Sonos Unveils Portable $169 Roam Speaker With AirPlay 2, Sound Swap, and More

Sonos today introduced a new "ultra-portable" smart speaker called the Sonos Roam, designed for use at home and on the go. It's designed to be even more portable than the Sonos Move, competing with the likes of the Ultimate Ears Boom.

Priced at $169 in the United States, the Sonos Roam is now the most affordable Sonos speaker available, and it is also the lightest at just under one pound. Sonos said that despite being "smaller than a water bottle," the Roam delivers "powerful, adaptable sound" that "defies expectations for a speaker of its size." The speaker can sit upright or be laid on its side, with the triangular design directing sound upwards.

"Roam was created to deliver an incredible sound experience no matter where you are," said Sonos. "Like all Sonos products, Roam was tuned by industry leaders across music and film to ensure the speaker reproduces content exactly how the creator intended. A carefully designed acoustic architecture delivers rich, detailed sound with the clarity, depth, and fullness you'd expect from a larger speaker."

The speaker is equipped with two Class-H amplifiers, one custom racetrack mid-woofer, one tweeter, and a high-efficiency motor. Other audio specs include adjustable EQ and a far-field microphone array with advanced beamforming.

Roam automatically switches between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0. At home, the speaker connects to a Wi-Fi network when in range, and then it automatically repairs with an iPhone or other smartphone via Bluetooth when on the go. The speaker can be controlled with the Sonos app, Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, or physical touch controls. Built-in LED lights indicate speaker, microphone, and battery status.

It is possible to create a stereo pair with two Roams in the same room, and the speaker can be grouped with other Sonos speakers by pressing and holding the play/pause button, or using the Sonos app. If a user continues to hold down the play/pause button, an all-new feature called Sound Swap switches the music playing to the nearest Sonos speaker for a seamless room-to-room listening experience.

With a feature called Automatic Trueplay, the Roam intelligently adapts the sound based on what's playing and the surrounding environment. Roam's microphones detect what is playing and measure the frequency response of the surroundings, and then adjusts EQ for balanced sound. Auto Trueplay is triggered whenever Roam is placed in a new location, and it continuously refines the sound while Roam is stationary.

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 be selling an official Roam-shaped wireless charger for $49.

With IP67-rated water and dust resistance, the Roam can be submerged in up to one meter of water for 30 minutes without suffering water damage. Silicone end caps protect it from accidental drops and turbulence in transit, and a slightly concave design helps prevent the physical controls like 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.