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Roam is dead, should I get another?

  • 7 September 2023
  • 8 replies
  • 386 views
C
Userlevel 1
Badge +1

Hi there,

I posted about a month ago that my Roam was losing contact with my Sonos system and finally it wouldn’t connect at all. I was given a few things to try, like resetting, recharging etc. All I get from it when I try to recharge it is the orange light. When it was sitting on the wireless recharger there wasn’t any light that came on. So I used the original cable with a wall charger and I got the orange light. The button on the Roam doesn’t do anything. Right from day one that button seemed really shallow. Almost flush with the body of the speaker. And when I first got it I felt like I was pressing the button too much. But I think I used it for about a year and I kept it on the wireless charger in my bedroom. In the summertime I’d put it in the top of my backpack and take it outside. I’m in a wheelchair and the backpack is on the back of my chair. I’d take it outside on my patio and I usually wander around my big yard, picking weeds or working on the garden. Or I’d just sit back and listen to music or the radio. So the Roam worked perfectly for me and I think the Move might be a little too bulky to carry around. I really hate to just chuck the Roam but what else can I do? 

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Best answer by melvimbe 7 September 2023, 22:38

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8 replies

melvimbe

I would call Sonos support.  They can work with you to see if your issue can be resolve or if the Roam is truely dead.  If you are out of warranty, they typically can offer you a discount on a replacement.

Danny
Bumper
Userlevel 6
Badge +13

Hi there,

I posted about a month ago that my Roam was losing contact with my Sonos system and finally it wouldn’t connect at all. I was given a few things to try, like resetting, recharging etc. All I get from it when I try to recharge it is the orange light. When it was sitting on the wireless recharger there wasn’t any light that came on. So I used the original cable with a wall charger and I got the orange light. The button on the Roam doesn’t do anything. Right from day one that button seemed really shallow. Almost flush with the body of the speaker. And when I first got it I felt like I was pressing the button too much. But I think I used it for about a year and I kept it on the wireless charger in my bedroom. In the summertime I’d put it in the top of my backpack and take it outside. I’m in a wheelchair and the backpack is on the back of my chair. I’d take it outside on my patio and I usually wander around my big yard, picking weeds or working on the garden. Or I’d just sit back and listen to music or the radio. So the Roam worked perfectly for me and I think the Move might be a little too bulky to carry around. I really hate to just chuck the Roam but what else can I do? 

Peruse the forums here and /r/sonos and it’s obvious that the Roam has issues. No other Sonos product gets the constant stream of negative comments that it does. The firggin button the Roam is the worst. Personally I would not chance it on another Roam. The Move is 3kg IIRC, not too heavy to move around a yard but definitely larger and heavier than the Roam which is ~0.5kg. 

melvimbe

Peruse the forums here and /r/sonos and it’s obvious that the Roam has issues. No other Sonos product gets the constant stream of negative comments that it does. The firggin button the Roam is the worst. Personally I would not chance it on another Roam. The Move is 3kg IIRC, not too heavy to move around a yard but definitely larger and heavier than the Roam which is ~0.5kg. 

 

For the OPs use case  though, I don’t think a Move is a great fit.  I would not want to have a Move attached to my backpack, playing right behind my head.

I actually would look at maybe getting isotune headphones, or something similar.  They are bluetooth only, but probably not an issue for headphones.  The reason I say isotunes, is that they make headphones that are noise canceling, and ‘aware’, meaning that they actually amplify noise you want to hear, like someone speaking or sudden noises you want to be alerted to, while canceling out background noise you don’t want to hear.  They are more for people working with loud machinary where ear protection is a must, but I find the tech to be really useful in other scenarios too.

Danny
M

I have the EXACT same issues. My roam is a little over a year old and I cannot get it to power back on consistently.  I use the wireless charger and get nothing from it.  When plugging the USB-C cord, I get an orange light, but cannot get the product to turn on or show up in my network.  

 

Can someone from Sonos please advise?  I rarely take this thing outside of our house and take good care of it.  But to the OP, that power button on the back is the worst and thinking the issue somehow is linked there

Bumper
Userlevel 6
Badge +13

you should def contact support through another contact than the forums and see if they can help you out. 
 

I think this battery/power issue is separate from the crappy button.

But I can only speak from my experience and at my house the roam just sits on a charger 24/7 and rarely used as my kids will play music from their phone speaker rather than trying to get the roam Bluetooth working. 

O
Badge

Agree with the other posts. I had the same issue with a Roam, that also sat on the wireless charger almost exclusively. After approx. 18 months it stopped holding a charge and eventually stopped working. I had to replace it, and was able to get a discount code from Sonos for the replacement. 

M

Update - Sonos support handled the case promptly and professionally.  I encourage anyone who is experiencing the same issues to go through the case creation/resolution process.

C
Userlevel 1
Badge +1

Lots of good responses and I will contact support. I may be a good candidate for a MOVE. However I really liked the ROAM when it was working and it was the small size and rough and tumble nature of it that attracted me. The way I want to use it doesn’t put a high priority on sound quality or being connected to the SONOS system. But when I put it back in my bedroom those qualities became a high priority. I came across a fairly inexpensive portable Bluetooth speaker that is made for outdoor use that does the trick. And I’m not worried about it getting dusty or dropping it, etc.

 

I already have an old SONOS 5 in my bedroom but I have to use the old App and it doesn’t connect to the rest of the system. That old SONOS 5 is still such a great speaker that I still want to use it. I might use it with a turntable. Anyway, thanks everyone for the excellent advice. 

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