Sonos has officially unveiled its newest product and is looking to disrupt the portable speaker market. Following the larger Move portable speaker, Sonos Roam is in the ultra-portable category with attractive specifications and features. At just under 1 pound, Roam offers “brilliant sound” with AirPlay 2, automatic switching over WiFi and Bluetooth, Qi wireless charging, 10 hour battery and more.
We peeked at Sonos Roam last week on an FCC list. Now, the ultra-portable speaker has been officially launched and we have all the details about its specifications and features.
Sonos Roam Specifications
- 2 class H amplifiers
- 1x custom mid-woofer race track
- 1x tweeter
- Beam-forming far-field microphone
- WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0
- Support for AirPlay 2, as well as Alexa and Google Assistant
- Dust and waterproof with IP67 rating
- Charging via USB-C cable included, optional wireless cradle or any Qi charger
- Price from $ 169
The highly portable speaker market is very competitive and Sonos Roam will compete with products like Ultimate Ears Boom and Bose SoundLink in the $ 100 + range.
Sonos says that with Roam, it was possible to create the premium ultra-portable speaker with better sound. It comes with a compact footprint of 6.61 x 2.44 x 2.36 inches (168 x 62 x 60 mm) and weighs just 0.95 lb (0.43 kg).
With an IP67 rating, Roam has full protection against dust, sand, etc., and can be submerged in water for 30 minutes at 1 meter.
The durable design also has thoughtful features, such as a concave top so that the buttons are not accidentally pressed if you fall or hit the Roam.
While the 10-hour battery life is not as long as that of some of Roam’s competitors, it should be enough for all-day use on most occasions.
And Roam presents what appears to be the most versatile charging options in an ultra-portable speaker. You have USB-C to connect with the included cable and, more conveniently, it has built-in Qi wireless support to work with any of the existing chargers. Sonos is also selling a dedicated wireless magnetic charging base for Roam priced at $ 49.
When not in use, Sonos says that Roam goes into standby mode and preserves the battery for up to 10 days.
Apple users will be happy to hear that Roam includes support for AirPlay 2. This is probably the most compact speaker that offers this functionality yet. Previously, we saw Libratone Zipp (bigger than HomePod) and Sonos Move landing with AirPlay 2.
This serves the general purpose of Roam, Sonos has made it stand out both as a stand-alone speaker on the move and as a solid addition (or starting point) to its home speaker configuration.
Along with AirPlay 2 / Alexa / Google Assistant support, Sonos Roam includes a new feature called “Sound Exchange”, which allows you to “move the sound to or from the nearest speaker just by pressing and holding the play / button pause the Roam ”
And this is how Sonos describes the new automatic switching of WiFi + Bluetooth:
Roam connects to your Wi-Fi network when it’s in range and automatically re-pairs with your phone when you’re away for the perfect experience.
Sonos Roam is available in Shadow Black and Lunar White with pre-orders now open at $ 169 (£ 159 / € 179). Deliveries are scheduled to arrive from April 20.
Launching 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, United Arab Emirates / KSA and Turkey. Japan to follow.
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