Sonos has officially unveiled its newest product and it’s looking to disrupt the portable speaker market. In a follow-up to the larger Move portable speaker, the Sonos Roam is in the ultra-portable category with compelling specs and features. At just under 1-pound, Roam offers “brilliant sound” with AirPlay 2, auto WiFi and Bluetooth switching, Qi wireless charging, 10-hour battery life, and more.
We got a sneak peek at the Sonos Roam last week in an FCC listing. Now the ultra-portable speaker has officially debuted and we’ve got all the details on its specs and features.
Sonos Roam Specs
- 2x class-H amplifiers
- 1x custom racetrack mid-woofer
- 1x tweeter
- Far-field mic with beamforming
- WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0
- AirPlay 2 support as well as Alexa and Google Assistant
- IP67-rated dust and waterproof
- Charging via included USB-C cable, optional wireless base, or any Qi charger
- Priced at $169
The highly-portable speaker market is quite competitive and the Sonos Roam will be going up against products like Ultimate Ears Boom and Bose SoundLink in the $100+ range.
Sonos says with Roam, it was able to create the best sounding ultra-portable premium speaker. It comes with a compact footprint of 6.61 x 2.44 x 2.36-inches (168 x 62 x 60 mm) and weighs just 0.95 lb (0.43 kg).
With the IP67 rating, Roam has total protection against dust, sand, etc., and can handle being submerged in water for 30 minutes at 1 meter.
The durable design also has thoughtful features like a concave top so buttons aren’t accidentally pressed if you drop or bump Roam.
While the 10-hour battery life isn’t quite as long as some of Roam’s competitors, it should be enough for all-day use for most occasions.
And Roam features what looks like the most versatile charging options on an ultra-portable speaker. You’ve got USB-C to power up with the included cable and more conveniently, it’s got Qi wireless support built in to work with any of your existing chargers. Sonos is also selling a dedicated magnetic wireless charging base for Roam priced at $49.
When it’s not in use, Sonos says Roam enters sleep mode and preserves the battery for up to 10 days.
Apple users will be glad to hear Roam includes AirPlay 2 support. This is probably the most compact speaker to ever offer the functionality. Previously, we saw the Libratone Zipp (bigger than HomePod) and the Sonos Move land with AirPlay 2.
That speaks to the overall aim with Roam, Sonos had made it excel as both a stand-alone speaker on the go as well as a solid addition (or starting place) for your home speaker setup.
Along with the AirPlay 2/Alexa/Google Assistant support, Sonos Roam includes a new feature called “Sound Swap” which allows you to “move the sound to or from your nearest speaker just by pressing and holding Roam’s play/pause button.”
And here’s how Sonos describes the new automatic WiFi + Bluetooth switching:
Roam connects to your WiFi network when in range and automatically re-pairs with your phone when you’re away for a seamless experience.
Sonos Roam is available in Shadow Black and Lunar White with pre-orders open now at $169 (£159/ €179). Deliveries are set to arrive from April 20.
Launch countries include (with Japan following later):
United States, Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Switzerland, France, Italy, Sweden, Poland, Spain, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Belgium, Austria, Luxembourg, Latin America, Singapore, Hong Kong, Eastern Europe, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, Israel, UAE/KSA and Turkey. Japan to follow.
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