This summary of the video was created by an AI. It might contain some inaccuracies.
00:00:00 – 00:10:16
Sonos has unveiled the Sonos Roam SL as a budget-friendly alternative to the Sonos Roam portable speaker, lacking voice assistant capabilities. The Roam SL maintains the same design, sound quality, waterproofing, and battery life as the Roam but omits automatic Trueplay tuning. While the Roam SL caters to cost-conscious consumers and competes with other Bluetooth speakers, it lacks certain premium features like voice control and music transfer to other Sonos devices. The absence of built-in microphones in the Roam SL limits its functionality, and it cannot be paired with a Sonos sub due to size differences. Overall, users may find the Roam SL appealing for its affordability, but those seeking additional features like voice control and Trueplay may opt for other Sonos models.
00:00:00
In this segment of the video, Sonos has introduced the new Sonos Roam SL speaker as an alternative to their compact Sonos Roam portable speaker. The main difference is that the Roam SL does not have microphones for voice control with Amazon or Google Assistant. Both speakers have the same design, sound performance, IP67 rating for waterproofing, and 10-hour battery life. The Roam SL is priced at £159, making it the most affordable entry into the Sonos ecosystem without voice control. It lacks automatic Trueplay tuning, which optimizes speaker sound based on the space it’s in. The Roam SL targets customers seeking a cost-effective option, competing with other Bluetooth speakers without voice assistance.
00:03:00
In this segment of the video, the speaker’s EQ can be optimized using Trueplay, toggling the feature has shown a notable improvement in sound quality. Sonos Move and Sonos Roam have automatic Trueplay due to built-in microphones, allowing for recalibration in new locations. Sonos Roam SL lacks microphones, so it does not support this feature. A test is conducted on automatic Trueplay, showing slight EQ improvements in different environments. The lack of a sound swap feature on the Roam SL is also highlighted as a difference compared to other Sonos speakers.
00:06:00
In this segment of the video, the main points covered include:
– Roam’s ability to seamlessly transfer music playback to other Sonos speakers in the home by pressing and holding the play/pause button on Roam.
– The lack of support for this feature in the Roam SL model, requiring traditional Sonos control methods.
– The absence of voice control in the Roam SL compared to Roam, which has built-in microphone arrays for Amazon or Google Assistant use, but only when connected to Wi-Fi.
– Personal preferences regarding voice assistants and concerns about privacy with voice control.
– The inbuilt microphone in Roam cannot be used for voice calls currently, and it is uncertain if Sonos will enable this in the future via a software update.
– Clarification on connectivity capabilities of Sonos Roam and Roam SL, mentioning limitations like not being able to use two Roam SLs as surround rears and the possibility of stereo pairing a Roam with an SL for a cheaper stereo pair option with voice assistant functionality.
00:09:00
In this part of the video, it is mentioned that you cannot pair a Sonar sub with the Roam SL, as Sonos has chosen not to enable this feature due to the size difference between the subwoofer and the portable speaker. The video suggests that the sound swap and voice control features of the Roam SL may be worth the extra 20 pounds, particularly for those who use voice control frequently. However, if those features are not necessary for you, Sonos offers a more affordable option with the Sonos 1SL. The general release date for the Roam SL is March 15th.