Finally, Sonos has a subwoofer that is extra reasonably priced and sensible for smaller areas, the Sub Mini. It solely took 10 years to get right here. Sonos’ authentic wi-fi Sub, which debuted in 2012, has at all times been focused at its most hardcore customers. With a launch worth of $699, it was simply as costly as the corporate’s flagship Playbar, and its monumental dimension made it overkill for residences. (It’s now $50 extra after Sonos’ latest worth hikes.)

Casual Sonos followers have been mainly out of luck, particularly as the corporate launched extra reasonably priced soundbars, just like the Beam and Ray. You in all probability would not need to pair a $699 subwoofer with a speaker that prices $400 or much less. Simply put, the $429 Sub Mini fills an enormous hole in Sonos’s lineup. But is it truly any good?

Pros

• Excellent bass for its dimension
• Small and straightforward to maneuver
• Relatively reasonably priced
• Syncs with Sonos’ wired audio system simply

Cons

• Doesn’t assist the Sonos Move

If I might, I’d present you my cat’s shocked response as I blasted Baby Driver’s opening automobile chase on the Sonos Arc in my household room. Sonos might not be probably the most price-conscious firm round, nevertheless it’s at all times made reliably nice audio system. The Sub Mini is not any exception.

Now I do know, in case you personal an Arc, you’d almost certainly go for the beefier Sonos Sub. But I used to be nonetheless impressed by how a lot the smaller subwoofer helped, particularly for a soundbar that already delivered some fabulous low-end sound by itself. Muffled shotgun firing originally of Baby Driver shook my partitions (and made one cat leap into the air). I might viscerally really feel the rumble of engines, the influence of automobile crashes and the load shift each time Baby used the emergency brake for a pointy flip. The Sub Mini reworked the film from one thing I used to be simply watching to one thing I used to be experiencing.

I used to be genuinely shocked by how massive the Sub Mini sounded, particularly since it is a comparatively small cylinder. It weighs 14 kilos — 22 kilos lighter than the large Sonos Sub — and options twin six-inch woofers that face inward. Its sealed design means it would not push out a ton of air like ported subs, however that additionally ensures a tighter bass response. The Sub Mini can attain all the way down to 25Hz – greater than sufficient to make the opening of Blade Runner 2049 hit me proper within the intestine.

While I would not name it moveable, I appreciated how simple it was to maneuver the Sub Mini round my house to check in numerous rooms. (Trust me, that was lots much less enjoyable with the large Sonos Sub.) You can pair the brand new sub with Sonos’ powered audio system, just like the Beam, Ray and Play:5. Unfortunately, it would not work with Sonos’s moveable choices.

That is smart for the tiny Roam speaker, however I used to be genuinely disenchanted to be taught the Sub Mini would not assist the bigger Move. That’s a speaker I’ve grown to like lately, because it lets me simply convey music into my yard. It’s a disgrace Sonos could not make the Sub Mini work whereas the Move was sitting on its charging base. (At that time, how is it totally different from a speaker with a plug?)

Despite that annoyance, the Sub Mini appears well-suited to houses with loads of Sonos audio system. Moving it over to a Play:5 in my lounge took round 30 seconds. And as soon as it obtained going, it immediately added a powerful quantity of depth to a few of my regular check tracks. Tan Dun’s “Night Fight” from the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon soundtrack appeared like I used to be internet hosting a standard drumming live performance in my house. Flying Lotus’s “Zodiac Shit,” a go-to monitor for low-end testing, despatched one other one in every of my cats cowering into one other room.

As nice as it’s for music, I’d finest most Sub Mini consumers would find yourself pairing it with one in every of Sonos’s soundbar for higher film and TV sound. It definitely made an enormous distinction on the first-gen Beam in my bed room, which sounded twice as giant throughout that Baby Driver chase sequence. Obviously, that is not a room the place I might need to have thumping bass on a regular basis, nevertheless it certain is sweet to have the choice.

That’s my greatest takeaway. After a decade of ready, Sonos followers lastly have a viable choice for beefing up their sound that isn’t obscenely costly. And in case you’re fortunate sufficient to have a number of Sonos units, you may simply transfer that bass magic throughout your house. It could also be referred to as the Sub Mini, however actually it’s all about maximizing sound the place it issues.