pros and cons

Pros

• Seamless Sonos integration
• Deep, punchy sound
• Loud for its size

Cons

• More expensive than competitors
• Best if you have at least one other Sonos product

more buying choices

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The Sonos hardware lineup has been largely stagnant since the company released its Arc Ultra soundbar in late 2024, focusing on fixing its app and improving device support. Stepping back into the limelight, it announced the Sonos Play, a portable speaker that sits between the ultra-portable Roam 2 and the larger Move 2. 

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The Play speaker performs better at home than the Roam 2, but it’s better suited for adventures beyond your front door than the Move 2, and at $300, it’s Sonos’ most bang-for-your-buck speaker in the current lineup. 

I had two major questions while testing this speaker: “Does the Play’s versatility make it a jack of all trades, yet a master of none?” and “How palatable will this speaker be to those both familiar and unfamiliar with the Sonos ecosystem?”

That’s a lot of bass

The Play speaker features two tweeters for higher frequencies, such as a snare, and one midwoofer for midrange frequencies, where vocals typically live. There are also two force-canceling passive radiators for pronouncing lower frequencies. The passive radiators are the star of the Play speaker’s show, as they help the speaker produce bigger bass, and their mirrored placement helps minimize vibrations.

Naturally, I had to max out the Play’s volume, and its sound is impressively loud for its size. The passive radiators get to hard work at loud volumes, and if you hold your hand to the speaker grille, you can feel the air moving in the speaker to reproduce those deep frequencies. Vibrations are minimal, making the Play a great tabletop speaker for indoor countertops and outdoor tables, ensuring its big bass response doesn’t shake a cup into spilling over.

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Big bass always brings some distortion at high volumes, and the Play speaker is no exception. At high volumes, higher frequencies, background vocals, and harmonies are harder to decipher, but main vocals and bass remain front and center. However, this sound profile can work well for outdoor gatherings, as you’re less likely to be listening critically and need heavier, louder bass to mitigate the sound loss in an open area. Bring the Play to a cookout this summer, and I guarantee you’ll be the most popular person there.

Indoors at lower volumes, you can take advantage of Sonos’ signature easy-on-the-ears, pleasant, fun sound. It’s a wonderful companion in a home office or on the countertop in the kitchen, especially if you’re a budding home chef/popstar on the weekends like me.

Fits right into (or outside of) the app

Like many Sonos products, the Play speaker’s setup is incredibly easy and fits right into your system. If you have other Sonos speakers or soundbars, you can sync the Play with their audio via Wi-Fi, pair two Play speakers for stereo, or quickly transition the music across rooms. The Play ushered in Sonos’ new Bluetooth grouping feature, which lets you sync several Move 2 and Play speakers for a listening party. 

If you’re at home and connected to Wi-Fi, you can stream music to the Play directly from the Sonos app, or via AirPlay or Spotify Connect. The Play speaker supports Apple’s ALAC compressed lossless codec at 24-bit/48 kHz via AirPlay and within the Sonos app.

Also: Should you buy a Sonos or Samsung sound system? I compared both brands to find out

If you have a 3.5mm-to-USB-C adapter, you can unlock the Play’s in-line capabilities and connect to a compatible device, such as a turntable. Sonos voice control is on deck, and you can shut off the Play’s microphones with a switch on the back. If you keep the microphones on, Automatic Trueplay tunes the Play’s sound to balance the speaker’s output as you move between environments. 

The USB-C port on the back allows for direct charging of the speaker, or you can plug your phone into it for reverse USB-C charging. The Play speaker has several features that make it suitable for outdoor use, including an IP67 dust and waterproof rating. If it accidentally topples over into a pool, it’ll be fine, but you’ll want to retrieve it quickly. 

If you get the speaker in Black, you’ll want to give it a nice cleaning once it’s back inside, since the matte coating attracts fingerprints and scuffs. 

The million-dollar answers

Earlier, I said I set out to see if the Sonos Play was a jack of all trades, yet a master of none. The truth is that the Sonos Play masters versatility, combining the best parts of Sonos’ Wi-Fi-enabled streaming features with the freedom to take it anywhere with you via Bluetooth. It’s more sonically equipped than the Roam 2, and easier to carry around than the Move 2.

Also: How to improve your Sonos soundbar’s audio performance – 3 easy and free ways

If you’re already invested in the Sonos ecosystem and want a portable speaker that gives you the best of the Roam 2 and Move 2, the Play speaker is exactly that. If you’re outside the Sonos ecosystem and want a relatively low price of entry (low for Sonos, at least), the Play’s portability means you won’t be totally locked into the company’s ecosystem, have room to expand, and aren’t tethered to an outlet. 

ZDNET’s buying advice

The Sonos Play marks a notable return to the market, offering some of its lineup’s best features in an easily portable form factor. To compare it to another speaker, it offers the same durability and reverse USB-C charging capabilities as the Bose SoundLink Plus, with more battery life and Wi-Fi compatibility. 

I don’t typically think of Sonos as a Bluetooth speaker company, but the Play is a noteworthy addition to a bustling market segment. Despite the more premium Move 2 being a thing, the Play is the better option. The Move 2 is nearly double the size of the Play, and if you’re willing to pay $499 for a hard-to-move Sonos speaker, you might as well buy an Era 300.