Sonos Move
Sonos speakers are well known to MyApple readers, recently we have described, among others, the Sonos One models. Recently the company presented its latest product, the Sonos Move speaker, which I had the opportunity to test intensively in recent weeks.
What's on the outside
The loudspeaker has the shape of a cylinder with a slightly flattened section. It is relatively large (240 x 160 x 126 mm) and heavy (3 kg). Its weight is certainly related to both the electronics and the right drivers inside and the battery. The device is portable and equipped with a handle hidden under the rear recess, although it is more likely to be carried within the living room or apartment than taken in a picnic or camping bag. However, the manufacturer himself has a different opinion, as the speaker is supposed to withstand both extreme cold and heat. It will be possible to put it on the terrace or garden during a winter or summer party and place it e.g. next to the swimming pool - it is waterproof (IP56) and equipped with special drain channels. The relatively high weight of course gives great stability, both when the speaker is placed anywhere or in a special charging frame.
The black metal grill with a vertical, small silver Sonos logo makes a great impression. On the upper surface there are touch control buttons for playback and holes in the condenser microphones, used for communication with Google or Alex assistants, as well as for configuration using the Trueplay function, which allows you to set the sound under the room and the place where Sonos Move is located. Without a doubt, this function is a huge plus for all speakers of this brand.
On the back, in addition to the power button, there is also a button for switching the operating mode - WiFi or Bluetooth and a pairing button. There is also a USB-C port to charge the device.
Battery
The battery placed in the speaker provides 10 hours of music playback, which should be enough for an evening party. I charged it on average every other day. The process of charging the battery itself takes about 2.5 hours. The speaker can be recharged using the already mentioned frame equipped with appropriate contacts or the USB-C port on the back wall of the case. Using the mentioned frame is very convenient. Just set up the device in it. In standby mode the speaker can work for up to five days.
Battery life has been calculated for three years, a clear change in the length of work on one charge is to be visible only after 900 cycles, interestingly, it will be possible to replace it for an additional fee.
Connection and multiroom
The Sonos Move speaker is of course another element of the multiroom system of this brand. The device connects to the WiFi network and communicates with every sound source without any problems. Of course, it also supports AirPlay 2, so you can easily send audio from the Music app from your Mac, iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. Of course, you can also play music from the dedicated Sonos app, which supports Spotify Connect, sees network drives, etc. The two Sonos Move speakers can also be connected in a stereo pair (similar to the two Sonos One speakers).
Since Move is a portable speaker, it can also be connected to a sound source via Bluetooth. This will come in handy outside the home, where WiFi is not available. In this case, however, all functions of smart, multi-room or AirPlay 2 cease to work. Then Sonos Move simply becomes a good ordinary wireless speaker.
I've already mentioned the Trueplay function that allows you to configure the sound under the room and the place where the speaker is set up. This time, however, we are talking about a portable speaker, which will be set up in different places. Sonos solved this problem in a very simple way. Inside is an accelerometer that detects the movement of the speaker and automatically activates the Trueplay function to adjust the sound to current conditions.
Sounding
Due to its size, weight and drivers used (in the middle there was one tweeter facing down and the midrange speaker placed centrally). Sonos Move sounds as it looks, very good for all kinds of music. The device offers the same sound quality as the Sonos One already described on MyApple (and twice). The sound is very warm with clearly marked strong, low bass. The warmth spills mainly down and in the middle of the band and flows from the bass guitar, electric guitars, keys and vocals. The readability of individual instruments and their dynamics, especially the bass, does not suffer from this. The stage may not be particularly wide, but the individual parts of the instruments are not packed like sardines in a can. Of course a lot depends on how the album is produced. I'm curious as two such stereo speakers would sound (I hope I'll be able to check that in some time). Recently I've been listening to a lot of music from the borderline of fussion and I must admit that the biggest impression in terms of sound was made by listening to Borromean Odyssey Antoine Fafard's album with a strong and dynamic, slightly overdriven leading bass guitar on this speaker. Of course, no review is a substitute for listening on your own, so I recommend you to visit the salons where Sonos Move is available and see "on your own ear" how this speaker sounds.
Summary
Sonos Move is a great speaker for a multi-room system that both plays and looks good. However, I'm not sure if it will work as a portable speaker It is not cheap. Few people will want to take their equipment for over 1.5 thousand zlotys for a camping or a trip. Yes, you can take it to the garden, put it on the terrace, but you have to have this terrace or garden. If you live in a block of flats or a tenement house, in general, it is worth considering other competitive solutions, such as the Sonos One or Yamaha MusicCast 20, already described on MyApple. They are cheaper and offer comparable sound quality and capabilities, not counting of course the battery work.
