Contributor I

Answered

Yet another solid orange light defective Roam that won't turn on

Forum|Forum|3 years ago
June 6, 2023
90 replies
77074 views

Has anyone figured out a way to get these things working or am I just screwed for being a loyal customer and early adopter with a first gen roam thats out of warranty?

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Best answer by GuitarSuperstar

Charge the Roam for about an hour using the supplied USB-C cable and a 5V/2A (10W) USB power adapter. Then reboot the Roam by following these steps:

Disconnect Roam from charging cables and remove it from wireless chargers.
Hold the button on the back of Roam for at least five seconds until you hear the power-off tone and the light above the Sonos logo turns off.
Wait 10 seconds.
Press the button on the back of Roam to turn it back on.

If this doesn’t work, submit a diagnostic and contact Sonos Support.

Show previous replies

Ken_Griffiths

I wasn’t planning on replacing mine with another Roam if my problem wasn’t resolved. I wonder if the ones they’re shipping out now still have the same problem.

My battery did always drain really quickly on standby, but I assumed that was a software issue. Maybe there was something wrong with the battery itself.

Did you enable the ‘Battery Saver’ and ‘WiFi Power Save’ features? See link:

https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/battery-settings-for-portable-sonos-products

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USMC30523

Lyricist I

Yep - unfortunately my Roam is bricked even when I use correct adapter and USB-C. Orange indicator light stays on as if it’s charging but thing happens. The second I remove power it is a brick. While on power (constant orange indicator), no interaction with buttons.

Great my Roam is now a brick also!😡

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robino41510707

Lyricist I

I have successfully repaired multiple Roams that seemed dead (like the title here says). The typical symptom is no signs of life, but when plugged in to a USB-C power supply, the charge light would come on…. but no matter how long left like that it was dead when the power cable was removed.

The issue is bad lithium-ion cells. Unlike some devices, Roam devices will not work even when plugged in to a beefy power supply, if the battery is defective. They simply will not run from wired power supply without a working battery.

To repair this requires replacing the two lithium-ion cells inside. It’s not an easy repair. Just getting the device opened without damaging it is difficult. First step is to remove the end caps (they are glued down well - use a spudger around the perimeter of each cap). After that, there’s 4 screws (2 under each endcap) to remove the grille. Then 6 to remove the speaker assembly (one connection to the charge/power circuit board). Then 4 screws to remove the logic board (one wifi cable that is very well glued down and two ribbon cables to remove). Then 4 more screws to remove the battery assembly (one connection to the charge/power circuit board). The batteries then need to be carefully removed from the assembly, and new cells need to be installed. Lithium-Ion cells have inherent risk and can self-ignite if not handled properly. The cells are not soldered -- they are spot welded to nickel strips, making this step beyond many DIY toolkits. When put back together, it should work. Be careful re-gluing the end-caps so that the buttons (on the top) and Qi charger (on the bottom) don’t get covered in glue.

I don’t know what causes bad cells in what often seems like a short time (eg under 2 years). It may be poor quality cells, or maybe it’s related to constant charging or physical environment (eg heat).

Of note, Sonos sells replacement battery packs for the Move speakers, and those are end-user installable. There is no such option available for Roam speakers, making them disposable once the batteries die.

I wish there was a way for Sonos Roam users to file a Class Action Law Suit. Clearly Sonos has a highly defective product and raked in profits while leaving the consumers with defective Roam products. Any attorney available to weigh in?

inopinatus

Prominent Collaborator I

I have a bricked first-gen Roam and after jumping through all these hoops, Sonos support still wanted me to do it all over again, including charging it overnight (again). Worse, they were snooty about it. I know in advance it’ll still be a brick when I contact them again this time tomorrow.

Fortunately I am in Australia so fixed warranty periods are overridden by consumer rights, but I am still this close >< to filing a complaint.

Once again we get a taste for why Sonos’s brand is in the dumpster.

uncooked meat prior to state vector collapse

E

Evan VanDyk

Trending Lyricist I

I got the new one and it seems to be working perfectly. Obviously there’s an issue with the original Roam, but kudos to them for fixing the issue for me.

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cn198

Lyricist I

I’ve been grappling with this issue for ages. We moved house, and with the Roam off the charger, I didn’t set up the Sonos for a little while and when I did so the charge had drained, and then the dreaded orange light. I tried all of the suggestions here, tried various chargers, including high powered ones, but to no avail. But as some suggested, I contact support, and after going through the steps to ensure it was dead, they agreed to send a replacement. Can’t really argue with that, fingers crossed I have better luck with the replacement!

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Evan VanDyk

Trending Lyricist I

Mine is working perfectly since the replacement. They sent a Roam 2.

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Jxmoney

Lyricist I

The Sonos Roams are defective!! I'm on my THIRD REPLACEMENT in less than 2 years !!! Meanwhile I've had my Sonos One without a problem for close to 6 years! I wish they could get the Sonos Roams right because I don't wanna switch to another portable speaker outside the Sonos ecosystem.

Airgetlam

Odd. I’ve been using just one Roam since they came out, with zero issues to report. What has gone wrong with your several Roams? How do you use them?

Bruce