Contributor I

Why No Bluetooth Stereo on Move and Roam?

Forum|Forum|5 years ago
March 10, 2021
109 replies
10255 views

Why isn't stereo pairing via Bluetooth available on either the Move or Roam?

I have Bluetooth speakers from 2015 that cost $50 each that have stereo pairing capability. I spent over $850 on a pair of Move's and was shocked to find they didn't have this capability. It's a little mind boggling of an audio tech leader (and premium priced) Sonos product.

I'd be interested in purchasing a pair of the new Roam's, but without Bluetooth stereo pairing capability, I'm going to pass. My primary use for these would be the beach, which obviously doesn't have Wi-Fi.

Are there any plans to add Bluetooth stereo pairing capability to the Roam or Move? If not, why?

This topic has been closed for further comments. You can use the search bar to find a similar topic, or create a new one by clicking Create Topic at the top of the page.

Show previous replies

Ken_Griffiths

So now I have to buy two Sonos roams, a mini travel Wi-Fi’s router, and pay for a data service on said router to do what comes included on the Bose speakers with my cell phone simply through Bluetooth?

I don’t understand why there a few posters on here that can’t understand why this is a miss by Sonos. I really don’t understand why they created this device without this feature. I’ve seen a ton of posters frustrated with and either choosing not to buy or return it (like me), so clearly it’s a miss by Sonos. If they fix that, I’ll be very tempted to go back and buy it… but for now that is simply a dealbreaker miss on the design. (/sad face)

fyi, the two Bose revolves work beautifully for this and connect in stereo with either a button sequence on the speakers or using a Bose app. The sound quality is terrific for the size and my application as well. There are great alternatives.

I have several MiFi devices here - the cheapest HUAWEI E5776 cost me £40 off eBay and will work with the Roams without a SIM card if they’re setup/registered and just want to play ALL audio sources over WiFi. It’s a much cheaper option when you have the Roams in your possession already, rather than buying another product.

It’s also much better quality audio plus you can have a lot more than just two Sonos products on the same connection - There are dual BT transmitters available to use with two Roams too.

In my case the Roams will also work with the rest of my Sonos system when I return Home and moreover they act as a Bluetooth line-in for the rest of my portable and non-portable Sonos products - meaning I can play BT audio to every speaker in my Sonos Household (if I do ever need that option).

So lots more advantages to sticking with the Roam, for the tiny added cost involved… I think I may have failed to mention other features like SoundSwap, Button Grouping, and Sonos Voice Control in my post here too.🤷‍♂️

Ken_Griffiths

Oh and by the way, ,mifi hotspots are not supported for stereo pair.

That is simply not the case - I have setup my D-Link DWR-2101 with multiple Sonos products, stereo paired and standalone devices, same for the HUAWEI E5776, which I have used with stereo paired Roams and Moves. The MiFi devices work well, similar infact to any other wireless travel router, particularly when playing locally stored audio (with, or without, internet access) and are great for all the streaming services audio too in areas where a 4G/5G signal is reasonable.

J

John B

When the Move came out, there were posts saying that it was incredible that BT stereo pairing wasn't possible.

So what can we conclude from the fact that the feature is absent from the Roam too? Either Sonos are really, really, really, really stupid, or their market research says this feature would have negligible effect on sales.

Take your pick.

C

cabo453

Lyricist II

Thanks KG for the thoughtful write up and pics. How do you get your music if the mifi device the roams are connected to doesn’t have a SIM card and therefore data connection?

either way, it seems like a lot of work and extra products to do something that competing speakers already do out of the box (JBL, Bose, etc). I’m a huge Sonos fan, but this feature is simply missing. Great job for engineering around it, too much trouble for me, though.

for me, sadly I’m boxing them back up and taking them back. If that feature is added, then I’ll reconsider. If I’m the only one that feels that way, then so be it. From reading this thread string, I really don’t think I am.

Ken_Griffiths

Thanks KG for the thoughtful write up and pics. How do you get your music if the mifi device the roams are connected to doesn’t have a SIM card and therefore data connection?

Once device setup/registration is complete, internet access is not required if the audio is held locally… or a ‘sending’ device like a mobile using Airplay2 for example, has access to deliver the tracks either online (4g/5g mobile access), or offline (if stored on the mobile device), but I mostly stream from online services anyway and use the offline tracks when travelling if there is no internet access available, which is rare when travelling around a good many areas of the UK.

melvimbe

Thanks KG for the thoughtful write up and pics. How do you get your music if the mifi device the roams are connected to doesn’t have a SIM card and therefore data connection?

either way, it seems like a lot of work and extra products to do something that competing speakers already do out of the box (JBL, Bose, etc). I’m a huge Sonos fan, but this feature is simply missing. Great job for engineering around it, too much trouble for me, though.

for me, sadly I’m boxing them back up and taking them back. If that feature is added, then I’ll reconsider. If I’m the only one that feels that way, then so be it. From reading this thread string, I really don’t think I am.

It really depends on what features are your priority. if you need stereo pairing over bluetooth, then the Sonos speakers are not for you. If you need a bluetooth speaker that also works with your Sonos home audio setup, then you’ll want to get a Move or Roam. Is it a miss for Sonos not to provide stereo bluetooth? They surely would have appealed to more customers, but whether that was significant to cover cost of development and testing (while maintaining WiFi features) and whether the logistics of customers controlling stereo pairs over both WiFi and bluetooth proved to be confusing and frustrating to customers….I don’t know.

Either way, the feature isn’t there, and it makes perfect sense to buy the speaker(s) that fit your specific needs best.

Danny

Ken_Griffiths

Maybe it’s just a case that Sonos have been waiting for this BT improvement …

https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/12/23204956/bluetooth-le-audio-completed-low-power-high-quality-wireless-headphones

melvimbe

Maybe it’s just a case that Sonos have been waiting for this BT improvement …

https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/12/23204956/bluetooth-le-audio-completed-low-power-high-quality-wireless-headphones

Assuming Sonos Move and Roam can handle BLE audio, which seems likely, and that the source device can produce separate L/R channels over BLE, then Sonos would not do any stereo pairing at all, it’s just receiving a mono channel of audio. If fact, seems like there would be nothing stopping you from using unlike BLE speakers as stereo pairs, or using as many speakers in the setup as you see fit.

It will be interesting to see how fast this new standard gets adopted.

Danny