11 tips to get the most out of the Roam 2 speaker
If you’ve got yourself a new Sonos Roam 2 speaker, there are a few things worth knowing about it to make sure you get as much out of it as possible. Most of them apply to the original Roam speaker too, but there are a couple that are specific to the Roam 2 when it comes to putting it into Bluetooth mode for example.
Without further ado then, let’s get into our top 11 tips for using your Roam 2 speaker. If you have other Sonos speakers, then it’s worth having a quick browse at our Sonos tips and tricks, and we have specific tips for the new Sonos app too, though following an apology from Sonos CEO Patrick Spence, the app is set to get better soon.
Put the Roam 2 into sleep mode
Press the power button on the back of your Sonos Roam 2 speaker once put it into sleep mode. You don’t need to press and hold it – this will power it down completely – just one press will pop it into sleep mode. It’s a good idea to do this when you’re going somewhere in order to preserve the battery so when you get to where you’re off to, you’ll get the full 10 hours.
Know the lights
There is an LED light above the Sonos logo on the top of your Roam 2 – learn the colors and you’ll get a better experience. If the light is solid white, the Roam 2 is connected to Wi-Fi. If it is flashing blue, it is ready to pair to a Bluetooth device. If it is solid blue, it is connected to your device via Bluetooth.
If the other LED light at the bottom of the Roam 2 speaker is flashing orange, the battery is below 15% so you better find your charger. Lastly, if the LED light on the top of the Roam 2’s control panel is solid white, the microphone is on and ready to listen.
Enable Automatic Trueplay
Automatic Trueplay means your Sonos Roam 2 speaker will dynamically adjust its sound performance depending on where you put it. As soon as you pick it up and move it, the sound will automatically calibrate to the environment, taking into account furniture and surfaces that impact how the speaker sounds.
Open the Sonos app > Tap on the settings cog in the top right corner > Tap on the Roam 2 from the list > Select Trueplay > Toggle on Automatic Trueplay.
Setup Alexa
The Sonos Roam 2 might not be compatible with Google Assistant like the original Roam, but it is still compatible with Alexa and Sonos Voice Control. Setting up Alexa and Sonos Voice Control will expand what the Roam 2 can do when on Wi-Fi and that includes easier control of the speaker itself and control over things like smart lights. Alexa and Sonos Voice Control can work at the same time.
Open the Sonos app > Tap on the settings cog in the top right corner > Tap on the Roam 2 from the list > Tap on Add a Voice Assistant > Select Alexa > Follow the instructions. Do the same for Sonos Voice Control.
Transfer your Roam 2 music to another Sonos speaker
The Sonos Roam 2 and Roam both offer a feature called Sound Swap, which enables you to transfer the music you are playing on your Roam speaker to the closest Sonos speaker in your home when you come back onto your home Wi-Fi.
Press and hold the play/pause button on the Sonos Roam 2 for around five seconds and the music from your Sonos Roam 2 will automatically start playing on the closest Sonos speaker, whether that’s an Era 100, Sonos Five or another Sonos speaker. A couple of the older Sonos speakers, like the Play:1 and Play:3 aren’t compatible with this feature however so keep that in mind.
Adjust the EQ
The Sonos Roam 2 is on the bassy side in terms of sound performance so if you want to adjust that slightly, you can fiddle with the EQ to change to your preferences.
Open the Sonos app > Tap on the settings cog in the top right corner > Tap on the Roam 2 from the list > Tap on EQ > Move the Bass and Treble sliders. You can also toggle loudness on and off here.
Automatically group the Roam 2 with other Sonos speakers
Not to be confused with the Sound Swap feature, the Sonos Roam 2 also has one of the best features of Sonos speakers – the ability to automatically group it with other Sonos speakers that are already playing music.
Like Sound Swap, you press and hold the play/pause button for a couple of seconds until you hear the first ping. Let go at this point. This will then pull the Sonos Roam 2 into an existing group of Sonos speakers and start playing the music they are playing. It’s when you hold it past that first ping that the Sound Swap feature kicks in.
Three times a charm
The play/pause button is where the party is at to be honest. It allows you to play and pause music when you press it once, but press it twice and you can skip a track, while pressing it three times allows you to go back a track. Pressing and holding it meanwhile does the other features we have already mentioned, including Sound Swap and pulling the Roam 2 into an existing group of Sonos speakers.
Turn on Auto-Connect
Once you’ve connected the Roam 2 to your Bluetooth device, you can opt to auto-connect it whenever a device is in range. There’s also the option to turn on Idle Auto-Disconnect, which will disconnect your Roam 2 from your device automatically if you’re not using it.
Open the Sonos app > Tap on the settings cog in the top right corner > Tap on the Roam 2 from the list > Under Bluetooth, toggle on Always Auto-Connect.
Enable Battery Saver
We mentioned putting the Roam 2 into sleep mode when you were done with it to save the battery, but you can also toggle on a battery saver mode and Wi-Fi Power Save mode to extend the battery life of your Roam 2 further.
Open the Sonos app > Tap on the settings cog in the top right corner > Tap on the Roam 2 from the list > Under Battery, toggle on Battery Saver and WiFi Power Save.
Put the Roam 2 into Bluetooth mode
Putting the original Sons Roam into Bluetooth mode wasn’t that simple as it only had one button for power and Bluetooth. The Roam 2 is much easier however, with a dedicated Bluetooth button. Press and hold that to put it the Roam 2 into pairing mode. When the LED light on the front above the Sonos logo flashes blue, open Bluetooth settings on your device. Find the Roam 2 in the list of available devices and press connect.
