Room-filling sound meets considerate enhancements

Sonos isn’t any stranger to the world of wi-fi audio. The truth is, the corporate basically invented the Wi-Fi-connected craze, with opponents like Bose, Apple, and Bluesound releasing standalone sensible audio system that our telephones, tablets, and laptops can simply connect with. However in the case of top-shelf efficiency from a small gadget, the Sonos One (and the next One SL) had been laborious to beat. These days, although, there’s a brand new entry-level Sonos product on the town.
Enter the Sonos Period 100, a superb sensible speaker that provides a little bit further top and bulk to the Sonos One blueprint. We had the chance to check out the Period 100 for a number of weeks, and whereas we did run into a few hitches, our check drive ended up being an unimaginable expertise total. The Sonos Period 100 is a nice sensible speaker.

Sonos Period 100

The Sonos Period 100 is the revamped model of the corporate’s Sonos One, One SL, and Play:1 fashions. The compact possibility of the lineup, the Period 100 delivers room-filling sound with out taking over numerous area. Connections embody Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and an adaptable USB-C port for line-in audio and ethernet (adapters offered individually).

Professionals

• Terrific sound high quality
• Compact measurement
• Intuitive companion app
• Now helps Bluetooth
• Expandable USB-C port (line-in or combo adapter)

Cons

• Pricier than the Sonos One
• No Google Assistant
• Line-in and ethernet adapters offered individually

Value, specs, and availability

The Sonos Period 100 sells for $250 and is accessible in black and white finishes. Because it stands, you should buy the sensible speaker straight by Sonos, in addition to on-line and brick-and-mortar retailers like Amazon, Crutchfield, Finest Purchase, and B&H Photograph Video.

Design and options

Rounding issues out

Ditching the squared-off chassis of the Sonos One, the Period 100 takes issues in a completely cylindrical path. At 7.2 inches tall, 4.7 inches large, and 5.1 inches from entrance to again, the Period actually isn’t an excessive amount of greater than both One speaker. The elder brother, the Sonos Period 300, appears a bit extra just like the Sonos 5.
The Period’s wraparound grille takes up a majority of the outer shell, save for a strip of white (or black) plastic on the again of the speaker. Billed because the connector panel, right here is the place you’ll discover a Bluetooth pairing button, a USB-C port, and a mic kill change. Beneath, round silicone padding prevents the Period from sliding round on surfaces, whereas additionally maintaining furnishings freed from scratches and scuffs.
Down under, we’re additionally glad to see the return of a threaded gap for wall and ceiling mounting equipment. Sorely lacking from the Sonos One and One SL, the tiny screw-in spot is a callback to Play:1 days.

The highest of the Period 100 is the place a lot of the on-speaker controls are positioned. This features a play/pause button, observe skipping, quantity controls, and a voice assistant toggle. Not like the Sonos One, the Period 100 solely presents assist for Alexa and Sonos Voice Management.
Conveniently, Sonos additionally determined so as to add an LED standing indicator to the highest of the speaker grille, versus the management deck placement on the Sonos One and One SL. This little gentle responds to the whole lot from quantity changes and error codes to Bluetooth pairing requests.
Moreover the Period 100 itself, different field contents embody a six-foot energy cable, together with a quick-start information and guarantee data.

Setup

From begin to end in 5 minutes or much less

Organising the Period 100 is as simple as establishing a wise speaker will get. After downloading the Sonos app and creating an account, all it’s important to do is plug the speaker in. The app ought to routinely detect the speaker, at which level you’ll simply have to faucet “Add.”
Subsequent, you’ll select the room you’d just like the speaker to be positioned in. One of many final setup steps includes Sonos’ Trueplay calibration system. This employs the Period’s onboard mics to fine-tune the efficiency of the speaker, based mostly on the listening setting it’s hanging out in.

Operating Trueplay isn’t a needed a part of a Sonos activation, but it surely’s a terrific technique to optimize the sound high quality of the Period 100. And for the primary time ever, Android customers are lastly in a position to benefit from this characteristic. One small caveat is that solely iOS gadgets will have the ability to benefit from the “Superior tuning” possibility (solely “Fast Tuning” is accessible for Android gadgets).
When all was mentioned and carried out, it took me lower than 5 minutes to get the Period 100 up and operating.

Connectivity

Document collectors rejoice!

Whereas the easiest way to expertise music and podcasts by any Sonos speaker is over Wi-Fi, the Period 100 does embody a Bluetooth mode as effectively. However right here’s the perfect half: Once you’re related to Wi-Fi and change over to Bluetooth, you’ll nonetheless have the ability to use the Sonos app to regulate the Period 100.
Bluetooth pairing additionally couldn’t be simpler. To get began, simply press and maintain the Bluetooth button on the again of the speaker. As soon as the LED indicator begins flashing blue, head into your gadget’s Bluetooth settings and hyperlink to the Period 100.

The Sonos Period 100 may be related to a document participant through USB-C adapter (offered individually).
Do not forget that USB-C port I discussed above? That is the primary time vinyl document fans can join a phono participant on to a Sonos speaker. Because of an aux line-in adapter (and this ethernet/aux line-in combo), the Period 100’s USB-C enter acts as a multi-function media port. This additionally means you’ll have the ability to beam your LP audio supply to different audio system and gadgets inside your Sonos ecosystem!
The Period 100 additionally helps AirPlay 2, which is a superb technique to hearken to hi-res tracks (the Period helps 24-bit/48kHz). As for Chromecast, although, Android customers are out of luck as soon as once more.

Sound high quality and expertise

What Sonos does greatest simply acquired higher

Below the hood, the Period 100 has a ton happening. Two angled tweeters (versus one on One and Play:1 fashions) is the explanation the Period will get “stereo” billing. From a listening standpoint, this makes for an open and immersive soundstage with further particulars within the treble vary. On paper, the Period 100 additionally boasts an even bigger woofer and sooner processors.
I used to be astonished by how nice the Period 100 sounded, and I actually didn’t suppose issues might get significantly better than the Sonos One. “Punchy” and “nuanced” are two phrases I stored gravitating towards when making an attempt to sum up the Period 100’s sound high quality.
Tracks like Paramore’s cowl of “Burning Down the Home” and Inexperienced Day’s “Dilemma” by no means sounded so good. The Period 100 offered loads of wealthy low-end to steer these anthemic tunes whereas leaving sufficient sonic area for guitars, keyboards, and vocals to shine.

Billie Eilish’s “Bury a Buddy” is rhythmically propelled by a bouncy lo-fi thump. The highest layers of the combination are handed over to Eilish’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it vocal phrasing — moody whispers and sudden left-right pans that the Period 100 had a area day with. At occasions, I used to be really amazed that I used to be solely listening to 1 speaker.
I extremely suggest throwing the Period 100 an orchestral playlist or two, if solely to see how brilliantly it performs. Operating classical music by Apple Music, my ears had been handled to symphonic perfection with subsequent to no distortion when the amount swelled.

However as nice because the Period 100 is at sounding huge, one shouldn’t ignore the brand new life the speaker breathes into refined brush strokes on snare drums and mild piano notes.
Whether or not you’re utilizing the Period 100 as a standalone speaker, as a stereo pair, or as a set of rear channels for a wi-fi Sonos encompass system, you’re going to like the efficiency throughout the board. If you happen to personal older Sonos merchandise, do needless to say the Period 100 can’t be grouped with the Sonos One, One SL, or Play:1 audio system.

Utilizing the Sonos App

The Sonos S2 management app (for iOS and Android gadgets) is your command heart for nearly the whole lot you are able to do with the Period 100. It’s additionally a bountiful music curation instrument that helps hi-res playback by platforms like Apple Music and Tidal.

Once you first open the app, you’ll be on the “My Sonos” web page, which is the place you’ll discover your playback historical past. Faucet the musicalbe aware icon on the backside of the display screen to move to the “Browse” dashboard. That is the place you’ll have the ability to type by Sonos’ immense library of radio stations, in addition to no matter music-streaming platforms you might have linked to your account. The 4 vertical traces icon is the “System” web page, which is the place you’ll discover the entire Sonos gadgets out there in your community. Grouping and playback controls are discovered right here too.

Just like the Sonos methods of yesteryear, you’ll have the flexibility to group a number of rooms and audio system collectively for unified playback of 1 supply or have every speaker enjoying its personal music. The settings menu presents a trove of customizations and useful instruments for optimizing your Sonos gadgets and account.
Need to hyperlink a Sonos Sub or hyperlink two Period 100 audio system collectively? Want to regulate the EQ of 1 speaker or your total system? How about including a voice assistant? On the settings web page, you’ll have the ability to carry out all of those capabilities, and extra!

Competitors

There are many sensible audio system on the market

The Sonos Period 100 is actually a compact sensible speaker frontrunner, but it surely doesn’t stand alone. Competitors-wise, each the Apple HomePod Gen 2 and Amazon Echo Studio are strong alternate options.
As for the previous, an additional $50 will get you phenomenal sound high quality and a few further quantity. The HomePod additionally helps Dolby Atmos and lossless tracks through Apple Music. A number of the Period 100’s perks are utterly lacking, although, together with a line-in jack and Bluetooth. And so far as digital companions go, the HomePod is barely suitable with Siri.

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The Amazon Echo Studio is $50 lower than the Period 100, and delivers distortion-free, pulse-pounding sound. Amazon’s sensible speaker additionally helps Atmos listening, and might even perform as a wi-fi Zigbee hub. Sadly, the Echo Studio solely helps the Alexa voice assistant.
Whereas the Period 100 beats the Sonos One for total sound, the corporate’s older sensible speaker does assist Google Assistant, Alexa, and Sonos Voice Management. It’s additionally $30 cheaper (whereas provides final), however doesn’t embody a USB-C port or auxiliary connection.

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An almost full bundle

The Sonos Period 100 is a blissful reminder that even the smallest sensible audio system can ship gratifying sound. A grasp of efficiency, precision, and environmental calibration, the Period 100 can be utilized in nearly any room, and the addition of a USB-C port for expanded listening choices actually sweetens the deal.
For $250, it’s actually not as low cost as a Bluetooth-only speaker, and whereas Android customers now have entry to the lite model of Trueplay, Google Assistant and Chromecast assist are nonetheless lacking. Nonetheless, although, when you think about the Period 100’s many wins, these few losses develop into simpler to abdomen.

Sonos Period 100

The Sonos Period 100 is the revamped model of the corporate’s Sonos One, One SL, and Play:1 fashions. The compact possibility of the lineup, the Period 100 delivers room-filling sound with out taking over numerous area. Connections embody Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and an adaptable USB-C port for line-in audio and ethernet (adapters offered individually).