Sonos has officially launched its latest product and wants to disrupt the market for portable speakers. Following on from the larger Move portable speaker, the Sonos Roam is in the ultra-portable category with compelling specs and features. At just under 1 pound, Roam offers ‘brilliant sound’ with AirPlay 2, automatic WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, Qi wire charging, 10 hours of battery life and more.
We got a taste of the Sonos Roam in an FCC list last week. Now the ultra-portable speaker has officially launched and we have all the details about its specifications and features.
Sonos Roam Specifications
- 2x class-H amplifiers
- 1x custom racetrack mid-woofer
- 1x tweeter
- Far-field microphone with beamforming
- WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0
- AirPlay 2 support as well as Alexa and Google Assistant
- IP67 rated fabric and waterproof
- Charge via embedded USB-C cable, optional wireless base or any Qi charger
- The price is $ 169
The highly portable speaker market is very competitive and the Sonos Roam will compete against products like Ultimate Ears Boom and Bose SoundLink in the $ 100+ range.
Sonos says with Roam, it was able to create the ultra-portable premium speaker that sounds best. It has a compact footprint of 6.61 x 2.44 x 2.36 inches (168 x 62 x 60 mm) and weighs only 0.43 kg (0.95 lb).
With the IP67 rating, Roam has total protection against dust, sand, etc. and can be immersed in water for 30 minutes at 1 meter.
The durable design also has thoughtful features like a concave top so that the buttons are not accidentally pressed when you drop or bump Roam.
Although the ten-hour battery life is not as long as some of Roam’s competitors, it should be enough for most occasions to use all day.
And Roam features the most versatile charging options on an ultra-portable speaker. You have USB-C running with the included cable, and it’s easier to have Qi wireless support built in to work with your existing chargers. Sonos also sells a dedicated magnetic charging base for Roam that costs $ 49.
When not in use, Sonos says Roam goes into sleep mode and stores the battery for up to ten days.
Apple users will be pleased to hear that Roam includes AirPlay 2 support. It’s probably the most compact speaker the features have ever offered. Previously, we saw the Libratone Zipp (larger than HomePod) and the Sonos Move land with AirPlay 2.
Speaking of the general purpose with Roam, Sonos has made it stand out as a standalone speaker on the go, as well as a solid addition (or starting point) for tuning your speakers.
Along with supporting AirPlay 2 / Alexa / Google Assistant, Sonos Roam includes a new feature called ‘Sound Swap’ that lets you ‘move the sound to or from your nearest speaker by simply holding down Roam’s play / pause button. ‘
And so Sonos describes the new automatic WiFi + Bluetooth connection:
Roam connects to your WiFi network when it’s within range, and automatically reconnects it to your phone when you’ve away for a seamless experience.
Sonos Roam is available in Shadow Black and Lunar White with pre-orders at $ 169 (£ 159 / € 179). Deliveries will arrive from April 20.
Launch countries include (with Japan following later):
United States, Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Switzerland, France, Italy, Sweden, Poland, Spain, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Belgium, Austria, Luxembourg, Latin America, Singapore, Hong Kong, Eastern Europe, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, Israel, UAE / CSA and Turkey. Japan to follow.
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