DAY 01
TWO WEEKS WITH THE SONOS MOVE
£399 / stuff.tv/SonosMoveSonos’s first portable speaker promises all of the brand’s signature audio quality
on the go – so Simon Lucas keeps on moving for a fortnight of hobo-friendly hi-fi
The Sonos range of wireless
speakers has been crying out
for a battery-powered portable
offering for ages – and finally,
our favourite multiroom audio
specialist has caved in.
Could it be, though, that Sonos
has left it too late? After all, every
other brand with half a reputation
for wireless speakers has had
a portable Bluetooth (and
sometimes waterproof) version
in its range since the days
when Boris Johnson was just
the harmless old Mayor of
London. Are there any customers
left to woo in 2019?
Fingers crossed that there are.
Because not only is the Move
the speaker Sonos should have
launched years ago, but it’s one
of the best products of its type
and price that we’ve heard.
There have been concessions
made to the Move’s outdoorsy
potential where design and build
are concerned, but not so many
that you wouldn’t pick this out as
a Sonos product.
At 24cm it’s on the tall side,
but its gentle cylindrical shape
serves to make it look like a
Carry on amping
This thing is certainly loud and punchy
enough to make itself heard outdoors,
and there’s real authority to the bassSonos One on steroids. The
bottom of the cabinet is heftily
rubberised for durability – the
Sonos website shows a Move
being heedlessly dropped from
a height with no ill effects, though
we’re not about to test that
theory. Not on the first day of
testing anyway.
The top of the Move has
basic touch-controls and mics,
and from there down to the
apparently bomb-proof base
it’s pretty much all sturdy
acoustic grille. Oh, except at
the back of the speaker – there
you’ll find a sculpted handle, plusUSB-C for charging, a power
on/off control and a switch
to toggle between Bluetooth
and Wi-Fi inputs. There’s also
a setup/reset control.
The Move feels hard-wearing
and built to last – the ‘shadow’
black finish (which is currently
your only option) is supposedly
able to withstand all sorts of
outdoor unpleasantness like
heat, cold, sunscreen and
(obviously) mustard. Its IP56
rating means humidity, rain,
salt-spray, dust and all the
rest shouldn’t put a crimp in
its performance either.