Sonos has, for a while now, been linked with unveiling some new speakers, which are expected to be officially announced anytime soon. However, it seems we now know a fair bit about them, including details and pricing.
The Sonos Era 300 and Era 100 speakers will reportedly be launched in the “coming weeks” and will bring Bluetooth to the company’s smart audio line-up for the first time. They essentially provide alternatives to theSonos FiveandSonos One, with the larger of the two also having leaked before under the guise of theSonos Optimo 2.
Now, we know so much more, thanks toThe Verge, which claims to have got its hands on a few marketing images and pricing information.
It says that the Era 300 won’t replace the Five, as that’s likely to be retained in the lineup. However, it will offer a fair few new features, including spatial audio andDolby Atmos, Bluetooth and USB-C support. It will also be Wi-Fi 6-enabled for stronger, smoother wireless network connectivity. It’ll support AirPlay 2 as well.
Voice control will continue to be part of theSonosrange, but it is unclear whether Google Assistant will be available alongside Alexa due to an ongoing dispute between Sonos and Google. There will be mute buttons in the Sonos app and around the back of the speaker, if you don’t want that functionality, writes The Verge.
As for the Sonos Era 100, it is believed to be a direct replacement for the Sonos One. It too will support Bluetooth and USB-C, it is said, but not spatial audio nor Dolby Atmos. It won’t have upfiring drivers, unlike the Era 300. However, Sonos has apparently added a second tweeter to the speaker for true stereo sound. The mid-woofer is “enlarged” too.
US pricing for the two speakers is claimed to be $450 for the larger Sonos Era 300, while the smaller Era 100 will allegedly cost around $250.
The site also says that Sonos will release both speakers in late March. Pocket-lint will bring you more on the Sonos Era range as and when it is made official.
