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.

sonos roam iphone
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.

sonos roam buttons
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.

Tags: AirPlay, Sonos

Popular Stories

iOS 18

Here Are Apple's Full iOS 18.5 Release Notes

Tuesday May 6, 2025 2:17 pm PDT by
Apple today seeded the release candidate version of iOS 18.5 to developers and public beta testers, giving us a look at the final version of the update that will be provided to the public next week. With the release candidate, Apple provided release notes, so we have a more complete look at the new features that are included in the update, including those that weren't found during the beta...
siri glow

iPhone Users Now Able to Submit Claims in $95 Million Siri Spying Lawsuit

Wednesday May 7, 2025 11:40 am PDT by
If you owned a Siri-compatible device and had an accidental Siri activation between September 17, 2014 and December 31, 2024, you could be eligible for a payment from Apple as part of a class action lawsuit settlement. Apple in January agreed to pay $95 million to settle a class action lawsuit involving Siri spying accusations, and a website to distribute the funds has now been set up and...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17: What's New With the Cameras

Friday May 2, 2025 3:52 pm PDT by
We've still got months to go before the new iPhone 17 models come out, but a combination of dummy models and leaks have given us some insight into what we can expect in terms of camera changes. Apple is adding new camera features, and changing the design of the camera bump for some models. You might be skeptical of dummy models, but over the years, they've proven to be a highly accurate...
iOS 18

Apple Says iOS 18.5 Coming Soon, Here is What's New

Monday May 5, 2025 8:19 am PDT by
In its press release for the new Pride Band today, Apple said that iOS 18.5 is "upcoming," following more than a month of beta testing. We expect the iOS 18.5 Release Candidate to be released this week, and this should be the final beta version, barring any last-minute bugs or changes. The software update should then be released to the general public next week. iOS 18.5 is a relatively...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Foldable iPhone Said to Have Two Key Advantages

Monday May 5, 2025 6:41 am PDT by
Apple plans to release its first foldable iPhone next year, according to several reporters and analysts who cover the company. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the foldable iPhone will offer two key advantages over other foldable smartphones. First, he said the foldable iPhone will have a "nearly invisible" crease when unfolded. This means the device's...
Nineth iOS 19 Feature

iOS 19 Beta is a Month Away With These New Features for Your iPhone

Thursday May 8, 2025 7:37 am PDT by
The first iOS 19 beta is just one month away, and there are already many new features and changes that are expected with it. Apple should seed the first iOS 19 beta to developers immediately following the WWDC 2025 keynote, which is scheduled for Monday, June 9. Following beta testing, the update should be released to the general public in September. Below, we recap the key iOS 19 rumors...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Apple's Foldable iPhone Display Tech May Set New Industry Standard

Thursday May 8, 2025 3:29 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone will feature a new type of display panel developed by Samsung that has never been used in a foldable product, claims a source with links to Apple's supply chain. According to the account yeux1122 on the Korean Naver blog, the foldable iPhone will use a custom display process for which Apple will hold branding trademark rights, and that meets Apple's stringent ...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...

Top Rated Comments

chrfr Avatar
54 months ago

That's not bad at all but still cant beat the price of HomePod Mini.
How's the battery life on your HomePod Mini?
Score: 62 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kennyt72 Avatar
54 months ago

That's not bad at all but still cant beat the price of HomePod Mini.
How's your HomePod mini underwater?
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tomtendo Avatar
54 months ago

I've never owned a Sonos product, but major RESPECT for the awesome and thoughtful design in this product.
Sonos, IMO, are the best speakers out there (for the price/class). And more importantly they use good technology and update frequently.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gaximus Avatar
54 months ago
Oh good, now there will be more jackasses listening to these things in public places.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
smuzzy Avatar
54 months ago

How's your HomePod mini underwater?
Or out camping or at the beach or in the back yard or in the park or...
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bodonnell202 Avatar
54 months ago

That's not bad at all but still cant beat the price of HomePod Mini.
Isn’t exactly a direct competitor to the HomePod Mini considering the HomePod isn’t portable.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)