Sonos launched the brand new Transfer 2 transportable sensible speaker final fall, and I’ve been placing it by way of the paces of on a regular basis listening for the previous a number of months. Successful me over with a contemporary olive inexperienced colorway, there’s much more to be excited like AirPlay 2, newfound stereo playback, and 24 hours of battery life.
Fingers-on with the Sonos Transfer 2
I first began utilizing the Sonos Transfer 2 again earlier than the vacations once I wrote about it for my annual sensible house present information. It initially wowed me sufficient to reccomend the $449 price ticket again earlier than Chirstmas, and that unique sentiment has largely been the case in my long run use. It isn’t going to be the final word speaker for each single use case, however fills a distinct segment that has been getting neglected as of late.
Good audio system today are virtually totally characterised by their onboard digital assistants. Whether or not it’s Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant, having the ability to ask your speaker questions or have it management different gear in your sensible house is arguably probably the most marketed use case.
However that’s not what I used to be searching for once I obtained the Sonos Transfer 2. I simply desire a actually nice transportable speaker that gives greater than what your typical Bluetooth providing would ship. And for that, the Transfer 2 is every thing I may have wished.
Sonos was form sufficient to ship over its newest transportable sensible speaker the new Olive inexperienced coloration. Proper out of the field, and that design was actually all I may concentrate on. I fell in love even earlier than I turned the speaker on simply due to its novel colorway. It was about as notable of a primary impression because the machine may make, and units itself other than the traditional white or black designs that just about each different sensible speaker shares. Sonos does promote the Transfer 2 in these extra conventional colours, however I’m much more interested by simply how lovable the inexperienced stylings are.
The precise form-factor is true according to the remainder of the Sonos lineup, which is to say as smooth as ever. It has its personal allure, however is essentially simply an elliptic cylinder speaker that you could carry round in a single hand due to the deal with molded proper into the casing. There are some contact controls on the highest, in addition to a bodily array of switches round again. That’s not all too completely different from the unique mannequin, although.
New this time round for the second-generation model of Sonos Transfer is stereo audio, and oh does it make a distinction. The speaker can simply fill my Brooklyn residence with out even climbing to half quantity, with booming bass that doesn’t overpower the remainder of the soundstage. The stereo playback is extremely useful in taking full benefit of its compact design, making the speaker sound far larger than one thing you may carry round in a single hand – not to mention one thing that’s battery powered.
The Transfer 2 additionally rocks most of the signature options that anybody conversant in the Sonos ecosystem would anticipate. There’s TruePlay tuning for adapting audio to your environment, in addition to each Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity – the latter of which allows AirPlay 2.
Going into my expertise with the Transfer 2 for the primary time, I had a sense that the charging aspect of the most recent Sonos launch was going to play an enormous think about my love for it. A conveyable speaker that I must always be plugging in was going to shortly kill my pleasure, and by chance Sonos employs a really novel design. Sonos features a wi-fi charging base that whereas extremely easy, does the trick so properly.
All you need to do is drop the speaker into the oval ring in your countertop or shelf and the speaker will start charging. Lining it up is extremely trivial, and it signifies that just about no thought goes into truly refueling the speaker. There’s a USB-C port on the again for good measure, however it’s not one thing that I ever actually need to make use of at house – although it does complement the IP56 water-resistance score as a pleasant characteristic to have for utilizing outdoor and away from the primary dock.
Sonos Transfer 2 isn’t excellent, nonetheless. Virtually each time I take advantage of it, I find yourself pausing my music for an hour or two earlier than going again to play some extra. However when it’s not resting on the charging dock, which it typically isn’t, you may’t AirPlay on to it. You need to as an alternative go and wake it up with the button on the again or the contact controls on prime, or by way of the companion app. It’s hardly a tough course of however it does go away just a little to be desired. It’s simply inconvenient sufficient that I really feel the necessity to point out it, as that is the one ache level I’ve with its sensible options.
I get that it’s one thing that Sonos seemingly is doing on goal, too. It’s a technique to reduce on pointless battery drain from its 24 hours of playback, however I do want there was extra I may change within the companion app. Sonos goes as far to allow a battery saver mode within the app, however I want there was greater than only a easy on or off. Nonetheless, it’s hardly a dealbreaker and is admittedly solely a difficulty due to the best way I’m used to utilizing an always-on and hardwired sensible speaker.
9to5Toys’ Take
After utilizing the Sonos Transfer 2 as my every day speaker for the previous few months, I’m offered on it being a vital purchase for any current Sonos person. I’d even go as far to say that it’s an exceptional technique to dive into the ecosystem for the primary time, providing a design that works simply as properly by itself because it does with the remainder of your whole-home audio system.
Should you’re searching for a speaker to make use of out on the patio this spring and summer season, or only a transportable providing to convey round the home, that is it. The Sonos Transfer 2 doesn’t fully substitute the compact and ultra-rugged Bluetooth audio system on the market, however it does go far sufficient to be a flexible possibility for listening anyplace in or outdoors of your private home. The sound is nice, the connectivity and sensible options are as strong as you’ll discover, and the design is simply so cute.
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