Sonos Roam Portable Speaker

Pass on this one – Despite an extremely painful registration and first use process, the little speaker put out great sound however, I continued to struggle with an extremely unintuitive pairing/ connection process and after 3 months it started distorting badly. It has been relegated to my workshop sound system where I don’t need much volume but it’s extremely… Read more

disappointing that a $300 boom box could be of such poor quality.

I haven’t complained or returned it as my wife bought it and I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. She was pretty proud of the purchase. ***EDIT - Within 4 months It has stopped working completely and is now in the bin ***

Great sound quality, but charging issues – The speaker is excellent sound quality, best I have had. But the charging requires a 10W adapter when the speaker only comes with a USB-C cable. So when trying to charge it with any of my iPhone adapters or even USB via my PC it gives an insufficient power supply error and changes so slow. If it has this sort of requirement it should come with the adapter... pretty bad. Had to buy their $35 10W adapter from their site. super dodgy if you ask me. Show details

Roam 2 - Good performer...an improvement on the original? – I went for this product for its versatility. It's a good portable suited to outdoor use, but it can also be added to the wifi network around the home where its lightweight portability makes it easy to move with you from kitchen to outdoor deck to shower time. Move the music, podcast or whatever without having to deal with power leads. As a… Read more

portable bluetooth speaker, it ticks the water resistant, dust proof boxes with an IP67 rating and is small and lightweight. A key addition to the Roam 2 over the previous is a separate bluetooth pairing button that does not require the app. Useful in the garden or camping, though my speaker is mostly used in and around the house.

Connecting the speaker to wifi extends an existing network of TV, home theatre, computer speakers through the home connecting them all through Airplay and controlling player settings using the Apple Remote app. Devices can use Airplay to cast to the Roam 2 simultaneously with different content playing in other spaces. Similarly the Sonos app can cast different content to the Roam 2 over the wifi isolated from other speakers. Portability adds to the versatility of where the audio can extend.

There are tactile and easy to use play, volume and microphone buttons on the silicon finished ends in addition to the USB C charge point, power and bluetooth pairing buttons on the rear. For everything else there is the app. The microphone can be used to activate Trueplay that tunes sound according to the surrounds. Alexa and a Sonos voice assistant can be used to control the speaker, however this is something I don't use, so no comment. These features are set up within the app along with access to the EQ, alarm, sleep timer and settings aimed at extending battery life. Higher volumes do reduce battery life noticeably. I have the maximum volume setting at 80% and find this is plenty most of the time.

A big plus with the wifi connectivity is the speaker can play higher quality audio streams that overcome some of the limitations of bluetooth audio reproduction. After a satisfactory test period of the first, I got a second to create a stereo pair (wifi connection only) with a couple of taps on the app. The result is impressive for such small speakers at this price point ($299) and helps overcome the not so wide soundstage of a single unit. The EQ has bass and treble sliders and a loudness button for additional fine tuning. Portability also helps as it allows you to put the speaker in the best spot for your listening position. Against a hard surface will give the best sound, while height makes a difference...above ear level increases the treble response, at or below ear height will enhance bass response. In the kitchen I put one up high on a shelf and the other on a window sill in a stereo pair to good effect.

As part of the Sonos system streaming app subscriptions such as Apple Music and others (Spotify a notable exception) can be linked in the app making seamless use easy. This is useful when using the speakers separately to the existing network. You also get access to an extensive range of world wide radio through the app. All my favourite ABC news, sport and music stations and streams are available and I have linked them so that the speaker's alarm now wakes me with my choice of radio. I even found the app that I use to borrow audiobooks from the library can be linked.

I had not previously considered Sonos and was wary given many of the reviews for both the speaker and the app. A big issue with the original Roam appears fixed with the addition of the separate bluetooth pairing and no need to set up bluetooth through the app. The pairing worked first time though I mainly use wifi so can not comment on its stability. The wifi has been very stable and has not required a reconnection to the network yet.

The app had a major update a few months back with features being gradually added via software updates. So far it has done all I needed it to do with the exception of a couple of niggles. It should really be possible to connect a stereo pair via bluetooth as other bluetooth only speakers do. The maximum volume setting resets itself occasionally and the battery charge level graphic shown on the music player pane and elsewhere could do with a number attached. The app update has prioritised content and player controls up front with speaker settings variously several clicks further back. Probably suits most, but as I mostly use Airplay directly, I would prefer easier access to the settings.

Hopefully these niggles can be addressed through future software updates. A future Roam 3 could improve battery life and make it a better proposition as a bluetooth portable. A more expansive sound might be possible with a greater array of speakers in a rounder design and maybe a power lift, though this would likely come at the cost of its current compact and easy fit size for hand and bag.

It's been a month and I have found the speakers and app to work as they should. Perhaps the Roam 2 is an improvement on the original?

Having said that, the Roam 2 may not be for everyone. This is not a party speaker. The bass response is good for such a small unit, but it will not rattle the windows. If you primarily want a robust portable bluetooth speaker others may deliver longer battery life than the the Roam 2's 10 hours as well as more power. At this price point for bluetooth portability, the UE Megaboom 3 (now 4) has 20 hour battery, more power and a bigger 360 degree design that creates a soundstage that the Sonos is unable to match. To my ears audio quality is similar, but the smaller form, lower power and fewer drivers of the Roam 2 produces a narrower soundstage. As I said at the start, it is the versatility of the Roam 2 won out for me and I don't regret it. I'm more impressed with the sound than I thought I would be.

Garbage – These are garbage. After a year or two they just stop working. Hardly ever used mine and now it won’t turn on. Plenty reports of this happening to other people.

poor quality – I have 6 of these units. 3 have failed and while Sonos will replace thym, the system is very difficult. I need to jump through hoops. There are several problems with the speakers themselves. 1. Reliability very bad, 50% failures 2. Software close to useless 3. Button controls... not good 4. Staying on line... terrible. they keep dropping off 5.… Read more

There is no way to turn them off from the software 6. Cost. Hugely expensive for what you get. There are much better cheaper systems 7. Service. Sort of ok, but makes you jump through hoops and I'm still waiting on a return authorisation after close to a week Seriously look at other products.

Terrible battery life – This is not a portable/wireless speaker. Having it 'off charge' for any length of time renders it useless, even if it is switched off. I have a UE Boom. I thought the Sonos would be significantly better sound. I don't believe it is. But what I know for sure, is that the Roam battery is all but useless and the UE Boom lasts !

24 hours old and I hate it for so many reasons most of all you must use app to use the product – I bought this because I was assured of good sound quality but it is tinny and screechy and honestly my $99 Marley sounded way way better. I also bought it because I was assured it would connect easily to my iPad via AirPlay but not so. It is hard to turn on and off - I’m never sure if it’s on or off and the on off button isn’t easy to press and is… Read more

sometimes not responsive. But the worst aspect is that to pair this you have to download their app and register with them. I resent paying $300 for something and then having to give away my personal information to use the product. I really really wish I’d chosen something else.

Terrible! – Battery never worked to the claimed 10hrs. And it has now stopped working and charging. Have own since May 2021 but have only used about 10 times in less than two year - and not since december last year. The Roam is a terrible effort by sonos. I purchased to use with my sonos one, but am thinking of changing over to bose now. Show details

SONOS has Office & Tech Assistance in Australia – I heard the Manager of Sonos Australia interviewed on Sydney Radio (2GB) a couple of weeks ago - he said if anyone has problems with Sonos Products contact their Office. I have recently purchased the ‘Sonos Roam’ plus the Stand from JB HiFi - Salesman told me he bought the ‘Roam’ - the sound is fantastic but…..setting up was not that easy, for… Read more

people who are not switched on with Technology - he said I knew what I was doing. I am apprehensive about setting up - the 2 boxes are sitting on my kitchen table waiting for me to take the Setting Up Challenge !

Sonos Roam – Hi bought 2 of theese speakers a month ago and I love them. The quality and detail of the sound is fantastic for their size. The app is very easy to use. Best investment I have made in a very long time.

Sound good, battery terrible – Whilst sounding perfectly fine for its size, the battery has some serious problems. It just seems to constantly be drained. It drains overnight completely from being fully charged, even when not turned on! whilst using it, I might be lucky to get 1 hour of playback before it loses its connection and just stops playing until I plug a charger in and… Read more

let it sit there for 20min before I can even turn it back on. Its form and build quality seem fine but the battery situation makes it almost unusable, so I don't recommend this speaker. do better Sonos.

Frustrating, broken, useless – I purchased this as a Christmas gift thinking that an expensive portable speaker would be far better than the recipient's current $10 Kmart speaker. The only thing great about the Sonos Roam is that the audio is fantastic... if you can get it working. Google "sonos roam music drops out" and you'll see the issue. If you can manage to get it to… Read more

turn on and play a song, it will generally drop out after 20-30 seconds. You can press the play button on the speaker and it will start again, but the general troubleshooting advice from Sonos is "it's wifi interference." I replaced my existing router with a new $300 model and the exact same thing happens. I've factory reset it multiple times and the exact same thing happens. I'll be sending it back for a refund.

Avoid this speaker like the plague!

Disappointing – I have the Sonos Beam (first gen) and two Symfonisk speakers that I have in a home cinema setup, all have been really good so far. I wanted a compact smart speaker for my bedroom so it made sense to expand within the Sonos ecosystem. I got a voucher for Christmas from work so without hesitation I purchased the Roam. Out of the box it seemed a… Read more

little sus, the power button was very stiff and odd to use. Not at all the high quality I have come to expect from Sonos. Setup with the app was fine and the Roam integrated with my other products. Unfortunately setting up with Bluetooth is not as smooth, the multi-function on/off button is just awful. Its unresponsive, stiff yet mushy at the same time. Your're supposed to hold the button down for two seconds to initiate Bluetooth setup however for me it just puts the roam into standby mode. After a few goes at mashing the button the Bluetooth function will finally work, its super frustrating!

I thought my device might have been defective however many online forums have highlighted these same issues. I spoke to Sonos directly about these issues and they advised that there was nothing wrong with my device. I hope that a future update will resolve the button issue!

Pros:

- Looks great - Sounds good for a compact speaker - Fits into my existing Sonos ecosystem

Cons:

- On/off button is terrible, Sonos should know better - Separate charger is expensive, you can't use any existing charger unless its 10w - Smart features are limited

Overall the Roam seems like a great idea however its poorly executed. Unfortunately early adopters of the Roam are made to suffer the mistakes made by Sonos, I would recommend waiting until a second generation of this device to come out before purchasing.

First Sonos – I found it a bit frustrating because you need wifi to set it up properly. We only have mobile phone internet and couldn't use our hotspot to use the app. It does have bluetooth and was simple to connect to our mobile phones. The sound is amazing and the output adapts to the environment i.e. inside to outside. I'm still disappointed that I can't seem to use the app. Show details

Not a bad speaker just impossible to use – I bought a roam speaker and when it's working it's great but overall it is almost impossible to use ESPECIALLY if you don't have wifi. I have been so frustrated with the whole thing since i've bought the speaker and there really is no solution to the problem. The app you need to control most of the functions on the speaker is so hard to use and… Read more

the speaker itself is so confusing in terms of getting into different modes etc. Also the bluetooth connection can be so spotty and skips a lot. Definitely do not buy if you don't have your own home wifi and honestly just go to another brand if you are only after a single speaker and not a whole house entertainment unit.

Never Sonos Again! – I once had a sonos 5 and was disappointed with the product and its complex set up and constant drop outs and having to re install etc etc So the roam came along and yes same problems...re boot...re install..dis connect re connect much to often. So it goes on. For the money and reputation not good enough at all Returned and got reliability and equally good if not better sound and no complications......BOSE.