Sonos last week unveiled the Sonos Era 300 and Sonos Era 100, which it described as “the next generation of smart speakers, ushering in a whole new chapter in sound and design innovation”.
The devices will be launched in South Africa at the end of March but, meanwhile, Sonos provided the following information:
Era 300 is a bold, revolutionary new speaker built to deliver the best experience for out loud spatial audio with Dolby Atmos, while Era 100 is a remastering of the best-selling Sonos One. Tuned by award-winning artists and engineers, the Era family powers new levels of immersive listening with expanded connectivity and Trueplay technology. Era 300 and Era 100 are also the first speakers built to Sonos’ new responsible design standards, which span long-term serviceability, energy-efficient technologies and use of post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials. Both Era 300 (R10 999.00) and Era 100 (R6 499.00) will be available globally on 28 March 2023.
“In an age of constant background noise, quality listening matters more than ever. Our vision is to make listening an experience that is charged with feeling, and help our customers feel joy and vitality through their favorite music and audio content,” said Patrick Spence, CEO of Sonos. “The Era family is the next generation of smart speakers, epitomizing our commitment to sound innovation, responsible design and a deep connection to the creator community.”
Unprecedented for a single compact speaker, Era 300 boasts six powerful drivers that direct sound left, right, forward and upward, delivering a breakthrough audio performance featuring Dolby Atmos that places listeners at the very heart of their movies and music..
“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.”
● Designed 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.
● Surreal surround sound: Era 300 is the brand’s first speaker that delivers multi-channel surround sound when used as home theater rears. Movie fans can pair two speakers with Arc or Beam (Gen 2) to create a supercharged Dolby Atmos experience that draws them deeper into the action.
● Deep music industry collaboration: Sonos worked closely with its community of leading artists and creators – including Sonos Soundboard members – to meticulously fine-tune Era 300 so listeners can enjoy sound straight from the studio that’s true to the artist’s intent.
“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.”
Sonos Era 300 will be available globally on 28 March 2023, and will retail in South Africa for R10,999.
Only slightly larger than its predecessor Sonos One, Era 100 features all-new hardware and software, with next-gen acoustics and design that deliver detailed stereo sound and deep bass.
● Now in stereo: Two angled tweeters send crisp high frequencies left and right for a rich stereo experience, while a larger midwoofer creates stunning bass that’s unexpected from a single compact speaker.
● Small but mighty: Packed full of audio and tech enhancements, Era 100’s slim, modern design makes it a chic accent piece for any bookshelf, kitchen counter, desk or nightstand.
● Customize your system: Level-up movie night by adding two Era 100 speakers as rears with your soundbar to create a surround sound system, or simply pair two together for room-filling stereo sound.
Building on Sonos’s timeless acoustic-driven design aesthetic, Era 100 and Era 300 are responsive to the challenges facing our environment—and better for everyone who interacts with our designs, featuring a bold new UI and innovations that will help them last longer, use less energy and make use of recycled materials in each product.
“We bring the same forward-thinking mindset to responsible design as we do to creating powerful new listening experiences,” said Kitty Suidman, Design Director, Product Sustainability. “Our commitment to sustainability is embedded in our design process from the start, with the Era family marking a major step forward in our journey to create products that last beyond expectation, perform more efficiently, and use safer and circular materials.”
● More sustainable sound: Era 100 and Era 300 are 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 advanced sleep function.
● Built to last: Designed to live in your home for years, both speakers are built for serviceability by reducing the use of adhesives and transitioning to screws for easy disassembly and repair.
● Bold, new UI: Era 100 and Era 300 feature an intuitive new user interface, including a new capacitive volume slider for simple control that complements quick and private control of your music with 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.
● Expanding Trueplay to more listeners: Using the microphone array in Era 100 and Era 300, Trueplay optimizes the sound for the unique acoustics of your space with just a tap in the Sonos app. Available to both Android and iOS users.
* For more information, visit sonos.com