Sonos' new Bluetooth speaker is actually portable

Alex Choros - Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor

Last updated 10 March 2021

Sonos today announced the Roam, a new portable speaker designed to work both inside and outside the home. Much like the Sonos Move, the Sonos Roam works as both a Bluetooth speaker and a wireless multiroom speaker compatible with the Sonos ecosystem. However, while the Move was a chonky 3kg lad that threatened to put your back out, the Roam weighs in at 430g. It's a speaker you may want to actually take further than your balcony.

Sonos Product Creation Leader Daniel Casner describes the speaker as being roughly the size of a coke can or water bottle, and says it fits nicely in a cup holder. But in addition to being a speaker for on the go, the manufacturer is pitching it as a device that still looks and sounds good enough to use at home.

"[The Roam] fits right in at home, it doesn't look like a piece of track equipment or something just used outdoors," said Casner.

Given its portable nature, the Roam has a bit of ruggedness to it. It's IP67 resistant and can survive drops of up to 1.5m.

Sonos says the Roam will automatically swap to Bluetooth outside of your home, and connect to your WiFI when you get back. You don't need to manually change between modes as with the Sonos Move. In addition, the Roam features Trueplay, which means it will constantly monitor the acoustics of the space you're in and adjust the sound to match. This can be particularly useful in an echoey environment.

One new feature present in the Roam is Sound Swap. Pressing and holding the play button will beam whatever you're listening to on the Roam to the nearest Sonos speaker in your house, or vice versa. While I don't often walk into my place listening to music on a Bluetooth speaker, this tech certainly leads some credence to the rumour that Sonos is developing its own pair of headphones.

The Sonos Roam supports Google Assistant, Alexa, and AirPlay 2. Sonos says you'll get around ten hours of battery per charge, and up to ten days in sleep mode. You can recharge via USB C or through Qi wireless charger.

Sonos is taking Roam pre-orders from today, with the speaker retailing for $279 ahead of an April 20 release date. It comes in a choice of Lunar White or Shadow Black. Sonos is also offering a custom magnetic wireless charger for $79.

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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