Sonos Move 2 Portable Speaker Promises Better Sound and Battery Life

Back in 2019, Sonos launched its first portable speaker, the aptly named Move, which had a lot to like about it, notwithstanding its somewhat high $400 price. Now the sequel is here with some modest design upgrades, much improved battery life (up to 24 hours) and a new dual-tweeter acoustic architecture that Sonos says allows the Move 2 to deliver "wide, spacious stereo sound, a first for a Sonos portable speaker." It ships on Sept. 20 in black, olive or white with a wireless charging dock for $449 (£449, AU$799), or $50 more than the original.

Like Sonos' new wired Era 100 and Era 300 speakers that were released this past June, the Move 2 features the same new touch control system on top of the speaker. You can use the touch controls to play, pause or skip a track, and swipe your finger along the volume slider to adjust the volume levels. As before, you can control the speaker with your voice, with both Amazon Alexa or Sonos Voice Control supported, though not Google Voice Assistant. The built-in microphone array is also used when calibrating the speaker's sound with Sonos' TruePlay sound calibration system that customizes the sound for a particular space, whether it's indoors or outside.

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Sonos Move 2

Preorder now

$449 at Best Buy $449 at Sonos $449 at Crutchfield

Preorders are now open for the Sonos Move 2. If you want to be among the first to get your hands on one, place your order at one of the below retailers.

$449 at Best Buy $449 at Sonos $449 at Crutchfield

I reviewed both the Move and the Roam, Sonos' smaller portable speaker that retails for $179. Both the Move and Roam are designed to be used as Bluetooth speakers when you're outdoors away from your home WiFi network and integrated into your Sonos multiroom system when you're at home. However, it was a little tricky to move from Wi-Fi to Bluetooth, an issue Sonos appears to have addressed with the Move 2 (it should be easier now but we'll have to test that). Apple users can also directly stream audio from their devices to the speaker using AirPlay 2 via Wi-Fi. 

I haven't used the Move 2 yet but we're getting a review sample in advance of its Sept. 20 ship date. Needless to say, I'm most intrigued by how it sounds and whether it can really produce stereo sound (you can also link two Move 2s wirelessly to create a real stereo pair). Typically, because the drivers are so close together in a single speaker, it's hard to create any stereo separation. The original Move had mono sound. 

For Sonos users, the appeal of the original Move was that it looked like an indoor speaker and fit in well from an aesthetic standpoint with your existing Sonos wired speakers. But it was also deceptively rugged and held up well outdoors.

Like the original, the Move 2 has an IP56 rating, which makes it both water- and dust-resistant (it's not waterproof, however). It weighs 6.61 pounds (3 kg) including its battery, which is replaceable, and has an indentation near its top that serves as a handle, making it fairly easy to carry from location to location.

As I said, the other big improvement is to its battery life. The speaker is now rated for up to 24 hours of use at moderate volume levels, according to Sonos. That's up from the original Move's 11-hour battery life rating.

While the speaker comes with a wireless charging dock, you can also charge via the USB-C port, which doubles as charge-out port for charging your devices. On top of that, Sonos confirmed that you can do audio via the USB-C port using Sonos' Line-In Adapter accessory, which it sells separately for $19. 

Look for CNET's full review of the Sonos Move 2 around Sept. 20. In the meantime, here's a quick rundown of the speaker's key specs.

Sonos Move 2 key specs, according to Sonos

• 6.61 pounds (3 kg)
• Overhauled dual-tweeter acoustic architecture allows Move 2 to deliver stereo sound
• 24 hours of playback on a single charge.
• Charges via USB-C or included Wireless Charging Base
• IP56 rating (water- and dust-resistant)
• Built to withstand accidental falls, bumps, rain and moisture, dust, UV rays and extreme temperatures
• Automatic Trueplay tuning continually optimizes the Move 2's sound for its surroundings
• Touch controls
• Stream via Bluetooth to a stereo pair of Move 2 speakers when connected to Wi-Fi or seamlessly group Move 2 with the rest of your Sonos system
• Removable and replaceable battery 
• Price: $449/£449/499 euros/AU$799