Sonos is reportedly preparing to launch new Era 300 and Era 100 smart speakers. They were previously known as Optimo.
Read: Best Bluetooth speakers
Designed to directly compete with Apple's $299 HomePod and other smart home speakers from Google and Amazon, the flagship Era 300 will showcase Sonos' advancements in spatial audio technology and Dolby Atmos content, offering a completely rearchitected acoustic design that promises the richest fidelity of any Sonos speaker. It'll also boast USB-C line-in, Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, and Bluetooth playback.
The Era 100, on the other hand, is expected to be a Sonos One successor with up-firing Dolby Atmos drivers, filling a gap in the company's home theatre portfolio. Both Era speakers will also support automatic tuning and sound optimisation, and Sonos will promote them as being sustainable with environmentally-friendly materials.
Interestingly, TV mount and speaker accessory maker Sanus leaked the names of the new speakers through the publication of documents mentioning the Era 300 and Era 100 wall mount and floor stands. The wall mount will retail for $80, while the floor stands, priced at $220, will offer 17 inches of height adjustment for optimal listening.
Keep in mind Sonos CEO Patrick Spence has hinted in the past that Sonos will introduce four new product categories, with the first product due to arrive later this year. In addition to the new Era speakers, The Verge reported that development is underway on a second-generation Sonos Move speaker.
The first-generation Move, known for its portability and stellar sound quality, was announced in 2019, so a refresh in 2023 is expected and will surely be a hit with Sonos users. There are other great portable Bluetooth speakers out there - including Sonos' own Roam that is far smaller and better designed for constant versatility - but there are none quite like the Sonos Move in terms of sound output and features.
In our review of the Move, we called it the Bluetooth speaker Sonos fans were waiting for.