Sonos Sub Mini - The Difference Has to Be Heard to Be Believed

There are certain brands that are simply synonymous with their product categories - market leaders that pave the way in terms of innovation and performance so consistently, the other names can only aspire to catch up.

Think Dyson and vacuum cleaners. GoPro and action cameras. Sonos and home theatre.

Yes, over the years Sonos has effectively reinvented the concept of home theatre, wireless speaker systems and multi-room audio. Sonos soundbars in particular woke consumers up to the concept of a full-fledged cinematic audio experience from a single speaker unit and we've seen a continual refinement and evolution of this theme.

That said, no matter how good your soundbar is, there's still no substitute for pairing it with some surround speakers and a subwoofer.

It's just physics. While it's technically possible to bounce sound around the room to simulate stereo, surround and even height effects, you can't compete with physical speakers, which is why Sonos has a range of speakers you can pair to your Ray, Beam or Arc soundbar for a genuine, surround-sound home theatre.

And the same goes for bass.

Ten years since Sonos first launched its wireless Sub - followed by two further generations, we now have the Sub Mini - much more compact and perhaps even more importantly, much cheaper.

This follows on from the Ray soundbar, released earlier this year - also a more budget-friendly option from a brand not previously marketed to the lower end of the AV market.

The good news is Sonos being Sonos, a lower price tag doesn't necessarily mean any compromise in the exacting standards of engineering and audio tuning we've come to expect.

To be honest, the Sub Mini is not exactly tiny - just smaller than its rather distinctive older sibling. Like the full-sized Sub, the Mini also has an eye-catching hole in the middle but it isn't a square box like most subwoofers, it's cylindrical - about the size and shape of a kitchen rubbish bin.

Of course, the contents here are definitely not trash - quite the opposite; dual custom woofers that face each other across that distinctive central cavity. The theory is this unusual configuration eliminates any distortion and from what I've heard so far, that definitely holds true. I've had nothing but clean, accurate, noise-free, low-end awesomeness.

The round shape seems less imposing than those other clunky cubes, especially in the white option.

Initial setup is very straightforward indeed - the Sonos app has the option to add a sub to any speaker system you've already set up and will recognise the Sub Mini as soon as it's powered on. Should you decide to move it from one room to another, things get a bit more complicated. I discovered this when I was putting together my little demonstration video for the end of this article. Pro-tip; remember to remove it from your existing room before trying to attach it to a new one. While making the movie I had to set it up three different times - let's just say if it's still paired to a device you've already unplugged, things can get confusing.

Other than that, the Sonos app offers the usual tweaks; adjustments for bass, treble, loudness, height etc... and once you've added the Sub Mini, a control to raise or lower its specific level appears in the app too. for my tastes, there's not much point pairing a subwoofer if you're not going to ride the bass a bit, so I like to give it a reasonable boost.

You also have the option of auto-tuning the speaker setup for your room using the TruePlay function, which involves two phone-based sound tests, one sitting in your preferred viewing location and one walking around the room, waving your phone in circles. I like to hope this achieves something useful - especially since it takes good three or four minutes and if anyone saw me doing it, they'd assume I'd lost the plot.

Unfortunately, TruePlay is only available on iOS and iPadOS devices so if you're an Android user, bad luck. What's really odd is the latest iPhone 14 range, the new iPhone SE and some of the new iPads can't do it yet either - the app simply tells you the feature is "coming soon". Come on Sonos, get it together. Are you seriously telling me these new Apple devices and all the Android phones out there can't run this sound test? What's going on? It doesn't make sense. A bit of research shows the functionality took several months to turn up on last year's iPhones too. So weird.

Anyway - don't let that put you off. there's absolutely no doubt the Sub Mini helps create a much fuller soundscape, whether it's paired with the entry-level Ray soundbar or the top-of-the-line ARC, complete with a couple of One SL surrounds.

What Sonos is engineered to achieve so ingeniously is speakers working together to complement each other. Thanks to their strong and reliable 5Ghz Wi-Fi connection, Sonos speakers are in constant communication so when you add the Sub Mini, not only do you now have a speaker physically capable of pumping out lower frequencies, more powerfully but it also means the Arc (or Ray or Beam) doesn't have to use as many resources trying to reproduce those low notes, freeing up more audio resource for the rest of the soundscape.

And this is just as true listening to music as it is watching movies.

For example, "Don't Take My Sunshine Away" by Sparklehorse is a fairly simple alt-pop/rock number, alternating between exposed, effected vocals and full band, driven by a monotonous, relentless bass line. Thanks to the Sub Mini, the contrasts here are stark and brilliant.

Between the Edge's mumbled lead vocals and Adam Clayton's fluttering fingerwork, U2's "Numb" is pretty much all about the bass - and yet none of it comes across blurry or rattly. Turn it up loud and you can feel the track pour right through you, physically as well as sonically.

Meanwhile, back in the home theatre, whether it's the ominous, droney, futuristic soundtrack of my new favourite sci-fi show, Peripheral, or the constant and frantic warzone action of Seal Team, once again the Sub Mini carries all the heavy lifting bass-wise, leaving the Arc and surrounds to fill out the dialogue and other, high-frequency sound effects.

The Sub Mini has quickly become one of those things I never realised I needed - but now I have it, there's no way I'm giving it up. I've never had the opportunity to try the full-sized Sonos Sub and I can only imagine what it's capable of. If the Mini is anything to go by, I'm not sure I could handle it.

This video won't do it justice - please listen with some half-decent headphones or earbuds - not just on your tinny laptop speakers...

    

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Sonos Sub Mini.