Sonos Play arrives as a cheaper and smaller Move 2 with a replaceable battery

After an early listing and a leak revealing its price, Sonos has officially announced its new Bluetooth speaker, the Sonos Play. It has also begun accepting pre-orders ahead of its release later this month.

Available in Black and White, both with a matte finish, the Sonos Play is shaped like an elliptical cylinder. Sonos says it is its most sustainable portable speaker yet, as it claims it is made from recycled plastics, features a halogen-free printed circuit board, and comes in recyclable packaging. On top of that, the battery is user-replaceable.

With respect to features, the Sonos Play has three Class-H digital amplifiers, two tweeters, and one mid-woofer. It also has Automatic TruePlay, a software feature that constantly optimizes the speaker's output to fit the environment and the content playing. There are far-field microphones with beam-forming and echo cancellation on the speaker for voice control.

If you don't want to use voice control, you can flick the microphone mute button on the back, and use the button on the top of the speaker or the companion app to control it. The app can also be used to adjust the speaker's EQ.

The Sonos Play has support for WiFi and Bluetooth for wire-free connection, or you can use a Sonos Line-in adapter (USB-C to 3.5mm adapter) to connect it to an audio source such as a turntable. The USB-C port also supports ethernet and reverse wired charging.

Rated IP67 for dust and water resistance, the Sonos Play is suitable for outdoor use and will survive immersion in water. Sonos says it can also be synced to two or more Sonos Play or Move 2 speakers (available on Amazon for $499) when you want to fill a very large space. However, you can't stereo pair the Play and the Move 2 as they use different sound profiles.

The spec sheet says the Sonos Play has a battery life of up to 24 hours, and it charges via a wireless charging base that is included in the box. However, owners will have to provide their own power adapter or purchase one from Sonos.

The Sonos Play is available to pre-order now for $299 on Amazon. It is also available in the UK for £299, and for €349 in the rest of Europe. It is expected to be released on March 31. The battery replacement kit can also be purchased now for $69 on the Sonos US website. It is priced at £49 in the UK and €49 in Europe, however, it is not yet available to buy in these regions.