Sonos was late to the Bluetooth party. While multi-room sound via wi-fi has always been its focus, the brand finally branched out into Bluetooth-enabled speakers in 2019 with the first Sonos Move battery-powered Bluetooth speaker, followed by the smaller Roam. As the names suggest, the Sonos Move 2 and Sonos Roam 2 are second-generation products – the former is very much a home speaker that can be used away from the mains, while the latter is a much more portable proposition.
They are quite different, but both fit seamlessly into a Sonos multi-room set-up. Wondering which is right for you? Come this way, and let's look at them in-depth.
Sonos Move 2 vs Roam 2: price
The Move 2 is a bigger, sturdier speaker and so commands a higher price. It launched at £449 / $449 / AU$799, which we thought a bit steep. It's currently on sale for £329 in the UK, though its US and Australian prices haven't budged.
The Roam 2 is much cheaper, at £179 / $179 / AU$299. That's slightly more expensive than the original Roam in the UK and US, but slightly cheaper in Australia. It only launched in May 2024, so don't expect big discounts any time soon.
Sonos also sells the two speakers together as the Portable Set. This costs £563 / $597 / AU$1098 saving you £65 / $31 / AU$0 (though these savings are on the RRP which Sonos charges, not any sale price).
Sonos Move 2 vs Roam 2: design
The Move 2 is a Bluetooth speaker, but not as we know it. Most Bluetooth speakers are small and portable enough to stash in a bag or pocket to take out with you to the beach or a picnic, but not the Move 2. It's a beast. It's smaller than a shoebox, but not by much, and weighs 3kg. Forget about sticking it in your backpack.
But while it is heavy, the design is considered. Thanks to the recessed back, you can pick it up with one hand. It looks very similar to its predecessor, with a typically Sonos finish and responsive touch controls and buttons, though the top has been redesigned to mimic the Era 300 and 100 wireless speakers, with updated icons and a volume “trough” touch-sensitive slide control. As well as the standard black and white finishes, it comes in a natty olive green, while its IP56 rating keeps it protected against water splashes and dust ingress.
The Roam 2 is what most people think of when you say 'Bluetooth speaker'. It's much smaller and more portable than the Move 2, and while it looks very similar to its predecessor, again there are some changes. Like the Sonos Ace headphones, the Sonos logo is now monochromatic – i.e. the same colour as the device. It's more subtle than the original Roam, which looks a bit cheap by comparison.
It's a little hardier than the Move 2, with an IP rating of IP67 meaning it's dust tight, and able to survive being immersed in up to 1m of water for 30 minutes. Its white finish is now whiter than the greyish white of the original Move, but its other finishes remain unchanged: Olive, Sunset, Wave and Black.
Sonos Move 2 vs Roam 2: features
There are all sorts of wireless speakers available, and many are cheaper than these two. But a Sonos model gives you access to the brand's ecosystem – an unbeatable multi-room wireless network that's a doddle to set up and a joy to use. Sonos' home speakers are mostly four- and five-star affairs, and include soundbars for home cinema viewing.
Aside from this, both models have plenty going for them. The Move 2 boasts 24 hours of battery life (a huge improvement over the 10-11 hours of the original Move), while the Roam 2 offers the same 10 hours as its predecessor. The Move 2 has stereo sound courtesy of a pair of angled tweeters alongside a woofer (the original Move was mono). Custom waveguides also help to direct the frequencies, while there’s a Class D amplifier for each of the three drivers.
Bluetooth 5.0 comes as standard, while the Roam 2 has version 5.2. Both offer wi-fi and Apple AirPlay 2. Both models support SBC and AAC, but there are no higher-resolution codecs like aptX HD or Sony's LDAC. The Move 2's USB-C port can take an external source like an MP3 player or record player using the Sonos line-in adapter (which is an extra cost), or it can charge your smartphone.
Both speakers play nice with the Sonos app, which gives you access to all sorts of streaming services like Apple Music, Tidal and Amazon Music. You can also tweak various speaker settings, and add the speakers into a greater Sonos multi-room ecosystem (if you have more Sonos products in your home). However, the Move 2 (like the original Roam) requires adding to your home network over wi-fi before it will even work as a Bluetooth speaker. The Roam 2 has no such requirement – it can connect to Bluetooth straight out of the box. This is an improvement over the older Roam, which did need to be set up over the wi-fi – this seemed unnecessary for a product of its type.
Apart from that, the Roam 2 is pretty much unchanged from the original model. It has a very similar feature list as the Move 2, including Auto Trueplay tuning for optimising the portable speakers' audio to your immediate environment. We haven't reviewed the Roam 2 , but there's very little new here over a slight redesign and instant pairing over Bluetooth without having to add to a wi-fi network first. Pairing should also be simpler thanks to a dedicated Bluetooth button (the first-gen Roam required you to hold down the power button for a set amount of time).
Sonos Move 2 vs Roam 2: sound
The Move 2 shares a similar sonic profile as the brand's new Era speakers, with a large spread of sound and plenty of power. But it's never brutish, remaining balanced, clean and detailed.
While the original Move sounded a bit cluttered and lumpen, the sequel is more deft and agile. As we said in our review, "It’s still a beast of a speaker that prioritises throwing sound out at party levels, but there’s more space and organisation with the Move 2." That big, bold sound is thanks to the Move 2 now delivering stereo sound, with dual-angled tweeters and a woofer all powered by a class D amp. The Move 2 controls the higher frequencies better than the original too, and remains composed when pushed to high volumes. It may not be quite as detailed, subtle and open as rival five-star speakers at this price, but the Move 2's expansive, clear sound has its appeal.
We haven't tested the Roam 2, but Sonos is promising the same sound as the original, which earned four stars in our review. This might be a little disappointing as we would've liked Sonos to refine the performance further. The original Roam packs plenty of impact for a speaker of its compact size, with a bass- and mid-heavy presentation. "Treble frequencies aren’t overly rolled off, but we’re definitely on the easier side of listening," we said in our original review.
The bass is kept in check, retaining clarity through the mix. Which allows the mids room to shine. Deeper voices in particular can be lusciously full and are placed sufficiently forward in the mix for this kind of outdoor and party speaker.
For many, the Roam 2 could be ideal – it's a Bluetooth speaker for out and about, and a wi-fi speaker when at home in the garden. But it doesn't compare favourably when pitted against the best Bluetooth speakers around. Not only are the best portables (such as JBL's Flip 6 and Charge 5) often clearer sounding with greater detail retrieval and more dynamic punch, but they're often cheaper too. So non-Sonos loyalists might be better off looking elsewhere.
We can't comment on the sonic differences between the Roam 2 and Move 2 definitively until we have them both side by side, but we imagine we might experience the same during our Roam vs Move comparison, with the bigger Move 2 offering greater scale and openness and being able to go much louder than the smaller Roam 2.
Sonos Move 2 vs Roam 2: early verdict
As we haven't tested the Roam 2, we can't comment decisively on its sound, but as it's expected to sound the same as the original Roam, the consideration might simply come down to whether you want a big, loud sound or prefer a small form factor. Which portable Sonos Bluetooth speaker is best for you depends on your needs. The Move 2 is ideal as a versatile wireless home speaker that you can move around to a different room or into the garden and to fill a larger space, while the Roam is your portable party pal ideal for travel, summer picnics, pool parties and smaller spaces.
Sonos fans that want the Sonos sound and ecosystem in a more convenient battery-powered Bluetooth form should be well served by both, but it's worth shopping around as there are plenty of other options around if you value sound quality over all.
MORE:
Read the full Sonos Move 2 review
And our original Sonos Roam review
Check out the best Bluetooth speakers you can buy
And the best Sonos deals around
