Sonos Move vs Sonos Move 2 portable speaker: what are the differences?

Sonos is known for its hugely versatile ecosystem of products and has never been afraid of doing things its own way, only releasing its first Bluetooth speaker, the Move, as recently as 2019.

The Move was somewhat of an outlier in the portable speaker market when it arrived, with a large, bulky design instead of the more typical bag-friendly size. (A smaller portable offering, the Roam, did follow in 2021, however, and there is now a Roam 2.) And unsurprisingly, Sonos has stuck to the larger form for the sensibly named Move 2 sequel.

There were roughly four years between the first and second-generation Move speaker, so what improvements did Sonos make for the new model? And, with the original Move just about still available at a discounted price, is the sequel worth the extra cash?

Our expert in-house reviews team has tested both models, so we can tell you what separates them and which – if either – is worth your time and money.

Sonos Move vs Move 2: Price

• Both Moves are pricey for portable Bluetooth speakers
• Both are discounted over their RRPs, with approx £30 / $30 / AU$100 between them

The original Sonos Move retailed for £399 / $399 / AU$649 when it launched in 2019. It’s been four years since then and its price has fallen by roughly 30 per cent, while availability is limited as retailers push out the final stock.

Meanwhile, the Move 2 launched in September 2023 for £449 / $449 / AU$779 – higher than the original's RRP, with Sonos no doubt justifying the model's price hike through the upgrades it brings. That price hasn't wavered much – current Sonos products rarely do – but we have seen it drop by around 25 per cent.

Today's best deals for both speakers are below.

This kind of money is quite steep for a portable speaker, though the Moves do offer a considerably bigger sound and more smart functionality than most cheaper options. Whether you’re willing to spend this much on a speaker for your home, garden or camping trips really depends on how portable you need it to be and how much of the Sonos ecosystem you already own.

** Winner: Sonos Move **

Sonos Move vs Move 2: design

• Identical dimensions, on the bulkier side
• Identical waterproofing and dust resistance
• The Move 2 has updated top-panel controls and an extra Olive Green finish

Sonos was clearly not interested in jumping on the trend of creating a smaller portable speaker in the same vein as rival companies for its first Bluetooth effort. And the fact that it has stuck with that bulkier form factor for the second-gen version suggests the design has a big enough audience.

Overall, the Move 2's build and aesthetic don't stray from the original's much. For a Bluetooth speaker billed as portable, it is a hefty unit and not one you’ll be casually carrying out of the house. Instead, the Move speakers are designed to be moved around the home from room to room (or garden) or put into the car to soundtrack a camping trip. Unlike Sonos's smaller Roam speaker, the Moves are not particularly bag-friendly.

The Move 2 packs an additional second tweeter alongside the woofer to produce stereo sound, which is one of the more significant changes it brings over the original model – though that hasn't changed the speaker's dimensions.

Both speakers are virtually identical in size, measuring roughly 24.1 x 16 x 12.7cm (hwd) and weighing 3kg each. Both also feature a recessed back, to make moving the speaker with one hand quite a lot easier despite the unit’s size and weight. And both are dust and water-resistant, with IP ratings of IP56, meaning that they are 'Protected from high-pressure water jets from any direction' and 'limited dust ingress'. So that should give you some peace of mind when taking your Move out in the elements.

The original Move came in two shades, Lunar White and Shadow Black, whereas the new Move 2 comes in Black, White or Olive Green.

"The speaker itself is built to Sonos’s typically high standards, with a minimal finish and responsive touch controls and buttons," our expert reviewers noted in our Sonos Move 2 review – and that goes for the first Move too. Another difference, however, is that the top of the Move 2 has had a cosmetic refresh that’s now identical to the company's latest Era 300 and Era 100’s home speakers. There are now, to quote our review, "updated icons and a volume 'trough' that you can slide your finger along to make incremental volume changes. The buttons at the back (power, Bluetooth pairing, microphone on/off) have been reworked too, and it all works smoothly."

** Winner: Sonos Move 2 **

Sonos Move vs Move 2: features

• Both offer Sonos wi-fi streaming, AirPlay 2 and TruePlay
• The Move 2's battery life is more than double the original's
• Voice control support differs
• The Move 2's USB-C can be used to charge phones and connect audio sources

Sonos’s second-generation Move unsurprisingly features a few additions and improvements over the original. One of the biggest is the inclusion of a more powerful battery that will last for roughly 24 hours of playback time – over twice that of the original Move, which only provides around 10 hours of playback. 

Other improvements seen in the Move 2 include updated touch controls on top of the unit which are more in line with Sonos’s new Era speakers, including the volume slider that works responsively. There’s also an upgraded wireless charging base with a detachable and more compact adapter, which is backwards-compatible with the original Move, too.

The USB-C port on the Move 2 has also been upgraded, now allowing users to charge up smartphones or MP3 players, as well as the option to connect a turntable or other audio source using the Sonos Line-in adapter (which is sold separately and costs extra).

Another difference between the models is the voice assistants supported. The original Move speaker supported both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, whereas the new Move 2 features Amazon Alexa and its own Sonos Voice Control.

That said, both speakers share the core Sonos experience. They balance the co-existence of wi-fi and Bluetooth to unify the speaker with the rest of your Sonos ecosystem, and also support AirPlay. The Bluetooth pairing process is more refined through the new Move 2, though.

Both models of the Move speaker make use of the well-organised Sonos App for a straightforward streaming experience. Via the app, you can connect all of your favourite music streaming services, discover new music on Sonos Radio, and customise settings and controls.

Both speakers offer the automatic Trueplay feature, too, which analyses your surroundings and adapts the speaker’s sound accordingly as soon as audio starts playing. This feature was previously limited to iOS devices, however, it can now also be accessed by Android users via the Sonos app. 

** Winner: Sonos Move 2 **

Sonos Move vs Move 2: sound

• Both offer big, weighty and bassy sounds at high volumes
• The Move 2 offers superior space, organisation and detail
• Both lack outright insight compared to cheaper rivals

Both the original Move and the Move 2 are capable of louder volumes than you might usually expect from a portable Bluetooth speaker, reaching levels suitable for garden parties and similar settings. 

Based on our time spent testing the Move 2 and comparing it directly against the original, it’s clear to us that the Move 2 performs with a greater degree of sophistication and provides better space and organisation to the sound. 

In our Move review, our in-house experts described its sound as “weighty and full-bodied, with a tonality that’s nicely even-handed and not bereft of solid, deep bass”. While testing out bass-heavy hip-hop from Run The Jewels during our Move 2 review, we described the sequel as providing “more depth, grip and tautness to the bassline” and felt that it could “deliver the differences in texture and tone of their voices more convincingly than before”.

Songs sound much clearer through the Move 2, with a better sense of musicality, and we could hear more detail in the mix. We still think that the original Move is a 'beast of a speaker’ that makes volume its priority, but it does start to sound rather cluttered compared with the more spacious and cleaner Move 2 sound. The Move 2 is able to go just as loud while remaining composed and can separate elements and project low-end with more control and precision, presenting an overall more pleasing and enjoyable listening experience.

The Move 2 does indeed make good on the company's claims of sound improvements, although we still crave more nuance and better timing from a speaker of this price – hence its mirroring of the original four-star rating.

** Winner: Sonos Move 2 **

Sonos Move vs Move 2: verdict

The Move 2 is certainly an improvement over the first generation, offering the same big sound with a whole host of new or improved features and specs. 

Both speakers are expensive options in the realm of portable Bluetooth speakers and almost sit in a separate ‘semi-portable’ niche. There are cheaper options out there that offer more nuance, texture and dynamic expression, but if you’re looking to add to your existing Sonos ecosystem with the bonus convenience of some portability, and want a sound that's big and can fill large spaces, then either speaker will satisfy. 

If you already have a Move 1, we wouldn’t jump to buy the latest model. But if you're deciding between the two, we think the Move 2 is the better buy considering the extras it offers and the minimal price difference between them.

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