What Bluetooth Sonos speaker is best for you?

A few years again, Sonos unveiled its least expensive, smallest speaker but – the Sonos Roam.

The Roam is a Bluetooth, transportable, Sonos speaker – nevertheless it wasn’t the multiroom audio audio system first mannequin that matches that description.

The Sonos Transfer, which went on sale earlier than the Roam, was really the primary Sonos speaker to pack Bluetooth and battery capabilities.

And now the likes of the Sonos Period 100 and the Period 300 additionally boast Bluetooth; proving that the Roam and the Transfer have been trailblazers for the Santa Barbara model.

Nevertheless, on the subject of portability from a Sonos speaker, the Transfer and the Roam are nonetheless your solely choices as they’re the one Sonos audio system packing batteries.

So for those who’re available in the market for a Sonos to take out and about, learn on for a head-to-head of the Sonos Transfer and the Sonos Roam.

Sonos Transfer v Sonos Roam: Design and construct

The Sonos Transfer is quite a bit, lot greater than the Roam. Positive, each audio system are transportable in the truth that they are often powered by a battery for wire-free music out and about however, simply take a look at them aspect by aspect: there’s just one that is actually going to suit into your bag for a visit to the park, seaside, health club… wherever you need.

The Roam is a curved triangular speaker that weighs lower than a pound. It measures simply 6.61 x 2.44 x 2.36-inches.

One other contender: Sonos Transfer v Sonos One

Compared, the Sonos Transfer is 10-inches tall and weighs greater than 6x what the Roam does at 6.6lbs.

Subsequently, for those who’re searching for a speaker to take out to locations then there’s solely actually one choice and it is the Roam.

Nevertheless, do not be writing the Transfer off as a conveyable choice simply but – that dimension permits it to pack in that all-important battery and a a lot better sound than the Roam; though we’ll come to that in additional element in a bit.

The Transfer is an ideal speaker for the backyard the place you may want large sound, however do not essentially have the wiring in place.

Each audio system are additionally nice choices to get a Sonos within the lavatory, the place you won’t be capable of wire in a Sonos One, for instance.

Nevertheless, the Roam is, once more, barely the higher alternative if that is your goal as it’s IP67 rated, which implies it is absolutely dustproof and waterproof in as much as a meter of water for as much as half-hour; so a little bit of splash from a bathe should not do it any hurt.

The Transfer has a barely inferior IP65 water and dirt resistance, however something wanting a full-on water dunking ought to pose no drawback.

The Transfer additionally has a rubber backside to offer it a sturdier base for standing on no matter floor is out there, and that is notably helpful for out of doors the place it could be positioned on grass, mud, or another soiled or uneven floor.

The Transfer’s again button space is recessed into the speaker, making a deal with you should utilize to choose the Transfer up and carry it round.

The Roam can sit vertically whenever you’ve received a pleasant even floor for it nevertheless it will also be used horizontally as nicely, for when it should lie on one thing a bit much less sturdy.

The Transfer has the acquainted Sonos contact buttons up high, giving management over quantity and the microphones, in addition to play and pause. The Transfer additionally has an influence button and Bluetooth button on its rear, to allow you to flip the speaker on and off, or join it to a brand new supply whereas on the go.

Compared, the Roam really has bodily buttons, formed as per the operate they carry out; play/pause, quantity up and down and microphone muting.

Sonos Roam v Sonos Transfer: Playback choices

The Sonos Transfer is a conveyable Bluetooth speaker and Wi-Fi sensible speaker in a single. You may take the speaker out and about, and count on 10 hours of playback use earlier than needing to recharge it.

And now, to repeat ourselves, the Sonos Roam can be a conveyable Bluetooth speaker and Wi-Fi sensible speaker in a single. You may take the speaker out and about, and count on 10 hours of playback use earlier than needing to recharge it.

Nevertheless, it really trumps the Transfer on the Bluetooth entrance as it may possibly use each Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on the similar time.

Due to that, it may possibly share a Bluetooth tune round your different Sonos audio system, whenever you’re in vary of them. You may, due to this fact, use any music app in your cellphone to ship to the Roam, after which group the Roam with different Sonos audio system.

That is not a characteristic that is accessible (in the mean time, not less than) for the Transfer, the place you might have to select between Bluetooth or Wi-Fi mode. You may’t have each.

Nevertheless, you won’t even want Bluetooth with the Transfer as Sonos has given it a extremely good Wi-Fi vary, so there’s an opportunity you can take it into the yard and nonetheless run it in your Wi-Fi.

When utilizing the Wi-Fi, each the Roam and Transfer develop into a part of your common Sonos system and can present up within the Sonos S2 app, simply as a non-portable Sonos speaker would.

Switching to ‘simply’ Bluetooth mode, on both speaker, signifies that some options cease working. The Sonos app will develop into ineffective, for instance, and Google Assistant/Alexa will go mute. At this level they develop into, nicely, simply Bluetooth audio system.

One other nifty characteristic that is current on the Roam however not but accessible on the Transfer, is Sound Swap, the place you’ll be able to fireplace the audio out of your Roam to a close-by Sonos speaker by merely holding down the play button.

This can be a good characteristic for whenever you’re taking the occasion indoors and also you need the music to hold on, in your higher audio system. Sonos makes use of the ultrasonic frequency of close by audio system to work out what the most effective speaker is to Sound Swap with.

Sonos Roam v Sonos Transfer: Ease of use

The Sonos Transfer introduced an evolution of Sonos’ Trueplay characteristic to the desk when it went stay: Automated Trueplay.

When you’ve got ever arrange a Sonos speaker earlier than, you may recall the somewhat-strange means of strolling across the room waving your iPhone round to tune to acoustics, like some form of audio exorcist.

Sonos constructed that know-how into the Transfer, so it adjusts dynamically to its environment, registering the entire totally different reflection patterns of every particular person house (this may be turned off for those who’d favor).

And the excellent news is that the Roam additionally boasts Automated Trueplay, that means that it’ll regulate its sound profile on the fly, guaranteeing it is optimizing the sound always.

It is an excellent characteristic, and is a far simpler strategy to get higher sound. And the excellent news is that it really works on each Bluetooth and Wi-Fi modes now, following a software program replace that lately hit the Transfer – it would work with Bluetooth on the Roam straight out of the field, at launch.

As you may see, there’s a complete lot of frequent floor between the Transfer and the Roam. Each characteristic the gamut of Sonos connectivity – from becoming a member of your Wi-Fi community of multi-room audio system to AirPlay 2 and the flexibility to pair two models for stereo sound (in Wi-Fi mode).

Each Sonos transportable audio system each have sensible assistant performance inbuilt, with both Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant accessible in keeping with desire.

It is value noting, although, that the sensible assistant options are Wi-Fi dependent as they want the information to work.

Sonos Roam v Sonos Transfer: Battery life

As talked about, each audio system have a ten hour battery life.

Each audio system are able to getting into a low-power mode, routinely after half-hour of non-use. Sonos states that the Transfer will final for 5 days on this mode, it is as much as 10 with the Roam.

The Sonos Transfer comes boxed with a charging dock that juices it up as quickly as you place it on high.

In contrast to the Transfer, the Sonos Roam would not use a proprietary charging enter; it is a USB-C that juices it up.

There’s an elective charging dock that prices $49 – however the excellent news is that the Roam is Qi appropriate, so you can get a less expensive wi-fi charger for it. The native one has a magnet although, for optimum stability.

Sonos Transfer v Sonos Roam: Sound high quality

You’ve got in all probability guessed this already from simply the sizes of the 2 audio system however, on the subject of sound high quality, there is a large hole between the Sonos transportable brethren.

Whereas the Sonos Roam is alleged to punch nicely above its diminutive form-factor, it simply will not be capable of compete by way of audio {hardware} with the way more highly effective Transfer.

Soundbar showdown: Sonos Beam vs Sonos Arc

The Sonos Transfer really has the identical mid-woofer driver because the Sonos FIVE, together with two Class-D digital amplifiers and downward-firing tweeter.

With the Roam, you are taking a look at a pair of class-H amplifiers, a customized racetrack mid-woofer and a tweeter all inbuilt.

Sonos Transfer v Sonos Roam: Value

You could be noticing a theme right here – there’s additionally a reasonably vital distinction after we contemplate the costs of the Sonos Transfer and the Sonos Roam.

The Transfer prices $399 / £399, which is pricey from just about each angle. It is a heck of quite a bit for a Bluetooth speaker, and a severe whack for a sensible speaker.

Then once more, it is each of these issues, and is fairly near best-in-class in each classes on the efficiency aspect, which can be fairly a boast.

The Sonos Roam against this is priced at $179 / £179, lower than half the value of the Transfer – so for the value of 1 Transfer you could possibly get a paired stereo set of Roams, and be left with some change in your pocket.

Nevertheless, that extra cash does, after all, get you a a lot better Sonos speaker, so it’s very dependent in your particular person use-case.

Sonos Transfer v Sonos Roam: Which is the most effective?

The Sonos Transfer was an early signal of a reasonably radical new technique from Sonos, transferring out of the house and right into a market that it beforehand spent a very long time ignoring.

The Transfer has excellent audio smarts, an excellent construct high quality, and loads of adaptability. With the ability to depend on good sound in your house, in parks and on tenting journeys is nice, and its arrival a few years again opened up a complete new world for Sonos.

For those who’re searching for a high-end Sonos speaker that can be utilized inside and out of doors the house, then it is positively the highest decide. However, however, at $399/ £399 it is at present a dear alternative.

The Roam is absolutely the antidote to that price-tag though you might want to remember that, for lower than half the value, you are additionally getting a speaker with lower than half the oomph.

However the characteristic set is just about similar – in truth, the Roam is a tad extra sensible due to Sound Swap and that twin Bluetooth / Wi-Fi setup.

The Roam can be a lot, way more transportable. It is the one Sonos speaker that may realistically be taken out and about with out being a burden.

So, whereas the audio system have loads of similarities, it is very a lot a horses for programs state of affairs on the subject of selecting between them; would you like an excellent sounding, top-tier Sonos speaker or would you like an honest Sonos speaker that is straightforward to hold round?