I’ll never need another portable Bluetooth speaker

For months, Sonos teased its inaugural headphones — and as speculated, the high-end audio company announced the Sonos Ace on May 21st. Not so expected was Sonos’ quiet update of a fan (and Pocket-lint) favorite — the second iteration of its ultra-portable Sonos Roam wireless speaker.

Earning our Editor’s Choice distinction in 2021, the Pocket-lint team has long been impressed by the Roam’s signature Sonos sound quality and its vast feature suite and versatile capabilities, including the ability use it as an alarm clock.

While the Roam 2’s announcement was quite unceremonious, users like myself have been eagerly anticipating the portable wireless speaker’s release and couldn’t wait to test the reported upgrades.

Sonos Roam 2

The Sonos Roam 2 packs an unbelievable punch in a small package. The latest generation of Sonos’ most mobile speaker deserves a look from anyone who loves music on the go.

Dimensions

6.6in x 2.4in x 2.3in

Power

Rechargeable Battery

Connectivity

Bluetooth, Wi-Fi

Voice Assistant

Sonos Voice Control, Alexa

Colors

Black, White, Sunset, Wave, and Olive

Battery

10 hours

Waterproof Rating

IP67

Pros

• Incredible sound and volume
• USB-C charging
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled

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Price, availability, and specs

The Sonos Roam 2 is available now from all major retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, Target, as well as directly from Sonos. The new mobile speaker retails for $179.

While the Roam 2 boasts Sonos’ full surround sound that can fill any room, it’s impressively small. Measuring just 6.6 x 2.4 x 2.3-inches, the petite form factor speaker is roughly the size of a 16 oz tallboy can, though it actually weighs a tad less at just 0.95 lbs. Its smaller stature had me even more impressed that it still boasted a durable IP67 dust and waterproof rating, which means it can be submerged in up to three feet of water for up to 30 minutes, though I don’t recommend doing that on purpose. Sonos says the Roam 2 should have 10 hours of battery when at full charge.

And while Sonos doesn’t provide exact dimensions, a single mid-woofer and one tweeter power the speaker’s sound. The Roam 2 also features a built-in far-field microphone for “advanced beamforming and multichannel echo cancellation for quick and accurate voice control and automatic Trueplay tuning.” Trueplay, a Sonos staple, allows the Roam 2 to dynamically adjust its sound based on its surroundings and the content being played. I’ve found Trueplay very useful and appreciate how it optimizes the speaker’s sound.

Like the rest of the Sonos lineup, one of the best things about this speaker is its ability to operate as part of a network with other Sonos speakers. That means that I can pair two of these together to create a stereo setup or simply have it play alongside other speakers in the home, selecting which speakers play at any given time as I go. Sonos makes you feel like your speakers are part of an ecosystem, instead of just stand-alone products.

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What I liked about the Sonos Roam 2

Unbelievable sound from such a small speaker

The clarity, power, and resonance emanating from something smaller than a water bottle is something that needs to be heard to be believed. Once I connected the Roam 2 to my Sonos app, I logged in to Tidal through the app so that I could play it directly on the Sonos over Wi-Fi instead of relying on Bluetooth. This means I could play music without worrying about whether my phone was close enough to the speaker.

I placed the Roam 2 on my dining table and started playing Femininomenon by Chappell Roan, and it immediately sounded like the song was bouncing off the walls back at me from every direction. As I listened to the rest of her album, I loved the clarity Chappell’s voice resonated with around the room, and the intensity of heavier parts held up without distortion. Overall, the Roam 2 produces an excellent and well-rounded soundstage.

When I put my hand close to the Roam 2, I can feel the sheer amount of air the tiny speaker displaces as the thumpy synth beats pounded my wooden dining room table. It was absolutely spectacular and well beyond my measured expectations. I can only imagine what two of these portable speakers paired for true stereo audio would sound like. In testing maximum volume, I quickly turned it down right after hitting the limit because the Roam 2 was so loud I couldn’t bear to keep listening at that volume inside my home.

With such a small and lightweight profile, I can take this high-end sonic performance with me wherever I go. I started carrying it with me around the house, enjoying that it easily played over the sound of my dryer as I rotated laundry, or the hood range in my kitchen while cooking. Eventually, my wife stole it to take to her craft room while she painted, as I explained that it was undeterred by how far it got from my phone, thanks to its Wi-Fi connectivity.

Real wireless connectivity

Logging into Tidal via the Sonos app over Wi-Fi is a great feature, as I find truly wireless speakers a rare species in the audio world. That connection meant I could place the speaker in my office and play/control music from my phone or even a laptop or a tablet from across the house as long as it was within Wi-FI signal range.

And given that the Roam 2 supports voice control, skipping songs and switching playlists is ridiculously easy. Leveraging Wi-Fi, I was also able to listen to songs at a higher bitrate, taking advantage of the wider bandwidth it offers.

What I didn’t like

Battery Life

I searched the highs and lows (sorry, not sorry) for this speaker’s flaws, and it took a while even to brainstorm one thing I’d improve. What I landed on was simply wanting more of the speaker for longer.

I kept seeing complaints about battery life come up, and while it’s true that at full volume, you might not get the full 10 hours claimed by Sonos, what else can you expect from something this tiny? Many reviewers were quick to point out mobile speaker competitors that boasted longer battery life, but they’re all bigger. So, yes, of course, a larger speaker can fit a larger battery, providing a longer battery life. That’s like saying you didn’t like that a little sports car couldn’t tow your trailer and then compared it to an SUV. 8-10 hours of battery life under various circumstances is impressive for a speaker this small that offers this level of sound quality.

A lot of reviewers also pointed out the Roam 2’s price as a negative factor, but I can’t say much more than “you get what you pay for.” If the Roam 2 cost $125, or $75, it wouldn’t sound the way it does, weigh as little as it does, or feature the level of connectivity and performance that it does. This, for me, is not a negative but rather the reality of a premium audio product.

Should you buy the Sonos Roam 2?

If you don’t currently own a mobile speaker and you’re thinking about buying one, absolutely check out the Roam 2. It’s the best combination of performance, size, features, and quality that I’ve found on the market. If price is your only deterrent, then keep your eyes peeled for a sale and pick one up when the price drops. From the excellent sound quality to the ultra-portable weight and size, Sonos’ Roam 2 is one of the most impressive speakers I’ve ever used, and I look forward to taking it with me to the pool, park, or disc golf course.

Sonos Roam 2

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