Thanks Peter, so interesting and love the fact you 'reveal' your favourite at the beginning. My first time for watching one of your vids.... really impressed
*I like the old style Echo Dot because it's small also **Newest.Technology**, gives out decent sound and doesn't take up a lot of shelf space if you want to put it on beam in the workshop or shed.*
Yeah sorry, but the audio from the Dot is pretty shoddy - OK if that's all you have, but really it's for voice control interaction - I personally wouldn't use it for music.
I've bought into the Sonos ecosystem and I have added a single Roam to my 9 other Sonos speakers (3 fives, 4 moves, 1 beam, and a pair of Klipsch Fives with the Sonos Port). If you don't play the Roam comparing it to other speakers, it sounds pretty good. If you do comparisons, then they do seem to lack a bit. I'm torn on whether to keep this roam or to return it and move on to my next addition. If it could act as a speaker/mic for conference phone calls over Bluetooth, that would be awesome. Maybe a firmware update will allow that. I'll probably keep it, but I find it very hard to find a use case for others to buy the Roam. As an option to the Sonos Ecosystem, I think I would consider buying whatever speakers you like, and then add an Arylic A50 integrated streaming amplifier to each pair of speakers. For now, I'm happy with Sonos, but its a premium price.
I have a HomePod mini I use in the home, and the a Sonos Roam I use outside on the patio in tandem with speakers in my living room (love having airplay on my TV). It's nice to have bluetooth in the Sonos and bring it to the pool, beach, etc.
Great job on comparing, but these are two speakers designed for a different purpose at a big difference in price. I did enjoyed the comparison in sound, they do sound similar.
The sound difference is huge… they truly have completely different ‘personalities’ … .. I like the definition of the piano stokes on the roam. The mini is a lot flatter accross the spectrum,. It definitely adds to the mids, but also makes them feels less defined. Makes me curious about the original recording itself. Listening to this short section (eg around 23:11… but interestingly, I dont likr the roam either in the section just after: the trebles feel just like poridge), I think I would not be able to listen to the mini for long periods without feeling that it gets on my nerves. Thx for taking taking the time.
You can definitely hear a difference. The sonos is much more crisper and detailed in the percussions, more instrument separation too (you can follow the brass, strings, and shakers all separately). Homepod Mini is muffled and muddy and instruments compete against each other (strings sound very artifical, brass are like synths, and can't hear the shakers).
how much is too much sound. You won't be jamming at high volumes most of the time. Sonos is going away from Sonos S1 controller and in the beginning their sales pitch: Sonos will never outdate any speakers and owners will always be able to add to the original speakers. Also, Sonos was known for how simple it was to add a new speaker to your existing speakers....have you tried to add the roam to original play fives, play ones, original sound bar?? It is complicated and very time consuming and if your Sonos system is reset for power failure or any other reason....you'll find yourself spending more time trying to make your sound system work than time enjoying the sound. I believe Sonos had a great idea and awesome system in the beginning but they have clouded on their focus and goals for a bigger piece of the pie. No real smart speaker yet, higher costs and soon facing out original Sono's speaker and software...no loyalty to customers there...Also, do you really use your speakers at a loud volume level? I suggest not because you will have many people complain about noise destruction....Do I like Sonos? Definitely..but Bec. of the reasons I stated above and the fact that most times I don't even play up to mid high volume level...I not loyal to Sonos anymore.
I bought my wife a Roam as a PC desktop speaker/gardening speaker - it's actually astounding how clear and loud it is considering how small it is. I'm going to get her another one so she can have a stereo pair for her PC.
I don’t get the comparison since they are different speakers for different purposes. It’s pretty well known that the version of Mac OS in beta will a;low all system sounds from pored HomePods. It’s been in beta for awhile and due out. shortly. The Minis have much better soundstage plus 360 sound. I think people would be really interested in stereo roams vs stereo ones since the idea of totally wireless Sonos speakers is interesting. I would also compare the minis to ones. A lot of people interested in that too.
Can’t give to coffee fund just yet but I like, share, subscribe, comment, and I will eventually donate. Thank you Peter, I love your videos and you’re an awesome human being. Also, right now my wife is using 2 homepod minis as the rear surrounds for our new Sonos Beam Gen 2. We also have an Arc/sub combo getting delivered either later today or Monday, and some Symphonisk bookshelf speakers. Originally the bookshelfs were going with the Beam, but we want rears on both systems now. So she thought to keep the homepod minis as rear surrounds, not realizing how much worse the Beam sounds through airplay 2 than with hdmi arc. And that’s with my tv for the beam only supporting DD 5.1 and not Atmos! Thankfully the tv the ARC is going on has hdmi 2.1. The issue with the homepod minis and airplay 2 is they are behind us but being played as FL and FR stereo pair, plus they ruin the sound quality of the beam. It still sounds good, but only half as good as hdmi arc/DD 5.1. Is it worth getting an HD Fury arcana just to get Atmos support on my Beam? It’s just a side bedroom tv we use a little bit before bed. Most serious watching will be on the 75” Sony X900H with arc/sub/Symphonisk.
So which one do you guys think sounds better. I think the Apple HomePod minis sound a little bit better but I am getting 2 Sonos roams since they are portable and the apple HomePod mini is not. It’s the perfect portable size, but it’s just is not made to work unplugged of course
I am interested buying a pair of Sonos Five and add it to my Beam 5.1 System because I need two more Speakers in my house.... I am very into music listening and want to know how much performance I am losing in comparison to a Stereo or 2.1 Setup with the fives. Maybe one day I will buy an Arc an a additional Sub too (Blackfriday 👀) but that isnt planned yet Sorry for bad language my German autocorrection is messing it up a little Bit...
Thanks for the awesome comparison. Weird, I’ve never experienced this with my capture card. Also, yikes, the difference between the Roam and the Mini’s. You just saved me a HomePod Mini’s worth of cash! What a shame.
HomePod mini can be powered by portable battery pack, it can also be used without Wi-Fi with Peer-to-Peer AirPlay! I have used my HomePod mini portably outside of the house and it’s great!
@@balupton not true Peer to Peer AirPlay does not require a Wi-Fi internet connection It uses a Wi-Fi direct connection the same way AirDrop does I’ve used mine outside of the house in a delivery vehicle without any Wi-Fi or internet on the HomePod, just a battery pack and an iPhone that simply AirPlay’s directly to the completely offline HomePod
@@balupton it’s reportedly using Bluetooth to setup a wifi connection between the iPhone and the HomePod. Same as Wireless CarPlay. This needs more attention imho because badass diy portable hp minis can come out of it
@@kunchography3725 hi i was also able to do this on my homepod mini. Curious though as i also want to get a sonos roam, do u think it can do the same thing? Or its limited to bluetooth? Thanks
I bought one for my desktop because I wanted a lower volume minimal set up. Now I’m tempted to try it in stereo with two. So much tech included but not cheap...with stereo set up close to 400 bucks for a minimalist desktop sound set up. 😬 mainly for RUclips a little bit of movies...
Actually, that was what I had in the beginning. But I only kept one. I liked that I was able to tell them apart visually. But aesthetically not as pleasing.
@@PeterPee Yes, I find that playing mono sound from two sources to come quite close to stereo. The HomePods work in stereo with the next macOS update BTW! www.macrumors.com/2021/02/03/macos-11-3-homepod-stereo-pairs/
These are very different speakers. I was looking for a review of multi room option, not stereo. Have a large house and want to put a speaker in 3-5 of them. That price difference becomes huge. I don’t care for the battery. I have bigger speakers for outdoors. Do you still have them and how are they multi room.
They are very close. Sound quality leans to the Apple speakers. However, I agree with Peter, stereo configuration and connectivity are a BIG DEAL. Not to mentioning versatility with Bluetooth and battery. It’s sounds like the apple would be best for a set of IMac or Apple TV speakers. Otherwise Sonos is the clear choice.
Except as he notes, the Apple speakers won't work as a stereo pair from OS-X without some kind of faffing around even Peter couldn't understand. I'm guessing since this is 2 years old, Apple probably sorted this out by now - but still pretty sad, and unfortunately more and more typical of Apple in recent years that they couldn't get it right day one.
Useful review for me as I’m debating getting a pair of Sonos roam for their mobility feature in my main room. Already have a stereo setup with a pair of minis in my tv/den. The minis have incredible sound for their size. Their main drawback is they require a connection to a wall plug. With your sample plays I thought the minis were slightly better… but coming through my speakers this was maybe an unfair view. About your reviews… you tend to be very repetitive at times and this takes away from the quality and usefulness of your reviews . You need to maybe more concise.
Thanks for the feedback. I am not a natural in front of the camera and it is actually a lot harder than I initially thought it'd be! Talking without feedback and having breaks in a two way conversation means that you have to queue up the thoughts in your head and sometimes the repetition unknowingly comes about when the brain is not processing fast enough! Thanks for helping me spot these things and I will get better!
I was very disappointed in the HomePod and HomePod mini sound. Sounds overprocessed and weird. At louder volumes especially the homepods change their sound signature in a way that just sounds awful to me. Just never got the hype with homepods.
I thought the same thing with mine when i first got them, however if you move them away from walls or a confined space like a shelf or desk, they sound much better, since the DSP is not trying so hard to compensate, they sound much more natural now. Might try it out.
I was completely discouraged to watch the video because it was 24 min long; I started and couldn't stop! What an AMAZING analysis! Thank you!!
Thanks Peter, so interesting and love the fact you 'reveal' your favourite at the beginning. My first time for watching one of your vids.... really impressed
*I like the old style Echo Dot because it's small also **Newest.Technology**, gives out decent sound and doesn't take up a lot of shelf space if you want to put it on beam in the workshop or shed.*
The Echo Dot speaker is nowhere near these though
Yeah sorry, but the audio from the Dot is pretty shoddy - OK if that's all you have, but really it's for voice control interaction - I personally wouldn't use it for music.
I really enjoy your videos, keep up the great work.
Subscribed, great content with the frequency sweeps testing!👌🏻
man I appreciate your videos so much. Thank you!!
You’re doing a great job. Enjoy the channel.
Your video helped me make such a good deicions. the length of the video is worth my time!
I've bought into the Sonos ecosystem and I have added a single Roam to my 9 other Sonos speakers (3 fives, 4 moves, 1 beam, and a pair of Klipsch Fives with the Sonos Port). If you don't play the Roam comparing it to other speakers, it sounds pretty good. If you do comparisons, then they do seem to lack a bit. I'm torn on whether to keep this roam or to return it and move on to my next addition. If it could act as a speaker/mic for conference phone calls over Bluetooth, that would be awesome. Maybe a firmware update will allow that. I'll probably keep it, but I find it very hard to find a use case for others to buy the Roam. As an option to the Sonos Ecosystem, I think I would consider buying whatever speakers you like, and then add an Arylic A50 integrated streaming amplifier to each pair of speakers. For now, I'm happy with Sonos, but its a premium price.
I have a HomePod mini I use in the home, and the a Sonos Roam I use outside on the patio in tandem with speakers in my living room (love having airplay on my TV). It's nice to have bluetooth in the Sonos and bring it to the pool, beach, etc.
Great job on comparing, but these are two speakers designed for a different purpose at a big difference in price. I did enjoyed the comparison in sound, they do sound similar.
From the tunes played at the end... The mini does sound deeper. (Using airplay 2 to play it from my macbook to my sonos one SL)
I really enjoy this video man. thank you
The sound difference is huge… they truly have completely different ‘personalities’ … .. I like the definition of the piano stokes on the roam. The mini is a lot flatter accross the spectrum,. It definitely adds to the mids, but also makes them feels less defined. Makes me curious about the original recording itself. Listening to this short section (eg around 23:11… but interestingly, I dont likr the roam either in the section just after: the trebles feel just like poridge), I think I would not be able to listen to the mini for long periods without feeling that it gets on my nerves.
Thx for taking taking the time.
Glad to have found this channel
You can definitely hear a difference. The sonos is much more crisper and detailed in the percussions, more instrument separation too (you can follow the brass, strings, and shakers all separately). Homepod Mini is muffled and muddy and instruments compete against each other (strings sound very artifical, brass are like synths, and can't hear the shakers).
how much is too much sound. You won't be jamming at high volumes most of the time. Sonos is going away from Sonos S1 controller and in the beginning their sales pitch: Sonos will never outdate any speakers and owners will always be able to add to the original speakers. Also, Sonos was known for how simple it was to add a new speaker to your existing speakers....have you tried to add the roam to original play fives, play ones, original sound bar?? It is complicated and very time consuming and if your Sonos system is reset for power failure or any other reason....you'll find yourself spending more time trying to make your sound system work than time enjoying the sound. I believe Sonos had a great idea and awesome system in the beginning but they have clouded on their focus and goals for a bigger piece of the pie. No real smart speaker yet, higher costs and soon facing out original Sono's speaker and software...no loyalty to customers there...Also, do you really use your speakers at a loud volume level? I suggest not because you will have many people complain about noise destruction....Do I like Sonos? Definitely..but Bec. of the reasons I stated above and the fact that most times I don't even play up to mid high volume level...I not loyal to Sonos anymore.
I bought my wife a Roam as a PC desktop speaker/gardening speaker - it's actually astounding how clear and loud it is considering how small it is. I'm going to get her another one so she can have a stereo pair for her PC.
Thanks for this, I was looking for a wireless replacement for my Ikea symfonisk.
Great video. 👍
Great video
Pete - is worth to have a pair of roams in your view ? Does it justify the cost ?
Airplay to Sonos stereo pair speaker will there be any delay while playing movie?
I don’t get the comparison since they are different speakers for different purposes.
It’s pretty well known that the version of Mac OS in beta will a;low all system sounds from pored HomePods. It’s been in beta for awhile and due out. shortly.
The Minis have much better soundstage plus 360 sound.
I think people would be really interested in stereo roams vs stereo ones since the idea of totally wireless Sonos speakers is interesting.
I would also compare the minis to ones. A lot of people interested in that too.
Can’t give to coffee fund just yet but I like, share, subscribe, comment, and I will eventually donate. Thank you Peter, I love your videos and you’re an awesome human being.
Also, right now my wife is using 2 homepod minis as the rear surrounds for our new Sonos Beam Gen 2. We also have an Arc/sub combo getting delivered either later today or Monday, and some Symphonisk bookshelf speakers. Originally the bookshelfs were going with the Beam, but we want rears on both systems now. So she thought to keep the homepod minis as rear surrounds, not realizing how much worse the Beam sounds through airplay 2 than with hdmi arc. And that’s with my tv for the beam only supporting DD 5.1 and not Atmos! Thankfully the tv the ARC is going on has hdmi 2.1.
The issue with the homepod minis and airplay 2 is they are behind us but being played as FL and FR stereo pair, plus they ruin the sound quality of the beam. It still sounds good, but only half as good as hdmi arc/DD 5.1.
Is it worth getting an HD Fury arcana just to get Atmos support on my Beam? It’s just a side bedroom tv we use a little bit before bed.
Most serious watching will be on the 75” Sony X900H with arc/sub/Symphonisk.
Don’t need to spend on arcana just to get the Atmos for a tv that is just a secondary display for your family. It’s really not worth the money.
So which one do you guys think sounds better. I think the Apple HomePod minis sound a little bit better but I am getting 2 Sonos roams since they are portable and the apple HomePod mini is not. It’s the perfect portable size, but it’s just is not made to work unplugged of course
I am interested buying a pair of Sonos Five and add it to my Beam 5.1 System because I need two more Speakers in my house....
I am very into music listening and want to know how much performance I am losing in comparison to a Stereo or 2.1 Setup with the fives. Maybe one day I will buy an Arc an a additional Sub too (Blackfriday 👀) but that isnt planned yet
Sorry for bad language my German autocorrection is messing it up a little Bit...
Hi Peter, would you choose 1 move or 2 Roam? I'd use them at home and a large terrace.
1 move. I am hearing LARGE terrace. The move will move a lot of air...ha. much more sound than the roam.
Does the sonos work the same op apple tv as the homepod mini?
Suggest better between nest audio vs sonos roam
Good job.
Thanks for the awesome comparison. Weird, I’ve never experienced this with my capture card. Also, yikes, the difference between the Roam and the Mini’s. You just saved me a HomePod Mini’s worth of cash! What a shame.
MacOS support for stereo HP pairs currently works on Apple Music / TV app only, system support coming is coming in 11.3.
Is that working now?
HomePod mini can be powered by portable battery pack, it can also be used without Wi-Fi with Peer-to-Peer AirPlay! I have used my HomePod mini portably outside of the house and it’s great!
if you can have calls on the mini while out and about, then it's a real winner
@@balupton not true
Peer to Peer AirPlay does not require a Wi-Fi internet connection
It uses a Wi-Fi direct connection the same way AirDrop does
I’ve used mine outside of the house in a delivery vehicle without any Wi-Fi or internet on the HomePod, just a battery pack and an iPhone that simply AirPlay’s directly to the completely offline HomePod
@@balupton it’s reportedly using Bluetooth to setup a wifi connection between the iPhone and the HomePod. Same as Wireless CarPlay.
This needs more attention imho because badass diy portable hp minis can come out of it
@@kunchography3725 hi i was also able to do this on my homepod mini. Curious though as i also want to get a sonos roam, do u think it can do the same thing? Or its limited to bluetooth? Thanks
That’s great! But then I guess you can’t make a stereo pair, right?
You can definitely hear a difference with both mini speakers.
I bought one for my desktop because I wanted a lower volume minimal set up. Now I’m tempted to try it in stereo with two. So much tech included but not cheap...with stereo set up close to 400 bucks for a minimalist desktop sound set up. 😬 mainly for RUclips a little bit of movies...
Stereo really makes it much better but really you have to ask yourself if the cost is worth it if it is just going to sitting on your desk.
I bit the bullet and got the second Roam to test stereo for desktop RUclips listening...🤞
Do you suggest getting the "white" and "black" sonos roam stereo pair? rather than all black color?
Actually, that was what I had in the beginning. But I only kept one. I liked that I was able to tell them apart visually. But aesthetically not as pleasing.
I’m getting a roam to use in combination with my HomePod mini, AirPlay is great
That could work. They will play in tandem. But not stereo paired ya.
@@PeterPee Yes, I find that playing mono sound from two sources to come quite close to stereo.
The HomePods work in stereo with the next macOS update BTW! www.macrumors.com/2021/02/03/macos-11-3-homepod-stereo-pairs/
The airplay to Sonos stereo pair will there be any delay?
@@angzander8536 I haven’t noticed any. It really sounds great.
@@jofara thank you so much for the reply.
These are very different speakers. I was looking for a review of multi room option, not stereo. Have a large house and want to put a speaker in 3-5 of them. That price difference becomes huge. I don’t care for the battery. I have bigger speakers for outdoors.
Do you still have them and how are they multi room.
Hi Peter, I would love if you can do a video on the sonos roam v/s beats pill since they both seem to be in the same category.
Can be pair sonos roam in multiroom with other speaker brand, using airplay?
Technically yes. With Airplay 2 specifically.
@@PeterPee you can prove that?
They are very close. Sound quality leans to the Apple speakers. However, I agree with Peter, stereo configuration and connectivity are a BIG DEAL. Not to mentioning versatility with Bluetooth and battery. It’s sounds like the apple would be best for a set of IMac or Apple TV speakers. Otherwise Sonos is the clear choice.
Except as he notes, the Apple speakers won't work as a stereo pair from OS-X without some kind of faffing around even Peter couldn't understand. I'm guessing since this is 2 years old, Apple probably sorted this out by now - but still pretty sad, and unfortunately more and more typical of Apple in recent years that they couldn't get it right day one.
Do HomePod pair vs nest audio?
Nest audio is getting pretty bad reviews for sound quality. Plus an open google microphone? No thanks.
When you Airplay to "Two" Roams, is this still considered Stereo Pair?
No. You have to pair the roam into stereo first then it will be stereo.
@@PeterPee Playing it via Airplay together, is it by itself a "stereo mode"?
I love your videos. However, not a fair comparison as the HomePods are not portable as we know. So it isn’t relevant. 👍
Sonos Roam sounds way better than HomePod mini.
If i watch a youtube video on a Ipad, Can i stream the sound of the video to the Roam, and use the stereo set up with 2 roams?
Don’t see why not. You should be able to airplay them, no problem
Has any one ever paired a HomePod with a Roam? If So, how was it?
Useful review for me as I’m debating getting a pair of Sonos roam for their mobility feature in my main room. Already have a stereo setup with a pair of minis in my tv/den. The minis have incredible sound for their size. Their main drawback is they require a connection to a wall plug.
With your sample plays I thought the minis were slightly better… but coming through my speakers this was maybe an unfair view.
About your reviews… you tend to be very repetitive at times and this takes away from the quality and usefulness of your reviews . You need to maybe more concise.
Thanks for the feedback. I am not a natural in front of the camera and it is actually a lot harder than I initially thought it'd be! Talking without feedback and having breaks in a two way conversation means that you have to queue up the thoughts in your head and sometimes the repetition unknowingly comes about when the brain is not processing fast enough! Thanks for helping me spot these things and I will get better!
Can you use those Sonos as surrounds for the Arc?
No
If you have 900 euro for a soundbar and you want to save 50 euros for the sorround......it is no sense.
Mac os x not allowed to play in stereo to homepod or homepod mini is just stupid. Great Video as always!
already resolved in beta for some time.. coming soon..
👍🥰🇸🇪
Apples speakers feels fuller and richer my man.
🧐 interesting
Could just use them together through airplay though
Yes, that can be done.
You know... I haven't sold off the Airpods mini yet... They are just so cute my god.
Thumbs up for summary first
You're welcome!
typo on the title ;)
Thank you for pointing it out!
Sonos roam sounds much better.
Sonos Roam vs B&O Explore
This is exactly comparing apples to oranges.
Sonos S2 controller compatible only. Dealbreaker for me. Sonos wants me not to come back and stay with Bluesound it seems.
absolutely useless review
I was very disappointed in the HomePod and HomePod mini sound. Sounds overprocessed and weird. At louder volumes especially the homepods change their sound signature in a way that just sounds awful to me.
Just never got the hype with homepods.
Couldn’t disagree more. But they are all heavy dsp speakers.
I thought the same thing with mine when i first got them, however if you move them away from walls or a confined space like a shelf or desk, they sound much better, since the DSP is not trying so hard to compensate, they sound much more natural now. Might try it out.