Apple and Sonos are two companies that take great care of all users who want to enjoy music. Good proof of this are two of its devices, the HomePod mini and the Sonos Roam, which although in practice are two speakers, there are significant differences between them that you have to know in order to choose the one that best suits your needs.
Main differences
Although both devices are focused on people being able to enjoy music with the best possible sound quality and in the most comfortable way, the truth is that there are quite a few differences between the HomePod mini and the Sonos Roam. These are the ones that will mark the user when purchasing one or the other depending on their tastes, but above all, depending on their needs.
Independence
Surely the point where there can be the greatest difference between these two speakers is the way in which you can play your favorite music , especially in those users who have an ecosystem made up of products from the Cupertino company. In this case, the one that is positioned ahead is the HomePod mini , since in order to use it you do not need to use any other device to send the music.
Obviously, this is possible if you have Apple Music as a streaming music service. Even so, it is a tremendous convenience for users not having to send music to the speaker from another device and with a simple voice command to access your library or any song you want to listen to. On the Sonos Roam side, if you are an Apple user you will have to use any of your products, connect it to the speaker and select it as the sound output device.
Of course, for all users who use Alexa or the Google assistant , they will be able to use the speakers that the Sonos Roam has to be able to interact with the different voice assistants they have. Something that is not possible for Apple users, since this speaker is not compatible with Siri .
Portability
If before we commented that for users of the Apple ecosystem one of the great advantages of the HomePod mini is the possibility of using it without the need for another device, now it is the Sonos Roam that takes, without any doubt, the prize to portability between these two speakers. As you know, the HomePod mini must always be connected to the power , that is, it is not a portable speaker that you can take with you and that has a battery to be able to use it without being plugged in.
The Sonos Roam in this aspect we can say that it is one of the best portable speakers that you can find on the market, since it has an ideal size to be able to transport it practically anywhere, be it a backpack, a bag or a suitcase. In addition, given that it has been conceived and designed for this, it is made of a drop- resistant material that, on top of that, offers an IP 67 degree of protection against dust and water, making it totally usable outdoors, since the battery that It is also very acceptable, since without being the best on the market, it offers up to 10 hours of uninterrupted playback at moderate volume.
Size
Another point for which both devices stand out is their size. Between the two, without a doubt the smallest is the HomePod mini , hence its name. This makes it an ideal device to be able to place it practically anywhere in the house without taking up too much space. Although unfortunately for many users, this small size cannot be used to transport it and use it anywhere, since as we have told you, it is not a portable speaker and it always has to be connected to the power and to a Wi-Fi network.
As we said before, the size of the Sonos Roam makes it one of the most attractive portable speakers on the market, since it makes it possible to take it with you practically anywhere , something that, after all, is vital in a device of this type, which It has been designed so that its users can listen to music regardless of whether they are at home, in the gym or in a park.
Common Features
We have already told you what are the points where you can find more differences between these two speakers, and those that are surely the ones that will make you opt for one and the other. However, we also have to talk about the points in which they are quite similar, since they considerably affect the user experience that they offer.
Sound quality
Without a doubt, apart from the design and construction materials, if these two speakers stand out for something, it is because of the great sound quality they offer users. In the HomePod mini, it uses computational audio technology, which makes it capable of producing a whole range of nuances that would be characteristic of a speaker of dimensions much larger than those of the HomePod mini.
For its part, the Sonos Roam is not far behind, since it has been designed with great precision acoustics to offer sound with the clarity, depth and amplitude that you would expect from a speaker, again, of much larger dimensions. . It has automatic Trueplay technology , which consists of the speaker itself being able to recognize the environment in which it is located and thus modify and adapt the sound it emits so that the user has the best possible experience.
connectivity
When it comes to connecting with different devices, both have a very similar way of relating. Obviously, the HomePod mini has AirPlay 2 , which is the technology that allows you to send music from an iPhone, iPad, Mac or any Apple product to the speaker. In addition, it also gives users the possibility to connect different units to create a great stereo sound system and improve the experience even more.
For its part, the Sonos Roam, as we said, has a very similar way of interacting, since it also has AirPlay 2 , a point to keep in mind especially for people who work with an Apple ecosystem. For example, if you have a HomePod mini and a Sonos Roam, you can have music from your Mac, iPhone or any device from the Cupertino company play on both speakers at the same time. Plus, it also offers the ability to connect via Bluetooth , which the HomePod mini doesn’t. And of course, since Sonos is a brand specialized in music, you can pair this Sonos Roam with other brand speakers to create a sound system that will delight anyone who wants to listen to music.
Price
As you have been able to verify, the differences between both speakers are very specific, but among all of them, one that must always be taken into account to really finish evaluating a device, is the price. Well, although these are not two expensive speakers , there is a big difference in what you will have to pay for one and the other if you want to enjoy them.
In the case of Apple’s smart speaker, the HomePod mini, you can buy it for 99 euros at the Apple Store, both physically and online. For its part, the Sonos Roam starts at 199 euros , that is, twice what the HomePod mini costs. They really are two devices that have a very affordable price, and we can say that both are worth it, although it is true that comparatively, the 99 euros of the HomePod mini are very tempting.
Which is better?
As always when we carry out this type of comparison, we have to end it with what is our final conclusion, although in this sense you have to bear in mind that it is a completely subjective opinion of the ITIGIC editorial team, inviting you to be yourself or you yourself who make the decision of which of the two best suits your needs.
Both speakers are two high-quality products, but it is true that they have key differences when it comes to being able to meet the needs of different users. Because of its quality/price ratio, the HomePod mini is surely one of the best options you can find to place it permanently in a room, living room, kitchen or bathroom. In the same way, we can say that one of the best portable speakers that you can choose to take music anywhere and at any time is the Sonos Roam. Therefore, you will have to be very clear about what your needs are and which of the two is going to satisfy them better.
