Sonos Move on the go?

What A Difference $220 Can Make!

No, I’m not being sarcastic. I have now just purchased the new Sonos Move portable, battery-powered smart speaker.

I guess I’m just a “use it or lose it” type of person when it comes to coupons or special discounts.

The Sonos Move has a manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) of $399. But I recently received trade-in credits for $220 off any new Sonos product.

If you follow Sonos at all, you probably know that they are never discounted and rarely go on sale. So the retail price is the price you usually have to pay.

So yeah, that’s an expensive portable speaker, but with this discount the price is only $179.

Ok, only is a relative thing when you can buy a simple Bluetooth speaker at the gas station or convenience store for around $10 or $15.
 

I Loved It, I Hated It

Let me be the first to admit that when Sonos introduced the Move, I had the same reaction as many other people at first.

“Wow! That’s exactly what I’ve been waiting for – An awesome sounding Sonos Wi-Fi speaker that can be part of a multi-room, whole-house Sonos music system while also being totally portable and usable with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth”.

The specs are impressive: Beautiful Sonos mechanical/aesthetic design, waterproof for use indoors, outdoors, around the pool or at the beach, long-lasting rechargeable battery power, a cordless recharging stand, and for the first time, the ability to also use it with Bluetooth.

The Move supports both Amazon Alexa and Google Home voice assistants (but not both at the same time). No built-in Siri, but Apple hasn’t let any other company integrate Siri yet so no surprise there.

When I saw the price, I thought “What are they smoking?”

At $399 it was not just overpriced, but expensive even by Sonos standards.

Sure it could be part of an existing multi-room Sonos installation, but that’s still a hefty price tag.
 

Big Sound From A Big Device

The Sonos Move is big. Just look at the photo to see it side-by-side with an Amazon Echo Dot, an Amazon Tap (their ill-fated portable Bluetooth speaker), and a UE Boom speaker.

It doesn’t disappoint – the sound from the Move is truly room-filling.

It blows away all the other Bluetooth portables and holds it own against the Apple HomePod or Google Home Max.
 

Perfection? Of Course Not

Besides the high MSRP, the Sonos Move still isn’t perfect. I would still like to see a physical input AUX jack in addition to the wireless Bluetooth connection.

Although you can pair two units together for true stereo sound, you can’t use them with a Sonos soundbar as part of a full surround sound home theater setup.

Not a likely scenario, but at this price, why remove features that are in existing Sonos products?

And if you are thinking even $179 is a bit high, pending SAF (spouse approval factor), our existing UE Boom will be going on an auction site to help offset the cost just a bit further.
 

Pragmatic Recommendation

Ok, assuming you got excited and interested in the Sonos Move, but like me, are shocked by the retail price, here’s some creative ways around that:

Wait for a sale – You may have to wait a while, but Sonos does occasionally offer sales during the major holidays of Black Friday and Christmas/New Years.

Do a trade in – If you have any old Sonos gear that is eligible, you can get the trade-in credit without losing use of the old unit. Check with family members or friends and see if they will “donate” their old unit to you.

Make a value decision – If you want to add a Sonos speaker to a room that doesn’t have it, you’ll be spending $200 for a Sonos One anyway. I know it’s crooked math, but buying the Move and being able to take it outside or with you means one purchase gives you double-duty. Don’t forget you aren’t buying a generic Bluetooth speaker so that’s another potential $50 to $150 savings.

The bottom line…

Sonos audio products are a great alternative to larger, more complicated traditional stereo receivers, amplifiers, and speakers. Often the resulting sound can be just as good or even better, too!

Robert

Automation technologist and problem solver

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