Sonos Play vs Sonos Move 2: Why I'd go with the $200 cheaper Bluetooth speaker

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Sonos' portable Bluetooth speakers are large additions to a seasoned Sonos fan's strategy and a coagulated enactment for little dedicated customers who privation casual entree to the Sonos ecosystem. 

Unlike the company's wired astute speakers, the Sonos Play and Move 2 are designed to unrecorded extracurricular of Sonos' choky ecosystem from clip to time, making them worthy competitors to JBL and Bose contemporaries.

Also: Sonos Play review: This portable Wi-Fi talker whitethorn beryllium Sonos' top deed yet

It's casual to deliberation there's not overmuch quality betwixt the Play and Move 2 speech from size and price, but determination are much factors to see earlier making a decision. 

Specifications

You should bargain the Sonos Play if...

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1. Your adventures spell beyond your spot enactment

The Sonos Play is much equipped for outdoor adventures than the Move 2, acknowledgment to its durability rating. Sonos fitted the Play talker with an IP67 rating, meaning it is dustproof and tin withstand immersion successful up to astir 3 feet of h2o for 30 minutes. 

Additionally, the Play talker is smaller and lighter than the Move 2, making it a large prime for bringing big, large dependable to parks and outdoor gatherings.

Review: Sonos Play

The Move 2 has an IP56 durability rating, making it dust-protected but not harmless for accidental submersion successful water. Its larger framework and much interior acoustic components marque it astir 4 pounds heavier than the Play and much hard to lug around.

2. Bose and JBL don't excite you

If the JBL Charge 6 and Bose SoundLink Plus don't interval your vessel for immoderate reason, the Sonos Play whitethorn beryllium much appealing. Like its counterparts from Bose and JBL, the Sonos Play features dust- and waterproof durability ratings, reverse USB-C charging, a talker grouping mode, and a three-pound framework for casual portability.

Also: Two years later, should you inactive bargain the Sonos Ace? Why my reply is simply a resounding yes

However, the Sonos Play offers Wi-Fi connectivity, a diagnostic that some Bose and JBL midrange portable speakers lack. Over Wi-Fi, the Sonos Play offers higher-quality audio streaming and interoperability with different Sonos speakers.

You should bargain the Sonos Move 2 if...

Christian de Looper/ZDNET

1. You're not acceptable for an Era talker

The Sonos Move 2 talker is the last measurement earlier venturing into Sonos' enactment of powered astute location speakers. The Era 100 and Era 300 speakers connection akin audio features to the Sonos Move 2, including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, Apple AirPlay compatibility, adjustable EQ, Sonos Voice Assistant, and TruePlay.

Also: How to amended your Sonos soundbar's audio show - 3 casual and escaped ways

The Era 100 talker and the Move 2 stock the aforesaid acoustic structure, comprised of 3 Class-D amplifiers, 2 tweeters, and 1 midwoofer. However, the Era speakers necessitate a imperishable transportation to a powerfulness source, portion the Move 2 tin determination (no pun intended) betwixt rooms and environments.

2. You big much than you be

The Move 2 is simply a bulky portable speaker, with a 10-inch by 6-inch by 5-inch framework and weighing implicit six pounds. As a result, it's not an casual talker to instrumentality connected a time travel oregon done the airport, but it is large for resting connected your patio oregon countertop portion entertaining guests oregon having a solo jam session.

Also: Should you bargain a Sonos oregon Samsung dependable system? I compared some brands to find out

The Move 2's acoustic operation is much precocious than the Play's, making it amended suited for much captious listening, delivering tighter bass and accrued audio separation. Its refined sound, coupled with its little portable stature, makes it champion suited for listening astir your house.

Writer's prime

I similar the Sonos Play implicit the Sonos Move 2. I lone person 3 rooms successful my house, and they each usage a Sonos soundbar arsenic a astute speaker. Therefore, the Play is the champion enactment for me, arsenic I tin instrumentality it into rooms without Sonos speakers, specified arsenic my room oregon bathroom, portion staying connected to and switching betwixt my different Sonos speakers. 

Additionally, the Play talker is overmuch easier to instrumentality extracurricular my location than the Move 2, and it's capable for maine to usage portion lounging connected my tiny outdoor patio.