Four years after a very surprising first version, Sonos is renewing its high-end mobile speaker.
A separate product in the Sonos ecosystem, the Move finally has a successor. The American brand has just unveiled a Move 2 which is still just as versatile, but with increased ambitions in terms of audio quality. Released in the summer of 2019, the Move was a small revolution for Sonos since it was really the brand’s first nomadic product, that is to say equipped with both a battery and a Bluetooth connectivity. The Move 2 obviously takes up the DNA of the first version, but pushes the cursor much further, whether in terms of audio capabilities, but also on autonomy or functionality.
The first change, even if it is rather discreet, is on the design side. The Move 2 has almost identical dimensions to the first (24 cm high, 16 cm wide and 12.7 cm deep) and still weighs 3 kg. But it sports a more streamlined aesthetic and finer features, in addition to sporting the brand’s new tactile keys at its top. On this point, the Move 2 takes up the recipe of the new Era range and in particular its tactile volume control slider.
Versatile and now stereo
If the exterior changes relatively little, this is not the case of the heart of the enclosure which evolves in depth. To put it simply, Sonos has completely revised the acoustic architecture of its portable speaker and has managed to overcome its main flaw: the mono sound. Thanks to a new device allowing the integration of two tweeters and a woofer, the Move 2 is now capable of producing stereo sound that its manufacturer claims to be powerful. On this point, we will await the confirmation of a test in good and due form.
But it’s not just the audio quality that is changing, there is also its autonomy. On this point, the progress is breathtaking since Sonos would have more than doubled the performance of the Move. It had an autonomy of 11 hours, its successor offers 24.
Finally, there are the more discreet changes, almost natural, but which make the Move 2 fit quietly in its time. Indeed, the new portable speaker has a USB-C connection which is not only used to charge it, but which also allows you to transform it into a booster charger for your smartphone. Sonos also believes that its new speaker is more durable. On the one hand because it has reduced its consumption on standby by 40%, but also because its manufacturing process incorporates more recycled plastics. Finally, its battery is removable which increases its repairability.
For exterior and interior
What does not change, however, is the versatility of this new Move. Bluetooth and Wifi compatible, it can be used as a mobile speaker as well as as an extension of a Sonos system, like the rest of the products in the range. Finally, Sonos reckons its latest production can be taken anywhere as long as it would be tough enough to withstand accidental drops, but also IP56 rated to survive splashes, rain, and even dust.
Like the latest Era, this Move 2 can be combined with other audio sources such as a vinyl turntable using a Jack adapter sold as an option. The latest novelty is a surprise. This is a new olive color that contrasts radically with the usual classicism of Sonos, which only offers its products in black and white. The Sonos Move 2 will be available for sale from September 20, its price is 499 euros.