I bought my first Sonos on a holiday in England a few years ago. We were going to celebrate Christmas in a beautiful farmhouse in the Cotswolds, but I wasn’t expecting a modern sound system that would do justice to my wife’s Spotify Christmas playlist. When doing some (very) last minute Christmas shopping, I checked out the portable speakers at Peter Jones. Now while the Sonos 1 is not really a portable speaker—you need to get access to the local Wi-Fi for it to work—I just needed to have it. A Bluetooth speaker would have been more convenient to use for the holiday but you know, it was just one of those emotional gadget purchasing decisions. As Andy said in Little Britain: “I want that One!”
Fast-forward to 2021, Sonos came out recently with a new portable speaker that works both on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the Sonos Roam. The size, design, sound quality in combination with its price makes it a no-brainer for your home and (future) travels. For a detailed technical review of the product, I suggest you check out one of the tech websites, but let me help you rationalise the emotional decision you might be making, with five ideas on how you can enjoy your Sonos Roam in and around the home.
1. “Don’t Stop The Music”
For all those newbie home-fitness HIIT enthusiasts trying to get 100 burpees (full, not half!) in 12 minutes, some high-bpm-hits blasting out of your Sonos Roam might just get you there; without passing out. It’s a great tool too if you follow one of the many videos on bodyweight workout regimes tailored for 7 minutes. To enjoy your Sonos and the benefits of your workout, you should get at least 3 to 4 rounds in. The Roam responds to voice commands, so you can order a pause in between.
2. “Family Affair”
It is often hard to find a quiet spot in a house filled with Zooming people, online schooling, parents getting agitated and (fighting or screaming) children showing signs of insanity. I find that the closest to quietness is to drown out the noise around you and sit in your own sound bubble. The Sonos Roam is a great companion with its portability, sound levels and quality.
“Make You Feel My Love”
Upgrade your weekly, monthly, annual romantic bath session with your partner and complete the experience of bath oil, scented candles, and bubbles (the drinkable kind) with some soulful notes from the Weeknd, D’Angelo, Erykah Badu or whatever floats your boat, or duck. And don’t worry about your Roam, it’s waterproof up to three feet for 30 minutes.
4. “Lovely Day”
Sunday mornings will never be the same. Wake up slowly with coffee, or if you feel fancy, breakfast in bed while listening to your favourite radio channel or playlist (Coffee House, Morning Jazz, Buena Vista Social Club, etc.). The smooth and comforting sound from your Sonos might just keep you in bed a little while longer; the battery gives you 10 hours of music and aesthetically, the Roam doesn’t look out of place on your bedside table.
5. “Feeling good”
You can easily take the Roam outside and boost the sound of your favourite YouTube yoga instruction video while you unleash your warrior, train your downward dog and come to rest with your child’s pose in the garden. Or if you have your own sequence of poses figured out, enjoy the calming sounds of a yoga playlist. The Sonos Roam uses automatic Trueplay tuning, smartly adopting to the outside surroundings.
There you have it. Roam away at home with this smart beauty. Enjoy its sound quality, wireless charging, hands free voice commands feature and of course Sonos’ multi room audio platform. TC Acoustic brings the Sonos Roam to Malaysia for RM 1,099. For more information, go to trysonos.my.
