Which Sonos Speakers Should You Buy?

The Sonos Roam is the company’s smallest and most portable speaker. With built-in Bluetooth connectivity (it's one of our favorite Bluetooth speakers), you can easily throw it into a tote bag and play music on the go from anything on your phone. Using the Sonos app, you also have the ability to connect to tons of streaming services, from Spotify and Apple Music (with support for AirPlay 2) to Audible and Bandcamp over Wi-Fi, or control playback with your voice via Alexa or Sonos Voice Control.

It may not offer audiophile-approved sound for its stature, but it's still fairly impressive. The dual-driver woofer and tweeter work in tandem to provide bold bass and clear highs—with zero distortion when the volume is cranked up. And with up to 10 hours of listening, it'll last you a full beach day—and then some. Oh yeah, did I mention it's dunkable and offers top-notch dustproofing thanks to IP67 certification? —Parker Hall

If you're after a portable with more punch (and gravity), the bulky Sonos Move 2 fills the gap. It offers three drivers, including dual tweeters for some stereo spacing, IP56 dust and water resistance (it's not dunkable), and up to 24-hours of playback time. Like the Roam 2, it features Bluetooth for streaming on the go, alongside Wi-Fi and a USB-C port that can double as an analog line-in (with a separate adapter). It provides similar touch controls to the Era 100 and Era 300, and like those speakers, drops Google Assistant voice commands in favor of Amazon Alexa and Sonos Voice Control from its far-field microphone array.

The Move 2 sounds bigger than its size, which is no small feat for a speaker that weighs over six pounds. That makes it more backyard barbecue buddy than mobile companion, filling a solid gap between the Roam and Era 100. When connected over Wi-Fi, you'll get access to loads of streaming services via the Sonos app, and the same grouping and network abilities with other Sonos speakers that beg you to build out a clan of companions. The Move 2’s high price is its biggest drawback, but its style, sound, and features make it an attractive if offbeat option in the Sonos family.

In the midst of Sonos' biggest software woes, the Sonos Arc Ultra emerged as a much-needed win. A notable upgrade over the original Arc, the Ultra provides more refined clarity, punchier bass, and a more expansive soundstage to make it one of the best soundbars I've tested. Its collage of 14 speakers, including dual upfiring tweeters, provides striking immersion with regular surround sound mixes and an even deeper dive for Dolby Atmos shows and movies.

The Ultra's ability to add-on speakers makes it a great anchor point for a whole-home setup, including the ability to send TV sound throughout the home, or as the centerpiece of a multi-component surround sound system. Testing it with the Sonos sub 4 and dual Sonos Era 300s was by far the most engulfing 3D soundbar setup I've experienced (with a price to match). I discovered a few flubs with the app in my original testing, but these were soon corrected for weeks of flawless streaming, and the app has only improved since then. The only real downsides are the bar's high price and lack of home theater inputs, but its performance puts it in a class of its own.

★ A cheaper alternative: The Sonos Beam gen 2 is ripe for replacement, but it's a solid little setup if space is a factor. It offers notable improvements over the original Beam, including improved acoustic architecture with an upgraded waveguide system, but does not include upfiring drivers, so its Dolby Atmos support is strictly virtualized with the aid of digital signal processing.

The Sonos Ace didn't offer the whole-home Wi-Fi experience that my colleagues and I hoped for, but take away those lofty expectations and you're left with an extremely capable and insanely comfortable first try at wireless noise-canceling headphones. The goods start with competitive noise canceling and natural-sounding transparency mode. The latter pairs great with the Ace's home theater skills, embodied in the TV Swap feature that allows the headphones to take over TV sound from select Sonos soundbars like the Arc, Arc Ultra, and Beam soundbars.

The sound signature is understated but detailed, with a softer touch to the midrange and treble that still readily digs up instrumental timbres. The pair comes in a slick hard case and includes removable earpads for longevity. Again, I want to emphasize that there are very few headphones I've worn for hours on end that remain this comfy, which makes them all the more alluring for both home theater times and travel adventures. You'll want a modern Sonos soundbar to take full advantage, but the Ace are good enough to stand on their own.