Sonos Move 2 – music on the run (first look)

06/09/2023
By Ray Shaw
In Announcements Featured

The Sonos Move 2 is an update to the 2019 Sonos Move, bringing stereo sound, up to 24-hour battery life, and continuing the water-resistant design for indoors or out.

Our original review Sonos Move – big and bold BT/Wi-Fi portable speaker, said, “It is a speaker for home – one where you carry music around. And it is one for a Sonos home – there is no point buying this unless it becomes part of the Sonos ecosystem. At IP56, it is also one for the bathroom and beach”.

It is more of a mobile version of the Sonos Era 100 – the versatile speaker.

Sonos Move 2 – First look

We went first to the FCC ID SBVRM044 report, which is mainly commercial in confidence. But it confirms Wi-Fi 6 AX 2×2 and BT 5.X BLE with SBC and AAC codecs. It will support Wi-Fi and BT simultaneously to stream BT content over Wi-Fi and ‘’whole of home’ speakers.

Setup

Download the Sonos S2 App (Android and iOS).
Establish a Sonos account – it works for all Sonos devices.
Setup detects the speaker and connects it to the 2.4 or 5Ghz. Select 2.4Ghz as it has an extended range and is all you need for music streaming.
Each speaker is allocated to a room and given a name for voice access.
If you have two identical speakers, you can stereo pair.
The EQ gives you +/-10dB of Bass and Treble and a loudness setting.
Trueplay room tuning is automatic (for speakers with mics)
It can link to Sonos Radio, Spotify, Apple Music, and hundreds of streaming services – more than most.
Compression is automatic; you can set it to uncompressed for higher-res music.

Inputs

Wi-Fi, BT and the USB-C. Via an adapter (same as Era 100/300), it supports AUX-in and Ethernet. You can connect a turntable with a pre-amp.

Speakers

Sonos does not disclose wattage or THD. It has a Woofer and dual angled tweeters (Stereo Left/Right). That means three discrete amplifiers. Volume over BT is limited to 85dB, but you can get a little more from AUX-In.

Sonos Move 2 can automatically adjust its sound (as it is a front-firing and left/right side-firing speaker) using the inbuilt microphones as you move to different locations on the Wi-Fi network. It also works with BT.

Size: 241 x 160 x 127mm x 3kg.

Battery

The battery life is about 1000 complete charge/discharge cycles – three-plus years of daily discharge!

It is removable and replaceable at $129. Sonos claims 24 hours of use at 50% volume. You can also use this for the original Move.

It can charge by USB-C PD, or the included wireless charging base with a detachable USB-C power adapter (45W or more).

Stereo Pair

Via the S2 App and using BT or Wi-Fi. Pairs with another Move 2 – no other Sonos speakers.

Sonos ecosystem

Yes, plus AirPlay 2.

IP 56

The ultra-durable design easily weathers splashes, rain, dirt, humidity, and sun, while shock-absorbent materials protect against accidental bumps and drops.