A small revolution. The American manufacturer Sonos took advantage of the IFA show in Berlin at the beginning of September to present its first Bluetooth compatible speaker. After having made fun of this technology, sometimes in commercials, preferring to bet on Wifi which doesn’t compress music, it seems that times are changing for the Santa Barbara firm. From now on Now listed on the stock exchange Sonos is targeting growth in its user base and a more mainstream customer base.
The Sonos Move is a hybrid speaker. Indoors, it connects classically in Wifi and is controlled with the dedicated application of the manufacturer. Outside, far from any home network, it is possible to control it via Bluetooth. There then, it becomes a classic relay to music streaming applications. The speaker does not surprise at first glance the regulars of the high-end audio firm. The Move adopts a sleek, minimalist design, offering an oval speaker. On the back, a notch allows you to easily grip the speaker in order to move it. On the top, buttons offer basic controls (volume control, title change and play/pause).
Intelligent harmony
When you listen to it, the Sonos Move is harmonious. Powerful bass, especially outdoors, with a level midrange. It should be noted that the highs remain slightly behind. Above all, unlike the previous models of the American manufacturer, this speaker benefits from an Auto Trueplay mode. In short, there is no need to manually configure the speaker so that it can adapt the sound to your room. In case of movement of the speaker, thanks to an integrated accelerator, the Move re-calibrates itself every 60 seconds to optimize the sound to its environment. Practical when moving from indoors to outdoors for example.
With its four built-in microphones, the Move is compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa voice assistants. Ifri is not available on the speaker, the Move supports Apple’s AirPlay 2. Still, this speaker is a far cry from its classic Bluetooth companion speaker competitors.
With an imposing size, and a weight that is no less – 3 kg all the same – the Sonos Move will remain a portable speaker for well-organized trips. It’s not easy to slip into a backpack in the long run. This speaker is more intended to link a garden to a house, a main residence to a secondary residence or even to a balcony or a terrace. The speaker is IP56 certified, making it water and dust resistant.
The price of versatility
As for autonomy, the Move shows an honorable score without realizing an incredible performance. The speaker can last 10 hours without being recharged, a little more if it is used in Bluetooth with a dozen hours. The Move charges, either with the included dock on which it sits, or via a USB-C port. It will take two hours for a full recharge.
Remains the main obstacle to the purchase of this powerful speaker. Its price of 399 dollars certainly makes it a very expensive choice compared to the competition. The price to pay for a simplicity, a versatility and a comfort of use. The Sonos Move will certainly seduce the informed amateurs of the audio firm of Santa Barbara. With such a price, not certain that it arrives massively under the fir trees at Christmas.