SONOS Move 2 specs, date, price and where to buy in Australia
Find out all the details on the SONOS Move 2, a newly announced portable bluetooth speaker.
You won't be researching speaker for long before the name SONOS crosses your path. The company has earned a well-deserved reputation for quality in both workmanship and audio quality over the years. The company now has a deep catalogue of products, ranging from amps, to home theatre soundbars and even spatial audio.
Indeed, the original SONOS Move took home the honours of best Bluetooth smart speaker and best portable speaker here at Finder.
With that in mind, we were excited by the 6 September 2023 announcement of a SONOS Move 2.
How much is the SONOS Move 2 in Australia?
The SONOS Move 2 will cost $799 here in Australia. That's a decent uplift on the 2019 original's $699 price tag, although that was a pre-COVID price. The SONOS Move 2 comes in 3 colours; the black and white we're familiar with, and an all-new olive matte finish.
What is the SONOS Move 2 release date?
The SONOS Move 2 will arrive in Australia on 20 September 2023. This is in-line with most other countries around the world.
Where to buy SONOS Move 2 in Australia?
The SONOS Move 2 is, of course, available through the SONOS store directly. But it's also readily available through most technology retailers across the country, both in store and online.
SONOS Move 2 specs vs Move 1
| Feature | SONOS Move 2 | SONOS Move |
|---|---|---|
| Sound | Stereo | Mono |
| Amplifiers | 3 Class-D | 2 Class-D |
| Woofer | 1 midwoofer | 1 midwoofer |
| Tweeters | 2 angles | 1 downward firing |
| Battery life | 24-hours | 11-hours |
| Battery watt-hours | 44 | 36 |
| Water resistance | IP56 | IP56 |
| Auto Trueplay | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
| Concurrent Bluetooth | Yes (5.0) | No (4.1) |
| Voice enabled | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless charging base | Yes | Yes |
| Replaceabel battery | Yes | Yes |
| USB-C Line in | Yes | No |
| Touch controls | New (like Era 100 and Era 300) | Old |
| Auxilary line-in | Yes, with adaptor | No |
| USB-C device charging | Yes, with adaptor | No |
| Weight | 3kg | 3kg |
| Price | AU$799 | AU$699 |
Is the SONOS Move 2 any good?
On paper, SONOS is making predictable, but still welcomed, improvements with the Move 2. It's adding more powerful sound with a deeper stereo soundscape. It's doubling the battery life, which is fantastic given its use case. And it's bringing the design up-to-speed with the recent Era series, namely with the touch controls.
There's also some modern quality of life improvements. Namely better Bluetooth support, the ability to charge devices via USB-C, and the line-in port. The latter, for example, could allow you to plug in some decks while having a bush doof.
There's effectively no change to the physical footprint with the device either. However, there's been manufacturing improvements. It's been built from recycled plastics and packaged in sustainable boxing. It's also nice that the battery can be replaced, which effectively means if it dies, you don't need to buy a whole new device.
Who is the SONOS Move 2 good for?
The SONOS Move and now its predecessor fit into the range as the company's portable, outdoor audio solution. It sits at the premium end of the portable Bluetooth speaker category. There are a few notable design decisions that make it fit this use case.
- It has a wireless charging base, so you simply pick it up and put it down as required.
- You can connect devices via Bluetooth, so you don't need to be on home wi-fi as we saw with older SONOS products.
- It's weatherproofed enough to handle water splashes, dust and temperature extremes.
- A more efficient architecture means it's about 40% better on battery life.
- It can charge your phone or other devices even while it's playing beats.
It's also worth noting, that the SONOS app allows you to drive an entire ecosystem of SONOS speakers in unison. You can, for example, have the same music playing inside and outside at a party. Or even pair a Move 2 with a soundbar, run the Trueplay feature, and the two will work together to produce the best home theatre sound for your space.