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ZDNET's key takeaways
- Sonos announces the Play and Era 100 SL speakers.
- The Play speaker sits between the Sonos Roam and Move 2 portable speakers.
- The Era 100 SL is an entry-level access point into Sonos' smart home speakers.
After announcing a new professional-focused amp in January, Sonos continues to address its hardware drought with the Sonos Play and Era 100 SL speakers. The Play introduces a new tier of portable speakers, and the Era 100 SL is a more affordable entry point into the Sonos home theater system.
Also: Sonos' cheapest smart speaker is also the one I use the most. Here's why
The Sonos Play and Era 100 SL speakers represent novel pathways for existing Sonos fans to expand their system, and ways for new customers to become acquainted with the brand. Here's what we know.
Sonos Play: A new Sonos speaker tier
Sonos headlines this speaker as “the most versatile speaker in the Sonos system,” falling in the middle of its portable lineup, between the Roam and Move 2. Like the Move 2, the Play is portable, meaning you can connect it to your home Wi-Fi network to sync audio with your Sonos smart speakers, or connect it to your phone via Bluetooth for listening when away from home.
The Play speaker aligns with Move 2's indoor/outdoor versatility, offering a charging base you can keep inside to keep the Play speaker's battery topped up at home, operating more like a smart speaker. However, the Play speaker is slightly smaller than the Move 2, making it more suitable for adventures beyond your backyard.
Also: Should you buy a Sonos or Samsung sound system? I compared both brands to find out
The Play debuts with improved durability over the Move 2, sporting an IP67 dust and waterproof rating, compared to the Move 2's IP56 dust and water-resistant rating. Additionally, Sonos equipped the Play speaker with a proprietary Bluetooth-enabled grouping feature that lets you group multiple Play and Move 2 speakers.
On the audio front, the Play speaker displays why it's more affordable than the Move 2. Based on specs alone, I can infer the Play will have a more bass-heavy sound profile that won't be as loud and present as the Move 2. The Play speaker features three Class-H amplifiers, two tweeters, one midwoofer, and two passive radiators for additional bass response.
In comparison, the Move 2's more powerful Class-D amplifiers can drive lower frequencies without the help of passive radiators. Still, the Play's additional passive radiators should help the speaker produce louder low frequencies in outdoor settings, which is valuable since the speaker is more portable than the Move 2.
Like the Move 2, the Play speaker has several premium features, including Automatic Trueplay, USB-C reverse charging, Apple AirPlay 2, and voice assistant compatibility.
Era 100 SL: Almost an Era 100 carbon copy
Sonos names the Era 100 SL a “confident first step into the Sonos system,” thanks to its nearly identical acoustic makeup to the more premium Era 100 speaker and its ability to act as rear speakers with your Sonos soundbar.
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Like the Era 100, the Era 100 SL features three Class-D amplifiers, two tweeters, and one midwoofer. However, Sonos omitted built-in microphones from the Era 100 SL and says removing them emphasizes essential listening. Otherwise, the Era 100 SL is just like its older sibling, including features such as in-app speaker pairing, TruePlay, Apple AirPlay 2, and capacitive touch controls.
The Sonos Play and Era 100 SL speakers will be available for preorder beginning March 31, in Black and White for $299 and $189, respectively.
