The new Sonos Roam stands out as the company’s most affordable, and portable, wireless speaker yet. It joins the Sonos Move as its second speaker designed to be taken on the go, with Bluetooth connectivity in addition to the Sonos-standard Wi-Fi multiroom audio system.
The Roam is a small speaker, measuring just 6.6 inches long and weighing less than a pound. It features Bluetooth 5.0 for direct connection with phones outside of the home, and dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi for use at home. It can perform the same whole-home audio functions as the Move and Sonos’ stationary wireless speakers, and access the same wide selection of streaming services with the Sonos app. It’s also AirPlay 2 compatible, for direct streaming from iOS devices without using the Sonos app.
Since the Roam is significantly smaller than Sonos’ other speakers, Sonos added a feature called Sound Swap to keep whatever you’re listening to playing on the largest nearby speaker. The Roam automatically switches between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi depending on where you are. When at home, holding down the Play/Pause button moves any actively playing audio between the Roam and the nearest Sonos speaker in your network.
The Roam has an IP67 rating, which makes it effectively dustproof and waterproof. Sonos claims the Roam’s battery can last for up to 10 hours of playback, and the speaker is compatible with Qi wireless charging. Sonos will offer an optional magnetic wireless charger designed specifically for the Roam.
The Sonos Roam is currently up for preorder on Sonos’ website, and will be available for purchase April 20 for $169 in black and white models.
