There is a vast range of Bluetooth speakers in the market and picking one can be very overwhelming. Don’t have the time to compare and contrast the Sonos Roam vs Move? Our experts have done the legwork and found the perfect speaker to prevent you from spending money on something that won’t suit you.
Sonos Roam or Move?
- 10 hours of playtime
- IP67 waterproof
- Drop-resistant
- Trueplay tuning
- 11 hours of playtime
- Easy to use and set up
- Voice control with Alexa
- IP56 rating
Features of Sonos Roam and Move
Sonos is well known for its state-of-the-art at-home sound systems. However, in 2019, they delved into the world of portable Bluetooth speakers to afford their users the ability to have quality auditory sensations on the go. The first of these speakers was the Sonos Move, followed by the Sonos Roam. Let’s see what they both offer in this Roam vs Sonos Move comparison and determine which is better.
Design And Size
When we compared the Sonos Roam vs Sonos Move design, there was a massive physical difference between the two products. The Sonos Move measures 9.4 x 6.3 x 4.9 inches and weighs 6.6 pounds. It has a grille that takes up a lot of space. With an elliptical, cylindrical exterior, it stands sleek, tall, and impressive. The Move is supported at the base by a wide rubber and allows only a vertical orientation. Both portable Sonos speakers are available in all-black and all-white colors.
The Sonos Roam measures 6.5 x 2.5 x 2.5 inches and weighs 0.9lbs. These measurements make it six times smaller than the Move. It has a grille that takes up two-thirds of the speaker. It has a triangular body with rubber feet on its side, allowing for a horizontal and vertical orientation. Both speakers have concave caps on the ends to increase resistance on drop.
Due to its portable speaker design, the Roam can withstand weather elements and dust than the Move. It is IP67 rated, whereas its predecessor is IP56 rated, which means resistant to strong gusts of dust and jets of water.
Versatility
In our Roam vs Sonos Move review, the former is a better fit as a portable speaker. You can easily toss it in a picnic basket or in a backpack such as these and be on your merry way. It is also perfect for a day at the beach or spent in the pool. The Move, however, seems like a multi-room audio system best suited for your patio, porch, or garden.
Sonos Roam and Move Price
The Sonos Roam vs Sonos Move price is another strong point. Despite being portable speakers, the two Sonos speakers are worlds apart when you consider prices. Roam is one of the cheapest Sonos speakers in the market. The Move is the pricier option between the two.
Audio Components
In comparing the Sonos Roam vs Move, we found some interesting things. The Roam Sonos speaker is equipped with two class-H amplifiers, a tailor-made racetrack mid-woofer, one tweeter, and a motor to boost power and reach. It also has a microphone array.
The Move Sonos speaker has double class-D amplifiers, a mid-woofer built into the console, and a down-firing tweeter for delivering unique sounds. The Sonos Move also offers a far-field microphone array and a chime that lets you know when the Bluetooth speaker picks up your command and is processing a reply.
Sound Quality: Sonos Roam and Move
Regarding sound, Sonos is renowned for its multi-room quality audio products. It is no surprise that this quality is also present in their portable Bluetooth speakers.
When we compared the Sonos Roam vs Move, we saw considerable differences in the quality. The Move offers a loud yet balanced profile, clear, rich, perfectly layered, full-bodied acoustics with solid bass. Its size allows a wide range of coverage.
The Roam, being six times smaller, may not match its predecessor’s scale of sound. For what it lacks in hardware, it makes up in features. Nonetheless, we expect the usual best from Sonos to give its audience a genuinely satisfying sonic experience.
Battery Life And Power
When it was released, the Sonos Move boasted of 10 hours of battery life. However, its makers added an extra one hour to its update.
Despite being six times smaller, the Sonos Roam, matches the 10 hours battery life of the Move. Compared to other portable speakers, this is a letdown as most can last almost 24 hours.
When not in use, the Move changes to suspend mode, which allows it to conserve energy. The Roam also switches into sleep mode and conserves power for up to 10 days.
Sonos Move comes with a USB-C cable and a charging base in its packaging. Its battery can be taken out and replaced should you need a new one. Sonos Roam also comes with a USB-C cable but no power adapter. It doesn’t have a charging base in its box, but you can purchase the Sonos wireless charging dock. It also works with any Qi wireless charging station. On the grounds of power, the Sonos Roam vs Sonos Move seems a tie.
Sonos Roam and Move Controls
The controls on top of the Sonos Move are capacitive and flush. They include play, pause, skip, rewind, and microphone buttons with power, Wi-Fi to Bluetooth, and pairing buttons at the back.
The controls on top of the other are tactile and a bit raised. It also has rewind, skip, play, pause, microphone buttons with the power button, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi buttons, and a pairing button on the back.
You can also control both devices with the Sonos app.
Material
The Sonos Move boasts a hardwearing, shock-resistant case. It has a metallic front grille and a rubber base. Likewise, the Sonos Roam has a metallic grille and rubber feet. The Bluetooth and Wi-Fi buttons alongside others are rubberized.
Sonos Roam and Move: Connectivity
Like the Sonos products before them, the Move and Roam are part of a multi-room audio environment. It means you can pair the two together or with other Sonos devices for a stereo sonic experience. Both speakers support Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. However, the Roam has upgraded versions of these features. It has Bluetooth 5 instead of the 4.2 in Move and Wi-Fi 5.
The Sonos Roam, unlike the Move, automatically switches to Wi-Fi when it’s within the coverage area and reconnects with your phone when you’re out of Wi-Fi range and on the go seamlessly. With the Move, you have to switch using the toggle buttons.
Both speakers are compatible with all audio sources — more than 100 streaming services via the Sonos app when connected to your Wi-Fi. On Bluetooth mode, you can only play audio directly from music service apps. Both cannot pair with the Sonos Sub, Arc, Beam, etc. The two devices also cannot act as a home cinema surround sound system.
Sonos Roam and Move Voice Control
Like the Move, the Sonos Roam supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice assistants, but only over Wi-Fi. This feature gives you a hands-free voice control option at home to change playback settings, set alarms and reminders, and control any smart home device compatible with your preferred assistant. Seeing as the Move is one of the best smart speakers, the Roam has some big shoes to fill up. It also supports the Apple AirPlay 2.
Other Features
One groundbreaking feature is Sound Swap [1], new and exclusive to the Sonos Roam. Sound Swap allows you to seamlessly ‘hurl’ what’s playing on it to the nearest Sonos speaker by long-pressing the play/pause button. This feature is possible by the ultrasonic frequencies used for communicating between Sonos devices.
Another feature on the Roam, albeit upgraded, is the Auto Trueplay, also found in the Move. The Auto Trueplay is a forward-thinking spatial-tuning technology from Sonos. It equips both devices with the ability to automatically tune their acoustics to match their surroundings using built-in microphones.
If you shift the speaker from your closet to a park, automatic Trueplay will adjust the settings accordingly, on its own. Initially, this only worked over Wi-Fi with the Move, but with the Roam set for release, it will be available on Bluetooth mode for both devices.
Overall Winner: Sonos Roam
Having pitted the Sonos Roam vs Sonos Move in a series of tests, our experts landed on Sonos Roam as our winner between the two.
Despite a few disadvantages (e.g. a wireless charger at an additional cost), the Sonos Roam is perfect as it’s affordable, easy to carry around, has new and exclusive features, as well as upgraded versions of the Move’s features. The Move, though having great features, isn’t exactly portable.
