Sonos Sub Mini Review: Bass Brilliance on a Budget

Offering cinematic immersion to dynamic musicality, discover if Sonos’ compact subwoofer is the right addition for your home.

Sonos Releases - Updated 15th November 2024

Sonos Sub Mini Review: Bass Brilliance on a Budget

Written By

Andrew Hazell

Is The Sonos Sub Mini Right For You?

A decade after the debut of their groundbreaking Sonos Sub, in 2022, Sonos finally unveiled their long-awaited Sonos Sub Mini—a more compact and budget-friendly subwoofer perfect for small-to-medium-sized rooms. After some thorough testing, this review will hopefully help you uncover whether Sonos' compact wireless subwoofer is the right choice for your Sonos system.

It’s worth knowing that both the Sub (Gen 3) and the Sonos Sub Mini are built to reach as low as 25 Hz, but the Sub’s larger woofers let it hit output levels two to three times louder than the Sub Mini. Of course, there will be situations where the larger, more room-filling Sonos Sub (Gen 3) makes a lot more sense for your space. However, the Sonos Sub Mini is designed to sit in the sweet spot, balancing both optimal low-end rumble and seamless home integration for music, game and home cinema enthusiasts alike.

RRP: £429 (view latest price)

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Pros

✔️ Impressive Bass Reproduction

✔️ Enhances Performance of Paired Speaker/Speakers Across Other Arrays

✔️ Stylish Design & Compact, Easy-to-Conceal Size

✔️ Perfect Compatibility with Sonos Beam (Gen 2)

Cons

❌ Unable to Pair 2 x Sonos Sub Mini

❌ Not Compatible with Sonos S1 Products

❌ Cannot Pair with Sonos Portable Speakers

❌ Less Power Than Sub Gen 3 for Larger Spaces

Want to see the Sonos Sub Mini in action? Watch our Sonos Sub Mini Review on YouTube.

Build Quality

The Sonos Sub Mini is the smaller brother to the Sonos Sub (Gen 3) and while it shares many similarities, it’s very different in terms of design.

Not only does it boast a more compact footprint than the Sonos Sub (Gen 3), but the cylindrical design really sets it apart from conventional subwoofers on the whole.

Just like the Sub (Gen 3), Sonos’ Mini Sub also features a sealed cabinet with a centre tunnel that allows for air to flow through seamlessly. Internally, Sonos has fitted the Sub Mini with dual 6" drivers powered by Class-D digital amplifiers that face each other. This innovative design creates a force-cancelling effect, which in turn ensures you experience no distortion or cabinet rattle when listening to the rumble of your Sonos speaker.

The Sub Mini’s new shape and fully matte finish provide a unique aesthetic, and the small, compact design will definitely help it blend into any space. We’re big fans of the overall design, and it’s definitely a subwoofer we wouldn’t mind having on display in our home.

Setup & Compatibility

Having tested countless Sonos products over the years, the Sonos Sub Mini’s setup process is exactly what we’ve come to expect from them as a brand.

Plug it into mains power, connect to wi-fi, follow the instructions on the Sonos S2 app, and you should be connected wirelessly to your existing Sonos speakers in a matter of minutes.

It’s worth knowing that, as a newer product, you can only connect the Sub Mini to Sonos products on the newer Sonos app platform.

Thankfully, that means you can connect to almost all Sonos products, with the exception of the Sonos Connect, Sonos Port and Sonos’ portable speakers. You can also connect the Sub Mini to a Sonos Amp and therefore, to a pair of in-ceiling, in-wall speakers too.

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Sound Performance

We tested the Sonos Sub Mini in a variety of different-sized spaces and with a combination of different Sonos products to give the most accurate representation of its sound performance. If you’d like to see our full sound test, check out our Sonos Sub Mini Review: Sub Gen 3 Killer? video on YouTube.

Pros

✔️ Cinematic Bass Performance

✔️ Dynamic in Action Sequences

✔️ Versatile Music Performance

✔️ System-wide Enhancement

Cons

❌ Less Effective in Open-Plan Spaces

❌ Overwhelmed Slightly By The Sonos Arc

When paired alongside the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) or the Sonos Ray, the Sub Mini impressively delivered clean and tight bass, aptly enhancing cinematic experiences without overwhelming them.

Notably, in movies like ‘Red Notice’, the Sub Mini excelled at reproducing complex bass sequences in even the most action-packed scenes. From helicopter sounds to explosions, the Sub Mini added a level of depth and impact that we really weren’t expecting from a unit of its size.

Beyond simply offering cinematic bass performance, one of our favourite features of the Sub Mini is the way that it improves the quality of your entire Sonos home cinema setup too.

By handling the lower frequencies of movies and music, the Sub Mini frees up more processing power for your connected Sonos soundbar or rear surround sound speakers, noticeably enhancing vocals, mid-range and creating a more immersive and lifelike audio experience across the board.

We also did some testing with the flagship Sonos Arc, and there was no doubt that it enhanced the overall performance of the soundbar. Naturally, it added more bass and detail, but in larger, open spaces, the Arc demanded slightly too much of the ultra-compact Sub Mini. Now, that’s not to say this would be a bad pairing; we just think the Sonos Sub (Gen 3) is a better match sonically.

The Sonos Sub Mini proved really versatile when used with a stereo pair for music, particularly with the Sonos Era 100’s. It provides ample bass output and improves the stereo imaging too.

The bass is great, especially if you like bass-heavy tracks. It offered a slightly different profile than when paired with the soundbars, as it is optimised for that sort of setup. But again, for those looking to enhance a music system, this subwoofer will tick a lot of boxes.

As always, room size and seating arrangement will play a crucial role in your subwoofer's effectiveness. We think the Sub Mini is better for smaller or medium-sized spaces, and it may lose impact off-angle. We thoroughly recommend optimising your Sonos home cinema setup by using the Trueplay tuning feature within the Sonos App. It is an iOS device exclusive at present, but it will tailor your Sonos speakers to the architecture of your room.

As a general rule of thumb, if you’ve got a Sonos Ray or a Sonos Arc, then adding a Sonos Sub Mini will definitely help you get the most out of it. However, if you’re coming in fresh and deciding which option is the best to go for, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) and Sonos Sub Mini is our favourite home cinema combination.

Sonos Sub Mini vs. Sonos Sub (Gen 3)

In terms of specifications, both the Sonos Sub Mini and Sonos Sub (Gen 3) state a frequency response that can go as low as 25 Hz. However, while Sonos doesn’t state the amplification of either subwoofer, we can assume the amplification is more powerful on the Sub Gen 3, based on its larger size.

Is the Sonos Sub Gen 3 better than the Sonos Sub Mini? In terms of out-and-out performance, yes. But the Sub Mini isn’t designed to be better. It’s built to be more convenient than the Sub Gen 3, and it's likely it’ll be sufficient for a lot of setups, providing ample immersion and bass.

Sonos states both models offer similar sound at lower volumes, and this was validated in our testing. However, if your space or listening style demands louder volumes and your budget permits, Sonos’ Sub Gen 3 is going to be a better overall choice. That being said, if you’re concerned about the larger sub being overkill in your space, the Sub Mini is a wallet-friendly alternative that’s equally pleasing.

Now, unfortunately, the Sonos’ mini Sub and the Sub Gen 3 can’t be paired together, and you can’t pair two Sub Mini’s together either. Currently, only the Sonos Sub Gen 3 supports that sort of dual setup to enhance room balance. We hope Sonos extends this functionality to the Sub Mini in the future, but we’ll have to wait and see.

It’s worth noting that although the Sonos Sub Mini is the smaller of the two and easier to place within the home, it must be stood upright. However, the Sub (Gen 3) can be laid flat and potentially hidden under furniture, offering slightly more flexibility in its placement.

Want a more detailed lowdown? Dive into our Sonos Sub Mini vs. Sonos Sub (Gen 3) comparison

Is The Sonos Sub Mini Worth It?

So, after testing the Sonos Sub Mini, do we think it’s worth it? Well, don't let the "Mini" fool you; the Sub Mini packs a punch in performance that goes well beyond its size, and for £429, you’re enhancing your other Sonos speakers simultaneously.

By freeing up extra processing power and automatically being aware of which speaker(s) it’s connected to, this subwoofer enables better audio performance across the board, which is a massive plus in our book.

Of course, if you were to spend the comparable £429 on a standard hi-fi subwoofer, you could potentially get a better specification list. But what you get from it being a Sonos Sub—uplifting your other products, the design and the overall smart experience—makes it feel like very good value for money indeed.

Our main downside is that you can’t have two Sonos Sub Mini’s paired in one setup. And, at this price point, there will be some of you who can’t understand why you would spend the same (or more) on a subwoofer as you would on the Sonos Ray or Sonos Beam (Gen 2) soundbar, which we understand.

But, subwoofers remain challenging to integrate into your space, and this product offers a more seamless solution, making it easier than ever to incorporate high performing bass into your home without irking family members who value a sleek living room aesthetic. So, despite being Mini in name, we certainly wouldn’t call it mini in performance.

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