Sonos Sub Mini for maxi-bass (soundbar review)

The new Sonos Sub Mini is a great accompaniment to the Sonos Ray and Beam Gen 2 soundbars. It adds that low-and-mid-bass and lets the soundbar focus on what it does best.

Until now, Sonos Ray ($399) and Beam Gen 2 ($699) users (and to a lesser extent One and IKEA Symfonisk) had no alternative but the Sonos Sub (Gen 3), which is a little overkill at $1099. Enter the Sonos Sub Mini at $699.

You have to ask what the bass difference is between the two. The answer is not as simple as you may think.

Both are capable of low bass down 25Hz, use D-class amps and have a pair of sub-woofers that face each other. Let’s just say that size matters, and the Sonos Sub Mini works best with Sonos smaller soundbars and the Sub Gen 3 with the Arc or Five speakers.

The secret ingredient is in the tuning. When the Sonos app encounters the Sub Mini, it tunes it to the relevant soundbar and varies the crossover (when the sub crosses over to the soundbar woofer), which can vary between 70-100Hz.

Australian Review: Sonos Sub Mini

Website	Product page and Support Page
Replaces	Nothing – it is a new lower-cost sub-woofer
Colour	Sonos White or black matte polycarbonate case
Connects	Wi-Fi 2.4 or 5Ghz or Ethernet cable
Size	230 round x 305mm high x 6.35kg
What it is not	Not a replacement for the Sub Gen 3/Arc
Price	$699 inc free delivery and 100-day return policy
From	Sonos Online, Harvey Norman, JB Hi-Fi, Good Guys, Videopro
Warranty	12-months ACL
County of manufacture	US designed and made in China.
About	Sonos is an American Audio company based in Santa Barbara, California [Est 2002]. It develops and manufactures smart speakers to play music simultaneously in multiple rooms.
More	CyberShack Sonos news and reviews

We use Fail (below expectations), Pass (meets expectations) and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below. We occasionally give a Pass(able) rating that is not as good as it should be and a Pass ‘+’ rating to show it is good but does not quite make it to Exceed.

You can click on most images for an enlargement.

Base specs

• Amps: Two Class-D
• Dual 6” woofers face inwards for a force cancelling effect
• A sealed cabinet means all speaker force is projected outwards
• Frequency 25Hz to 70/100 depending on paired soundbar or speakers
• 230 (H) x 305 mm (Round) x 6.35kg
• Wi-Fi N 2.4 and 5GHz (preferred for soundbar use and lower latency)
• Ethernet Port
• Matte Black or White
• Trueplay room tuning
• Sonos S2 App EQ and NFC setup
• Internal 240V transformer

First impression – Pass+

It is round and squat – well made in Sonos White or Black. The only issue you will have is whether you face the ‘slot’ forward or to the side, and the answer is that it matters not but don’t block it.

It is wider than the Sub Gen 3 but shorter and will fit well with most décor.

Setup – Exceed

As you have Sonos gear already, you will be familiar with the S2 App. It is foolproof and will find the speaker, use NFC to connect and then offer you the option to connect it to the existing soundbar.

Even though it is for the smaller soundbars, you could add it to ARC, Five or other speakers.  

Trueplay tune – Exceed

Although only for iPhones, it is worth finding an Apple friend to use one to tune the room. Once done, all the levels are set for your sitting position.

How does it sound (with a Beam Gen 2)?

With the Sonos Sub Mini, you get a little low-bass, and then it ramps up from 80-Hz to almost full mid-bass. Without the Sub Mini, the Gen 2 has some mid-bass slowly building to 100Hz and then flattens out.

It is not the room-shaking bass you get from the Sub Gen 3, but it is a definite improvement over the soundbar alone.

CyberShack’s view – The Sonos Sub Mini is perfect for the Sonos Ray or Beam Gen 2

If you live in an apartment or have a soundbar in a bedroom, it really adds bass reinforcement to the Sonos Ray soundbar – small dog, big bark (review) or Sonos Beam Gen 2 – quality Dolby Atmos compatible soundbar (review). Not that either of these soundbars alone are lacking in bass, but it fills out the critical mid-bass nicely and adds that high-bass oomph to it.