Move 2 vs Roam vs Move vs Roam SL
As of September 2023, Sonos sells four different portable speakers. There’s the Move 2 ($449) and the Move ($399), as well as the smaller Roam ($179) and Roam SL ($159). If you’re looking at each speaker and wondering what the similarities and differences actually are, here’s what you need to know.
(Note: The Move 2 has replaced the Move in Sonos’s portable speaker lineup. However, Sonos will continue to sell its original Move speaker while supplies last. So if you want to save a little dough on an older speaker — you can.)
All four speakers have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity and can work on their own, or in a bigger Sonos system. They all support AirPlay 2 and are compatible with Amazon Alexa and Sonos Voice Control when connected to Wi-Fi; they all support Google Assistant as well except for the Move 2. And the Move, Move 2 and Roam (not the Roam SL) have Automatic Trueplay, meaning they will automatically tune themselves so that they sound best.
Ultimately, the Move and Move 2 are the bigger, better-sounding and pricer options, while the Roam is more affordable and portable beyond compare. The Roam SL is the cheapest option, but it’s probably worth spending the extra $20 for the improved sound and voice assistant.
Sonos’s Portable Speakers
Sonos Move 2
Sonos
- Size: 6.6 pounds
- Drivers: Three (two tweeters and midwoofer)
- Water-resistant: IP56
- Voice Assistant: Yes (Alexa, Sonos Voice Control)
- Battery life: up to 24 hours
- Release date: September 2023
The Move 2 is a new and improved version of Sonos’s 2019-released Move. It’s pretty much the same size and works very similarly, but the Move 2 has been upgraded in several key ways. It has an extra tweeter and can play true stereo sound (instead of just mono). It has over double the battery life. It supports USB-C line-in so that, when used with Sonos’s special adapter, you can connect the Move 2 directly to an analog source such as a turntable or CD player. You can supports reverse charging meaning that you can use its USB-C port and a USB-C cable to charge other devices — like your smartphone. Plus the Move 2 has a more refined look and new controls (similar to Sonos’s newer Era speakers), and it comes in new olive finish as well as the tradition white or black. The two main downsides with the Move 2 are that it’s $50 more expensive and it doesn’t support Google Assistant.
We have yet to test the Sonos Move 2, but we’ll update this post further once we have. The Move 2 is available for preorder now and will be released on September 20th.
Sonos Roam
Sonos
- Size: 0.95 pounds
- Drivers: Two (tweeter and midwoofer)
- Water-resistant: IP67
- Voice Assistant: Yes (Google Assistant, Alexa, Sonos Voice Control)
- Battery life: up to 10 hours
- Release date: April 2021
The Roam is Sonos’s ultra-portable smart speaker. It weighs less than a pound and is roughly a quarter of the size of the Move. Just like the Move, the Roam can function as a smart speaker (when connected to Wi-Fi) and it also supports Auto Trueplay, so it can automatically adjust its sound depending on where you have it placed in a room. It’s the only one of Sonos’s portable speakers that has other finishes besides black or white; you can buy it in blue, green or orange.
Sonos Roam SL
Sonos
- Size: 0.95 pounds
- Drivers: Two (tweeter and midwoofer)
- Water-resistant: IP67
- Voice Assistant: No
- Battery life: up to 10 hours
- Release date: March 2022
The Roam SL is the most recent addition to Sonos’s portable speaker lineup. It’s the same speaker as the Roam, but it lacks built-in microphones so it can’t do two things. First, it can’t function as a smart speaker — so no voice commands. And second, it doesn’t support Trueplay and thus won’t sound quite as good as the Roam. The other thing is that the Roam SL is only available in white or black, while the regular Roam now comes in three other colorful finishes. These tradeoffs result in a portable speaker that’s $20 cheaper than the Roam. It’s a solid alternative for anybody that really doesn’t care to use their little speaker as a smart speaker.
Sonos Move
Sonos
- Size: 6.6 pounds
- Drivers: Two (one down-firing tweeter, one midwoofer)
- Water-resistant: IP56
- Voice Assistant: Yes (Google Assistant, Alexa, Sonos Voice Control)
- Battery life: up to 10 hours
- Release date: September 2019
The Move is Sonos’s original portable speaker that has since been antiquated by the Move 2 — although you can still buy the Move while supplies last. It has pretty much all the same features as the Roam — Sonos has brought newer features, such as Auto Trueplay and support for Sonos Voice Control, to the Move via a software update since its original release years ago — but it comes in a larger package. Because of its size (and its slightly less water-resistant design), the Move is a great option for somebody who wants a Sonos speaker that they can take from room to room in their house.
https://www.gearpatrol.com/tech/audio/a44675552/sonos-roam-vs-sonos-move/ Move 2 vs Roam vs Move vs Roam SL
