Sonos today unveiled a new “ultraportable” smart speaker called the Sonos Roam, designed for use at home and anywhere. It is designed to be even more portable than the Sonos Move, competing with the Ultimate Ears Boom type.
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Priced at $ 169 in the United States, the Sonos Roam is now the most affordable Sonos speaker available and is also the lightest at just under a pound. Sonos said that despite being “smaller than a bottle of water,” the Roam offers a “powerful, adaptable sound” that “defies the expectations of a speaker its size.” The speaker can sit upright or stand on its side, with the triangular design directing the sound upwards.
“Roam was created to deliver an amazing sound experience, no matter where you are,” Sonos said. “Like all Sonos products, Roam was tuned in by industry leaders through music and film to ensure the speaker reproduces content exactly as the creator intended. A carefully designed acoustic architecture delivers rich sound and detailed with the clarity, depth and fullness you might expect from a larger speaker. “
The speaker is equipped with two Class H amplifiers, a custom track woofer, a tweeter and a high-efficiency motor. Other audio specifications include an adjustable equalizer and a set of far-field microphones with advanced beam formation.
Roam automatically switches between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0. At home, the speaker connects to a Wi-Fi network when it’s within reach and then automatically repairs with an iPhone or other smartphone via Bluetooth when you’re on the go. The speaker can be controlled with the Sonos app, Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, or physical touch controls. The built-in LED lights indicate the status of the speaker, microphone and battery.
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It is possible to create a stereo pair with two Roams in the same room and you can group the speaker with other Sonos speakers by pressing and holding the play / pause button or using the Sonos application. If a user keeps pressing the play / pause button, a new feature called Sound Swap switches music playback to the nearest Sonos speaker for a perfect room-to-room listening experience.
With a feature called Automatic Trueplay, the Roam adapts the sound intelligently based on what is being played and the environment around it. Roam microphones detect what is playing and measure the frequency response of the environment and then adjust the equalizer to get a balanced sound. Auto Trueplay is activated whenever Roam is placed in a new location and continuously perfects the sound while Roam is stopped.
Roam provides up to 10 hours of continuous playback on a single charge and can last up to 10 days in sleep mode, according to Sonos. The speaker can be recharged with an included USB-C cable and any USB power adapter, or wirelessly with any Qi wireless charger. Sonos will sell an official Roam-shaped wireless charger for $ 49.
With water and dust resistance rated IP67, the Roam can be submerged for up to one meter of water for 30 minutes without water damage. The silicone end caps protect it from accidental drops and turbulence during traffic, and a slightly concave design helps prevent physical controls such as volume from being accidentally pressed.
Sonos said the Roam will be available starting April 20 in the United States and dozens of other countries, with pre-orders starting today. The speaker is available in two colors, including Shadow Black and Lunar White.