Sonos Roam
For those already invested in Sonos, this portable speaker is an absolute no-brainer addition to the family. It delivers all the convenience of a Bluetooth speaker, with the benefits of adding it back into a wider Sonos system when you’re at home. All that, and it sounds fantastic, whilst also being super portable.
Sonos Move
There are other great portable Bluetooth speakers out there - including Sonos' own Roam that is far smaller and better designed for constant portability - but there are none quite like the Sonos Move in terms of sound output and features, especially not for those already invested in the Sonos system.
Sonos Roam is the second Bluetooth speaker in theSonos speaker portfolioand it comes in two models - the Roam and Roam SL, both of which sit alongside the Sonos Move. How does the Roam compare to the larger Sonos Move though, and which one is right Sonos portable speaker for you?
If you’re considering a Sonos speaker and would like it to be portable and offer Bluetooth, you’re in the right place. Here is how the Sonos Roam compares to the Sonos Move to help you figure out the best one for your home and life. We’ve referenced the Sonos Roam SL throughout this feature but we also have a feature onhow the Sonos Roam and Sonos Roam SL compareif you want a deeper dive.
Specs, price and availability
First things first, while theSonos Roammodels and the Sonos Move share similarities in terms of Bluetooth and portability, they aren’t anywhere near each other in terms of price.
TheSonos Movecosts £399 in the UK and $399 in the US. The Sonos Roam SL meanwhile,costs £159 in the UKand$159 in the US, while the Sonos Roam is £179 in the UK and $179 in the US, so they target quite different budgets.
The Roam comes in five colour options, while the Roam SL and Move both come in two. All three models are available globally.
You can see a quick breakdown of the Sonos Roam’s specs against the Sonos Move for a quick glance side-by-side to give you an idea of what the differences are, but we’ve gone into more detail about these differences further down.
Like their price, the Sonos Move and Sonos Roam models are very different in terms of design. While they share similar characteristics - like the rest of the Sonos portfolio - they are different sizes, different shapes, different weights and they have different uses too.
The Sonos Move measures 240 x 160 x 126mm (9.44 x 6.29 x 4.96-inches) and weighs 3kg (6.61lb). It’s oval in shape, very rugged and features an integrated handle. It’s alsoIP56 ratedfor protection from dust particles and liquid splashes.
The Sonos Roam and Roam SL meanwhile, have a triangular prism shape, measure 168 x 62 x 60mm (6.61 x 2.44 x 2.36-inches) and weigh 0.45kgs (0.95lb), making them significantly smaller and more portable than Move. They don’t need any sort of integrated handle as they are around the size of a water bottle and easy to carry around, plus they are also fully waterproof with an IP67 rating, so tougher than Move.
The Sonos Move has capacitive touch controls on top, including play/pause, skip, rewind and a microphone button, along with a Wi-Fi to Bluetooth button on the rear and a pairing button. It also has connection points at the bottom to connect to thewireless chargingbase.
The Sonos Roam and Roam SL also have controls on top but they are tactile and slightly raised rather than capacitive. The Roam has the same control options as Move, while the Roam SL doesn’t have the microphone button. Both Roam models have a button on the side and a USB Type-C port for charging. Neither Roam model has any connection points but they do offer small circular feet for when positioned horizontally. Move only offers one orientation; Roam and Roam SL offer dual.
The Sonos Move and Sonos Roam SL both come in Shadow Black and Lunar White colour options, while the Roam comes in Shadow Black, Lunar White, Olive, Wave and Sunset options, making it a little more fun.
Though different in design and price, the Sonos Roam and Roam SL offer many of the same features as Move, and in the case of the standard Roam, a couple of extras too.
The Sonos Move is a traditionalBluetooth speakerwhen in Bluetooth mode, but it is a traditional Sonos speaker when in Wi-Fi mode and connected to aSonos system. You have to press the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth toggle button to switch between the two modes however.
The Roam and Roam SL switch between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi automatically though, meaning they offer a more seamless experience when moving from inside to outside and vice-versa. Roam also has a feature calledSound Swap. This allows users to press and hold the play/pause button on the Roam to group Roam with other Sonos speakers already playing - as you can with Move - or continue pressing to transfer the music playing on Roam to the nearest Sonos speaker. It’s worth noting here that the Sonos Roam SL doesn’t have this feature.
Roam and Roam SL both offer all the same features other Sonos speakers do though, including support for over 100 music services, multi-room audio, stereo pairing, Sonos Radio and alarms, like Move. Neither the Roam models or the Move can be used as surrounds or bonded to a Sonos Sub.
Like Move, Roam also offersApple AirPlay 2support andGoogle AssistantandAmazon Alexabuilt-in, as well as support forSonos Voice Control, the latter of which is useful for control of the speakers themselves rather than for smart home control or general questions. Move’sAuto Trueplay tuning featureis also on the Roam, using spatial awareness to automatically adjust the sound for the speaker’s orientation, location, and content. This works over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for both speakers.
The Roam SL has AirPlay 2 and it has Trueplay tuning like other Sonos speakers, but it isn’t Auto Trueplay and it doesn’t have smart assistants on board either, lacking a microphone likethe Sonos One SL.
Audio and hardware
The Sonos Roam and Roam SL don’t deliver the same audio capabilities as the Sonos Move, but they still sound excellent for their size and are more than capable of filling a room with sound or a small to medium garden.
The Move has two class-D amplifiers, one mid-woofer integrated into the cabinet and one down-firing tweeter and it delivers excellent sound. It also has a far-field microphone array and a chime to let you know Sonos Move has heard you and is working on a response.
The Roam and Roam SL meanwhile, have two class-H amplifiers, one custom racetrack mid-woofer, a tweeter and a motor to increase power and range. The standard Roam also has a far-field microphone array like the Move, though the Roam SL lacks this.
As mentioned, the Move has a wireless charging base but it offers an 11-hour battery life when not on its base. The Sonos Roam and Roam SL have a USB Type-C port for charging, but they also have an optional wireless charging base that can be bought separately and they work with Qi wireless charging pads too. Their battery life is around 8 to 9 hours in use.
Sonos Move supports Wi-Fi 4 and Bluetooth. Sonos Roam and Roam SL support Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0.
Sonos Roam vs Sonos Move: Which should you buy?
The Sonos Roam is a much smaller, lighter, more portable Sonos Bluetooth speaker than the Sonos Move. It offers everything Move does in terms of features, along with some extra ones, like Sound Swap and automatic switching between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, all in a more compact format. The Roam SL meanwhile, offers the portability and a solid feature set, but without smart assistants.
For those already invested in Sonos, this portable speaker is an absolute no-brainer addition to the family. It delivers all the convenience of a Bluetooth speaker, with the benefits of adding it back into a wider Sonos system when you’re at home. All that, and it sounds fantastic too.
We wouldn’t expect the same audio capabilities from Roam or Roam SL as Move delivers given they are almost half the price and size, but both Roam and Roam SL still more than deliver on the sound front.
In our experience, Sonos Roam is an excellent addition to any Sonos system, as well as a great starting place for those new to Sonos, and the same can be said for the Roam SL. They are also a lot more portable than Move so perfect for travelling and chucking in a bag.
Meanwhile, Move delivers big on sound, but it is big on price too, making it more of an investment. It’s great for those who want an additional Sonos speaker to fill a decent-sized room with sound, but one they can also bring into the garden or the pool. It isn’t however, the better option out of these two for popping in a bag and bringing to the park as it’s just a little too big. If you’re after portability, it’s the Roam you’ll want, while if you’re after sound, the Move is fantastic.
You canread our full Sonos Roam review, or read ourfull review on the Sonos Movefor a more intricate breakdown of how the two speakers perform.
