Review: Sonos Roam 2 Bluetooth speaker: new, but is it improved?

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Sonos has been in tough spot lately. It's been getting all kinds of blowback over some changes to its app, all while trying to launch a completely new product… The Sonos Ace headphones. Those two items have been grabbing all the headlines, the company quietly refreshed and re-launched one of Sonos most popular speakers… The Sonos Roam. Meet Sonos Roam 2. But is this a big change and significant improvement to the original, or more of a polish-up? In this review I'll go hands-on with the newest version, I'll evaluate what's changed and what still the same, then I'll wrap things up with the pros and the cons of this device overall and let you know if I think I can recommend it to you either as a brand new speaker or if you should look it up upgrading.
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Sonos Roam 2 What you get:
Let’s look at what you’re getting here: Sonos Roam is a small, wireless, portable speaker option that Sonos wants you to take with you in the yard, camping, RVing and on the go. It can be used either horizontally or vertically and Roam can be controlled with the Sonos app or using the subtle but easy to locate buttons on the top. It will connect using Wi-Fi (so it can join your larger Sonos system at home) or via Bluetooth (use it anywhere, even off-grid).
Sonos Roam 2: what’s new?
There are three improvements when it comes to the second generation model, and while a couple of them are welcome, for the most part the changes are underwhelming and really designed to make the speaker more appealing to new buyers who may have read reviews of the original version. Fortunatley, Sonos isn’t going to charge you more for these updates; the price stays put.
Dedicated Wi-Fi button
USB-C cable update
Subtler logo
Let’s cover each of these off so you can see what you’re getting.
A Sonos Roam with Button-shaped Band-Aid
The Sonos Roam 2 is virtually identical to the original model. It has the same shape and overall design as the original Roam and comes in the same five color variants-Black, White, Sunset, Wave, and Olive.
What’s the same?
Battery life unfortunately hasn’t improved and has the same IP67 waterproofing. It comes with Automatic Trueplay support, features integrated mics, and has Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and AirPlay 2 support baked in.
Sonos Roam battery life & power
Roam has 10 hours of battery life from one charge but in my tests I got just under 10 hours, playing the music at a low level
Ten hours isn’t a lot for a portable wireless speaker, particularly when other portable models can give you 20 hours or more, so this is a pretty big downside.
When it comes to charging, you can either use the 90-degree USB-C cable that’s included with the speaker or purchase the optional wireless charging base.
Power saving feature (previously) improved
Original Sonos Roam had a big problem for me and that was that its smart power-saving feature didn’t work correctly out of the box, and the speaker would drain if not shut off completely.
Overall, it’s nice Sonos has been listening to its customers who’ve been complaining about the connectivity, and this refresh will check many of the boxes for a portable speaker.
While the sound quality is great and it’s super portable and compact -not to mention it’s really waterproof, it does have some significant plusses. But it’s not without its downsides: mainly that it still doesn’t float, and the battery life is on the lower side
Bottom line, if you’re insisting on a Sonos speaker, Roam is your best choice for a portable option. If you’re not brand-loyal, you can probably find other great sounding speakers, with longer battery life, that float and may be more durable.
Sonos Roam sells for about $229CAD $169USD and is available from Sonos, Amazon and other retailers.

[@lordtardar4639]

Love the green color and...that's it.

[@ronm6585]

Thanks for the review.

[@JR007x]

A solid review, thank you! PS, you’re right, in all their bad news lately I didn’t even know a v2 as out.

[@timberthewolf733]

Only thing I don't like is the roam is it's mono. Doesn't sound great when compared to the UE boom, the boom having stereo drivers. My original roam bricked itself after the battery got old, Sonos replaced it, so good on them for that. Water blocks the grill and stays in the way, so shower use isn't great for the roam.

[@aquomedirionjp5758]

Is power button more clicky? I have problem where i cannot recognize whether i pressed it or not.

[@swampy1234]

This is mi onor stereo (one speaker)?

[@kimberlyH1984]

can you stereo pair a gen one and gen 2?

[@ErinLawrenceTV]

Yes.

[@tamarleenards_prive]

While playing Spotify over WiFi, is it possible to play audio from other apps (Facebook, Instagram) and phone calls through the phone's speakers?

[@marcus.asberg]

Yes