I liked him The original Sonos Roam has gotten a 9/10 from me, and WIRED recommends it. And now, I’m getting defensive of everyone who bought one based on my advice. I do have one complaint: The battery on the unit I tested (along with the batteries on many other units belonging to people I know and work with) had weird long-term drain issues. My first-gen model was unusable when I returned it to compare it to this new model.
With the Roam 2, which quietly launched alongside Sonos’ new Ace over-ear headphones (8/10, WIRED Recommends), Sonos has addressed those battery issues. The company also added a button to make Bluetooth pairing easier and more instantaneous when you’re away from home.
It’s not exactly a triumph of engineering, but I like seeing brands update their products to fix what’s broken rather than reinvent the wheel. Functionality-wise, the Roam 2 looks and acts identically to the first model. This one just aims to last longer than a couple of years, and comes with an easier Bluetooth pairing button. I still like it, and I’ll like it even more if long-term testing shows the battery (and the device itself) will last.
Photography: Amazon
Walking in the countryside
Previously, Sonos’ problem was that it couldn’t include Bluetooth in its products, but that has changed in recent years.
The Roam was the first dedicated portable device that Sonos decided should have Bluetooth (there’s not much Wi-Fi in the middle of the woods or at a lake) so listeners could have a single Sonos product for the kitchen and the backpack.
At home, it connects to Wi-Fi and appears in the Sonos app on your phone. When you’re on the road (or a friend wants to quickly play some music), just pair it to Bluetooth and play. It’s a great party trick for those of us who have other Sonos speakers.
I leave my Roam 2 in the bathroom or bedroom when I’m not taking it outside with me. At home, it acts as another speaker in my Sonos ecosystem. When I want to head out to the beach or take some of my favorite tunes outside, I just grab the speaker and go, then pair it with my phone (or reconnect it, in most cases) for easy music listening where I don’t have an internet connection.
Photography: Amazon
Still the best
Using the Roam 2 (which looks identical to the first Roam, save for a much-needed Bluetooth pairing button and a few different colors) is straightforward. Plug in your phone, select music, and play. At home, over Wi-Fi, things can get a little more complicated, thanks to a much-maligned new Sonos app and its issues with setting up (or sometimes even viewing) new speakers.
I’ve managed to get mine connected to my home system with relative ease, connecting it to the other Sonos speaker I have paired in my office in a separate garage, in case I want to play the same music inside and outside. It works perfectly for this purpose, and if I had a larger Sonos system at home, I’m sure I’d enjoy it even more.
It works very well, with powerful bass and balanced highs and mids that make the speaker ideal for both podcasts and pop music. It’s not powerful or big enough to liven up a dance party in the woods, but it does get surprisingly loud for its size.