will be available globally on March 28, 2023. The company refers to Era 300 as its "breakthrough spatial audio speaker".
- "Just like the shift from mono to stereo, spatial audio is the next evolution in listening - creating a sound experience that wraps you in music," said Giles Martin, VP, Sound Experience at Sonos. "As both creators and major streaming platforms embrace spatial audio for music, the time is right to create an out loud listening experience that delivers against the promise of this thrilling and creative format."
The spatial audio message is one that Apple, Sony and others have pushed for a few years now in speakers such as HomePods and headphones such as AirPods.
Also read: First listen: Sony's ecosystem of 360 Spatial Sound products
Sonos Era 100 and Era 300. Photo: Sonos
Up to 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos
Both Sonos speakers are designed first and foremost as music speakers but like previous speakers you can pair them to a Sonos soundbar for surround sound.
Era 300 is Sonos' first speaker with support for multi-channel surround sound and Dolby Atmos when used as rears. This requires a Dolby Atmos compatible TV with HDMI ARC/eARC or a media player such as Apple TV 4K or Nvidia Shield.
Also read: Guide to Dolby Atmos at home
Sonos explains that "when you pair two Era 300 speakers with Arc and Sub, you unlock a mind-bending 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos experience. When paired with Beam (Gen 2) and Sub, you'll get an immersive 5.1.4 experience".
Sonos Era 300 as Dolby Atmos rear speakers. Photo: Sonos
Dolby Atmos music
Era 300 is equipped with six drivers that direct sound left, right, forward and upward. It will support Dolby Atmos music from Amazon Music and Apple Music, which means that Sonos will be the first to support Apple's Dolby Atmos music, besides Apple's own HomePod.
- "Dolby Atmos created a new way for music and audio entertainment to be experienced. Sounds and music come alive with unparalleled clarity and depth," said Kevin J. Yeaman, CEO of Dolby. "Era 300’s sound innovation with Dolby Atmos creates a completely immersive music experience."
Another new features is the USB-C port with line-in adapter that allows you to plug in devices a turntable via an auxiliary cable. The adapter is sold separately.
On the other hand the new Era speakers do not support Google Assistant.
Era 300 (USD $449 / GBP £449 / EUR €499 / AUD $749) and Era 100 (USD $249 / GBP £249 / EUR €279 / AUD $399) will be available in major market on March 28, 2023.
Sonos Era 300 – specifications
| - Shaped for spatial: Era 300 wraps its beautifully complex acoustic architecture in an elegantly cinched hourglass design, with every angle, proportion and perforation enhancing the direction and dispersion of sound to truly surround you.
- Room-filling sound: No matter where you are or what you play, the listening experience is nothing short of extraordinary with a sensationally spacious stereo soundstage you can enjoy all around the room.
- Surreal surround sound: As a multi-channel device, Era 300 creates a mind-bending home theater experience that’s supercharged by Dolby Atmos when paired as surrounds with Arc or Beam (Gen 2).
- Deep music industry collaboration: Sonos worked closely with its community of leading artists and creators to meticulously fine-tune Era 300 so listeners can enjoy sound straight from the studio that’s true to the artist’s intent. TrueplayTM, available to both Android and iOS users, optimizes the sound for the unique acoustics of your space with a tap in the Sonos app.
- More sustainable sound: Era 300 is made with post consumer recycled (PCR) plastic and packaged in 100% sustainably sourced paper, while also engineered to reduce power consumption with under two watts idle power consumption and a new sleep function. It’s also built for serviceability by reducing the use of adhesives and transitioning to screws for easy disassembly and repair.
- Bold, new UI: Era 300 features an intuitive new user interface, including a new capacitive volume slider for simple control that complements quick and private control of your music with Sonos Voice Control, the Sonos app, Apple AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth.
- Upgraded connectivity: Stream all the audio you care about using WiFi or Bluetooth, and directly connect other audio devices such as a turntable using an auxiliary cable and the Sonos Line-In Adapter.
Audio
Amplifiers
Six class-D digital amplifiers precision-tuned for the speaker's unique acoustic architecture power your sound experience.
Tweeters
Four tweeters ensure faithful playback of high and mid-range frequencies. The forward-firing mid tweeter provides a smooth center image while two side-firing mid tweeters create stereo separation. Loaded into a directional horn, the upward-firing tweeter reflects sound off the ceiling when playing Dolby Atmos content.
Woofers
Two woofers maximize low-end output and are angled left and right to support stereo playback.
Microphones
The far-field microphone array uses advanced beamforming and multichannel echo cancellation for quick and accurate voice control and Trueplay tuning. Disconnect by toggling off the mic switch.
Adjustable EQ
Use the Sonos app to adjust bass, treble, and loudness.
Trueplay
This software measures the acoustics of the room then fine-tunes the EQ. Compatible with iOS and Android devices.
Details
Dimensions
6.30 x 10..24 x 7.28 in (160 x 260 x 185 mm) (H x W x D)
Weight
9.85 lb (4.47 kg)
Finish
Matte; Available in Black or White
Control Buttons
Play, pause, skip, replay, adjust the volume, mute your voice assistant, and group or ungroup Sonos products.
Bluetooth Button
Press to pair with a Bluetooth device.
Mic Switch
Toggle off this switch on the back of the product to disconnect all power to the microphone hardware.
LED
Light on the product indicates connection, microphone activity, and mute status.
Power and Connectivity
WiFi
Compatible with WiFi 6 for increased reliability. Connect to WiFi with any 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax 2.4 GHz/5 GHz broadcast-capable router.
Bluetooth 5.0
Supports audio streaming from any Bluetooth-enabled device.
Voltage
100-240V 50/60Hz internal power supply
USB-C
Connect an audio source using an auxiliary cable and the Sonos Line-In Adapter. Connect your router with an ethernet cable and the Sonos Combo Adapter. (All accessories sold separately.)
Apple AirPlay 2
Works with AirPlay 2 on Apple devices iOS 11.4 and higher
Pricing and Availability
Available starting March 28, 2023, in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Colombia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. Eastern Europe, Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, and India to follow.
USD $449 / GBP £449 / EUR €499 / AUD $749 |
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