Using two Roams at the same time as a stereo pair brings out even more detail, and the bass also benefits from two of them playing together. Two Roams paired together can produce an excellent stereo soundstage - but only on Wi-Fi. It’s when you really turn up the volume that you’ll be left wanting some added oomph. It’ll crank loud without much distortion but can’t reach the same fullness as the Move. The Roam can also only do so much when you’re using it in a wide open space outdoors with no walls for the sound to bounce off of. Sonos’ speaker has some low-end resonance - you’ll feel the vibrations if it’s on a table - but it’s clear that the company has opted for balance over boom factor.
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Larger Bluetooth speakers like the UE Megaboom and JBL Charge 5 will almost certainly trounce the Roam at bass response, but I don’t consider that surprising. Even the barely larger JBL Flip 5 has more assertive bass that gets noticeably boomier than the Roam. At the top of that list is bass, which can’t quite match that of the Sonos One and is roundly defeated by the much larger, heavier Move. This is a relatively small speaker, and perhaps the best-sounding one in its size class, but it has weaknesses. Let’s face it: while Sonos claims that the Roam “defies expectations,” it can’t defy physics. (Auto Trueplay works with music both streamed over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.) This does actually make a difference in an echoey bathroom, but it’s not some magic cure-all for an acoustically challenged room. Like other Sonos speakers, the Roam features automatic room optimization called Trueplay, and Sonos says it’s constantly adjusting to optimize sound for whatever environment it’s in. Instruments come through with a natural tone. Vocals sound crisp, and strings in classical music come through lush without getting pitchy. The Roam seems to make a priority of ensuring that the texture and vibrancy of music comes through with maximum clarity. There’s little about their sound and articulation that stands out. Others like the UE Boom 3 can come off muddy and lack depth.
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What I’ll say is that the Roam is one of the clearest, most pleasant portable speakers I’ve used. Sonos has built a favorable reputation with its past speakers, but the question is whether the company can make good on its name with a speaker this small and portable. You can use either Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant with the built-in mics. Higher-power chargers can cut down on both of those times. If you’re in a hurry, definitely go wired Sonos says it takes “about two hours” for the Roam to go from 0 to 50 percent when charging wirelessly compared to “about an hour” when plugged in. Neither the cable nor the Sonos wireless charger are water resistant, so you’ve got to keep those dry. The included USB-C-to-USB-A cable is nicely angled on the Roam’s side so that it doesn’t get in the way no matter how it’s oriented. Sonos also sells a wireless charger that attaches to the Roam magnetically, but I didn’t get a chance to test that. My Anker dual-charging station handled the task well. Aside from wired charging, you can also juice up the speaker using any Qi-compatible pad that it’ll fit on. On the back of the Roam is a USB-C port and power button. There are four buttons: play / pause, two for track controls, and a microphone button for enabling or muting the built-in microphones that are used for voice assistant commands with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. They’re easy to feel for and hard to press accidentally. Going with real, tactile buttons for this product was absolutely the right decision. On the top (when vertical) or left (horizontal) is where you find the controls, which are actual clicky buttons beneath the silicone instead of the usual capacitive sensors that Sonos tends to use. It’s rated IP67 and has silicone at both ends to withstand bumps. From what I’ve seen, it should be able to withstand a tumble off a bicycle and the wear and tear that comes with being a truly portable speaker. Both sides of the Roam have silicone end caps to help with ruggedness. I chalk that up to clumsiness there’s no built-in handle like the Move, but in general the curved triangle shape is easy to grip. I’ve also managed to drop my two review units a few times, and they’ve come away with only light blemishes and a couple nicks you really have to hunt for to notice. The Roam has the best water resistance of any Sonos speaker. It’s probably a good idea to keep it on a floaty if you insist on bringing it into a deep pool, though. In practical terms, it means you can use the Roam in the bathroom while you shower and near pools without fretting about damage. By certification standards, that means it should survive up to 30 minutes in three feet of water. This is the first Sonos speaker to earn an IP67 dust and water resistance rating.