After a couple of comprehensive leaks, Sonos has finally lifted the covers from its latest portable smart speaker – the Roam. Priced at $169, the new Sonos offering is quite a compelling package as it packs a bunch of neat tricks for that relatively affordable price tag – by Sonos standards, that is – and if it delivers on the sound quality aspect as well, this one can prove to be a runaway hit.

Sonos sells a wireless charging pad for $40, but you can use any Qi-charging mat

The IP67-certified Sonos Roam smart speaker can survive 30 minutes of immersion in up to three feet of water, and can also brush off a few bumps as well. Notably, you also get support for Qi wireless charging, but you’ll have to pay extra for the charging stand that Sonos is selling separately for $40. Sonos says that its new speaker can last up to 10 hours on a single charge.

sonos roam in hand

Talking about the tricks it brings to the table, the Sonos Roam supports streaming over Wi-Fi as well as Bluetooth, complete with automatic switching. There is a new feature called Sound Swap that lets you transfer music playback to the nearest Sonos speaker from the Roam by just long-pressing the play/pause button. Additionally, you can use the Sonos companion app to add it your home audio system.

The new Sound Swap trick lets you transfer playback to a nearby Sonos speaker

The top-firing design is backed by two class-H digital amplifiers, with a tweeter for handing high-frequency and a mid-woofer for taking care of mids and lows. There’s also a far-field mic array to summon the voice assistant of your choice. It also helps bring the automatic TruePlay Tuning feature to life, which intelligently adjusts the sound output based on where the speaker is placed. Plus, you can pair two of these to create a stereo system.

sonos roam silver

Weighing less than a pound, the Sonos Roam speaker also offers AirPlay 2 support to let you stream music from your iPhone or other compatible Apple devices. Do keep in mind that music streaming and TruePlay Tuning happens both over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, but AirPlay 2, stereo pairing, and Group listening only work over Wi-Fi.

It can stream music over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and create a stereo pair too.

The Sonos Roam comes in two trims – Shadow Black and Lunar Silver – with a matte finish on top. It is now up for pre-orders from the official Sonos website at $169. For that price, the Sonos Roam appears to be a great option for taking out on a hike or beach trip without having to worry about a plug being in the vicinity.


Pre-order Roam speaker at Sonos