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Sonos / Pocket-lint
Sonos Roam SL
Our best choice
$170 $180 Save $10
The Sonos Roam SL has the identical design and sound structure because the Sonos Roam, nevertheless it would not supply a microphone and so misses out on a few options.
Execs- Light-weight and moveable
- Nice sound high quality
- Waterproof
Cons- No good assistants
- No Sound Swap
- No automated Trueplay tuning
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Sonos / Pocket-lint
Sonos Roam
A sensible various
The Sonos Roam is a implausible moveable speaker with loads of options, together with good assistants. It has extra options than Roam SL, like Sound Swap, however prices extra.
Execs- Light-weight and moveable
- Waterproof
- Good assistants and options
Cons- Somewhat dear
- No case
- Rubber ends dent
Portability wasn’t all the time a factor at Sonos. Up till the corporate launched the Sonos Transfer 2019, none of the Sonos speakers supplied Bluetooth capabilities and all of them required mains energy. Since Move although, Sonos not solely introduced the tremendous moveable Roam in 2021 and a microphone-free Roam in 2022, nevertheless it now additionally has the wired Era 100 and Era 300 with Bluetooth capabilities in its portfolio.
Whereas now we have compared how the Era 100 and the Roam compare in a separate characteristic, right here we’re specializing in how the Sonos Roam and the Sonos Roam SL examine. What’s totally different between the Sonos Roam and Sonos Roam SL, what options do you miss out on in the event you go for the Roam SL and which Roam do you have to select on your residence and way of life?
Worth, specs and availability
The Sonos Roam prices greater than the Sonos Roam SL, which maybe will not be all that shocking. The Roam is $179 in the US and £179 in the UK. The Sonos Roam SL in the meantime, prices $159 in the US and £159 in the UK so that you save a little bit bit of cash choosing the microphone-free variant.
The Sonos Roam does come in additional colors than the Roam SL although, supplied in Lunar White, Shadow Black, Sundown, Olive and Wave. The Sonos Roam SL solely is available in Shadow Black and Lunar White, although each these colors are nonetheless nice, they simply aren’t as enjoyable as the colorful choices supplied by Roam.
In relation to specs, the Roam and Roam SL are nearly an identical, aside from a few options and naturally, the dearth of microphones on the Roam SL. We have popped a spec desk comparability under to point out the variations in specs at a look, however preserve studying for extra element on how these two moveable audio system differ.
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Sonos Roam SL Sonos Roam Connectivity Wi-Fi 5.0, Bluetooth Wi-Fi 5.0, Bluetooth Battery 10 hours 10 hours Water Resistance IP67 IP67 Audio Two class-H amplifiers, customized racetrack mid-woofer, tweeter Two class-H amplifiers, customized racetrack mid-woofer, tweeter, far-field mics Voice assistant None Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Sonos Voice Management Colours Shadow Black, Lunar White Shadow Black, Lunar White, Olive, Sundown, Wave Dimensions 168 x 62 x 60mm, 0.43kg 168 x 62 x 60mm, 0.43kg Buttons Tactile Controls, Energy/Bluetooth Button Tactile controls, Energy/Bluetooth button Others Sonos options, Airplay 2 Sonos options, Auto Trueplay tuning, AirPlay 2, Sound Swap
Design and construct
The Sonos Roam and the Sonos Roam SL supply an virtually an identical design, which implies they’re appropriate with the same cases. Each have a soft-to-touch end with tactile controls on the highest and so they can each be positioned horizontally or vertically, with small rubber toes permitting for each orientations. Additionally they each have an IP67 water and dust resistance so the 2 moveable audio system can each deal with being close to a pool, on the seaside, out within the rain or within the bathe with out a problem.
They’re additionally an identical of their dimensions, measuring across the similar as a 500ml (18oz) water bottle at 168 x 62 x 60mm. The place the Roam and Roam SL do differ when it comes to design nonetheless, isn’t solely the color choices we talked about above, however within the controls on the highest. The Roam has a microphone on and off button on the controls on the high, whereas the Roam SL doesn’t. That is the one distinction you may see on the floor although. The 2 audio system each have a USB-C charging port on the again, although you may also cost them by means of the charging dock accent that’s bought individually, and so they each have an influence button on the rear that doubles as a Bluetooth pairing button.
Sound structure
Pocket-lint
Sound structure is similar between the Sonos Roam and Sonos Roam SL units too, that means they each ship the identical efficiency. Each the Roam and Roam SL include two Class-H digital amplifiers, one tweeter and one mid-woofer and the sound from the Roam and Roam SL is superb for the dimensions of the audio system.
The primary distinction between the Roam and Roam SL is the dearth of microphone on the Sonos Roam SL, as we talked about. This makes a distinction relating to a few of the options supplied, together with Trueplay tuning.
The Sonos Roam gives Automatic Trueplay Tuning that means it may use its onboard microphone to analyse the setting it has been positioned into and alter the sound accordingly. Because the Roam SL would not have a microphone, it would not assist Computerized Trueplay Tuning, although it does nonetheless supply normal tuning so you’ll be able to nonetheless manually tune the Roam SL by means of the normal Trueplay technique. This entails the speaker emitting a collection of sounds and also you strolling across the room waving an iOS machine turned the other way up slowly. We have a separate Trueplay feature that details exactly how that all works.
Options
Except for Trueplay tuning, there are a few different variations within the options supplied by the Sonos Roam and Roam SL. The Sonos Roam gives a selection of Alexa, Google Assistant and Sonos Voice Control, whereas the Sonos Roam SL would not have the choice of any of those as a result of its lack of microphone. The Roam SL can nonetheless be managed by way of Alexa, Google Assistant or Sonos Voice Management from one other Sonos machine that provides the assistants in-built, or a third-party Alexa or Google Assistant machine, however you aren’t getting native assist on the speaker itself.
Sound Swap is a characteristic that launched on the Sonos Roam however it is usually solely out there on the Roam. The characteristic lets you press and maintain the play/pause button on the Sonos Roam to ship the music you might be taking part in on the moveable speaker to the closest Sonos machine. Ultrasonic waves are used to detect the closest speaker although, which requires a microphone to listen to so the Sonos Roam SL would not supply Sound Swap, once more because of the lack of microphone.
Regardless of these variations, there are a variety of options that switch between each the Roam and Roam SL. Each audio system hook up with the Sonos system the place they provide Sonos Radio, compatibility with over 100 music streaming services, the power to group audio system and the power to regulate the EQ for instance, amongst loads of others, together with Apple AirPlay 2.
You can too stereo pair a Sonos Roam or Roam SL with one other Roam or Roam SL, although neither can be utilized as surrounds. Each audio system do additionally change between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth mechanically although and so they additionally each supply 10 hours of battery life.
Conclusion
The Sonos Roam and Sonos Roam SL are very related, at the least when it comes to design, battery life and sound structure. The place they predominantly differ is the dearth of microphone within the Sonos Roam SL, which then sees it lacking out on a few options in comparison with the unique Roam.
Sonos / Pocket-lint
Sonos Roam SL
Our best choice
$170 $180 Save $10
The Sonos Roam SL has the identical design and sound structure because the Sonos Roam, nevertheless it would not supply a microphone and so misses out on a few options.
You do not get in-built Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or Sonos Voice Management, the Roam SL additionally would not supply Sonos Sound Swap and it additionally would not supply Computerized Trueplay tuning. In any other case, the options are the identical throughout each fashions, together with automated switching between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, integration with the Sonos system and Apple AirPlay 2.
The Sonos Roam SL is after all barely cheaper than the Roam and for many, will probably be a wonderful selection as a transportable Bluetooth speaker. The additional options supplied by Roam are helpful however they’re extras, moderately than integral to the general expertise.
Sonos Roam
A sensible various
The Sonos Roam is a implausible moveable speaker with loads of options, together with voice assistants. It has a number of extra options than Roam SL, like Sound Swap, nevertheless it prices extra.
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