Sonos Move Review

A portable speaker has many different uses and definitions and the current spectrum of Bluetooth speakers on the market varies widely.

When Sonos released the Sonos Move, the size left potential buyers questioning its portability and sustainability in the Bluetooth speaker market.

The speaker is indeed portable in the sense of carrying it from one room to another and taking it outside to a garden or pool with the durability to withstand snow, rain, and significant drops. But it doesn’t really look like something you’d throw in your backpack for a day at the beach.

However, the Move has several qualities that traditional speakers in this space lack, and the combination of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity qualify the speaker as a premium Bluetooth speaker compared to alternatives.

Is the Sonos Move worth the $600+ price tag? We dive in to explore whether or not this feature-rich Bluetooth speaker provides bang for buck in the premium Bluetooth speaker market.

• Pros: Battery life, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth connectivity, Software Updates
• Cons: Price, Size, Weight, No AUX

Verdict

The Sonos Move is one of the most feature-rich speakers on the market.

For current owners of Sonos products that desire to continue building their Sonos speaker system, this speaker is a nice addition that adds portability never before offered to the collection. The Sonos Move can easily integrate with another Sonos speaker to establish multi-room playback.

If you’re looking for a portable speaker to travel with there are better options on the market than the Sonos move, the Sonos Move is big in size and pricey for a portable Bluetooth speaker. 

The Sonos Move speaker has an ip56 rating for protection against dust, immersion in water, and accidental drops that is unmatched by competitors such as Bose Portable Smart Speaker.

Key aspects of the Sonos Move’s design that make it stand out from its competitors are found in the software makeup.

The Wi-Fi connectivity not only enables Alexa and Google Assistant, but also allows Sonos to enhance the speaker over time with software updates without requiring an additional purchase. This enhancement increases the Move’s longevity to 6 or 7 years compared to most Bluetooth speakers that become outdated within 1 or 2 years due to technological advances.

Comparison Table

	Sonos Move	Sonos One	Bose Portable Smart Speaker
Power	36 watts	100-240V	17 watts
Bluetooth	Yes	No	Yes
WiFi	Yes	Yes	Yes
360° Sound	No	No	Yes
Water Resistance Rating	IP56	None	IPX4
Battery Powered	Yes	No	Yes
Battery size	2500mAh	n/a	–
Playtime	11 Hours	n/a	12 Hours
USB Charge Out	No	No	No
App	Yes	Yes	Yes
Weight	3kg	1.85kg	1.06kg
Speakerphone	No	No	Yes
Voice Assistant	Yes	Yes	Yes
Audio Inputs	None	None	None

Performance

We’ve scoured user reviews, expert tests, and everything in between, to come up with a comprehensive view of how the product name performs in real-world scenarios.

In the section we assess key criteria based on the following data points: 

• Aggregated results from expert testing to determine how this speaker performs in terms of audio quality.
• Our analysis of hundreds of user reviews to understand what users like about this speaker as well as any common issues.
• Side-by-side comparison of this speaker versus its main competitors to help understand its strengths and weaknesses and provide alternatives based on your preferences.

Sound Quality (7/10)

The general consensus concerning the sound quality of the Sonos Move is that highs, mids, and lows are well balanced. There is no question about the boom of the bass when consumers listen to music, but movies play with slightly lower quality.

The Sonos Move definitely sounds like it was meant more for enjoying music with friends than a movie in your living room. – SoundGuys

Sonos claims the downward-firing tweeter contributes to the precision of high frequencies and creates an ultra-wide sound stage. Most reviews support the claim of crisp frequencies, but many complain about the limited soundstage considering the Move is not a 360-degree smart speaker.

The Sonos Move gets the best sound when you are facing the front side of the speaker compared to the back of the speaker or the sides.

The Move also has a superb Trueplay tuning feature that automatically adapts the audio you’re playing to match the acoustics of your living room, backyard, or wherever you place the Move. If you’re using this speaker in the bathroom and would like to continue playing music after transporting the Move to your bedroom, automatic Trueplay will change the volume, EQ, and other elements to best suit the new location.

Our findings indicate although Trueplay is appreciated, the changes are subtle.

I put Auto TruePlay to the test in a few indoor locales and noticed subtle changes. –Toms Guide

Volume (7/10)

In comparison to Sonos One and other portable speakers, the Move is louder. However, according to multiple reviews, the sound becomes distorted at higher volume levels, while others appreciate the quality of the audio even when the volume is raised.

Connectivity (7.5/10)

The Sonos Move offers Bluetooth and Wi-Fi options for connectivity. Compared to alternative options on the market the Move’s 4.2 Bluetooth is considered basic.

Bluetooth connectivity is a great option when Wi-Fi is not available, but the Move’s Bluetooth connection does not offer smart-features.

A commonly expressed opinion is that the Move’s Wi-Fi option is superb, offering a built-in extender that can receive data up to 30 meters away from some routers. Tests reveal Sonos outperforms competitors in the area of latency over Wi-Fi connection.

The surround sound can only be achieved when paired with another Sonos move via the Sonos app through the Wi-Fi. The Sonos move cannot stereo pair with another Move in Bluetooth mode.

Battery Life (7.5/10)

Sonos claims the battery life of the Move lasts for 10 hours. There are several factors that impact battery life such as play pause, Bluetooth vs. Wi-Fi connectivity, volume, etc. but their claim generally seems to hold true.

Furthermore, Sonos released a software update that increases the battery by one hour. The Sonos Move reviews report satisfactory battery life.

It only takes an hour and a half to charge the Sonos Move battery from empty to full when using the included charging base.

One major complaint we found is, the battery usage can only be checked in Wi-Fi mode or on the Sonos app.

In order to reduce its battery usage and disable the touch controls, when off the charging base, the Sonos Move can be placed into sleep mode. This can be done by simply pressing and releasing the power button at the back of the speaker, then the LEDs turn off after a short chime.

Customers have complained about not being able to charge the move via USB C cable. Although the issue could be using a USB C power source that is less than 18 V.

Other Features

Other notable features include the touch-sensitive controls on the top of the Move, which allow toggling back and forth between songs by simply swiping left or right.

The Move’s charging base has an oval shape that fits snugly around the device keeping it sturdy and giving it a clean appearance. This charging dock is reported as a favourite feature of the Move.

Alternatives

Sonos One

The Sonos One and Sonos Move have many similarities but are suitable for different purposes. The Sonos One has a great sound in a compact speaker but is not portable.

The Sonos One is a much more affordable option (currently at around $325) compared to the Move and should be considered if you are looking for a great indoor speaker with smart capabilities.

If you are looking to build a collection of Sonos Speakers, it is recommended to start with this speaker. We find that Sonos speakers are greatly appreciated for multi-room use especially because you can connect multiple speakers in different rooms and control them using voice commands.

Unlike the Sonos Move, Sonos One does not have Bluetooth or a USB C port for charging. Trueplay is available when you connect Sonos one to the Sonos app, but is not built-in.

If you plan on using the speaker indoors and don’t intend on carrying it around this is a nice option to enjoy features such as Airplay 2 and Google Assistant without paying the price of the Move.

Bose Portable Smart Speaker

The Bose Portable Smart Speaker is a lighter option than the Sonos Move but offers similar features. This speaker weighs 1.6 kgs and has great audio quality which can be adjusted using the companion app.

Unlike the Sonos Move, the Bose Portable Smart Speaker offers 360 degrees sound which makes it a preference for indoor as well as outdoor use. This speaker also has an advantage over the move if you are looking to play videos and movies in addition to music.

The Move has a better IP rating and is more water-resistant than the Bose. Both offer voice assistants and are priced similarly.

The Sonos Move tests better than the Bose Portable Smart Speaker in bass, though the Move is said to have a heavily compressed sounding bass in which case the Bose may be preferred.

The battery of the Bose lasts approximately 12 hours. This speaker is definitely the better option for transporting and playing music on the go. It also has a more wallet-friendly price tag.

Review Summary