Is Sonos Good Again? - Sonos Play & Sonos Era 100 SL
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We're all Born Private, and it should stay that way. Create a free account with Proton Mail - proton.me Sonos is back with new consumer speakers and the Play wireless unit is actually prettttttty solid, but for Dan, it's got on fatal flaw. The Era 100 SL on the other hand is probably one of the better deals in the Sonos ecosystem.
Check out the Sonos Play: geni.us
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Dan returns with a hands-on look at two new Sonos offerings, the Play wireless speaker and the Era 100 SL. He starts by unpacking the Play, noting its replaceable battery and surprisingly simple two-step setup, plus the USB-C based charging base and a long power cable. He emphasizes the physical build quality, the button layout, and the dust-attracting soft-touch exterior, while also pointing out the absence of a power brick in the box which means you need to supply your own charger. Next, he compares it to the Era 100 SL, highlighting its capacitive controls, non-piano black top, and the mounting hole for wall or stand installation, while stressing the main differences in design language between the two models. The video then delves into software and ecosystem considerations, featuring the pairing process, auto TruePlay, and the app experience that includes a friendly audio jingle when adding devices. Across both devices, he tests Bluetooth performance, 5 GHz Wi-Fi support, and the ability to use them as Bluetooth speakers or within Sonos’ broader ecosystem, while noting the limitations around using Play and Era as part of a full home theater setup. Finally, Dan voices a recurring theme: while Sonos continues to push ecosystem cohesion, the lack of full interoperability across every speaker in a home theater remain a friction point, despite solid hardware and compelling battery replaceability that could justify the price in certain configurations.
Topics · technology · audio equipment · product reviews · smart home
Questions answered
- What makes the Sonos Play stand out in terms of hardware design and setup?
- The Sonos Play features a replaceable battery, a long USB-C charging cable, a soft-touch exterior, tangible physical buttons, and a simple two-step setup that includes an account creation and automatic Wi-Fi connection, plus a quad-friendly 5 GHz Wi‑Fi option.
- How does the Era 100 SL differ from the Play in terms of usability and features?
- The Era 100 SL has capacitive controls, a non-piano black top, a wall mounting option, a dedicated power cable, and line‑in support via USB-C. It targets a more refined look and a broader placement versatility within a Sonos ecosystem compared to the Play.
- Can these speakers be used together with the full Sonos home theater system?
- According to the video, these speakers can function as Bluetooth speakers or standalone Sonos speakers, but they do not support full integration as rear surrounds within a complete Sonos home theater setup.