5 Alternatives to the Sonos Era 100 — Including Better Options for TV, Streaming and Bass

The Sonos Era 100 is a superb all-round smart speaker: compact, easy to live with, and nicely balanced for everyday listening, with WiFi, Bluetooth and Alexa support. But if you’re comparing options, the best alternative depends on whether you want a more powerful streaming hub, a TV upgrade, or extra bass.

WiiM Amp (£319) is the most obvious step up if you want to turn passive speakers into a proper streaming system. It combines multiroom streaming with AirPlay, Google Cast and Alexa, plus HDMI for TV sound and broad service support including Spotify, Amazon Music and Tidal. Compared with the Era 100, it’s not a single-box speaker, so you’ll need speakers of your own, but sonically it can be far more rewarding. The Class D amplification gives you a cleaner, punchier presentation and more flexibility than a standalone smart speaker. Choose this if you already own speakers or want a better long-term hi-fi path.

Sonos Beam (Gen 2) (£349) is the best alternative if your real goal is TV and movie sound rather than desktop or kitchen listening. It’s a compact soundbar, but it delivers a wider, more cinematic soundstage than the Era 100, with Sonos’ excellent room-friendly tuning and a far more immersive front end for films and dialogue. What’s better: HDMI eARC, clearer speech, and proper home cinema integration. What’s worse: it’s not a portable or small-room music speaker in the same way. Pick this if you want Sonos simplicity but need a TV-first upgrade.

WiiM Amp Ultra with Voice Remote 2 (£499) is for listeners who want a more serious audiophile-leaning streaming amplifier. Its 100W output, ESS ES9039Q2M DAC and dual TI TPA3255 amps promise more headroom, better control and more resolving power than the Era 100’s all-in-one design. Add RoomFit EQ, HDMI ARC, optical and RCA inputs, and you get a genuinely flexible hub for better bookshelf speakers. It costs a lot more, but if you care about dynamics, bass grip and detail retrieval, it’s a compelling upgrade.

Sonos Sub Mini (£339) is not a direct replacement, but it is the best Sonos add-on if you already like the Era 100 and simply want more low-end authority. It will dramatically improve the system’s bass extension and impact, making music fuller and TV sound more cinematic. The downside is obvious: it doesn’t play on its own, and it’s expensive for a support act. Buy this if you’re already in the Sonos ecosystem and want real sub-bass without moving to a larger subwoofer.

WiiM Amp Pro (£399) sits between the standard WiiM Amp and the Ultra, offering a more advanced streaming amplifier route for people who want better connectivity and stronger performance than a smart speaker can provide. Compared with the Era 100, it’s less compact and less plug-and-play, but it gives you much more system-building freedom and a more hi-fi-friendly signal path. It’s ideal for users who want Google Cast and Alexa support, HDMI TV integration, and a future-proof amp that can drive proper passive speakers with authority.

In short: the Era 100 is the easiest choice, but the WiiM options are better value for serious music systems, the Beam is better for TV, and the Sub Mini is the Sonos upgrade that adds real weight and scale.