Sonos has introduced a slightly more affordable Roam speaker in the Sonos Roam SL, which boasts many of the same features as the Roam but without a mic. This means it cannot directly connect to a voice assistant like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, but it can once paired with another Sonos or other smart speaker.
Available starting March 15 for $199 and on pre-orders now, Sonos Roam SL looks almost identical to Sonos Roam. It connects via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth so you can easily use it at home or on the go, thanks to the up to 10 hours of battery life per charge and up to 10 days in sleep mode. There’s also a Battery Saver setting so the speaker will power down completely when not in use.
You can stereo pair the Roam SL with a second Roam SL or a Sonos Roam via Wi-Fi. The speaker is dust-proof and fully waterproof with an IP67 rating, so you can comfortably take it by the pool, to the beach, or even in a light rainfall.
Thanks to the triangular shape and soft profile, the Sonos Roam SL is easy to carry around, while tactile buttons help avoid accidental button presses while on the go. You can position it vertically for a smaller footprint or horizontally for added stability on uneven surfaces outdoors.
Another difference between the Sonos Roam and Sonos Roam SL is that the latter does not include Automatic Trueplay Tuning to adjust sound based on your environment (you do get standard tuning) or Sound Swap, which lets you press and hold the play/ause button to send the music from the Roam to the nearest Sonos device.
Grab the Sonos Roam SL starting March 15 for $229; the Sonos Roam, meanwhile, continues to sell for US$179.