'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?
ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.
When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.
ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.
Sonos Roam SL drops the mic with a $159 price tag and all the portability
Sonos today unveiled the Roam SL, the company's follow-up to the original Roam portable speaker. It's the cheapest offering from Sonos, ringing in at $159 ($20 less than the Roam), but still comes equipped with most of the audio hardware and sound quality found in the original. The difference is the omission of the built-in microphones, typically used for voice assistant controls and Sonos' Trueplay -- a feature that uses the microphone to adjust and fine-tune the speaker's audio by listening to the ambiance.
More: Best Bluetooth speakers: Sonos Roam stands tall
If you can shrug off the lack of a mic, then the Roam SL is essentially the same speaker as its predecessor, which is a good thing. The portable speaker can be paired via Bluetooth or WiFi for at-home or on-the-go listening, and comes in the familiar triangular shape for a form factor that's easy to carry around or be placed atop any surface. Roam SL also features an IP67 rating for dust and waterproofing up to a meter deep for half an hour. The certification is more than enough if you plan on using the speaker at the beach, by the poolside, or in the rain and shower.
Most importantly, Sonos states that like the original Roam, which we recommend as the best Bluetooth speaker right now, the Roam SL produces the same rich and detailed sound profile found on higher-end and larger speakers -- and a 10-hour battery life. If you wish to charge the Roam SL wirelessly instead of USB-C, the Sonos Roam Wireless Charger can be purchased separately for $49.
The Roam SL goes on sale starting March 15 for $159 in Shadow Black and Lunar White, with preorders happening today on the Sonos website. For those seeking an ultraportable speaker with Sonos' sound signature for less, the Roam SL is one to consider. But if you need the added benefits of microphones, then the original, $179 Sonos Roam is a useful alternative.