![]() This makes it noticeably smaller than comparable UE and JBL products. It measures less than 7 inches long, and each side of the rounded triangle is only a couple inches. I also really love how small the thing is. If you’re looking for an affordable portable speaker, this is certainly not it. Add to that an impressive IP67 dust and water resistance rating (enough to sustain even heavy precipitation and debris), and you’ve got an impressive offering. The thick rubber bumpers and condensed, compacted makeup leave me with a lot of confidence that this speaker will survive tucked into a backpack. ![]() When I got the Roam in-hand, I was really impressed with just how rugged it feels. After all, the brand has spent a lion’s share of its R&D focusing on high-end bookshelf and Wi-Fi speakers. With all of the Sonos design prowess, the portability and durability of its products does remain a bit of a question mark. Portability, Durability, and Build Quality: Small enough to take, durable enough to survive It all looks nice, fits appropriately into the Sonos line, and also looks different enough from the louder-colored competitors such as JBL and UE. There’s the classic, rigid Sonos grill covering the entire front of the unit. The controls are positioned on one end of the unit, with the power button, LED indicator, and charging port sitting on the side. It’s available in the Shadow Black version I got and a softer Lunar White. Rounded corners, rubberized enclosures, and a simple, single-tone color scheme all fit nicely into Sonos’ design language, and the Sonos Roam follows suit. Rather than taking a rectangular or cylindrical approach found in many other portable Bluetooth speakers, the Roam is more like a rectangular prism that measures about 6.5 inches long. Rounded corners, rubberized enclosures, and a simple, single-tone color scheme all fit nicely into Sonos’ design language, and the Roam follows suit. ![]() Sonos has a way of making its speakers look and feel fit for several different types of homes. I got my hands on one, and here’s how I think it holds up. So theoretically, you should get the best of both worlds with this thing. The Roam offers Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, decent water resistance, and the Sonos-tuned sound. This is strange mostly because Sonos has historically been firmly against Bluetooth speakers, most likely due to the lossy compression inherent with this wireless technology. The Roam is the first true portable speaker because it comes in the same size and shape as something like a JBL Flip or the Ultimate Ears speakers that have taken large ownership of the market. Before, Sonos primarily focused on in-home, multi-room speakers that connect via Wi-Fi and the Sonos app. In 2019, the brand came out with the Sonos Move, which amounted to its foray into the portable Bluetooth space. The Roam is an interesting release for Sonos. Sonos provided us with a review unit for one of our writers to test.
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