According to a story from Chris Welch of The Verge, if a document released by accessory manufacturer Sanus is correct, Sonos’ upcoming speakers would be known as the Era 100 and Era 300. Welch asserts that the Sanus document provides additional proof of The Verge’s prior knowledge from its sources that “Era” will be the brand name for the as-of-yet-unreleased smart speaker that he had previously reported on under the code name “Optimo.”
Numerous Sonos models like the Sonos Beam, Arc, and Sonos One can be mounted using a range of Sanus mounting methods for AV equipment. The found document is headed “Sanus Elite – Adjustable Speaker Wall Mount for Sonos Era 100 and Era 300 Speakers,” and it was posted to the website device. report.
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It seems to corroborate the moniker “Era” and makes it clear that there will be two different variants. With a suggested retail price of $80, it lists a Best Buy release date of January 4, 2023. However, a search for “Sanus Elite” on Best Buy produced no similar results.
Welch thinks the Era 300, “a multidirectional speaker engineered to get the most from spatial audio,” is most likely a Sonos speaker with the internal codename Optimo 2. Given that Sonos has launched numerous outstanding single speakers, like the Sonos Five, it is astonishing that it claims to offer the “richest fidelity of any single speaker that Sonos has ever released.”
According to the rumor, the Era 300 may support Bluetooth playback, Wi-Fi 6 networking, and USB-C line-in. Unknown is whether the USB-C connection would only be for charging (in keeping with devices like the Sonos Roam and Move) or if digital audio could also be played through it. For Sonos, adding Bluetooth playback would mark a significant change. Historically, it has only used Bluetooth audio with its battery-operated, portable speakers. The Verge’s report makes no mention of the new Era family being portable or battery-operated.
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Welch speculates that the Era 100 might take the place of the current Sonos One, but with the addition of up-firing height drivers, making it a better match to Sonos’ home theater products for Dolby Atmos reproduction. He also makes the assumption that, similar to the Sonos One, an SL-version devoid of microphones would be offered.
