Sonos Roam 2 review | igamesnews

Best prices today: Sonos Roam 2

$143

$143

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Sonos’ original Roam smart speaker came out in 2021 and was one of the best portable speakers we’ve ever seen, offering very good sound quality in a very compact design that also managed to squeeze in useful features like wireless charging and even Wi-Fi and AirPlay support for Apple devices. The new Roam 2 doesn’t attempt to change that successful formula, but it does refine a number of features like its setup and adjustment process, and offers simpler controls.

Available in a variety of colors, including red, green, blue, and black and white, the Roam 2 looks virtually identical to its predecessor (and the original Roam and Roam SL models are still widely available online, so be sure to choose the Roam 2 when purchasing).

The compact speaker measures 168mm tall when standing upright, 62mm wide and 60mm deep, and weighs about the same as a can of beans at 0.43kg. It’s not quite pocket-sized, but it’ll easily slip into a backpack when you’re on the move. It also has a robust IP67 water and dust resistance rating, meaning it can be submerged in 1m of water for up to 30 minutes without damage, so it’s well-suited to life outdoors or at the beach.

The speaker’s compact design doesn’t leave much room for a large battery, but it should last up to 10 hours with music played at about 50% volume. It needs to be placed upright for wireless charging, as the power circuitry is at the base of the speaker, while the volume, playback, and microphone controls are on the top. However, a small set of rubber feet let you turn the speaker on its side and lay it flat if you want, and there’s a USB-C port on the back that can also be used for charging (with a USB-C cable included in the box). The Roam 2 starts at $179 (it’s currently discounted to $143 on Sonos’ website). It’s also possible to buy the Roam 2 with an optional wireless charging pad for $228/£228 and there’s an Adventure Set with two Roam 2 speakers available for $358/£358 – although if my maths is correct, that’s exactly the same price as buying the speakers individually, so there’s not much of a saving there.

As you might expect, the Roam 2 supports Bluetooth (updated to version 5.2) and now has separate buttons for power and Bluetooth pairing, which are easier to use than the fiddly multi-function button on the original Roam. Getting started is still a little tricky, though. You can press the Bluetooth button on the back of the speaker to quickly pair via Bluetooth, but you really need to download the Sonos app for iOS or Android to properly set up the speaker. The app has its own setup process, which uses an audio PIN (a series of chimes) to initially detect and connect to the Roam 2 via Bluetooth, and then you’re prompted to enter your Wi-Fi password to connect the speaker to your home Wi-Fi network as well. However, our office router transmits separate networks on the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz frequencies, which seemed to disrupt the Sonos app, which received a lot of criticism following a recent update. So we had to spend some time changing the Wi-Fi settings on our iPad to connect via Wi-Fi. But once that was done, the Roam 2 worked just fine, and its AirPlay support meant connecting to other Apple devices was much easier.

Much like its predecessor, the Roam 2 delivers very good sound quality for such a compact speaker, especially when using the higher bandwidth available with a Wi-Fi connection. It does a good job with the sonic mix of Sturgill Simpson’s Sing Along, laying down the squeaky, fuzzy guitars that form the foundation of the sound, while the sparkling EDM keyboard screams through the air with arm-waving energy. It even has a pretty respectable bass beat for such a small speaker, letting the electronic bass of Billie Eilish’s Bad Guy bounce along with a relaxed, swinging beat. It also brings out the crisp finger snaps and ticking percussion that give the song a slightly erratic, jittery energy. Switching to a Bluetooth connection does lose some clarity to the sound, but that’s a limitation of the Bluetooth rather than the speaker itself, and the Roam 2 can compete with any portable speaker of its size and weight.

Find out how the Sonos Roam 2 compares to other AirPlay speakers in our roundup of the best AirPlay speakers for iPhone.

Should you buy the Sonos Roam 2?

The Roam 2 may not be a necessary upgrade for owners of previous models, but this lightweight speaker still punches above its weight in terms of sound quality. Its rugged, lightweight design is ideal for outdoor use, but it also offers Wi-Fi and AirPlay support for when you get home.