The best Sonos portable speaker just got better
The Sonos Move 2 is a portable speaker that not only trumps the original for audio quality but nearly doubles the battery life too. It's pricey - and the Era 300 is a better sounding Sonos speaker - but you can't take the Era 300 to the beach with you. The Move 2 is, therefore, Sonos best Bluetooth speaker to date and well worth the outlay.
Pros
- Stereo sound
- Improved battery life
- Wi-Fi 6E
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on board
Cons
- Quite expensive
- No Dolby Atmos
- Line-in need adapter
Key features
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay
- Ecosystems: Alexa, Apple Home, SmartThings
Four years after the original Move hit the shops, the Sonos Move 2 was officially revealed by the multi-room audio specialist giant in late 2023.
Four years is a long time in tech and the Move 2 is testament to that; most notably with the battery life, which is up from 10 hours on the original Move to an impressive 24 hours.
It’s also the first portable Sonos speaker capable of stereo sound on its own; the original Move and the Sonos Roam are both mono speakers and you’d need two of each to create stereo pairs.
However, all that extra punching power comes at a cost – the Sonos Move 2 costs $449 / £449, which is $50 / $50 more than the original Move (which remains on sale).
That makes it the same cost as the Sonos Era 300 – a fantastic spacial audio speaker that has been designed from the ground up to take Sonos to the next level with its sound profile.
Verdict: Sonos Era 300 review
However, it’s not really designed to go head-to-head with the Era 300, as that’s a speaker that very much has to stay put, while the Move 2 can be taken out and about – so you’re paying for the portability aspect too.
So, is it worth the cash? Read our full Sonos Move 2 review to find out.
Design and build
- New slider volume controls
- USB-C port can charge your phone
- Line in and Ethernet both possible
The Sonos Move 2 might be portable, but make no mistake, this is not a speaker you can just chuck in a bag and forget about. A lightweight Bluetooth speaker for on the go, it is not.
At a solid 3kg, it’s pretty bloody heavy. It’s almost 10 inches tall too, and a little over 6 inches wide. Side by side to the original Move, it doesn’t look too different at all.
And while it can be taken out with you, it’s very much a ‘plan ahead’ affair; make sure you’ve got a big enough beach bag or a space for it in the garden.
If you’re looking for a Sonos speaker that can live in the bottom of your rucksack then take a look at the Sonos Move.
Portable showdown: Sonos Roam vs Sonos Move
I’m reviewing the white Move 2 model and here it is side-by-side with my original black Move.
(Image credit: The Ambient)
As well as black and white, there’s also a new fancy looking olive green shade on offer for the Move 2.
That extra bulk size makes room for better speakers and, of course, a bigger battery.
As mentioned, the Move 2 looks a helluva lot like the original, but it features that new volume slider that Sonos introduced on the Era 100 and 300 earlier this year. So up top it looks pretty different indeed…
(Image credit: The Ambient)
More intuitive than the tap buttons you’ll find on older Sonos speakers and the original Move, the slider makes it much easier to achieve a precise desired volume, although old habits die hard and I do often find myself still tapping on the slider to no avail.
As well as the new slider you’ll find the usual array of Sonos touch buttons; play/pause, track skip forward/back and also a button to summon a voice assistant.
Like the original, the bottom of the Move 2 is made of rubber, so you can place it on the dirt, some grass, the sand, a wet surface – wherever you may be – and you won’t have to worry about it being scratched or damaged.
If and when you do knock it over, fear not as the Move 2 has been built to withstand all sorts of abuse. After all, you’re going to be taking into the outdoors, where “the elements” lie. As such, the Move is IP56 rated, meaning it’s totally protected against dust and can withstand moisture.
I’ve been told that you can use the Move 2 (and the original too) as a bathroom speaker and not worry about condensation, but if you’re taking it for a pool party, don’t knock it in the water as it’s not meant to be submerged.
On the back of the Move 2 you’ll find a recessed area that you can hook your fingers inside to carry it around with you.
There’s also three buttons round the back. There’s a power button can be tapped to wake the speaker or put it in sleep mode, or be held down for 10 seconds to power the speaker off entirely.
Below that is the Bluetooth button, which you tap to switch between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modes.
(Image credit: The Ambient)
And beneath that is the microphone slider so you can stop Alexa and Gus Fring listening in on your conversations; but more on that in a bit.
Down the bottom you’ll find a USB-C port which is actually more clever than the one on the original Move.
Not only can you use it to charge your Move 2 using a USB-PD, you can also use it as a lifeline for your other gadgets, making it your go-to power bank on the go.
It also allows for line-in and Ethernet options too. Sonos sells a combo adapter for 3.5mm and Ethernet for $25 / £25.
When you’re not out and about and using the battery, the Move 2 sits on a charging base that juices it up. It also gives the Move a more sturdy base to rest on, though a respectable center of gravity means the Move won’t tumble easily when it’s not docked.
(Image credit: The Ambient)
A full charge from the base takes around 3 hours and, once you’re fully loaded, you can expect up to 24 hours of life – although that depends on how and what you’re streaming, and how loud. I’ve had nearly 20 hours from the Move 2 streaming lossless audio at around 65% volume over Wi-Fi.
The Move 2 automatically switches to sleep mode after being idle for 30 minutes and you can also configure the Battery Saver option in the Sonos S2 app to power the Move 2 off after 10 minutes of sitting idle.
We’re told that the packaging is responsibly designed, using sustainably sourced materials with zero virgin plastic and is curbside recyclable.
Sonos states that the Move 2 also reduces idle energy consumption by over 40% and incorporates recycled plastics.
(Image credit: The Ambient)
Features
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi work in tandem
- Auto TruePlay produces best performance
- Wi-Fi 6E for seamless streaming
Like Sonos’ other portable speakers, the Move 2 is capable of being a regular Bluetooth speaker, while at the same time able to become part of your regular Sonos system through the regular Sonos Wi-Fi mode.
However, it actually trumps the original Move on the Bluetooth front as, just like the Sonos Roam, it’s able to be on both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi mode at the same time.
Because of that, it can ping a Bluetooth tune around your other Sonos speakers when you’re in range of them.
Essentially, you can use any music app on your phone that you like to send to the Move 2 and then group the Roam with other Sonos speakers.
You can even stream via Bluetooth to a stereo pair of Move 2 speakers when connected to Wi-Fi.
Additionally, the Move 2 can play a part of an AirPlay 2 multi-room system and it is also compatible with Spotify Connect.
The Move has both Amazon Alexa and Sonos’ own voice assistant, voiced by Giancarlo Esposito of Gus Fring fame, baked in. There’s no sign of the Google Assistant unfortunately.
This being a Sonos speaker it does, of course, have an absolute wealth of cloud and local streaming options available including the likes of Sonos Radio, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, Tidal, Qobuz and Pandora.
Guide: How to use Sonos Voice
Sonos’ Auto TruePlay is built in, so it adjusts dynamically to its surroundings, registering all of the different reflection patterns of each individual space.
(Image credit: The Ambient)
When the original Move went on sale this was only possible while streaming over Wi-Fi and you were locked to a standard Bluetooth sound profile, but gladly that’s not the case on either the Move 1 or 2 now; you get the best sound quality possible on both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi modes.
Essentially, Auto TruePlay adjusts the speaker’s sound profile dynamically to optimize audio quality based on the surrounding environment, to ensure an excellent listening experience whether you’re indoors or outside.
Wi-Fi (6E) is also on board and the Move 2 also supports line-in; although you will have to buy a separate adapter ($19 / £19 for just the 3.5mm one or $6 / £6 more if you want Ethernet too).
Audio quality
Inside the Sonos Move 2 is a completely revamped dual-tweeter acoustic architecture, alongside a precision-tuned woofer that produces deep, dynamic bass, which is perfect for outdoor parties.
The Sonos Move 1 was already a great sounding Bluetooth speaker, but the Move 2 definitely surpasses that. Not just because of its stereo capabilities; everything just sounds fuller with vocals seemingly now more separate.
It’s not a perfect stereo experience; that’s pretty impossible with a relatively compact one-speaker setup as the tweeters are always going to in close-ish proximity, but you can definitely decipher different ‘sides’ to recordings.
It’s nothing like a pair of stereo speakers, of course, but that is also an option because, as well as operating as a standalone speaker, you can pair a duo of Move 2 speakers in a stereo pair.
But you don’t necessarily need to; it’s a great audio experience from the one – and one that gives you plenty of flexibility as you can pick it up and take it anywhere you go, with that Auto TruePlay tech keeping the sound sounding as tip-top as is possible.
It’s not a 360-degree speaker though and Sonos tells us that, for peak performance, you should eave at least an inch of space around the back of Move 2 when placing it next to a wall.
It’s worth noting that there’s been a jump in Bluetooth from the Move 1 to the 2, with the latter’s Bluetooth 5.0 trumping the former’s 4.1.
That might not sound too important in the grand scheme of things – Bluetooth is Bluetooth, right? Well, yeah – but if there is one thing Bluetooth fails on, time and time again, it’s latency and you shouldn’t experience that as much with BT 5.0 on board.
True audiophiles might lament the fact that Sonos’ Move range still doesn’t include aptX HD or LDAC, with the standard SBC and AAC codecs on offer for Bluetooth streaming. But true audiophiles wouldn’t stream over Bluetooth anyway, so that’s a bit of a non-runner.
(Image credit: The Ambient)
Essentially, it does mean that there are better Bluetooth speakers out there… but there aren’t better Bluetooth Sonos speakers out there.
When it comes to Wi-Fi streaming, there’s support for streaming up to 24-bit/48kHz quality, so it makes your lossless streaming subscription worth it.
(Image credit: The Ambient)
Final thoughts
The Sonos Move 2 takes the already impressive sound quality of the Move 1 and refines it with enhanced amplifiers and improved tweeters, promising an even more immersive and satisfying audio experience.
It adds stereo sound, line-in capabilities, enhanced Bluetooth playback options and more than double the battery life… all for not a great deal of extra cash.
How we test
When we publish our reviews, you can rest assured that they are the result of “living with” long term tests.
Smart speaker usually live within, or even control, a smart home ecosystem, or a range of products that – supposedly – all work in harmony. Therefore, it’s impossible to use a connected speaker for a week and deliver a verdict.
Because we’re testing smart home kit all day, everyday, we know what matters and how a particular smart speaker compares to alternatives that you might also be considering.
Our reviews are comprehensive, objective and fair and, of course, we are never paid directly to review a device.
Read our review process for smart speakers to learn more.
FAQS
Does the Sonos Move 2 have spatial audio?
No, there’s no Dolby Atmos or spatial audio with the Move 2.
Does the Sonos Move 2 work with the S1 app?
No, you’ll need the newer Sonos S2 app.
Can you use Siri to control the Sonos Move 2?
Yes you can, you need to add it as an Airplay speaker in the Apple Home app first though.
Sonos Move 2 specs:
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Height: | 9.53 in (242 mm) |
| Width: | 6.29 in (160 mm) |
| Depth: | 4.96 in (126 mm) |
| Weight | 6.61 lb (3 kg) |
| Colors | Black, Olive, White |
| Finish | Matte |
| WiFi | WiFi 6 – 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax 2.4GHz/5GHz |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Battery | 44Wh |
| Voice | Sonos Voice Control and Amazon Alexa |
| CPU | Quad Core 4xA55 1.4 GHz |
| Memory | 1GB SDRAM 8GB NV |
| Apple AirPlay 2 | iOS 11.4 and higher |
| Amplifiers | Three class-D digital amplifiers precision-tuned for the speaker’s unique acoustic architecture power your sound experience. |
| Tweeters | Two angled tweeters create a crisp and accurate high frequency response and stereo separation. |
| Woofers | One midwoofer ensures the faithful playback of mid-range vocal frequencies and deep bass. |
| Microphones | The far-field microphone array uses advanced beamforming and multichannel echo cancellation for quick and accurate voice control and Trueplay tuning. Turn off the mic switch to disconnect. |
| Adjustable EQ | Use the Sonos app to adjust bass, treble, and loudness. |
| Speech Enhancement | Turn this setting on in the Sonos app to boost voice frequencies and clarify dialogue. |
| Trueplay | This software continually optimizes the speaker’s sound for its environment and the audio content playing. |
| Night Sound | Turn this setting on in the Sonos app to reduce the intensity of loud sounds and increase the level of quieter sounds. |
| IP56 | Protected from dust and high-pressure water streams. |
