Sonos Roam 2 Review: A Portable Speaker That Sounds Amazing

Quick summary: The Sonos Roam 2 is a $179 portable speaker rated IP67, so it’s waterproof and dustproof. It connects over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, sounds really good, and works with the rest of your Sonos system at home. You can buy them in pairs, too.

Design and controls

• On top: a microphone, volume up and down, and play/pause.
• On the back: a Bluetooth/Wi-Fi button, a power button, USB-C charging and rubber feet to keep it in place.
• Quick tip: press the smaller back button to switch modes. A white light means Wi-Fi and blue means Bluetooth.
• Colors: five options, olive, wave (blue), sunset (red, like mine), white and black.

The Sonos app

• Stereo pair: when you add two, the app offers to pair them, but each still works on its own.
• Battery: up to 10 hours of listening, and you can charge while you play.
• Trueplay: it automatically tunes its sound to the room or space. Sonos soundbars need your phone for this.
• Firmware updates improve the speaker over time.
• Settings: stay connected to Bluetooth or auto-disconnect when idle, an optional Sonos Voice Control or Amazon Alexa, battery saver, Wi-Fi power save, status lights and touch controls.

Over Wi-Fi, you play through the Sonos app with services like Spotify, TuneIn, YouTube Music, Sonos Radio and Apple Music. Over Bluetooth, you can play anything from your phone or tablet.

Sound

They sound fantastic, whether you use one or two. The low end is decent for the size, though it won’t blow you away. One is perfectly fine, but a stereo pair adds more depth. Pairing them with a Sonos soundbar and sub sounds even better.

Verdict

$179 is a little steep for a portable speaker, but you get IP67 protection, stable feet, easy controls, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and great sound. It integrates really well if you already have Sonos.

• Sonos Roam 2 on Amazon
• Sonos Roam 2 at Best Buy