I prefer it the unique sonos roam is sufficient to give it a go 9/10, WIRED recommends. And now I fall on my sword in entrance of everybody who purchased it on my recommendation. I had one criticism, which was that the battery on my evaluate unit – just like the batteries on many different items owned by individuals I do know and work with – had unusual issues with draining in the long run. My first-generation mannequin was unusable by the point I returned to match it to this new mannequin.
With the Roam 2 quietly launched alongside the brand new Sonos Ace headphones (8/10, WIRED recommends), Sonos has fastened these battery points. The corporate has additionally added a button to make Bluetooth pairing simpler and sooner whenever you’re away from house.
It’s not precisely an engineering triumph, however I wish to see manufacturers replace merchandise to repair what’s damaged slightly than reinvent the wheel. Functionally, the Roam 2 appears and feels similar to the primary mannequin. This one is simply designed to last more than a few years, and it has a less complicated Bluetooth pairing button. I nonetheless prefer it, and I’ll prefer it much more if long-term testing exhibits that the battery (and the machine itself) lasts a very long time.
Photograph: Amazon
I wander alongside the ridge
The entire level of Sonos was that its merchandise did not have Bluetooth, however what has modified in the previous couple of years.
The Roam is the primary devoted moveable machine that Sonos has determined to equip with Bluetooth (there’s not a lot Wi-Fi within the woods or on the lake), so listeners can take the identical Sonos product into the kitchen or in a backpack.
At house, it connects to Wi-Fi and exhibits up within the Sonos app in your telephone. Whenever you’re on the go — or a good friend needs to play some music rapidly — simply hook up with Bluetooth and play. It’s an important get together trick for these of us with different Sonos audio system.
I preserve my Roam 2 within the rest room or bed room after I’m not taking it outdoors. At house, it capabilities as one other speaker in my Sonos ecosystem. Once I need to hit the seaside or take my favourite tunes with me, I simply seize the speaker and go, then join it to my telephone (or reconnect it, generally) for straightforward listening in locations the place it doesn’t have an web connection.
Photograph: Amazon
Nonetheless the very best
Utilizing the Roam 2 (which appears similar to the primary Roam, save for the much-needed Bluetooth pairing button and some totally different shade choices) is about so simple as it will get. Plug in your telephone, choose some music, play it. At house, over Wi-Fi, issues can get a bit of extra sophisticated, due to New Sonos App Beneath Hearth and issues with organising (and generally with the looks) of recent audio system.
I used to be in a position to hook mine as much as my house system with relative ease, connecting it to a different Sonos speaker that I’ve hooked as much as my workplace in a separate storage, in case I need to play the identical music indoors and out. It really works flawlessly for this function, and if I had a bigger Sonos system at house, I am certain I would prefer it much more.
Functionally, it really works nicely, with good, meaty bass and balanced highs and mids, making the speaker appropriate for each podcasts and pop music. It’s not loud, and it’s not large enough to fireplace up a full-on dance get together within the woods, however it will get surprisingly loud for its dimension.