Sonos’s original Roam speaker sounded very good for its compact size, but many users complained that it was tricky to go from Wi-Fi mode at home and Bluetooth mode on the go. With the release of the the new Roam 2, which comes in five color options, those connectivity issues should go away. The speaker is available now for $179 (or the same price as the original).
The reality is the Roam 2 isn’t much of an upgrade. As far as I can tell, it has the same acoustic architecture (and sound), but now it has two buttons — one for power and the other for Bluetooth — instead of a single power button. That Bluetooth button lets you pair the speaker with any Bluetooth-enabled audio device right out of the box. Previously, the setup was more convoluted and required you to connect to your Sonos home Wi-Fi network first.
The Roam 2 now has two buttons on back, including a new Bluetooth button.
Additionally, the Sonos logo now has a more muted monochromatic design that matches the speaker’s color. With the previous model, the logo was highlighted in white.
Sonos also announced that it’s rolling out updates and bug fixes to the Sonos app. The Sonos app had been revamped partly to improve the connectivity experience for the company’s portable speakers, which also include the larger Move 2 and the new Sonos Ace headphones, which are set to ship on June 5 (read our first take on the Sonos Ace). However, the revamped app has been buggy and left out certain features that Sonos users liked. As a result, Sonos has recently received a lot of negative feedback.
We’ll have a full review of the Roam 2 in the coming days. In the meantime, here are its key specs, according to Sonos.
Sonos Roam 2 features
- Refreshed design and UI, including monochromatic logo and separate, discrete power and Bluetooth buttons for easy use.
- Easily connect to your mobile device over Bluetooth right out of the box or set up on Wi-Fi at home to connect to the rest of your Sonos system.
- Automatic Trueplay: Always tuned for the best listening experience in any environment, available on both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
- Directly connect an Apple device with AirPlay 2.
- Up to 10 hours of continuous playback on a single charge at moderate volume levels.
- USB-C and wireless charging.
- Weight: 0.95 pounds (0.43 kg).
- Dust-proof and fully waterproof with an IP67 rating.
- Available in olive, sunset, wave, black, and white.
- Price: $179.
