The Roam wasn’t the first Bluetooth speaker to come from the multi-room speaker company, Sonos – that accolade belongs to the Move. The original Roam did, however, pave the path of portability for Sonos – offering a lighter and more, well, moveable speaker than the original Move.
With the Sonos Roam 2, which arrives three years on from the original, the company hasn’t messed around too much with what was already a great speaker. It does make some notable improvements, however, and while a couple might be what many would consider minor, they do make a difference in use.
I’ve spent years playing tunes from the original Roam, as well as other Sonos speakers, and I’ve reviewed a range of Bluetooth speakers over the years too, from Ultimate Ears to Bose. So do the Roam 2’s upgrades justify its existence in Sonos’ speaker portfolio and, more importantly, do they cement its place as one of the best Bluetooth speakers around?
Sonos Roam 2: Price & availability
Sonos quietly introduced the second-generation of its Roam portable Bluetooth speaker on 21 May 2024 – the same day it revealed the long-awaited Sonos Ace over-ear headphones, which naturally stole the limelight.
The Sonos Roam 2 is a direct replacement for its predecessor, which arrived back in 2021, and Sonos has kept the price the same globally too – though it’s worth noting these prices are slightly more than the Roam originally launched at, following the Sonos price hike in September 2021.
The Roam 2 costs £179 in the UK, $179 in the US, and $299 in Australia – making it the new entry point into the Sonos system. That previously went to the Sonos Roam SL, which Sonos still sells in the UK, but it’s no longer an option in the US or Australia.
Sonos Roam 2: What’s new?
(Image credit: Future/Britta O’Boyle)
The Sonos Roam 2 ushers in three new elements compared to the original Roam. The first and most important of these are the two buttons on the rear, separating the power and Bluetooth functionalities.
The original Sonos Roam had one button for both power and Bluetooth pairing, which was fiddly and not overly user-friendly, so splitting them into two buttons is a good move. It also means the Roam 2 can be used straight out of the box rather than having to be setup through the Sonos app on Wi-Fi.
(Image credit: Future / Britta O’Boyle)
A colour-matched Sonos logo is now featured on the speaker grille of the Roam 2 too. Pick the blue model and the logo is also blue; pick white and you get white; pick black and you get the idea. For the original Roam, all the Sonos logos were white, whatever colour you chose, so there’s a more consistent and seamless design in the Roam sequel.
There is also a USB-C-to-USB-C cable in the box of the Roam 2, allowing for faster charging with a compatible charger. The original Roam had a USB-A-to-USB-C cable in case you were wondering. Times have changed and Sonos has moved with them, basically.
Sonos Roam 2 review: Design & setup
(Image credit: Future / Britta O’Boyle)
When it comes to design, you’d be forgiven for taking one look at the Sonos Roam 2 and mistaking it for the original model. Side-by-side, they make for a terrible game of spot the difference. The Roam 2 is not a reincarnation of the small portable Sonos speaker, therefore, but rather a lesson in refinement by the finest of margins.
Still, the small tweaks Sonos has made are welcomed, delivering not only a better-looking device, but a more usable one too. The colour-matched logo looks much nicer overall, while the separation of the power button and Bluetooth pairing is significantly better in use.
The triangular prism shape is small and lightweight, meaning it’s lovely and portable – which is more than can be said of the other ‘portable’ option from Sonos, the Move 2. There’s a smooth-to-touch finish on the Roam 2 that makes it nice to carry around in the hand, while the compact form-factor fits neatly into a cup holder or the side of a backpack.
There’s no specific built-in loop or hook on the Roam 2, as you’ll find on the UE Wonderboom 3, for example, so you can’t attach a carabiner clip to it directly – but there are a range of Roam 2 cases available if you want added protection or more convenient carrying abilities. Given the Roam 2 is identical in dimensions to the original, it’s worth noting many of those cases are also compatible.
(Image credit: Future / Britta O’Boyle)
Tactile controls sit on the top of Roam 2 – or the side depending on orientation – making it easy to use even when your hands are wet, or the speaker itself is wet. The Roam 2 doesn’t float like some of its competitors, though, but it is water- and dust-resistant with an IP67 rating – so whether you want tunes in the shower, at the beach, in the park or by the pool, the Roam is a solid portable option. If you drop the Roam 2 in the pool though, you need to be prepared to get diving.
On the rear, you’ll find the USB-C port for charging – though there is also a wireless charging dock available that you can buy separately if you want a more permanent charging home.
To setup the Roam 2, you just need to make sure it has some charge in it, turn it on and you can then choose to set it up through the Sonos app via Wi-Fi, or use the Bluetooth button to put it into Bluetooth pairing mode and discover it in your device’s Bluetooth settings – as you would any other Bluetooth speaker.
You get more features when you use the Sonos app – which I will talk about in a second – and it takes less than a minute to set up, so it’s worth doing that way. But you can bypass it entirely if you want to just use the Roam 2 as a Bluetooth speaker.
Sonos Roam 2 review: Features
(Image credit: Future / Britta O’Boyle)
As a traditional Bluetooth speaker, the Sonos Roam 2 allows you to play audio from your connected device – phone, tablet, laptop, whatever you want – controlling playback through that device. There is volume control on the Roam 2 itself and the play/pause button on the control panel lets you play and pause audio (I know, shock discovery), while a double-press will skip to the next track and a triple-press will go back one.
It’s when you connect the Roam 2 to the Sonos app that this speaker really shines though. When on Wi-Fi and used through the Sonos app, the Roam 2 will act as a traditional Sonos speaker. That means it is compatible with over 100 music streaming services, you can adjust the EQ to your preferences and, of course, group the Roam 2 with any other Sonos speakers for a multi-room setup.
Within a Sonos setup, the Roam 2 offers a seamless experience, playing audio like the company’s wireless speakers, including the Era 100 and Era 300, but with the added advantage of being able to pick it up and walk outside with it.
(Image credit: Future / Britta O’Boyle)
The Sonos Roam 2 has Automatic Trueplay on board too, which means it will automatically adjust its sound output to the environment, whether that’s your garden, a mountain, or inside a cupboard.
There’s Sonos Voice Control for easy control of the speaker with your voice for volume, grouping and playing music, and you can add Alexa too, if you want to make the Roam 2 a smart speaker. Google Assistant support was ditched for the Roam 2 sadly, but Alexa still enables you to further expand this speaker’s capabilities into controlling smart home devices, adding things to an Amazon shopping list and finding out what the British weather is going to be doing tomorrow, for example.
Unique to the Sonos Roam 2 (and original Roam) compared to other Sonos speakers is a feature called Sound Swap. This allows you to transfer the audio playing on the Roam 2 to the closest Sonos speaker on your Wi-Fi network by pressing-and-holding the play/pause button on the Roam 2 for around five seconds. It’s not a flawless feature, with some lag, and you also need to keep holding past the initial sound that would bring the Roam 2 into an existing group of Sonos speakers, but it’s a nice feature to have nonetheless.
Sonos Roam 2 review: Sound quality & battery life
(Image credit: Future / Britta O’Boyle)
The Sonos Roam 2 sticks with the same sound architecture as its predecessor, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The first-gen Roam offered plenty of punch for its size – and the same can be said of the Roam 2.
It’s great at handling low-end considering its size, with good bass coming through – a typical trait of Sonos speakers – while the high-end treble is clear and detailed. It’s really the mid-range where the Roam 2 is most at home, however, and what it prioritises – just like its predecessor.
At lower volumes, however, the balance doesn’t always feel spot on: vocals can get a little lost in some tracks, for example. Crank up the volume and it’s a different story – which is surprising as sometimes turning up the volume does the opposite and reduces distinction.
If you’re using the Roam 2 inside, speakers like the Sonos Era 100 perform better at the quieter volumes you might want for your living room, but when it comes to a garden party or BBQ, the Roam 2 is great at doing its thing and delivering brilliant audio quality above the chatter of guests or whistle of the wind.
(Image credit: Future / Britta O’Boyle)
As I mentioned, you can have the Roam 2 in either a vertical and horizontal orientation – and the sound adapts depending on which you select. I prefer the output from the horizontal orientation as I feel it offers a wider soundstage overall. But, in all honestly, the Roam 2 is fun to listen to whatever genre or audio you choose to play, from pop to podcast.
Like the sound architecture, battery life remains the same in the Sonos Roam 2 as the original Roam – at up to 10 hours per charge. I found this to be pretty much on the money, which is fine for a few hours in the park or an afternoon BBQ. It’s not the longest battery offered on a Bluetooth speaker, but it’s adequate for most scenarios.
When using it indoors, the wireless charging dock does help to keep it going with the rest of your Sonos system, so if you’re planning on having a predominantly at-home Roam 2 then I would recommend buying one of those. It means you can just pick the Roam 2 up and go wherever – indoors or out – without having to worry if you’ve charged it.
Sonos Roam 2 review: Verdict
(Image credit: Future / Britta O’Boyle)
The Sonos Roam 2 is almost identical to its predecessor, making just a couple of minor changes. One of those changes – the move to separate the power and Bluetooth buttons – is imperative to this portable Bluetooth’s speaker overall experience though, making what was already a great speaker much better in terms of usability.
It would have been good to have seen a battery increase and some form of clip or loop for carrying the Roam 2 added with this generation’s update, though, and I’m disappointed (though not surprised) by the lack of support for Google Assistant.
However, the Roam 2’s design is more seamless overall, sound performance remains impressive for the compact size, and when added to an existing Sonos multi-room system, the Roam 2 really shines – just like the original. So if you’re invested in Sonos but currently lack a truly portable speaker from the company, then this is a super choice.
Also consider
The Sonos Roam 2 isn’t the only Bluetooth speaker out there – and while it’s our top pick of the best portable/home hybrid Bluetooth speaker, there are a couple of others you could consider.
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 V2 delivers superb audio quality for its size, and it looks great too.
If you want something a little cheaper compared to the Roam 2 which also floats and has a loop for easy carrying without a case, the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 is a great option.
Meanwhile, if battery is your main priority, as well as charging your device and listening to suitable amounts of bass, the JBL Charge 5 is definitely worth your attention.
