The Sonos Move combines top-notch sound with reliable connectivity and controls

The Sonos Move is a rare breed of wireless speaker as it performs as well in Bluetooth connectivity as in Wi-Fi mode. It offers top-quality sound, reliable connection, and controls. It isn't the easiest speaker to move, but the Sonos Move offers a lot if you're after a crisp-sounding portable speaker.

The Sonos Move is a rare breed of wireless speaker as it performs as well in Bluetooth connectivity as in Wi-Fi mode. It offers top-quality sound, reliable connection, and controls. It isn't the easiest speaker to move, but the Sonos Move offers a lot if you're after a crisp-sounding portable speaker.

Sometimes you need a reliable smart speaker to be portable enough to be carried from room to room and still be connected to the Wi-Fi. Sonos Move is one such wireless speaker that works with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth with a built-in battery, so you can carry it practically anywhere (not that you’d want to take it long distances) and still stream music without a break. But is it worth the $400 price tag? Let’s find out.

The Sonos Move looks like one of those Wi-Fi speakers meant to set and forget and sit on a table for the rest of their lives. While it isn’t the most portable at 6.6 pounds, you can pick it up and take it with you to the patio, park, or another room.

The front of the Sonos Move is covered in a metal grille from top to bottom, while the speaker’s top and back are made of plastic. You’ll find rubberized plastic at the bottom of the speaker, which provides extra grip so it won’t move from its place when it is pushing out heavy vibrations.

You get an integrated handle at the back, so it’s easy to carry around. But you won’t want to carry it long distances because of the combination of weight and hard-to-use handle. The best you will likely do is carry it to another room, garage, or patio.

Below the handle lies a power button, a Wi-Fi/Bluetooth mode switch, and another button to reset the whole thing. As for the top, you get touch controls that can play/pause the music and control the volume. Plus, there’s a mic control button.

The Sonos Move is rated IP56 for water and dust resistance, so a bit of drizzle on the speaker won’t cause any damage. However, if you take it to the beach, the sand particles can get inside the mesh grille on the front.

The Sonos Move is compatible with Google Assistant as well as Alexa. Both of those features are yet to roll out in my region, but if you are in the US, you can summon the Move using your favorite assistant. While you can’t use both simultaneously, the Sonos app makes it easy to switch between them.

What I did get to test was the Sonos Assistant. And I’d say I would much rather use Samsung’s Bixby alternative than the Sonos offering. The latter is unreliable, doesn’t recognize the wake word half of the time, and Spotify doesn’t work with it in India. The Move isn’t smart if you are left with the Sonos Assistant as your only option. Oh, and the voice assistants only work in Wi-Fi mode, so you can’t answer calls on it over Bluetooth despite the presence of four far-field microphone array.

With the lack of a traditional smart assistant, I was left using it with my phone, whether with the Sonos app or Bluetooth. It can stream music over the most popular services – like every other Sonos speaker and soundbar. You can use voice commands, the Sonos app, Spotify Connect, or Apple AirPlay to play music on the speaker.

The Wi-Fi reliability on the Sonos Move is one of the best out there, just like the Bluetooth connectivity. I had no issues connecting it to my smartphone and controlling it via Android or iPhone. And when you want to use it as a Bluetooth speaker, it automatically connects to the device which was last connected to it.

Unsurprisingly, the best part of the Sonos Move is its sound. It is louder than my Amazon Echo Studio, and the sound quality remains consistent over both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It can easily fill even large rooms, so you can practice your own concert while getting ready (I’m not the only one who does that, right?)

The downward-firing tweeter is designed to provide an omnidirectional soundstage, which allows you to listen to the same quality music regardless of where you’re positioned in relation to the speaker, thanks to the Sonos Trueplay feature.

I found the Echo Studio to provide more bass than the Sonos Move, but the latter wasn’t far behind. It still has that thumpy feel to it, though. Vocals sound clear, and you’ll hear good instrument separation. Both acoustic and pop music sounds great.

The volume can go low enough to offer background music while I’m writing or having dinner. It can also get loud enough to be the only speaker required in a roomful of people without getting distorted. You can pair it with another Move to get the stereo effect. While I don’t see anyone spending $800 on two of these, I’m not judging if you do.

The Sonos Move’s battery life is expected to last 10 hours on Bluetooth, depending on the conditions like play/pause, volume, and more. It lasted around 8 hours for me, which falls far behind Bluetooth speakers but is enough if you are taking it around the house, where you can mostly find a socket to plug in a USB-C cable.

And if you are going to keep it at a particular place, it is best to keep it over the in-box dock. However, I found it unreliable as a charging solution, and you must be very careful with the pogo pins. It isn’t designed to automatically move and connect to the pins and charge. So I kept it connected to a USB-C cable instead. Sonos says the battery will last you for three years, with the option to replace it at the end of its life.

There are few products like the Sonos Move that can function as a smart speaker and travel with you. It is the perfect speaker if you want to carry it to another room, in the basement, home office, or basically anywhere in the house, while still being connected to Wi-Fi.

However, carrying it like a traditional Bluetooth speaker can be tedious. Firstly, the handle isn’t made to be carried over long distances, so you won’t want to travel far with it. Secondly, it’s heavy at 6.6 pounds, so you won’t want to carry it for long periods of time. If you are able to carry it, or you’re transporting it in a car, you won’t be disappointed by the result since the sound, connectivity, and controls are all top-notch.

That said, if you only want a Wi-Fi speaker and have $400 to spend, I’d advise you to go with two Echo Studios. If you want a combination of a Wi-Fi speaker and a more portable Bluetooth speaker, buying an Amazon Echo Studio at $200 alongside the Sonos Roam at $180 would be a good idea. However, the Sonos Move is the way to go if you want both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity without compromising sound quality. It is one of the best smart speakers for your home.

Prakhar contributes with reviews at Android Police. He is an independent tech journalist who has been a part of the industry since 2015. Alongside Android Police, he is currently working with CNET as an Update Writer and Digital Trends as a Mobile Writer. Contact: parkydoesstuff(@)gmail(dot)com