Sonos Move 2 Review: Bang Worth the Buck?
Sonos has been delivering some banging audio equipment as of late, with the Era 100 and 300 models making a splash in the home entertainment segment. But the company’s bigger, more portable entry, the Move 2, is here to deliver some bang for your buck.
It features a lot of upgrades from the Move 1, such as stereo sound, new touch controls, and a much longer battery life. But, of course, it also has some enhancements to its sound quality and ability to ‘throw’ your tunes where they need to be.
Design-wise, it’s a fairly large speaker for the grab-and-go portable ‘Bluetooth-speaker’ category. However, it has a really convenient groove on the back that acts as a handle, allowing you to easily pick up the speaker and move it around the house or outdoors. Its solid body and mesh speaker screen also mean that it’s pretty robust (Sonos claims it’s drop-proof and IP56 water-resistant), with no little awkward bits and bobs that could potentially break off.
The clean and simple design extends to how the speaker is operated. You get a simple connected/on light that can be seen through the mesh on the front, along with some basic controls and a touch-bar for volume, which is incredibly satisfying to use.
On the back, there’s the power, mic, and Bluetooth connection button, hidden away from touchy hands, so there’s no fear of it being switched off by accident during that cracker of a party. However, there is no AUX input but a line-in USB-C port, so for most people, you will have to use a wireless connection to the device, so keep that in mind.
You can connect to the Move 2 via Bluetooth or over WiFi using the Sonos app, which the company recommends. This is because the app has a few other tricks than a simple connection, giving you some EQ audio controls, battery-saving features, and the ability to sync to other Sonos devices. Of course, using the proprietary app won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, and connecting to the speaker using normal Bluetooth and playing your music via Spotify (or whatever platform you choose) is pretty straightforward too.
When you hear the audio, the speaker’s bigger size and form-factor make a whole lot more sense. The Move 2 delivers a punchy and bass-y output, one that also features Sonos’ signature clarity, where listeners are given a rich and complex sound, rather than a blob of noise. The Move 2’s dual-tweeters provide a surround sound effect to the left and right of your hearing perspective, while the sub offers a good rumble when a song or movie calls for it.
The battery is also impressive, and the Move 2 is able to do quite a few hours without charging, essentially allowing you to only put it on charge once a day if need be. Speaking of, the charger is a highlight too, and Sonos has introduced a slick charging dock for the Move 2, that uses a magnetic connection at the back, allowing you to just pop the speaker onto the charging ring and not worry about fiddling with connections.
The elephant in the room is that the price (R12,999) is a hurdle, but if you really appreciate the sound and build quality of your speakers, then it’s hard not to recommend the Sonos Move 2. If you’re already in that Sonos eco-system and bought some other products, you know what you’re getting with the Move 2, so while it might not be a small Bluetooth option to grab and squash into your backpack, as a home-based speaker that can be moved in and out of the house — and enhance your media watching — there’s not much to contend with it.
