New wifi woofer
Testing the Sonos Sub Mini: the little one with the big bang
The Sonos Sub Mini cuts a chic figure, and it is also pleasantly flexible in terms of installation location
© Sonos / PR
With the Sub Mini, Sonos has released its popular subwoofer in an affordable version. We reveal whether the purchase is worthwhile.
The heavy limousine drives slowly through the streets of London. The bass booms deep while Getts raps about the tough life on the streets of the British capital. And the “Top Boys” from the Netflix series of the same name get ready for the raid. In the meantime, I’m sitting comfortably on the couch. And sink into the bass.
Sonos’ new speaker brought it into my living room. The Sub Mini is exactly what its name promises: a small version of the popular Sonos Sub, the thick but also very expensive subwoofer from the manufacturer known for its wireless multi-room systems. In the test he is quite convincing. But one big question remains.
Bass! Bass! We want bass!
But first things first. The Sub Mini is a typical Sonos product. The round stool-sized body looks chic with its distinctive hole, except for a button on the side, it is made of one piece. The speaker can be integrated into existing systems quickly and easily as usual. It cannot be used without it anyway: its purpose is to provide the existing set-up with more bass.
Too bad: The black model of the Sonos Sub Mini, which is very chic in itself, attracts dust and fingerprints with its matte surface
© Malte Mansholt / star
Sonos is primarily thinking of the somewhat weak soundbars from the Beam and Ray series. Due to the small housing, they offer little bass on their own, which can actually be annoying, especially when listening to music. In the test, however, the more powerful Sonos Playbase could also be supplied with audibly more bass through the sub.
Sonos Sub Mini in the test: small, but powerful
Using it is very simple: The sub only has to be connected to the existing living room system and it practically grabs all the low tones. Fortunately, the place of installation doesn’t really matter. The sub can be placed in any corner. Because the human ear is less able to locate the bass tones, even the Sonos Play:1 used as satellites acted like small bass boxes in the test. Whether in the cinema, series or the Playstation: Everything suddenly rumbles noticeably more. The bass control can be adjusted to your own taste via the Sonos app. Even the night mode, which switches off too deep booming in films and the like, is also automatically applied to the sub.
This is also very important in an apartment building. Although the Sub Mini doesn’t offer the extreme power of the big Sub, I still didn’t dare to crank it up to the max in the test – you don’t have to risk a warning. In the tested volumes, the sound remained very clean, even with very bass-heavy songs. If you don’t have to fill a loft with sound or don’t have any immediate neighbors, you will hardly be able – or have to – use the power of the Mini.
Ultimately, one question remains: Who is Sonos targeting with the Sub Mini? It should primarily appeal to buyers of the smaller soundbars. But they will hardly buy a 500-euro subwoofer in addition to their 250-400-euro sound bars. However, if you own a Playbase or the newer Sonos Arc soundbar, you have significantly less need for the Sub Mini. The price difference to the “right” sub makes the selection at least a little bit easier. It doesn’t cost a lot more at 680 euros. However, because the additional power only plays a role in particularly large rooms and at higher volumes, the Mini is likely to be the better choice for most customers.
Conclusion: A lot of bang for the buck – but not a bargain
More bass without the high cost of the Sonos Sub – something many Sonos users have been waiting for for years. In fact, the Sub Mini was quite convincing in the test: it’s easy to set up, the device is very stylish and the sound is really good for its size.
Whether it’s worth buying is another question. With a price starting at 500 euros, the Sub Mini is anything but cheap. The idea of customers pimping a 200-euro soundbar with it is pretty absurd. But if you have a larger system and don’t need the full power of the big sub, you can definitely save money with the Mini. And still gets more booms in the booth.
The Sonos Sub Mini will be available from October 13th for 499 euros. The colors black and white are available.
Also read:
Sonos Ray in the test: This is the first Sonos soundbar at a bargain price
Sonos Move in the test: Now it’s getting loud outside