Back in 2019, Sonos launched its first portable speaker, aptly named moves, which he liked very much, despite its rather high price of $ 400. Now the sequel is here with some modest design upgrades, much improved battery life (up to 24 hours) and a new dual-speaker audio architecture that Sonos says allows the Move 2 to deliver “wide, wide stereo sound, a first for a Sonos speaker.” Portable.” It ships September 20 in black, olive, or white with a wireless charging base for $449 (£449, AU$799), or $50 more than the original.
Like the new Sonos wired Era 100 And Era 300 Released last June, the Move 2 features the same new touch control system on top of the speaker. You can use the touch controls to play, pause, or skip a track, and slide your finger on the volume slider to adjust volume levels. As before, you can control the speaker with your voice, with Amazon Alexa or Sonos Voice Control supported, though Google Voice Assistant is not supported. The built-in microphone array is also used when calibrating speaker sound with Sonos’ TruePlay audio calibration system that tailors sound to a specific space, whether that’s indoors or outdoors.
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The Move 2 comes in a new olive color in addition to black and white.
I have reviewed both motion and scouring, Sonos’ smallest portable speaker that retails for $179. The Move and Roam are both designed to be used as Bluetooth speakers when you’re out and about on your home WiFi and integrated into your Sonos multiroom system when you’re at home. However, going from Wi-Fi to Bluetooth was a little tricky, an issue that Sonos seems to have addressed with the Move 2 (it should be easier now but we’ll have to test that). Apple users can also stream audio directly from their device to the speaker using AirPlay 2 over Wi-Fi.
I haven’t used the Move 2 yet but we’re getting a review sample ahead of the September 20th ship date. Needless to say, I’m more interested in the way it sounds and whether it can really produce stereo sound (you can also wirelessly link two Move 2s to create a true stereo pair). Usually, because the drivers are so close together on a single speaker, it is difficult to create any stereo separation. The original movement had a monophonic sound.
Move 2 in the park.
For Sonos users, the appeal of the original Move was that it looked like an indoor speakerphone and fit so well aesthetically with your existing wired Sonos speakers. But it was also deceptively durable and held up well outdoors.
Like the original, the Move 2 has an IP56 rating, which makes it water and dust resistant (but not waterproof). It weighs 6.61 lbs (3 kg) including its replaceable battery, and has an indentation near its top that doubles as a handle, making it easy to carry from place to place.
Move 2 is designed for both indoor and outdoor use.
Like I said, the other big improvement is the battery life. The speaker is now rated for up to 24 hours of use at moderate volume levels, according to Sonos. That’s higher than the Move’s original battery life rating of 11 hours.
While the speaker comes with a wireless charging base, you can also charge via the USB-C port, which doubles as a charging port to charge your devices. What’s more, Sonos has confirmed that you can make audio over USB-C by connecting your USB-C-equipped laptop, tablet, or smartphone directly to the soundbar using a USB-C cable (Sonos also sells a Line-In Adapter accessory to connect devices like turntable).
Find CNET’s full review of the Sonos Move 2 around September 20th. In the meantime, here’s a quick summary of the main specs of the amplifier.
Sonos Move 2 key specs, according to Sonos
- 6.61 lbs (3 kg)
- The revamped dual-speaker acoustic architecture allows the Move 2 to deliver stereo sound
- 24 hours of playback on a single charge.
- Charges via USB-C or the included wireless charging base
- IP56 rating (water and dust resistant)
- Designed to withstand accidental drops, bumps, rain, moisture, dust, UV rays and temperature extremes
- Automatic Trueplay tuning continuously optimizes the Move 2’s sound for its surroundings
- Touch controls
- Stream via Bluetooth to a stereo pair of Move 2 speakers when connected to Wi-Fi or seamlessly group your Move 2 with the rest of your Sonos system
- Removable and replaceable battery
- Price: $449 / £449 / €499 / AU$799