Sonos launches new speakers—and a plan to rebuild trust
Sonos has announced two new speakers: the portable Sonos Play and the microphone-free Era 100 SL. The products are available for pre-order and are scheduled for general release on March 31. The launch follows a period of significant software issues for the company, which began with a May 2024 app update that affected multi-room system performance.
Product Details
Sonos Play
The Sonos Play is a portable wireless speaker positioned between the compact Sonos Roam and the larger Sonos Move 2.
Design and Durability
- Dimensions: 7.6 inches tall, 4.4 inches wide, 3 inches deep; weight under 3 pounds.
- Available in matte black or matte white.
- Features an oval tower design with a wraparound grille and shock-absorbing rubber end caps.
- Includes a removable plastic grab loop.
- IP67 rating: dust-tight and waterproof up to 1 meter for 30 minutes.
Audio Components
- Two tweeters angled at 90 degrees for stereo separation.
- One midwoofer.
- Two force-cancelling passive radiators for bass response.
- Sound coverage: 180 degrees (front and sides).
Connectivity and Control
- Wi-Fi 6 for multi-room integration; supports grouping up to 32 Sonos speakers on a home network.
- Bluetooth 5.3 for streaming outside the home network; supports grouping up to four Play or Move 2 speakers via Bluetooth by pressing the play/pause button.
- AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Sonos Voice Assistant, and Amazon Alexa compatibility.
- Physical controls: play/pause, volume, track, microphone toggle, power, and Bluetooth button.
- Physical switch on the back to disable the microphone.
- Line-in and Ethernet via USB-C port (adapter required).
- USB-C port supports charging of external devices (power bank function).
- Included accessories: wireless charging dock (USB-C charger brick not included).
Software Features
- Automatic Trueplay tuning: internal microphones analyze the environment and adjust EQ in real-time for optimized sound.
- The system can operate without Trueplay, though reports indicate bass may be overpowering and sound can be muddy in that mode.
- With Trueplay active, sound is described as balanced with controlled bass.
Battery
- Rated battery life: up to 24 hours of playback on a single charge.
- Testing confirmed approximately 24 hours of playback.
Pricing
- United States: $299.
- Canada: CAD $399.99 (listed on Best Buy Canada).
Sonos Era 100 SL
The Era 100 SL is a new model that is acoustically identical to the standard Era 100 but lacks microphones.
- Price: $189 (USD).
- Compatible with standard Era 100 for stereo pairing.
- Supports line-in, Bluetooth, and standard streaming options.
Company Background and Platform Issues
2024 App Update Problems
In May 2024, Sonos released an app update that affected multi-room speaker systems for numerous users. According to company statements and reports, the update led to:
- Features becoming unavailable.
- Volume controls malfunctioning.
- Disappearance of sleep timers.
- Degraded hardware performance.
The issues resulted in customer dissatisfaction and a slowdown in sales.
Leadership Changes
Patrick Spence, the previous CEO, stepped down in January 2025. Tom Conrad, a Sonos board member since 2017 and co-creator of Pandora, assumed the interim CEO role in January 2025 before becoming permanent in July 2025.
Recovery Efforts Under Tom Conrad
Conrad implemented a strategy over 14 months, including:
- Leadership adjustments and elimination of management layers.
- Discontinuation of certain company programs.
- Over 50 software updates in 2025 to address platform reliability.
- Restructuring of the product organization to establish dedicated software teams.
Conrad identified three primary factors contributing to the app update issues: significant alteration to the app's user experience; a launch without full feature parity, with underestimation of user reliance on specific functions (e.g., alarms); and insufficient understanding of software performance across diverse customer home networks.
Current Performance
- Sonos share price increased by 16% over the past year.
- Internal platform performance metrics have shown improvement.
- Customer sentiment in online communities has shown a positive shift.
Future Strategy
Conrad stated that the company is refocusing on the Sonos home sound system as its core product, moving away from previous diversifications into headphones and streaming boxes.
Looking ahead, Conrad mentioned potential applications for artificial intelligence, envisioning Sonos as a platform-agnostic hub for conversational AI agents in the home. He stated that his immediate focus is on ensuring the system's reliability over the next 18 to 24 months.