Sonos, the original Wi-Fi speaker maker that introduced the concept of high-fidelity music streaming, now offers a portable, pocket-sized speaker. Sonos’ Roam, just over 6 inches x 2.5 inches, weighs under a pound and is essentially waterproof. The device offers 10 hours of playback, can connect via Bluetooth, AirPlay/Wi-Fi, and works out of the box with Spotify Connect.  As a smart speaker, the Roam is also voice control compatible with Alexa or Google Assistant, and for efficiency, one can pair two Roams as home stereo speakers and then take one out and about as desired.

Early impressions from tech media have been quite positive – TechCrunch calls the Roam the best of the portable speakers in its class, offering dual amplifiers, one tweeter and a mid-woofer, and volumes higher than expected. One of Roam’s standout abilities that caters to owners of existing Sonos speakers is a hand-off feature that passes playback from the Roam to the nearest Sonos speaker in your home when you long press the play/pause button.

According to Interpret’s New Media Measure®, music streaming is on the rise, as more people have been spending more time at home in the past year. While those over 35 years old have remained consistent in their streaming consumption habits year-over-year, the under 35 crowd has increased its streaming hours from 4.4 hours to 5.0 hours each week. Streaming media player companies such as Sonos have seen an opportunity to capitalize on this increased interest in streaming music and will likely continue to add more devices to their offerings.

“As vaccine distribution increases and music enthusiasts become more comfortable with outdoor gatherings, portable speakers such as the Roam will enable those who have rediscovered their love of music to take the experience with them,” said Stuart Sikes, Senior Vice President at Interpret. “To attract more of the valuable under 35 cohort, Sonos and other device makers will continue to develop portable devices that appeal to an active lifestyle.”