There was talk a few months ago about that Sonos was bringing a new Sub Mini speaker to market. It’s been a minute since May 2022 but that’s just how far ahead of the times we were. Sonos today confirmed that its new compact sub is set for a global launch.
The date? 6 October, in a range of countries around the world — including South Africa. The price? That would be R11,000 for the subwoofer.
Sub Mini discipline
The biggest question is: Is the Sonos Sub Mini worth spending all that money on? If you’re asking the question, you’ve probably never used a Sonos speaker before. Yes, it might look like a futuristic bin (or an old Mac Pro) but it conceals a fair chunk of audio hardware inside its 6.35kg confines.
There are two inward-facing 6in woofers inside the chassis. The choice permits a “force-canceling effect”, according to Sonos. This helps prevent buzzes, distortion, and other syndromes you’re likely to experience in a car fitted with ‘sound’. You know the one — the license plate vibrates and you can’t breathe in the back seat.
Two Class-D digital amps are inside, letting users configure their setups to their tastes. When paired with a Sonos soundbar or speaker (the Beam, Ray, One, and One SL are specifically mentioned), the Sub Mini takes over the lower frequencies so the less gruff companions can work on the highs and mids. Sonos’ Trueplay also lets the sub tune itself to the room and the location it’s in if you have a compatible iOS device.
In terms of connectivity, the Sub Mini supports WiFi over most networks. It’ll also talk to other Sonos speakers over a 5GHz link. And, if you’re really keen on avoiding latency, there’s a 10/100 ethernet port on the sub itself. There’s also a single Join button that’ll apparently connect the Mini to an existing Sonos setup. We’re especially keen to see if that’ll work as advertised.
Stuff will lay hands on the speaker a little before it officially launches, so you can expect a full review before the Sub Mini goes on sale. On paper, it sounds like a great idea. Sonos’ usual integration is all present and correct. Featuring the ability to drop it into an existing home theatre setup can only score the company bonus points.
