Today, Sonos has unveiled its latest addition to its smart speaker portfolio, the Sonos Roam, featuring a super lightweight design to allow users to take it with them anywhere.
An adaptable solution, Roam simultaneously connects to both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth; it connects to the home ecosystem and streams via Wi-Fi but automatically switched to Bluetooth and re-pairs with a mobile device when the user leaves.
As part of the Sonos setup at home, a new feature called Sound Swap allows user to hold the play/pause button on the speakers to swap the music to the nearest speaker in the system, making it easy to move music around the home.
Seamless connectivity unlocks Bluetooth streaming for the entire system, with the Sonos app allowing the user to group any of the sonos speakers to Roam when streaming with Bluetooth. Roam works with more than 100 streaming services and can be easily controlled via the Sonos app, voice commands with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, Apple AirPlay 2, or directly from a favourite music service app.
Although it carries a small form factor, Roam features a carefully designed acoustic architecture to deliver rich and detailed sound with the clarity, depth and fullness you would expect from a larger speaker.
Like all Sonos products, Roam was tuned by industry experts across music and film to ensure it recreates content as the creator intended. Automatic Trueplay is now available when streaming via Bluetooth as well as Wi-Fi to keep Roam tuned for the environment it is in.
“For a small, portable speaker, Roam sounds big and genuine,” commented Emily Lazar, Grammy award-winning mastering engineer and member of the Sonos sound board. “It doesn’t sound forced or artificial and that’s a testament to its technical design. It’s unique in its class because it actually performs like a finely tuned speaker as opposed to a megaphone.”
Making it ultra-portable, the new Sonos Roam weighs less than a pound and features a tactile rectangular shape, making it almost unnoticeable to carry around when out and about. Its soft profile makes comfortable to pick up and also gives it an elegant look when displayed in the home. Versatile, it can be placed vertically for space saving at home, or horizontally for added stability on uneven surfaces outdoors.
Protecting it from the elements when out and about, Roam is dust proof, fully waterproof, and has a rigorously tested IP67 rating. Silicone end caps and physical buttons have also been used to protect it from drops or bumps.
Designed to be long-lasting, Roam has up to 10 hours of continuous playback on a single charge and up to 10 days battery life when not in use. To recharge the speaker, Roam can sit on a custom magnetic wireless charger (sold separately), or it can be connected to any Qi wireless charger, or using the USB-C cable included.
“We built Roam to give customers a way to bring the Sonos experience with them wherever they go,” said Patrick Spence, CEO of Sonos. “It’s not only our smartest and most versatile speaker, it’s also our most affordable. Roam provides the opportunity for millions of new customers to get started with Sonos, and is the right product at the right time as we begin to gather again with friends and family.”
Roam will be available from 20 April 2021 in Lunar White or Shadow Black, priced at £159 / €179 / $169.