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Sonos is a dedicated audio company, and since its founding in 2002 has gone on to become widely recognised as the market leader in wireless audio equipment. So, with such high expectations and a hefty price tag, how does the Sonos Move stack up?
We take a closer look at some of the features, audio quality, design and build quality.
Design
The Sonos Move has a simple, no-fuss design with a sleek-looking profile. The speaker itself sits neatly on the included charging ring, which in itself is unobtrusive and easy to tuck away when not in use. For on-the-go charging you can also charge it via USB-C, which is a nifty feature, especially if your phone is also charged this way. Although you’ll need to supply your own charging cable for this option.
There’s a built-in carry handle on the back of the speaker, a curved hollow that’s well designed so the speaker tilts forward – and perfectly balanced – when being carried, like one of those birds from the 90s that balances on your fingertip. Slide your hand in, and although heavy, the speaker balances at this sweet spot, making carrying over short distances a doddle.
You really wouldn’t want to be carrying this thing too far, however; in and out of the house is fine, but it’s not really suited for day trips to the beach, unless you want an extra 3kg in your beach bag.
It has touch-sensitive controls on the top of the speaker that lets you adjust the volume, pause/play, mute the mic, and skip tracks, while physical buttons on the back connect the speaker during setup, activate main power, and toggle between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
Build quality is excellent and very difficult to fault. It’s a solid, chunky speaker, that’s drop-proof and weather resistant, so is ideal for outdoor parties that may be subject to the changeable British weather. It’s also able to survive humidity, rain, snow, sun and ‘extreme temperatures’.
For protection, it’s rated as IP56, which means it protects against limited dust ingress and ‘high pressure water jets from any direction’. Useful if there’s an unexpected influx of water from an enthusiastic cannonball at your pool party, or a sudden downpour of rain at your BBQ.
Just don’t leave it in the rain for too long, as it’s not fully waterproof. Even in a sporadic-few-drops rain, I found the tracks skipping and randomly pausing as the water activated the touch controls on the top of the speaker. My advice would be to move it inside when the rain comes and use the weather-resistance as a sort of ‘buffer’, while you gather up the party.
Features
Out the box, setup takes a few minutes, which includes downloading the app and setting up your Sonos account. As well as Wi-Fi, as with most smart speakers, you can also pair it to your phone via Bluetooth to stream music or podcasts, or hear the Candy Crush sound effects like never before (which is worth doing at least once, for the lols).
A rather nice feature of this device is that it comes with something called Trueplay. This is a built-in feature that measures how sound is reflected off walls, furnishings, and other surfaces, then optimises the audio based on these acoustics. You don’t need to calibrate the speaker yourself; it does it automatically when you move into a new room. The result is a clean, rich sound whether you’re in a small kitchen, long hallway, or open-plan office.
Aside from the barely-there lights that illuminate the controls on the top, and a low-battery light on the front, the Sonos Move does not have any other lights. Although not as ‘fun’ as other speakers, this subtlety in the design allows it to blend quietly into the background of your room, integrating itself with your everyday life and enhancing your audio experience, and less about the speaker itself. And I like that.
The speaker can be voice controlled and neatly joins your connected home ecosystem. Currently, it works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri and of course, Sonos Voice Control. There’s also an app, which allows you to listen to music straight off the bat.
It comes with a wireless charging pad; just pop the speaker back on the pad overnight – or whenever you’re done for the day – and it’ll be ready to go again. I got around 10 hours from one charge, which is more than enough to cover most situations.
Sound
As you might expect from a brand that has pioneered wireless audio over the last couple of decades, the sound is exceptional. Not a tinny note to be found. The bass has extra oomph, which is especially noticeable when outdoors, and there’s no distortion, either.
That said, however, the bass does seem to drop out at the maximum volume, which is something to consider if you really really want to crank it up. But for everyday use, you won’t want to be blasting it that loud anyway, especially if you don’t want to annoy the neighbours – as this thing is loud.
Voices are reproduced well, and it has a good frequency response. The bass is punchy, highs ring with crystal clarity, and lead instruments are clear. But despite the excellent sound, you can only adjust the treble and the bass in the app, that’s it.
There are no extra features for Dolby Atmos, and it doesn’t have a graphic equalizer, which is somewhat surprising given the overall high specs of this speaker. That being said, the Trueplay feature almost negates this need, but it’s a shame if, like me, you enjoy tinkering with your tech.
The only real downside is that it doesn’t have 360-degree sound. In practical terms, this means that as you walk around the back of the speaker, you can detect a slight dip in sound quality. Of course, it still sounds pretty good, but if this is likely to bother you it’s probably better suited to a corner area, rather than occupying centre-stage. But then again, it is a mono speaker, so perhaps that should be expected.
Verdict
While the Sonos Move may not be the cheapest speaker out there, the sound quality from this thing is exceptional. From crystal-clear highs to hearty basses – and everything in between – this speaker has enough welly to fill a room, even when you’re dealing with the acoustics of a large space or garden, and then some.
It's ideal if you enjoy hosting parties or BBQs, and it’s a great speaker for easily transporting short distances, such as around the house or garden, but the hefty 3kg weight makes it less portable for longer trips.
But it’s worth remembering this is a mono speaker (mono is where one signal is sent to all speakers, as opposed to stereo where multiple channels are used), and if 360-degree sound is important, this probably isn’t for you. However, if you’re already invested in a compatible ecosystem, the sturdy build, elegant design, and insane sound would make a welcome addition to your household gadgetry.
Just remember to turn it down a fraction if you’re using it with jump-scare games, like Resident Evil…
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Alternatives:
JBL Boombox 3
The JBL Boombox 3 is a powerhouse speaker that brings the party wherever you go. With its robust construction and IPX7 waterproof rating (meaning it can be submerged in water for 30 minutes at a depth of 1 metre), this speaker is built to withstand serious adventure.
Equipped with four active transducers and two JBL bass radiators, it delivers powerful, deep bass and crisp, high-quality sound. The Boombox 3 also boasts an impressive 24-hour battery life, which is the most of any speaker on this list.
Its built-in power bank feature allows you to charge your devices on the go (very handy), and with Bluetooth connectivity and PartyBoost technology, you can connect multiple JBL PartyBoost-compatible speakers for an amplified audio experience. The JBL Boombox 3 is a rugged, outdoor speaker, but be warned; it weighs in at a considerable 6.7kg.
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Marshall Middleton speaker
If you're after portability coupled with decent battery life, the Marshall Middleton speaker has you covered. Delivering a whopping 20 hours of battery, this small-but-mighty speaker packs a punch when it comes to sound quality.
It's small enough to slip into a bag without taking up too much space, and comes with a handy wrist strap for hands-free carrying. It's been rated at IP67, so it can happily withstand sudden downpours, while the dual woofers and tweeters provide a robust 360-degree sound experience.
With 50 watts of power and a wide frequency range spanning from 50Hz to 20kHz, this speaker is one of the most powerful options for its size.
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Bose Home Speaker 500
If you like the design of the Sonos Move but would prefer wall-to-wall stereo sound, then the Bose Home Speaker 500 might be a worthy alternative. The speaker's powerful drivers produce rich, room-filling sound, while the noise-rejecting microphones ensure clear voice recognition, even from a distance.
The Bose Home Speaker 500 also features a full-colour LCD screen that displays album art, song information, and other useful details, adding an extra layer of interactivity. Whether you're streaming music, listening to podcasts, or controlling other smart devices, the Bose Home Speaker 500 combines impressive sound quality with modern convenience, and it looks great, too.
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