It’s been a hot minute since Sonos launched anything new. That might have something to do with the disappointing app update in 2024, which removed useful features and broke more than it fixed.
Since then, Sonos has been hard at work (we assume) trying to win back the trust of its once-loyal fanbase. It’s taken a while, but it’s been relatively successful, at least as far as its app is concerned, squashing bugs and re-adding the features it removed. But that has meant new hardware took a backseat… until now.
It’s time to Sonos Play
While the Sonos Play might borrow its name from the company’s previous Play:1, Play:3, and Play:5 range, that’s about all they have in common. The new Play fits between the pocketable Roam 2 and the more expensive (and cumbersome) Move 2 in Sonos’ portable speaker range.
Inside, the driver setup resembles the Era 100. There are two tweeters positioned at a 90-degree angle for better stereo separation, and a mid-woofer for everything else. These are powered by Class-H amps, designed for high efficiency amplification.
It’s larger than the Roam 2 but not quite as big as the Move 2, yet it will still provide 24 hours of battery life, according to Sonos. It supports Bluetooth playback and is also IP67 rated, which sounds like encouragement to take it with you on adventures and the like. On top, you’ll find the usual on-speaker buttons for a few simple controls.
When you aren’t galavanting around with the Play, it will sit quietly on its included charging base and integrate seamlessly into your Sonos setup at home. That means it also supports many of the same features as Sonos’ other gear — automatic TruePlay and voice control via Amazon Alexa.
Era 100 SL, anyone?
Along with the Play, Sonos has announced the Era 100 SL. In classic Sonos fashion, the Era 100 SL is pretty much the same speaker as the original Era 100, just without the built-in microphone and voice control ability. In exchange for yanking those out, Sonos can sell them for less. If you’ve been waiting to pull the trigger on your first Sonos speaker, this seems like a great place to start.
We’ve reached out to Sonos’ local distributor, Planetworld, for local pricing and availability. We’ll update this article when we hear back.
