Sonos Move 2 review: The carry speaker with great sound everywhere
When the original Sonos Move launched in September 2019, it expanded the horizon of Sonos sound systems. With a built-in battery and the addition of Bluetooth connectivity, you could finally take Sonos-quality sound on the go.
Now, you can take the new Sonos Move 2 out of the house for even longer. The second-generation speaker gets more than twice the battery life (up to 24 hours compared to 10 hours from the original) and support for stereo sound, among other user-friendly upgrades such as simultaneous Bluetooth and Wi-Fi pairing.
Factoring these improvements with the continued effectiveness of Sonos’s Auto Trueplay ambient tuning technology, the Sonos Move 2 replaces its predecessor as one of the best Bluetooth speakers and best outdoor speakers you can buy. Yes, even with the high $449 asking price — my Sonos Move 2 review below explains why.
Sonos Move 2 review: Specs compared
Sonos Move 2 review: Price and availability
The Sonos Move 2 is available as of September 20 costing $449 / ￡449 / €499 / AU$799, which is $50 more than the original when it debuted and will be available to buy directly from the Sonos shop. While we’ve seen Sonos trade-in deals and the occasional seasonal sale, Sonos speakers aren’t often discounted.
Since the launch of the first Move, Sonos introduced the Sonos Roam, its most accessible product yet from a price perspective. The $179 speaker is better suited for portability thanks to its compact size and higher IP rating. Going forward, the Sonos Move 2 and Sonos Roam are the two battery-powered brand offerings you’re able to purchase.
Sonos Move 2 review: Design
You probably couldn’t tell the Sonos Move 2 and Sonos Move apart just from a glance. The refreshed speaker has a familiar oval shape that stands tall, measuring 9.5 x 6.3 x 5 inches. Perhaps the biggest aesthetic difference is that the Sonos Move 2 comes in an olive color, in addition to the brand’s ubiquitous black and white options.
The top control array is a bit different, too. While you’ll still find capacitive touch buttons, volume is now controlled with the same slider featured on the Sonos Era 100 and Sonos Era 300 home speakers. Otherwise, there’s a pause/play button, skip/replay buttons and a microphone status button that illuminates when a voice assistant is actively listening for a hands-free command.
The speaker mesh covers the majority of the exterior, giving way to a concave control panel on the back. This panel houses a power button, a button that lets you switch from Wi-Fi to Bluetooth, and a button that toggles the microphones on/off. The top of the cut-out also doubles as a handle, so you can carry the Sonos Move 2 around. That said, weighing 6.61 pounds, it’s not fun to tote far distances. While it’s convenient enough to bring around my home and outdoor living areas, I wouldn’t throw the Move 2 in my backpack the same way I would the Sonos Roam or a number of other portable speakers.
To that point, the Sonos Move 2 has the same IP56 rating as the original, meaning it can be roughed around a bit if you do decide to take it on an adventure. The speaker is dust-proof and waterproof enough to withstand coarse sand or a damp night if left outside. Accidental splashes are totally fine, but I wouldn’t bring the speaker too close to the pool’s edge and risk total submersion.
Sonos Move 2 review: Performance
The Sonos Move 2 remains one of the few speakers that has both Wi-Fi connectivity for integrating with a home system and Bluetooth playback for listening to music beyond your Wi-Fi’s reach. When you’re home, you can use the Sonos Move as you would any other Sonos speaker. Then, when you’re away from your network, Bluetooth picks up where you left off.
The Move 2 is even more versatile than the original with the option to be paired to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth simultaneously. What’s more, you can stream via Bluetooth to a stereo set of Sonos Move 2 speakers connected over Wi-Fi via the Sonos app. The Sonos app lets you connect all your audio streaming services in one interface, and even has free streaming stations via Sonos Radio. Connection via AirPlay 2 is also available, and remains my preferred way of accessing the speaker quickly from my Spotify app. I often use the Sonos-compatible Victrola Onyx Stream record player to listen to my vinyl collection, or maybe try the more expensive Victrola Stream Carbon.
But how does the Sonos Move 2 sound? I listened to a variety of genres in a variety of environments, and the speaker offered top-notch performance across the board. The emotional vocals in Taylor Swift’s “Getaway Car” sounded crisp, while the song’s subtle synths remained balanced even when I turned the speaker to its highest volume to belt out the bridge. Steve Miller Band’s “The Joker” took on a sophistication I don’t regularly get to hear for one of my favorite songs as well. The iconic bass guitar riff reached rhythmic depths and the cymbal rang with a distinction that tends to get lost if a speaker muddles midtones together. If there’s one thing the Sonos Move 2 has, it’s conviction in delivering a dynamic audio experience.
At least some of that is thanks to Auto Trueplay, a feature adapted from the Trueplay tuning technology found in Sonos’s home speakers. But unlike Trueplay tuning, which requires you to walk around a room waving your phone around for Sonos to balance the sound for optimal output to your environment, Auto Trueplay makes spatial adjustments automatically. It’s best recognized outdoors, where the speaker manages to make up for lack of reflection points and compensate for ambient sounds.
Sonos Move 2 review: Voice control
In addition to physical controls on the speaker and in the Sonos app, the Sonos Move 2 can be controlled via voice assistant. It’s compatible with Amazon Alexa, so if you have the platform set up in your home, the Sonos Move 2 can act as any of the best smart speakers. Paired to Alexa, my Sonos Move 2 could control my Nanoleaf Lines wall lights, turn on my Clorox air purifier and add items to my Amazon shopping cart.
The Sonos Move 2 also has the Sonos Voice Assistant. Unlike Alexa, which only works when the speaker is connected to Wi-Fi, the Sonos Voice Assistant works on Bluetooth too. I find the assistant — triggered by the “Hey Sonos” wake phrase” — is best for hands-free playback controls, such as adjusting the volume. It can search songs on Sonos Radio and Apple Music as well, but can’t launch music from Spotify or YouTube Music yet unfortunately.
Sonos Move 2 review: Battery life and charging
Battery life is one of the biggest improvements the Sonos Move 2 offers compared to the original. It provides up to 24 hours of playback, whereas the previous-gen version lasted just 10 hours. That’s a huge stamina boost that results in not needing to recharge the speaker as frequently. Since it lived up to the estimate in my testing, I find this to be a huge point of convenience. It also matches the battery life of the $499 JBL Boombox 3, a close Sonos Move competitor.
The Sonos Move 2 comes with the same charging base, giving it a dedicated spot to sit and recharge when you have it at home. If you need to charge the Sonos Move 2 when you’re out, though, you can take advantage of the USB-C port in the back. If I were worried about my Move 2 making it through the day, I might bring an external battery pack with a USB-C hookup for charging just in case. Luckily, the speaker will automatically power down when it’s not being used to preserve juice.
Sonos Move 2 review: Verdict
Despite the popularity of the Sonos Move 2, there aren’t many other speakers with the same in-the-house and out-of-the-house functionality. This degree of versatility is why Sonos gets away with charging $449 for the unit. Of course, the sound quality, sleek build and smart features help justify the high cost, too.
If after reading about the Sonos Move 2, you don’t imagine actually move-ing it much, the Sonos Era 300 costs the same but is perhaps the better choice for immersive listening. With Dolby Atmos and impressive spatial audio, the Era 300 is a smart home speaker designed for audiophiles. Still, if you’re compelled by the flexibility of being able to take a great-sounding smart speaker with you around the home both inside and out, the Sonos Move 2 is the speaker to beat.
