Sonos audio system are of their spatial Period

Sonos has revealed the Period 100 and Period 300, its first non-portable sensible audio system in a number of years. However, regardless of their stationary type components, every speaker is concentrated on transportive acoustics. Acknowledging immersive audio as the form of sound to come back, the brand new audio system are designed for extra expansive playback, whether or not standalone in a whole-home system or built-in right into a Sonos house theater suite. Let’s check out what’s coming later this month.

The Period 100

The Sonos Period 100 (proven in white above) is successfully a alternative for (what they’re calling a “remastering of”) the second-generation One, its entry-level mains-powered house speaker. The Period 100 is about half an inch taller and half a pound heavier, and it has a wholly new—however nonetheless acquainted—industrial design. The most important exterior change is the inclusion of a shallow, touch-sensitive trench alongside the opposite controls on prime of the speaker, which makes sliding to vary its quantity extra intuitive than the road of dots discovered on the One. That is particularly a win on the accessibility entrance, making the Sonos Period 100 simpler to function with out sight.

Sonos took the most well-liked options of the second-generation One—particularly assist for Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple’s AirPlay 2, Trueplay auto-calibration, and a totally featured app with streaming sources and adjustable EQ—and augmented Wi-Fi 6 with the extremely requested Bluetooth 5.0 (beforehand solely featured on the Roam and Transfer moveable audio system). And, if privateness is a serious concern, you should use a bodily toggle to disconnect energy to the far-field microphone array.

The Period 100’s up to date, rounder design is sweet. Nonetheless, you’re primarily going to purchase a sensible speaker for its sound. Following a short audition in a New York showroom, I used to be instantly struck by how Sonos has delivered some notable enhancements over the second-generation One with out radically altering the speaker’s form and dimension. This new speaker can play music in stereo courtesy of two angled tweeters and a bigger midrange woofer with customized waveguide. You’ll be able to nonetheless pair two Period 100s collectively wirelessly for added separation (or with a Sonos Dolby Atmos soundbar, such because the Arc, to supply rear Left/Proper channels). Nonetheless, Sonos has widened the soundstage from a single supply, and a trio of class-D digital amplifiers—along with customized, in-house tuning—produced a surprisingly convincing off-axis response and a formidable quantity of low-end in my first impressions (extra to come back on the finish of March). This makes even a single Period 100 a compact complement to the Works With Sonos network-enabled Victrola Stream Carbon Turntable (which we’re reviewing quickly).

Already invested in a extra historically tethered turntable? Don’t rely the Period 100 out, although Sonos has additionally taken a novel, if not controversial, method to wired connectivity. Should you flip the Period 100 round, you’ll see a USB-C port, which could be changed into an Aux-in or Ethernet port with an non-compulsory Combo Adapter. We at all times applaud extra connectivity choices—particularly extending the Period 100’s usability by literal a long time—however want the adapters got here within the field. Talking of sustainability, Sonos has designed the Period 100 and Period 300 to be simply repairable, changing adhesives with screws wherever doable to make it simpler for technicians to get into the audio system to handle widespread points. The Period 100 prices $249 and will likely be in shops March 28 (although it may be preordered instantly from Sonos now).

The Period 300

The Period 100, whereas spectacular, continues to be a alternative for an current product within the firm’s portfolio. The Period 300, in the meantime, is a totally totally different story reimagined from the bottom up. It doesn’t supersede any audio system within the Sonos Play collection however introduces a particular structure particularly for multidirectional audio. The Period 300 has all of the sensible options of its smaller sibling—together with non-compulsory voice management, the USB-C Line-In port, the capacitive quantity properly, Bluetooth 5.0, repairability, and many others.—however there’s much more occurring underneath the hourglass hood (as proven above).

Sonos has outfitted the Period 300 with 4 tweeters and two woofers powered by six class-D amplifiers. The configuration’s contours permit it to play Dolby Atmos tracks—initially from Amazon Music, but additionally from Apple Music in a March 28 firmware replace for Period 300, Arc, and Beam (Gen. 2)—from a single speaker. That is doable, partly, due to the speaker’s distinctive silhouette, which allowed the engineers to incorporate an up-firing tweeter inside its exactly calculated proportions. Non-Atmos tracks will play in true stereo, too. If you have already got a Sonos Arc (and, optimally, a Sonos Sub or Sub Mini), including a pair of the Period 300 audio system as rear audio system will create one of the best house theater system the corporate has ever provided. When briefly demoed (admittedly in a fastidiously cultivated setting), the Period 300 was expressive, unfurling a corrugated but firmly centered rendering of tracks blended with a number of angles. Punchy, billowing, articulate—adjectives cued up shortly with every observe.

The Period 300’s distinctive form clocks in at 6.3-inches tall, 10.24-inches vast, and seven.28-inches deep, and weighs in at 9.85 kilos. It requires more room than many sensible audio system—Bowers & Wilkins’ Zeppelin is a notable exception—however Sonos has packed the Period 300, which additionally ships March 28 and could be preordered direct right this moment, with a variety of new {hardware}. These revolutionary options are commensurate with the Period 300’s $449 price ticket, which brings the value of a pair to only underneath $1,000 with gross sales tax. We’ll declare whether or not the juice is well worth the squeeze later this month in a full evaluation testing the Period 300’s multi-channel dispersion by itself (versus the 2nd-gen. HomePod, naturally) and as a part of the Arc ecosystem.