Even with everything going on in the world, there are still plenty of reasons to celebrate, be happy, and simply enjoy being with friends and family. This usually involves drinks, entertainment and music — until the portable speaker runs out of power.
But that’s the situation that the new Sonos portable speaker prevents, as the newly launched Move 2 has an upgraded internal battery that doesn’t need a recharge for 24 hours. Available globally in three colors since late last week, the Move 2 is guaranteed to party much harder than you ever could.
Shop this article: Sonos Move 2, Sonos Move and Sonos Roam
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One of Sonos’ best-selling speakers just received an upgrade, and the battery life is undoubtedly the show-stealer. The first-generation Move has a battery life of 11 hours, but the new Move 2 more than doubles that with a 44-watt-hour battery for 24 hours of playback on a single charge. There’s definitely no need to be carrying a portable power bank around.
In terms of size, the two Move generations are nearly identical, with only a fraction of an inch difference in height and depth. But with a higher capacity battery comes the capability to power larger speakers, and that’s exactly what Sonos had in mind. The original Move has only one speaker in the chassis, but the Move 2 boasts dual tweeters, three Class-D amplifiers and one mid-range subwoofer for powerful bass and mid-tones.
Further living up to its name, the speaker is built to be moved around. It's rated as IP56 against dust and high-pressure water streams, and is also made to withstand accidental drops. That makes it the perfect companion next to the pool or when camping.
It has capacitive touch controls on top of the gadget, but when paired with a mobile phone through the Sonos app, you control the EQ and playback from a convenient distance. However, it also connects to the internet through a Wi-Fi connection for streaming content, and is compatible with Apple AirPlay.
“Since its 2019 launch, Move continues to be the best-selling speaker in its category thanks to its design, versatility and powerful sound,” said Patrick Spence, CEO of Sonos. “We strive to create sound experiences that inspire deeper connections no matter who we’re with or where we are.
“Move 2 advances our commitment to immersive listening by bringing stereo sound to our most popular portable, featuring the same next-gen acoustics and design we debuted with the Era family.”
The changes from the original Move to the second generation is the doubling of the rechargeable battery and the addition of more speakers for better quality. The Move 2 has almost exactly the same dimensions as the original Move, and it weighs just under 7 pounds. In addition to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, the portable speaker is compatible with Apple AirPlay 2 and works with Amazon Alexa and Sonos Voice Control.
The original Move speaker stands 9.4 inches tall and comprises two amplifiers, one down-firing tweeter, and one mid-range speaker for crisp audio. Through the Sonos app, you can customize the audio equalizer and the Automatic Trueplay technology optimizes the speaker’s sound according to the environment and what’s being played. The battery lasts 11 hours and it has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections and is compatible with Apple AirPlay.
If you are after a portable speaker that’s not as large as the Move, then this speaker is a perfect choice. With a 10-hour battery life and rated as IP67 waterproof, the Roam is excellent for listening to music or podcasts outdoors by the pool or on a camping trip. It has two amplifiers, one tweeter and one mid-range speaker. It is also compatible with Apple AirPlay devices and has a built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth receiver.
The Sonos Five is an excellent speaker if you want a premium solution for listening to vinyl records or from any device that has a 3.5-millimeter auxiliary jack. Engineered for high-fidelity sounds that bring out crisp vocals and beautiful top notes, it has three high-excursion woofers, two angled tweeters and a center tweeter for imitating being in the front row of a concert. It doesn’t have a Bluetooth connection, but it is compatible with Apple AirPlay devices and can connect to Wi-Fi.
Have you ever felt like you wanted to be inside the music? While that is physically impossible, this Sonos speaker aims to technologically place you at the center of the action. The Era 300 is a spatial audio speaker that uses Dolby Atmos to beam sound at you from seemingly all angles. For a multi-dimensional experience, it is best to pair two Era 300 speakers with Arc and stream spatial audio content.
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Charlie Fripp writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.