Sonos
Sonos Era 100 SL - Compact Speaker (Black)
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View Sonos Era 100 SL - Compact Speaker (Black) on AmazonYou pay the same either way.Specifications
| Microphone | No built-in microphone (no always-on listening) |
|---|---|
| Audio | Strong audio quality for its size |
| Stereo pairing | Pairs with a second Era 100 for stereo |
| Setup | Requires the Sonos app |
| Ecosystem | Suited to the Sonos multi-room platform |
Pros & cons
Pros
- No built-in microphone means no always-on listening — a quiet win for privacy
- Punches above its compact size on sound quality
- Add a second Era 100 later for a proper stereo pair
Cons
- Setup needs the Sonos app — there is no standalone quick-start
- Outside a Sonos system, it makes less sense than as part of one
Skip it if
Skip it if you want built-in voice control or a standalone speaker, since the SL has no microphone and is at its best inside a Sonos system.
How we assessed it
We synthesized this
The Era 100 SL makes one deliberate choice: it leaves out the microphone. There's no always-on listening, which is the reassurance privacy-minded listeners are after, and for its compact size the sound is genuinely strong. It's happiest inside the Sonos world — start with one, then add a second Era 100 down the line for a full stereo pair and grow into a multi-room setup. If you already run Sonos, or plan to, this slots straight in.
The trade-offs are the flip side of that focus. Setup runs through the Sonos app rather than a standalone pairing, and as a lone speaker outside the platform it's less compelling than it is as part of one. Our read is a synthesis of Sonos's documented microphone-free design, stereo-pairing and platform fit rather than a hands-on listening test — see how we test.