Built from published evidence, the Roam 2 is the portable Sonos to buy if you live in the Sonos system: TechRadar's 4.5-star review and a pocketable IP67 body back its clear sound. The 10-hour battery, mono output and fiddly Wi-Fi setup are real limits, and What Hi-Fi?'s cooler verdict warns Bluetooth buyers. Check the current price on Amazon before deciding.
— THE VERDICT · JUDGEANY EDITORSA sequel that fixes the setup, not the sound
Sonos launched the Roam 2 in May 2024, and the honest summary is short: it is the original Roam with its worst annoyance removed. The drivers are the same — one tweeter and one midwoofer, driven by two Class-H amplifiers — and so are the 10-hour battery claim and the IP67 rating. What changed is the back panel, where separate power and Bluetooth buttons replace the original's single fiddly control, so the speaker now pairs over Bluetooth straight out of the box instead of demanding a Wi-Fi setup in the Sonos app first. This review compiles Sonos's official specs, published expert reviews, and owner feedback. We don't run a test lab: every measurement cited belongs to the outlet that published it, and the score below is our editorial judgment based on that public evidence.
Sound: clear and confident, until you ask for more
For a speaker that weighs 0.95 lb, the Roam 2 sounds bigger than it looks. SoundGuys, which tested it over three days on Sonos OS S2, praised its clarity in the mids and treble, noting that bass guitar stayed present and upfront on Khruangbin's "Mr. White" without burying the reverb-drenched guitar detail. Tom's Guide found the same large soundstage, with Kendrick Lamar's vocals sharp and distinct over layered brass. Automatic Trueplay retunes the sound as the speaker moves between rooms and outdoors, though Sonos notes it must first be enabled in the app.
The counterweight comes from What Hi-Fi?, and it deserves a straight hearing. Its testers scored Sound just 3/5 — against Build 4/5 and Features 5/5 — writing that the Roam 2 needs more clarity, subtlety, and space, and that cheaper JBL rivals reveal more vocal detail. SoundGuys' own comparison points the same way on bass: the JBL Flip 6, with dual passive radiators, produces much more low end and plays significantly louder. That does not overturn the verdict, because the Roam 2 was never pitched as a party speaker — it is a mono speaker, with stereo only when two Roam 2 units pair over Wi-Fi — but it does set the ceiling. Buy it for clear personal listening around the house or a small picnic, not to fill a backyard.
Battery: 10 hours, with the usual volume catch
Sonos rates the Roam 2 at up to 10 hours of continuous playback at moderate volume, and the published checks land close to that line rather than far beyond it. Tom's Guide got a little over 10 hours playing at 50% volume, spread over a few afternoons at the beach. Trusted Reviews, playing over Wi-Fi at around 50% volume, saw the battery fall 12% in an hour — a drain rate that points to roughly eight hours, not ten. Smart Home Sounds, by contrast, reported that its charge comfortably exceeded the 10-hour figure in its own tests. The fair reading is that 10 hours is realistic at moderate volume and optimistic once you push louder, and the speaker has no fast-charge rescue: it charges over USB-C, with the cable included and the adapter sold separately, plus an optional Sonos wireless charger.
Small, tough, and two speakers in one
At 6.61 x 2.44 x 2.36 inches and 0.95 lb, the Roam 2 slips down the side of a backpack or into a deep coat pocket, and the triangular shape works upright or on its side. IP67 means full dust protection and survival under a meter of water for 30 minutes; What Hi-Fi? found it kept working after a dunk in a freshly run bath. Bluetooth 5.2 covers SBC and AAC only — no LDAC or aptX, per SoundGuys — while Wi-Fi brings the higher-quality streaming, AirPlay 2, and multi-room grouping that Bluetooth-only rivals cannot offer. The USB-C port is charging only, with no line-in, unlike the larger Move 2. Voice control comes from Alexa and Sonos Voice Control, which Tom's Guide notes works over Bluetooth as well as Wi-Fi; there is no Google Assistant, and SoundGuys lists no speakerphone function, so the microphones serve voice control and Trueplay, not calls.
Who should buy it
SoundGuys calls the Roam 2 more of a replacement than an upgrade, and that frames the buying decision well. Existing Roam owners have little reason to switch, since the sound hardware is unchanged. For everyone else, the split in the reviews is the guide: TechRadar's review gave the Roam 2 4.5 out of 5, praising rich, clear reproduction across genres, while What Hi-Fi? would spend its money on a JBL instead. If you already own Sonos speakers, the Roam 2 extends that system to the beach and the backpack in a way no JBL can, and the Bluetooth button finally makes it usable without the app getting in the way. If you don't, a cheaper rival gives you longer battery and louder bass — and the Sonos app, which SoundGuys found could take over an hour of restarts to connect to Wi-Fi, remains a real frustration. Check the current price on Amazon before deciding; the speaker's case is strongest when its ecosystem features are features you will actually use.