The Sonos Roam is the company’s most portable speaker to date
It’s been a while since we’ve seen anything new from the folks over at Sonos, but that’s changed with the introduction of the Sonos Roam. This speaker is the company’s most portable option to-date and is priced at just $169.
The Roam is around the size of a water bottle, measuring in at 6.61 x 2.44 x 2.36-inches while weighing less than one pound (0.95). As expected, Sonos included IP67 water and dust resistance rating, meaning that it can be submerged in three feet of water for up to 30 minutes.
This isn’t Sonos’ first attempt at a portable speaker, as the Sonos Move is an option, albeit, a much heavier and more expensive option. With the Roam, you’ll be getting a true Bluetooth speaker, with the sound quality and tuning that we have come to appreciate from other Sonos products.
As for the design itself, the Roam features a rounded-off triangular design, with Sonos branding on the front, along with an LED indicator. On the top of the speaker, you’ll find the Play/Pause button, Volume Up and Down, along with a microphone button with another LED indicator. The microphone button allows you to press and hold in order to activate the digital assistant associated with whatever phone the Sonos Roam is connected to, which is a nice touch.
Another nice touch is the inclusion of “Swap”, which makes it possible for your Sonos Roam to “hand-off” the sound to another one of your Sonos speakers. Speaking of which, you can actually use the Roam along with other Sonos speakers to create a unique sound system. Imagine having an outdoor party with a couple of these speakers and connecting them together to fill the area with your favorite Summer tunes.
Battery life is also quite interesting with the Roam, but not because it can last up to 10-hours on a single charge. Instead, you’ll have two different ways to recharge the Roam so that the parties never stop. There’s a built-in USB-C port for charging, but you can also purchase a Qi dock and charge the Roam wirelessly. It’s the smaller details such as this that help to Sonos apart from the crowd.
While a first glance at the Sonos Roam may suggest that you’ll be getting a 360-degree sound experience, that’s simply not the case. Instead, Sonos made the conscious decision to stick to 180-degree sound, in an effort to provide better overall sound quality. Essentially, you’ll just need to point the speaker in the direction you want the sound playing, and then you can sit back and enjoy.
The Sonos Roam is available for pre-order starting today, and comes in either Shadow Black or Lunar White for color options. Pricing comes in at just $169, and if you want the wireless charger, that will set you back an extra $49. Or, you can grab the Roam Wireless Charging bundle for $218. Sonos states that the Roam will begin shipping on April 20th, arriving just in time for those Spring and Summer parties.