At a glance
Expert’s Rating
Pros
- Great sound
- Long battery life
- Doubles as power bank
- Line-in option
Cons
- No Google Assistant support
- Not a true stereo experience
- Expensive
Our Verdict
You shouldn’t buy it for the advertised stereo sound, but various other upgrades and tweaks make the Move 2 a great sounding and versatile portable speaker.
Four years on from the original, Sonos has launched the Move 2 as its new premium portable speaker with a raft of upgrades.
This sequel provides much improved battery life, new controls, more uses via USB-C, dual-tweeters and more. It does, as it often the case with Sonos, come at a cost. So, is the $449/£449 Move 2 worth it?
Design & Build
- Similar look and feel
- New colour
- Volume groove
The Sonos Move 2 doesn’t rewrite the rule book when it comes to design. At a glance, it’s easy to think it’s identical to the original. It has the same dimensions and still weighs 3kg.
It would be nice if it weighed a bit less than that to increase its portability but if that were to mean a compromise on sound quality or battery life – and it most certainly would, then I’m happy Sonos has kept it on the chunkier side.
I adore this colour, partly as it matches my front door but also because Sonos has colour matched the charging base, as well as the cable and adapter
Chris Martin / Foundry
After all, there’s the Sonos Roam if you need something closer to pocketable.
There are two key giveaways this is the Move 2 and not its predecessor. Firstly, a volume slider on the top which matches that of the Era 100 and Era 300. It’s touch sensitive like the other buttons on the top and sits in a satisfying groove, making it quicker and easier to adjust the volume. I would just like to be able to adjust its sensitivity.
The other giveaway is the new Olive green colourway. Sonos has a history of simply offering black or white options with colours coming later on a select few models but it’s nice to see wider choice from the off.
And I adore this colour, partly as it matches my front door but also because Sonos has colour matched the charging base, as well as the cable and adapter.
Chris Martin / Foundry
If you’re new to the Move then this is Sonos’s original portable speaker design, and this 2023 model still has a useful carry handle on the back. You will fit it in a large rucksack but there won’t be space for much else.
On the back you’ll find buttons for power as well as a switch to electronically disable the microphones for privacy. Other design features include status LEDs, a rubber base to keep the speaker steady and an IP56 rating meaning it can, according to Sonos, “withstand accidental drops, splashes, rain, dirt, and sun”.
It’s shock-absorbent, too, and I’ve found the Move 2 just as durable as the original. Build quality, as we’ve come to expect from Sonos, is exemplary.
Sound Quality
- Dual tweeters
- Auto Trueplay
- Bags of oomph
When it comes to sonic, the big upgrade for the Move 2 is an additional tweeter. Previously, there was just one down-firing tweeter but now a pair face angled out to either side. Sonos said this unlocks a “higher fidelity stereo soundstage”.
A stereo field (using proper left and right channels) is extremely difficult to achieve from a single enclosure since the drivers must be so physically close to each other. Even angled to the side and sitting facing the speaker to listen, it’s not enough to provide a genuine stereo experience. That said, the Move 2 does sound more spacious than the original.
If you want true stereo then you’ll have to buy an additional Move 2. Sadly, the speaker can’t be stereo paired with the original Move due to the difference in acoustic makeup, but you can still group them in the app for a similar effect.
the Move 2 sounds nothing short of brilliant
Chris Martin / Foundry
The same single midwoofer handles the rest of the audio and overall, the Move 2 sounds nothing short of brilliant. It’s lively and rich with plenty of bass without it overwhelming the mid and high tones. I’ve listened to just about every main genre of music on the speaker and the tuning makes it sound great regardless of what gets put on.
Testing was done with Automatic Trueplay switched on which means the speak can adjust the sound based on its surroundings every time you move it to a different location. Of course, the Sonos app has EQ for bass and treble if you want to customise the sound.
Once again, the Move 2 is incredibly powerful and I rarely needed to listen at even 50% volume because it starts getting so loud. That was typically indoors but you can rely on that oomph if you’re, for example, having a party in the garden.
Some other things worth noting are that you can’t use a Sonos Sub with the Move 2, it’s not designed to work with a TV (over Bluetooth or Line-in due to latency) and it doesn’t support Dolby Atmos like the Era 300.
after three of hours of listening the Sonos app said it still had 98%
Battery Life & Features
- All day, all night longevity
- USB-C has many uses
- Some voice services
Battery life has received a huge boost on the Move 2. A reasonable but not amazing 10 hours on the first Move has now been increased nearly 150% to no less than 24 hours, and the battery is still replaceable.
That’s one long party if you have the stamina – after three of hours of listening the Sonos app said it still had 98% – and if you don’t then the Move 2 doubles up as a power bank. Using the USB-C port on the back and the right cable, you can charge just about anything you like including your smartphone.
Chris Martin / Foundry
In terms of charging, using the wireless base (which now has a detachable wall adapter) I found the Move 2 went from completely dead to just 13% in 30-minutes but reached a more reasonable 41% after an hour. It’s worth noting that it charges on the original Move base and vice versa.
That USB-C port can be used for more than charging, too. Like the Era speakers, Sonos sells an adapter cable which gives you a line-in port. It will cost you $19/£19 for the privilege or $39/£39 if you want the one with an additional Ethernet port for wired internet.
Chris Martin / Foundry
It will be a worthwhile purchase if you want to connect something, like I did, a turntable or you perhaps have an older device like an iPod which doesn’t have Bluetooth. Of course, having the port on the speaker itself would be more ideal than spending on an accessory but it’s there if you want it.
Unless you’re buying an ‘SL’ Sonos speaker (meaning speechless), it’s safe to assume that it’s a smart speaker. The Move 2 offers voice services but sadly doesn’t support Google Assistant due to “changed the technical requirements” but the firm is “hopeful that Google Assistant will be part of this ecosystem one day.”
This leaves you with Alexa or Sonos Voice Control (voiced by Giancarlo Esposito of Breaking Bad fame). I typically use Google Assistant, but Sonos Voice Control is handy for general playback and moving music between Sonos speakers. There’s just not nearly enough of a tutorial when you set it up, with only “Hey Sonos, play music” given as a suggestion before you’re left to your own devices.
Chris Martin / Foundry
You can toggle voice services on and off with the touch button on the top where the speech bubble icon is but a physical switch on the back disconnects the microphones for an additional layer of privacy.
As well as the choice of Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, the Move 2 supports Apple Airplay 2 and Spotify Connect.
Price & Availability
The Move 2 is priced at $449/£449/€499 so it’s not exactly the cheapest portable speaker around. This price means it’s an extra $50/£50/€100 compared to its predecessor.
You can buy it directly from Sonos in the US or get it from the likes of BestBuy and Andorama.
UK buyers can head to Sonos or Currys.
Check out our guide to the best Sonos speakers as well as our chart of the best Bluetooth speakers for more options.
Should you buy the Sonos Move 2?
The Move 2 is another great speaker from Sonos which brings various upgrades compared to the original.
Mainly much longer battery life (with power bank abilities), a new Olive green colourway and touch controls so owners of its predecessor might not feel particularly compelled to upgrade unless they are throwing some long-lasting parties or travelling for long periods with no ability to charge.
An additional tweeter for stereo sound is a nice idea but while it’s more spacious, is not a proper stereo field so don’t buy the Move 2 for this. Regardless, it sounds incredibly good and suits all kinds of music and has more than enough power available.
It’s a shame to not have Google Assistant and the line-in adapter is an additional purchase but these don’t stop the Move 2 being one of the best portable smart speakers with Bluetooth money can buy.
Specs
- 3x Class-D digital amplifiers
- 1x mid-woofer
- 2x tweeters
- Dual-band Wi-Fi 6
- Bluetooth 5
- Apple AirPlay 2
- Spotify Connect
- Amazon Alexa
- Sonos Voice Control
- 44Wh battery, 24 hours per charge (replaceable)
- Wireless charging base
- USB-C port
- Far-field mic array
- Capacitive touch controls
- LEDs
- IP56
- 242x160x126mm
- 3kg
- Launch colours: Black, White, Olive