Sonos Move portable speaker review: Expensive, but premium sound quality

Those who had nothing but Bose to look at can consider this speaker as well--in my view its sound output matches that of Bose, though some of the other features set them apart

Sonos has finally made its way to India and there can't be better news for audiophiles. It recently launched its portable speaker called Sonos Move in India. I got to experience the device for about a month and I tested the speaker both, indoors and outdoors to see how it fares. Read this review to know what's on offer:

Even with the compact form factor, the Move manages to bring across an immersive sound experience–single app access to playlists across music apps to clear vocals and thumping bass.

Sonos Move build quality and design:

 

Sonos Move is quite big and heavy (3kg) for a portable speaker, so it's not that handy but you can take it along in your car for a trip or place it on the terrace.

Made of hard plastic, the speaker looks durable and has a clean and simple look. There are touch-sensitive controls on the top, a power button at the back, and that's that. Overall, it's simple and beautiful to look at.

What's good is the speaker has IP56 protection that makes it water-resistant, so a little rough usage is fine, but I hardly doubt anyone would like to use it that way.

Sonos Move features, sound quality, performance:

 

To begin with, I had a hard time with the speaker as the initial setup with the wifi is a task; make sure you keep the documents in the package handy. Once done, you will have to pick music streaming services via the Sonos app through which you will be operating the speaker most of the time.

You can pick Spotify, Apple Music, or other music streaming services but what I was keen to see was if it allows anything beyond that, and to my disappointment, it doesn't.

For example, it won't pick up YouTube videos or anything you play outside the Sonos app, so in a way, it felt like a compulsion, plus, it takes away the ease. To put it simply, it is not a universal device and at times it gets irritating. Also, in case any other person wants to play something, then they will have to go through the entire setup.

Coming to sound quality, this is where the speaker gets full marks. The output would remind you of Bose; it's rich, clean, and everything sounds music on this speaker.

 

It maintains a perfect balance between treble and bass, and the instrument separation is fine too. The bass is really smooth and just elevates the sound output.

The speaker is enough to fill a room with sound and in open spaces, you get a decent output as well.

Sonos Move offers good battery time on a full charge. For charging, it comes with a dock on which you can place the speaker. I feel the dock takes away its appeal as a portable speaker as you would have to carry it along just in case you plan to go somewhere with the speaker for some days. But Sonos has kept that in mind, and there is a Type-C port as well to make things simple.

Verdict:

Priced at Rs 44,000, the Sonos Move is an expensive portable speaker for a niche audience. Sonos Move offers clean and immersive sound but has some limitations as well which may be a deal breaker for some. Those who had nothing but Bose to look at can consider this speaker as well in the premium range. In my view, Bose and Sonos have a somewhat similar sound output, it's the other features set them apart.