Sonos Move review: Brilliant sound, absolutely anywhere

For most individuals, listening to your favorite radio station within the kitchen, catching up on a podcast whereas tidying the bed room, and streaming your favorite playlist over a picnic within the park requires no less than two totally different devices. However the Sonos Transfer is designed to do all of it – and way more.

Just like the extra reasonably priced Sonos Roam, the Sonos Transfer is designed to suit seamlessly into any Sonos residence audio system.

As such, you can synchronise playback on the Sonos Transfer and different audio system all through the home or use these linked audio system to play from a unique audio supply in each room. Quantity will be adjusted for all audio system concurrently or individually from the good Sonos companion app on iPhone, iPad, Home windows, Mac and Android.

When the Sonos Transfer is nestled in its wi-fi charging cradle, it really works precisely like a Sonos One or Sonos 5. You can begin streaming to the speaker from the Sonos app, mix the Sonos Transfer with any audio system which might be already enjoying, and wirelessly beam lossless audio utilizing Apple AirPlay to the Transfer too.

It is price noting that Sonos bundles the wi-fi charger for the Sonos Transfer within the field. That is not the case with the extra reasonably priced Sonos Roam, with Sonos charging an additional £44 for the wi-fi charger in its retailer. Whereas it is attainable to recharge the Sonos Transfer with any USB-C cable (helpful once you’re travelling with the speaker) the wi-fi charging dock, which helps you to choose up and drop the speaker to recharge is a pleasant luxurious to have.

Sonos has constructed a deal with into the again of the Transfer, so it is easy to raise the speaker from its charging cradle and take it wherever with you.

If the Sonos Transfer stays linked to your Wi-Fi community, it will proceed to work like every other Sonos speaker. This meant that, whereas redecorating a number of rooms over the course of a weekend, we had been in a position to raise and carry across the Sonos Transfer with us as we made progress with our paintbrushes – all with out interrupting the playlist streaming throughout the Transfer and a Sonos One in one other room.

In fact, this could’ve been possible with a Sonos One …however not with out the effort of unplugging the speaker and discovering a brand new outlet every time we needed to maneuver it round between coats of paint.

Until you have invested in a Sonos One for each room of the home, the Sonos Transfer is a handy option to deliver your music with you as you progress round.

In fact, that is additionally attainable with a Bluetooth speaker, however the benefit of utilizing Sonos’ system is that streaming over Wi-Fi is far larger high quality, and you will not be interrupted every – bleep! – time that – ping! – you obtain a notification to your cellphone, constructing playlists on-the-fly with a number of individuals queueing songs from their collections, and the power to synchronise playback throughout a number of audio system scattered all through the home.

That is to not dismiss the deserves of Bluetooth. In any case, the Sonos Transfer has the power to modify to this wi-fi expertise everytime you’re out of vary of your own home Wi-Fi community and it is an amazing backup.

Anybody with a Bluetooth-enabled cellphone or pill can pair to the Sonos Transfer and blast their favorite songs, podcasts, or audiobooks. Sonos Transfer depends on Bluetooth 5.0. In our time with the Transfer, we all the time received a strong connection between our iPhone and the speaker. When utilizing the Transfer exterior, even in areas with loads of different individuals – and loads of different Bluetooth-enabled devices clogging the airwaves, our tracks performed with out stutter or interruption.

Whereas the Sonos Transfer gives an enormous quantity of flexibility – streaming lossless music, podcasts and audiobooks over Wi-Fi inside the house and pairing with any cellphone or pill over Bluetooth outdoor – you may be happy to know that Sonos hasn’t sacrificed any sound high quality with this part-smart residence, part-portable speaker.

Regardless of the necessity to squeeze an 18Wh battery contained in the Transfer, Sonos has nonetheless discovered area for 2 Class-D digital amplifiers, one downward-firing tweeter, and one mid-woofer. Regardless of its portability, Sonos Transfer produces some impressively beefy sound. It is undoubtedly extra highly effective than the Sonos One (and all the Sonos audio system produced in collaboration with IKEA) and the quantity of oomph behind its sound would not change whether or not it is resting within the wi-fi charging cradle or operating on battery energy exterior.

Sonos Transfer packs extra bass than a few of the different audio system within the Sonos lineup, so those that like a deep rumble of their music shall be higher plumping for this speaker over the likes of the Sonos One or Sonos Beam. With the quantity cranked to 75% or larger, the Sonos Transfer will begin to rattle the floor that it is resting on, together with tables, chairs, chest of drawers, and even floorboards. At full pelt, you may anticipate an unplanned go to from a beloved neighbour.

For individuals who already personal Sonos audio system at residence, we might say the Sonos Transfer is like having 1.5 Sonos Ones in a single, transportable bundle. However whereas it sounds nice with all genres, the Sonos Transfer would not fairly attain the dizzying heights of the Sonos 5, which sports activities a dizzyingly broad soundstage and gloriously clear sound.

TruePlay, Sonos’ software program wizardry that lets you map out the form and measurement of any room so the speaker can mechanically tune itself to finest fill the area, is packed into the Sonos Transfer …with a distinction. Whereas TruePlay normally requires Sonos homeowners to stroll across the perimeter of the room, waving their iPhone up and down like they’re performing the loneliest Mexican Wave in sporting historical past, Sonos Transfer performs all of this magic within the background always. With none enter from you, Sonos Transfer will attune itself to each room.

That is good for a speaker that is designed to be picked up and positioned in any room in the home, gardens, swimming pools, seashores, and extra. Since TruePlay isn’t disabled, it is tough to evaluate how a lot to credit score the good sound high quality from the Sonos Transfer to the parts inside or the algorithms. Regardless of the secret sauce is, Transfer is one other good addition to the Sonos lineup and will not disappoint.

Sonos Transfer boasts a few of the finest construct high quality we have seen from any Sonos product. From the primary time you pick-up the Transfer, it feels extremely sturdy. Based on the US audio model, the Sonos Transfer was designed from the ground-up to soak up shocks. We did not throw our assessment unit down any flights of stairs to completely take a look at that declare, however we have little doubt that Transfer will take a knock or two with out grumbling.

Sonos has fitted rubber to the underside of the speaker, which is reassuringly grippy and ensures the speaker will not slip – even on uneven surfaces. It is a actually considerate contact and means you will not want to fret in regards to the Transfer toppling over when on a ship, on slippery tiles by the aspect of the pool, or a wonky chair or desk.

Transfer is rated IP56, which signifies that it is shielded from dangerous mud and robust jets of water. As such, you should not fear if somebody splashes the Sonos Transfer by leaping into the pool, or the £399 speaker will get caught out within the rain for a couple of minutes throughout a usually British summer season barbecue.

That ought to be immensely reassuring to anybody apprehensive about taking their expensive new sensible audio equipment exterior.

As talked about above, Sonos Transfer will be recharged utilizing any USB-C cable. In the event you’re taking the Transfer on a street journey, which means you may solely have to deliver a single charger to your Nintendo Swap, Sonos Transfer, MacBook Professional, Android cellphone, Kindle Paperwhite, and dozens of different devices. That basically helps lower down on the quantity of cables you may have to pack in your suitcase.

Once you’re not counting on Bluetooth or Apple AirPlay 2 to wirelessly beam songs, radio, or podcasts to the Sonos Transfer, you may depend on Sonos’ companion app. Obtainable on macOS, Home windows, Android and iOS, this software program is excellent and packs a colossal variety of options. In actual fact, the Sonos app is without doubt one of the greatest differentiators between the US model and its rivals, like Bowers and Wilkins and Bose. None of those gives an app expertise that is as refined and filled with streaming providers.

In whole, Sonos helps a dizzying 60 totally different streaming providers from its companion app. Signal-in to those providers from throughout the Sonos app and you can queue up tracks, albums, playlists, audiobooks, podcast episodes, and extra. Higher but, you can combine and match between totally different providers – enjoying a number of tracks from Apple Music, adopted by a playlist discovered solely on Spotify, adopted by a podcast episode from Pocket Casts, after which your favorite album from TiDAL. A number of individuals can collaborate in real-time on the identical queue of upcoming tracks too so long as they’ve the Sonos app.

In fact, all the ordinary suspects will be discovered throughout the Sonos app – Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, Deezer, YouTube Music, TiDAL – in addition to some providers that you simply won’t essentially anticipate, like meditation and sleep information subscription Calm, audiobook streamer Audible, Plex, Soundcloud, TuneIn and World Radio Participant, to call a number of.

You can too queue-up tracks from a superb ol’ customary iTunes library too – good for individuals who have closely invested in tracks from the digital music retailer and do not need to make the swap to streaming.

Sonos additionally has its personal free-to-stream radio, referred to as Sonos Radio, which is offered to all Sonos app customers.

Managing a number of audio system – enjoying from totally different sources in each room or synchronised along with the identical monitor on the identical quantity – is a cinch with the Sonos app. In the event you personal older Sonos audio system, just like the first-generation Sonos Play:1, you could be caught on the earlier model of the Sonos app, now rebranded to Sonos S1.

Whereas this app gives all the options listed above, it will not take pleasure in any new performance, which shall be rolled out to the Sonos S2 app. The Sonos Transfer is absolutely appropriate with S2, however you won’t be capable of benefit from the brand new options on the horizon in case your family is being held again by a single, a lot older speaker.

One of many greatest advantages of choosing Sonos over its rivals is that it will not make you choose between one of many many competing voice assistants available on the market – Google Assistant or Amazon’s Alexa. That may not seem to be an enormous deal, however for those who make investments £189.99 in an Amazon Echo Studio, you are unlikely to purchase a Google House Hub as a wise bedside clock because it will not be capable of sync together with your Amazon-powered sound system.

The Sonos Transfer was launched again in September 2019. It is broadly obtainable in excessive avenue shops and on-line.

It carries a price ticket of £399, though it’s generally attainable to search out the transportable speaker at a lower cost level throughout gross sales, like these on Black Friday. Sonos additionally sells refurbished Sonos Transfer items at a lowered value. Since Sonos’ personal engineers have labored on these refurbished audio system, they arrive with the identical one-year {hardware} guarantee as brand-new Sonos Transfer audio system. Sonos Transfer is offered in Lunar White or Shadow Black.

Sonos Transfer is a speaker that may do all of it.

Need to blast your favorite playlist throughout the backyard whereas barbecuing? Not an issue. Planning a visit to the pool and want a rugged speaker that will not grumble when it inevitably will get splashed? Not an issue. Need a speaker appropriate with Alexa and Google Assistant that may be carried round the home? Not an issue.

The Transfer handles all of those eventualities with aplomb. And crucially, it does so with out sacrificing the beautiful minimalist design or sound high quality that Sonos is thought for.