Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen vs Sonos Roam

Different classes, so treat this as a step-up-or-not question rather than a head-to-head. The Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen ranks #6 of 9 powered desktop speakers by sound quality at $79.99; the Sonos Roam ranks #75 of 142 medium speakers by sound quality at $179.99.

The case for the Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen: What Hi-Fi rated it 5 stars for sound, calling it expansive for its size with great Alexa integration and an understated look, from a single 44mm front-firing driver. The tradeoff: What Hi-Fi’s one real complaint was distortion at higher volumes, and bass force and detail both fall off at the low end, typical for a speaker not much bigger than a hockey ball.

The case for the Sonos Roam: Very neutral. The tradeoff: Bass extension isn’t very good.

Buy the Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen ($79.99) for a powered desktop speaker; the Sonos Roam ($179.99) suits a medium speaker instead.

There is a real gap in water resistance: the Sonos Roam at IPX5 (water jets) against the Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen, which has no water resistance.

Want more options? Browse the full Powered Home rankings and Portable Bluetooth rankings.

Specifications Side By Side

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Prices on this page were last checked September 22, 2026 at 5:11 AM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

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The Two Speakers In Full

Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen: $79.99 each Amazon eBay

Pros: What Hi-Fi rated it 5 stars for sound, calling it expansive for its size with great Alexa integration and an understated look, from a single 44mm front-firing driver. It has a room temperature sensor, works as an eero Wi-Fi extender, and includes a mic mute switch alongside dedicated volume and action buttons.

Cons: What Hi-Fi’s one real complaint was distortion at higher volumes, and bass force and detail both fall off at the low end, typical for a speaker not much bigger than a hockey ball. Engadget’s own head-to-head against the step-up Echo Dot Max found that speaker louder and bassier, from a 2.5-inch woofer and dedicated tweeter versus this speaker’s single small full-range driver. It is mono in a single unit, has no 3.5mm output, no battery, and needs Wi-Fi and an Amazon account for its smart features.

Full Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen review and specifications →

AES Input	No
App	Yes (Alexa)
Aux Input	No
Battery Life	No Battery
Bluetooth	Yes
Bluetooth Codecs	SBC, AAC
Built-in Microphone	Yes (mic mute switch, temperature sensor)
Coaxial Input	No
Dimensions	3.9" x 3.9" x 3.5" (100 x 100 x 89 mm) (H x W x D)
Discontinued	No
Drivers	44mm front-firing driver
EQ	No
HDMI Input	No
IP Rating	None
Inputs	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Optical Input	No
Party Mode	Yes (Wi-Fi multi-room, Alexa)
Power Bank	No
Power Input	External AC adapter (DC jack)
RCA Input	No
Stereo	No
Streaming Services	Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Pandora, iHeartRadio, SiriusXM, TuneIn
TRS Input	No
TWS	Yes (Wi-Fi stereo pairing via Alexa app)
USB Input	No
Voice Assistants	Amazon Alexa / Alexa+
Weight	0.7 lbs (340 g)
Wi-Fi	Yes (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4GHz/5GHz)
XLR Input	No

• Links
  • Official Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen Product Page
• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • What Hi-Fi: Amazon Echo Dot (5th Generation) review
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Sonos Roam: $179.99 Amazon eBay

Pros: Very neutral. IP67 rated at ~1 lb. Wireless (Qi) charging - rare for a portable speaker. Works with Alexa/Sonos Voice Control and the wider Sonos ecosystem over Wi-Fi. Measured bass extension of 63Hz (-10dB).

Cons: Bass extension isn’t very good. Not stereo. Gets distorted if you turn up the bass.

Full Sonos Roam review and specifications →

App	Sonos S2 App
Aux Input	No
Bass Extension (-10dB)	63Hz
Battery Life	10 hours (Manufacturer specified)
Bluetooth Codecs	SBC, AAC
Bluetooth Version	5.0
Built-in Microphone	Yes
Digital Aux Input	No
Dimensions	2.4" x 6.6" x 2.4" (62 x 168 x 60 mm)
Drivers	Dual full-range drivers + passive radiators
EQ	Yes (via app, limited in Bluetooth mode)
IP Rating	IPX5
Maximum SPL	95dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews)
Omnidirectional	No
Power Input	USB-C
Stereo	No
TWS	Yes
Voice Assistants	Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant (choose one) plus Sonos Voice Control
Weight	0.9 lbs (429 g)
Wi-Fi	Yes

• Links
  • Official Sonos Roam Product Page
• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
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