Sonos Roam 2 vs Roam 1: is Sonos' new portable speaker better than the original?

Sonos doesn't only make home speakers. The Roam was its first fully fledged portable, equipped with Bluetooth and a bag-friendly size that made it ideal for taking with you on the go. But it wasn't perfect.

So-so clarity and some questionable usability decisions meant it earned four stars in our review – not bad by any measure, but not up to the brand's usual excellent standards. But now Sonos has released a sequel.

The Sonos Roam 2 has some small but meaningful improvements on the original that should make it the better all-round device. Yet it only scored three stars in our review. So what went wrong? And which speaker should you buy? Read on and find out.

Sonos Roam 2 vs Roam 1: price

Now this is surprising. The Sonos Roam 2 is actually cheaper than the original Roam at time of writing. The original launched at £159 / $169 / AU$279, while the sequel launched at the slightly higher price of £179 / $179 / AU$299. But the latter has already been discounted to £134, which is £5 cheaper than the original's lowest ever price.

Right now, the Roam 2 costs £139, while the original Roam sells at full price. Madness.

** Winner: Sonos Roam 2 **

Sonos Roam 2 vs Roam 1: design

The Roam 2 looks very similar to the original, but there are some changes in the design department.

The Sonos logo is now monochromatic – i.e. the same colour as the device. It's the same design language as seen on the new Sonos Ace headphones, and gives both devices a more premium look. On the original Roam in black, the Sonos logo was white, making it stand out much more and looking – dare we say it? – a bit cheap.

There's now a dedicated Bluetooth button for pairing (the original used the power button). And the Roam 2's white finish is more of a pure white, whereas the original's Lunar White was closer to grey. The other colours are the same for both devices: Olive, Sunset, Wave and Black. And both models share the same dimensions, though the Roam 2 is a little heavier.

** Winner: Sonos Roam 2 **

Sonos Roam 2 vs Roam 1: features

The original Roam had to be set up on your home wi-fi network before you could pair it with a phone or tablet over Bluetooth. This was a pain: to our knowledge, no other Bluetooth speaker has the same requirement – usually you can pair them straight out of the box.

The Roam 2 does away with this requirement. Instead of having to pair using the Sonos app once the speaker is a part of your network, you can pair straight over Bluetooth with no prior set-up required. It means you can start using it out and about before you even get it home from the shop (providing it has some charge, that is).

The actual act of pairing is also simplified thanks to the dedicated Bluetooth button. The first-gen model required you to hold down the power button for a set amount of time in order to pair – presumably it was an attempt to streamline the design by having as few buttons as possible. But a streamlined design isn't much good if it's fiddly to use. A dedicated button sounds much more intuitive.

Those changes aside, the Roam 2 is identical to the original model. Both models have Sonos' Trueplay technology which optimises the audio to your environment, 10 hours of battery life and IP67 waterproofing.

** Winner: Sonos Roam 2 **

Sonos Roam 2 vs Roam 1: sound

The Roam 2 features the same tweeter and mid/woofer as the original, powered by the same two Class-H digital amplifiers. In other words, it's the same arrangement as the original, which means the sound remains unchanged.

That's not all bad, though it is a little disappointing. The original Roam's sound is bold and impactful, especially given the speaker's relatively compact size. It's ideal for genres with plenty of heft like rock and hip-hop – it's far from the subtlest of its kind, but it's rarely anything less than controlled. But it could use a touch more detail.

Both share a bass that has plenty of weight without becoming overpowering. There's presence and punch – the speakers are designed to be heard outdoors, after all – but without muddying up the mix.

Within the walled garden of Sonos world, both sound pretty good. It's when they're compared to the best Bluetooth speakers that the wheels start to come off. The Roams are noticeably less clear, lacking the textures that rivals offer up. They also suffer in terms of timing and expression compared to the best in their price band.

It seems like a missed opportunity for Sonos – the Roam 2 could've been a contender. Shame.

**Winner: Draw**

Sonos Roam 2 vs Roam 1: verdict

The Roam 2 is more of a minor refresh than a proper sequel. While the improvements are small, they are still improvements, and they make a decent speaker a little bit better.

What's less forgivable is the lack of any sonic upgrades whatsoever. Instead of trying to take on the likes of JBL and B&O, Sonos is content to stick with the same sound quality. Which means you get the same audio performance from a 2024 Sonos Roam 2 as you do from the 2022 original. We're not angry, we're just disappointed – most of all, Sonos, you've let yourself down.

Still, Sonos fans will find a lot to like with both speakers, especially if they can snap up the Roam 2 at its current low price.

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