Sonos Roam 2 vs Era 100: Which should you buy?

We compare the differences between the two smallest Sonos speakers

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Sonos has several speaker options within its portfolio, from the smallest Sonos Roam 2 to the largest Sonos Five. The Roam 2 was announced alongside the company’s first foray into headphones with the Sonos Ace, replacing the original Roam with a similar design and sound architecture.

The Sonos Era 100 meanwhile, is the smallest non-portable speaker in the line up, though it does have Bluetooth capabilities, even if you can’t take it outside the home. What are the other differences though and which is the best small Sonos speaker to buy? We have compared the Sonos Roam 2 with the Sonos Era 100 to help you work out the right one for you.

Sonos Roam 2 vs Era 100: Price

The Sonos Roam 2 was announced on 21 May and it costs the same as its predecessor at $179 / £179. It comes in five colour options of Black, White, Sunset, Wave and Olive.

The Sonos Era 100 was announced in March 2023, and its usual price is more expensive than the Roam 2 at $249 / £249, though it is currently on offer for $199 / £199. It comes in Black and White colour options.

Sonos Roam 2 vs Era 100: Design

The Sonos Roam 2 is smaller than the Era 100, quite significantly smaller in fact. The Era 100 measures 182.5 x 120 x 130.5mm, while the Roam 2 measures 168 x 62 x 60mm so the Era 100 is around twice the size of the Roam in depth and width. The Era 100 also needs constant power, while the Roam 2 will run off battery and needs recharging. 

The biggest difference between the Era 100 and the Roam 2 is that the Roam 2 is portable, offering a IP67 water and dust resistance. It also has slightly different controls on top, with physical buttons that are easier to use when your hands are wet or sandy for example, compared to the capacitive controls you’ll find on the Roam 2. 

There is a microphone mute button on top of the Era 100, along with a microphone hardware switch on the back. You’ll also find a Bluetooth button on the rear, while a volume trough, skip and rewind and play/pause buttons all sit on top. The Roam 2 has a play/pause button, volume up and down, as well as a microphone mute button. It has a Bluetooth button on the back and a power button.

The Era 100 is a cylindrical shape and as mentioned, comes in White and Black colour options. The Roam 2 is a triangular prism shape and comes in five colour options, including Black snd White.

Sonos Roam 2 vs Era 100: Features

The Sonos Era 100 and the Roam 2 offer similar features, especially when connected to Wi-Fi. You can group either with any other Sonos speakers, there is support for more than 100 streaming services, and there are various different settings that can be adjusted through the Sonos app, including EQ. 

Both the Roam 2 and the Era 100 offer Alexa support, allowing you to play music with your voice, ask about the weather, control smart home devices or add to your shopping list. They also both have Sonos Voice Control that allows for control of the speakers themselves. Neither have Google Assistant like the original Sonos Roam and Sonos One but you can use Alexa and Sonos Voice Control together.

Elsewhere on the features front, both the Roam 2 and Sonos Era 100 will work independently or or as part of a Sonos system and you can pair two of the same for stereo sound. The Era 100 offers stereo sound over mono as a single box, but you will get left and right channels if you have two. You can also use two Era 100 speakers as surrounds to a Sonos soundbar, like the Arc or Beam (Gen 2) – something you can do with the Roam 2. 

The Roam 2 does offer as feature called Sound Swap however, allowing you to press and hold the play/pause button to transfer audio from the Roam 2 to the nearest Sonos speaker as you come inside. It also works as a traditional Bluetooth speaker when outside of your Wi-Fi network, allowing you to pair it directly to your devices, bypassing the Sonos app. 

Both speakers have Apple’s AirPlay 2 technology on board and the Era 100 offers Bluetooth functionality too, but as mentioned it has to remain plugged in. The Era 100 also has USB-C line-in however, allowing you to connect a turntable or another device for example, but you will need to buy the Line-In Adapter separately. 

Sonos Roam 2 vs Era 100: Performance

When it comes to sound, the Sonos Era 100 is the superior of these two speakers, offering three Class-D digital amplifiers, two angled tweeters and one mid-woofer. It delivers excellent sound performance that will have no problem filling an average room with sound. 

The Roam 2 has two Class-H digital amplifiers, along with one tweeter and one midwoofer. It should still deliver great sound for its size but like the original Roam, it isn’t expected to be as impressive as the Era 100. If you want superb portable sound, then it’s worth considering the slightly larger Sonos Move 2. 

Both the Roam 2 and Era 100 have Sonos Trueplay on board, though the Era 100 is a manual affair, while the Roam 2 is automatic. This means the Roam 2 will automatically adjust its sound to its surroundings, while the Era 100 requires you to perform the Trueplay tuning technique. There’s a quick tuning option that uses the microphones on board the Era 100, or an advanced option that requires a couple of extra minutes and an iOS device.

As mentioned, the Era 100 needs to be permanently plugged into power, while the Roam 2 has a built-in battery and offers up to 10 hours of continuous playback before it needs to be recharged.

Sonos Roam 2 vs Era 100: Which is right for you?

The Sonos Era 100 and Sonos Roam 2 are both excellent options and they share many of the same features, but there are some differences. The biggest difference is the Roam 2 is portable, comes in several colours, is waterproof and offers Sound Swap. 

The Era 100 meanwhile, requires constant power, has a better sound performance than the Roam 2, can be used as surround sound speakers with a Sonos soundbar and offers USB Line-In. The Era 100 is bigger than the Roam 2 as well, and it offers capacitive controls over physical controls.

The decision between the Sonos Era 100 and the Roam 2 will come down to whether you want a small, portable Sonos speaker that can tie into a Sonos system but can also be taken out and about, or you want the best small Sonos speaker for sound. If the former, opt for the Roam 2, if the latter, opt for the Era 100.

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