The Sonos Move 2 is a portable speaker that was announced on September 6, 2023. It has stereo sound, a battery life of up to 24 hours, and a USB-C line-in. The Move 2 also has new controls and a new color. It is available for preorder now and will start shipping on September 20. The price is $449.
The Move 2 is water and dust resistant with an IP56 rating. It has a rubberized base, an easy-grab handle, and capacitive controls on top. It works over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and supports AirPlay for Apple users. It also supports streaming technologies and smart assistants like the Sonos app, Apple Airplay 2, Spotify Connect, Amazon Alexa, and Sonos Voice.
The Move 2 is the second version of the Sonos Move, which was the company’s first portable speaker. The Move 2 promises to eclipse the original in every way.
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 over USB-C by connecting your USB-C-equipped laptop, tablet or smartphone directly to speaker with a USB-C cable (Sonos also sells a Line-In Adapter accessory for connecting such devices as a turntable).
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
