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The Sonos Roam 2 is a great little portable speaker. But it begs the question: when does an update deserve a new song? Whatever the criteria, the Roam 2 would meet the minimum requirements.
Very little has changed from the original Roam, which launched in 2021. It’s the same size and shape, with the same battery life and ruggedness. Sonos has made some changes to the buttons and made using Bluetooth easier. And the Sonos logo now has the same color as the speaker.
And that’s okay. The Roam 2 still sounds better than most small portable speakers. If you’re willing to pay a premium for Sonos sound and don’t need the longest battery life, you’ll keep rocking wherever you go.
Sonos Roam2
The Roam 2 remains one of the best sounding portable speakers, especially for its size. It produces rich vocals and decent bass in an easy-to-carry package, yet only lasts 10 hours on a full charge and is more expensive than many competitors.
What we liked about it
The sound quality is great
The Roam 2 may sound slightly better than the Roam (if there is any difference, it’s subtle). It delivers clear vocals with remarkable resonance for a small speaker and impressive bass for its size.
Most small portable speakers can’t generate significant bass, but the Roam managed enough to rattle my desk a bit while listening to Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” The drums on Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” sounded satisfying, while her vocals sounded full and rich.
However, a small speaker will not deliver full spectrum sound. The Roam 2 delivers some sharpness in the treble – on Brittany Howard’s “What Now” the guitar lacked bite, but the bass thumped deeply. Likewise, the banjo on Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” lacked some tone, but the bass drum had excellent presence and Beyoncé’s voice sounded full. If you’re playing music on the go, bass and vocals are probably more important (and harder to get) than treble, so it was a smart trade-off on Sonos’ part.
Easier installation and useful features
Wondering what’s new on the Roam 2? Sonos has added a separate button for Bluetooth – previously Bluetooth shared a button with power. The speaker can connect via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth; if you’re at home you’ll probably want to use Wi-Fi, while if you’re out of Wi-Fi range you’d use Bluetooth. The new button makes switching between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi much easier.
You also no longer have to use WiFi to set up the speaker. With the original Roam, you had to use the Sonos app to get the speaker on your network, and then you could add the Bluetooth connection to use it outside your home network. This change means you can connect to the speaker for the first time on the go – and you don’t even need the Sonos app if you don’t want it.
But you should purchase the app, because it allows you to get the most out of the speaker. You can enable Auto Trueplay Tuning, which uses a microphone in the speaker to adjust the sound to your environment. There’s also a three-band equalizer to make the sound a treat for your ears, along with battery management options and more.
Two are much better than one
If you have two Roams, you can create a stereo pair where one is the left speaker and the other is the right. Through some kind of technological magic, the resulting sound is much bigger than two separate Roams.
Even better, you can use a first-generation Roam to create the stereo pair with a Roam 2. Often companies will let you pair a same-generation speaker.
If you’re considering Sonos’ larger portable speaker, the Move 2, you might consider two Roam 2s instead. Two Roams offer more flexibility than the Move 2, cost less and sound almost as good.
What we didn’t like about it
The battery life has remained the same
My biggest issue with the Roam 2, as with the Roam, is the battery life. Sonos says it will last 10 hours on a full charge. In my experience that is the upper limit, even at low volume. During testing, the Roam 2 only lasted about 10 hours. By comparison, the UE Boom 3 – our current top pick for portable speakers – gets at least 15 hours.
You can make some adjustments in the app to extend battery life. Make sure Battery Saver is turned on. This will turn off the speaker more quickly when not in use. There’s also a Wi-Fi Power Save option, although it’s unclear what that does.
A higher price than many portable speakers
The Roam 2 delivers excellent sound, but is pricey at $179. The Boom 3 currently retails for $109, and the JBL Flip 5 currently retails for $89. But neither sounds as good as the Roam 2, and if you have other Sonos speakers you’ll lose integration with your extensive Sonosphere.
How it compares
In short
The Sonos Roam 2 is one of the best small portable speakers you can buy in 2024. It has better bass and vocals than most speakers of this size and can be integrated with other Sonos speakers. Thanks to its size and robustness, it is easy to take anywhere.
However, the improvements that Sonos has made to the Roam 2 are minimal. If you have the original Roam, there’s little reason to upgrade unless you only have one Roam and want to create a stereo pair.
You can find other small portable speakers for less money, although they won’t sound as good. But some will play longer if you charge them: the Boom 3 has 50% more battery life than the Roam 2.
But if you can cut costs and need a new small portable speaker, the Roam 2 leads the way when it comes to sound quality and on-the-go features.
Note: The prices above reflect the retailer’s stated price at the time of publication.
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