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Sonos has had a gruelling few years.
To briefly bring you up to speed – the US audio brand launched a redesigned mobile app in May 2024 that promised to modernise the platform and support new functionality and products. It was beamed onto smartphones worldwide ahead of the release of the Sonos Ace noise-cancelling headphones, but lacked many of the features found on the app it superseded, including the ability to queue up tracks or mix-and-match songs from different sources. Disgruntled users reported bugs, degraded performance from their multi-room Sonos systems, and accessibility issues.
The crisis dragged on for months, wiping as much as $500 million off its valuation — an almost 40% decline in stock value following the release of the reworked app. CEO Patrick Spence stepped down, while board member Tom Conrad was installed as interim chief before later becoming permanent Chief Executive.
Under Conrad, Sonos reorganised teams, cut staff, and prioritised repairing the software platform. The award-winning brand delayed or cancelled projects — including a planned streaming set-top box — and rowed back on plans to aggressively expand into new product categories, focusing instead on restoring reliability and performance.
And now, with functionality restored to its mobile app, Sonos has decided to launch a pair of brand-new speakers.
As you'd expect from Sonos, these new speakers are designed to fit into your existing set-up – or be the starting point of an entire household system of speakers, surround sound cinema system, and more
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First up, Sonos Era 100 SL follows a formula that's worked for the US brand several times before. By removing the far-field microphone system — cutting support for voice commands and AI assistants like Alexa — Sonos is able to offer the same sound experience and design at a more affordable price tag. Following in the footsteps of the SL-branded variants of Sonos One and Sonos Roam, the Era 100 SL is designed to prioritise room-filling sound.
Like all Sonos speakers, the Era 100 SL can be used on its own to blast your favourite tracks, playlists, audiobooks, podcasts, or live radio – either via the Sonos app, Apple's AirPlay standard, or Spotify Connect. It'll work seamlessly with the existing speakers in your collection, whether that means playing across multiple rooms, building to stereo pairing in the same space, or creating a home theatre experience to bolster movie night.
Sonos Era 100 SL is available in a choice of Black or White colourways. While the design is identical to its pricier counterpart, the Sonos Era 100, there's no far-field microphone to enable voice controls with the SL variant
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While the standard Sonos Era 100 costs £199, the Sonos Era 100 SL is available from £169. Sonos is taking preorders on this wireless speaker today ahead of the UK release date on March 31, 2026.
The second new addition to the Sonos lineup is Sonos Play.
When connected to the Wi-Fi network in your home, Sonos Play works like any other Sonos speaker — synchronising music, audiobooks, or podcasts with other speakers in the same room, or dotted across the house. But unlike the Era 100 SL, the Sonos Play has a built-in battery, so it can be taken out of the house and taken on the road.
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The optional utility loop is designed to make Sonos Play easy to carry outside for a BBQ, pool party, or camping trip
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With a removable utility loop designed to make carrying the Sonos Play as easy as possible, this portable speaker boasts up to 24 hours of battery life and even doubles-up as a power bank to charge your phone. Its IP67-rated design means it's certified waterproof and will withstand splashes from the pool, sea, or a British summer downpour.
For the first time, Sonos will let you group multiple speakers directly from a Bluetooth connection when away from home. Automatic Trueplay – an extension of the same feature that maps out the acoustics of your room to ensure your Sonos speaker sounds its best in your space — will continuously tune the sound to dynamically match your environment.
Sonos Play costs £299 and is available in a choice of White or Black.
Discussing the new additions, Tom Conrad, Chief Executive Officer of Sonos, said: "Much of consumer tech promises innovation, yet too often delivers isolation — new devices replacing old ones instead of building on what already works. We believe a great sound experience shouldn’t reset every time you add something new. It should get better.
"Sonos Play and Era 100 SL are a clear expression of what Sonos does best — creating products that feel simple on the surface, but are deeply powerful because of the system behind them."
Sonos Era 100 SL and Sonos Play join a packed lineup of Wi-Fi speakers and headphones from the US brand
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Sonos offers the ability to listen to music, podcasts, TV, and movies in every room, with the freedom to choose from 100+ streaming services, use your preferred voice assistant, and listen over WiFi or Bluetooth — indoors or out — all designed to work effortlessly together. Like all Sonos speakers, Sonos Play and Era 100 SL were tuned with input from the Sonos Soundboard, a group of leaders across music, film, and more, to deliver sound that stays true to the artist’s intent.
“We believe the first speaker you bring home should sound complete on its own, and become even better as your Sonos system grows,” said Chris Kallai, VP of Product Creation at Sonos. “Sonos Play and Era 100 SL offer two distinct ways to shape a listening experience that fits how people actually live, while making it simple to add new rooms, new moments, and new possibilities over time.”