The Move 2, the latest portable speaker from Sonos, offers a series of improvements over its predecessor, the original Move from September 2019. With a redesigned acoustic architecture, enhanced battery life, and more sustainable design, the Move 2 aims to deliver a fuller and louder sound experience, according to the company.
Unboxing the Move 2
The Sonos unboxing experience, for those who know, is a pretty good one that’s comparable to Apple. Packaging is completely from cardboard and fully recyclable which is great to see.
Once you open the top lid, there’s a box that houses the charging base, USB-C cord and AC adapter:
The next layer has a quick start guide and some thick cardboard that protects the Move 2:
All Sonos speakers come wrapped with a cloth and a sticker that holds everything in place to protect the unit itself:
Here’s what’ll see before you start unwrapping and opening up everything:
The Move 2 in white looks just like any Sonos speaker in white as it’s the same shade:
The charging base in the Move 2 is much improved over that of its predecessor, which I found to be a bit flimsy:
Again, on the underside, there are rubber feet to ensure the charging base doesn’t move around. The USB-C charging cable that is attached to the bottom base is also thicker this time around:
Setting up the Move 2 is very simple. Just launch the Sonos app with the Move 2 on its charging base and then follow the instructions to add the speaker to your existing system. During the setup, your Move 2 will play a chime with an audio PIN to temporarily connect your mobile device to it. Once this happens, the speaker will connect to your home Wi-Fi. A small update was installed before we could start using the speaker.
Like its predecessor, the Move 2 again features Auto Trueplay to adapt sound to your environment. The speaker retunes when you pick it up and will periodically adjust the sound as long as the speaker’s mic is on.
Sound Quality
The Move 2 features a new acoustic architecture that replaces the single tweeter of the previous generation with dual-angled tweeters. This change unlocks a higher-fidelity stereo soundstage and is immediately noticeable like when listening to the Era 100 for the first time.
“The new acoustic architecture including dual-tweeters delivers spacious stereo sound and crisp vocals,” explains Sonos. The precision-tuned woofer complements this by producing deep, dynamic bass, both indoors and outdoors. Sonos didn’t get into specifics for the woofer but it appears to be the same. But comparing the Move 2 to the original Move, it seems like there’s a touch more bass. No matter what music genres I listened to, it all sounded great on the Move 2. You really do ‘feel’ the bass from this speaker.
At default EQ settings for bass and treble, the Move 2 is just a joy to listen to, again like the original Move. When you crank up the bass, the Move 2 doesn’t distort at higher volumes. The speaker sounds louder and wider versus the original Move.
Battery Life and Charging
One of the most significant upgrades is the battery life. The Move 2 offers up to 24 hours of playback on a single charge with its 44Wh battery, doubling the battery life of the original Move. The Wireless Charging Base now includes a more compact and detachable power adapter. Users can also charge the device using a USB-C cable.
With the original Move, if you had the speaker off the charging base and you had some heavy listening days, battery life was an issue. But now with 24 hours, you get more of a buffer if you forget to charge your Move speaker. This alone is worth the upgrade. Both speakers also still have a user-replaceable battery, available for purchase from Sonos.
Design and Durability
Here’s the Move 2 sitting on its charging base that’s thicker than before:
The bottom of the Move 2 also has a USB-C port—but this time the latter can charge your other electronic devices (hello iPhone 15 series!), so it’s a giant portable battery as well. Move 2 now includes a line-in feature, enabling users to connect a turntable, CD player, or other external audio sources using an AUX cable and the Sonos line-in adapter (extra purchase required).
The Move 2 is designed to withstand various environmental conditions, including splashes, rain, and dirt. It also has shock-absorbent materials to protect against accidental drops. We didn’t put the Move 2 through its paces by dousing it with water, but the water-resistant rating is the same as before at IP56. It can operate in a temperature range of -10C to 55C, so that covers a lot of conditions.
The speaker is available in multiple colourways, including Olive (new), Black, and White, and features updated touch controls for a more intuitive user experience.
Sustainability
The Move 2 reduces its idle energy consumption by more than 40% compared to the Move. It incorporates recycled plastics and features a replaceable battery. The packaging is responsibly designed, using sustainably sourced content and zero virgin plastic.
Connectivity and Control
The Move 2 offers concurrent Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi capabilities, allowing users to stream via Bluetooth to a stereo pair of Move 2 speakers or integrate it with their larger Sonos sound system via Wi-Fi. If you’re familiar with Sonos speakers and the company’s app, it’s incredibly easy to stream music to speaker groups.
Move 2 versus Move
Here’s original Move (black) beside the Move 2 (white). The design is essentially the exact same, except for the new touch volume slider on the top, a new design language as seen in the Era 100:
Here’s the view from the top–Move (black) and Move 2 (white):
From the back, we see the Move 2 (white) has a dedicated mic off button, whereas the original Move does not. The grab handles are the exact same:
The Move (black) charger is lighter, whereas the Move 2 wireless charging base is heftier. And yes, the Move 2 base will charge the original Move and vice versa in our tests:
Here is the smaller AC adapter on the Move 2 (white) versus the original Move (black). The new AC adapter allows you to remove the USB-C plug. The older charger has its cable fixed to it and the wireless charging base. The new cable feels more durable and slightly thicker as well:
Final Thoughts
The Move 2 offers a robust upgrade over its predecessor, with improvements in sound quality, battery life, and sustainability. Whether you’re looking to enjoy a podcast in the kitchen or take your music on a road trip, the Move 2 offers a versatile and durable option for high-quality sound on the go. Pricing is at $559 CAD, which is an increase compared to the original Move’s price of $499 CAD (it’s gone on sale for $399 during sale events).
Should you upgrade from the original Move? That’s a tough call and comes down to your budget. The original Move is still an excellent speaker, but if this is your first time considering the Sonos Move speaker, the second-generation’s extra battery life and dual-angled tweeters which make for a wider soundstage are worth the extra money. Sonos continues to churn out excellent home audio that’s easy to use and setup. The Move 2 is just a great speaker and the ability to take it with you anywhere is icing on the cake.
Starting September 20, 2023, the Move 2 will debut in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Colombia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Australia, and New Zealand, Eastern Europe, Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, Israel, United Arab Emirates, and Singapore. India, Japan and China to follow.
Click here to learn more about the Move 2 on the Sonos website.
