A classy wireless speaker, but no bigger than a space-toblerone Sonos Roam
Sonos has made a truly portable speaker fit for chucking just about anywhere – but can it make a full-size noise?
The Sonos Roam is this esteemed audio company’s first proper portable speaker. Forget the Move, because while it would love to claim that title (and is a fantastic bit of kit in its own right), the truth is its sheer heft puts it pretty low down our list of boomers to sling in a satchel.
The Move is an able beast but simply too unwieldy for weekends away and jaunts in the park… but the Roam is an altogether more sensible proposition for outdoor parties – and that’s not only due to its physical dimensions.
Being clued up for both Wi-fi and Bluetooth, it’ll get on nicely with an existing Sonos setup but has the nifty addition of appealing to punters from outside of the Sonos sphere – those looking for a no-nonsense wireless speaker without the need to use a dedicated app.
This, then, might just be the brand’s most accessible speaker yet – and it arrives just in time for the summer. But the sub-£200 porta-speaker market is awash with strong rivals from Marshall, JBL, Ultimate Ears and more, so Sonos needs to cut through the noise.
Designed to stand either vertically or horizontally, the robust Roam isn’t exactly shouty in the design department, with a metal mesh and rubberised matt plastic finish; so it’s what’s inside that matters. Does it stick to the same sweet audio recipe as the rest of the Sonos range?
1 Go hard or go Roam
The Roam has a refined aesthetic, in keeping with the rest of the Sonos family. It feels sturdy and the rubberised ends are there to absorb shock. The buttons are physical to avoid accidental prods, and there’s USB-C charging or you can fuel it wirelessly.
2 Roam computer
Above the Sonos logo is a tiny LED displaying connection status and muting; a second LED on the top indicates when microphones are active. The final LED is found at the bottom and shows power and charge status. If it glows orange, it’s thirsty.
3 Make yourself at Roam
Pairing is a doddle: control the Roam from a streaming platform, a podcast app or Airplay 2. You’ve got Alexa or Google Assistant on voice duty, and automatic Trueplay means it’ll tune its sound to suit the environment, whether you’re inside or outside.
4 She’s leaving Roam
Another choice feature is Sound Swap, which switches audio to the nearest Sonos speaker in the vicinity. Press play/pause and the Roam pings sound around accordingly – useful if you wish to express your right to Roam without taking it with you.
5 Roam on the range
Connectivity remained rock solid throughout our testing, as did the seamless switch between Bluetooth and Wi-fi, although the claimed 10-hour battery life is a stretch and it takes around two hours to get it juiced up with a full charge.