Sonos’ soundbars have always offered a great frequency response, with good clarity in the high-end and solid bass extension — especially for the more expensive Sonos Arc. But sometimes that good bass extension could just…be a little better. A subwoofer can give you that rumbling low-end and chest-thumping bass that you would only otherwise get at the cinema.

Only one problem. To date, you’ve had to pay a hefty $749 for the Sonos Sub — and more than two of its three soundbars. That can be a bitter pill to swallow. Now, however, the company is finally changing that, with the new $429 Sonos Sub Mini. Sure, it’s still not cheap, but at more than $300 less than the larger model, it makes a compelling case for itself.

The Sub Mini is compatible with all of Sonos soundbars too — though the company notes that it’s not as effective when paired with the already bass-capable Sonos Arc. Is the Sonos Sub Mini worth buying?

Sonos Sub Mini

The Sonos Sub Mini seriously extends the bass response of Sonos soundbars without breaking the bank.

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Pros

Solid design
Great bass response
Compact
Easy to use

Cons

Still not cheap

Sonos

$429

Sonos Sub Mini design and setup

The Sonos Sub Mini, as the name suggests, is compact and fits right in Sonos’ ecosystem of products, in terms of design. It comes in the same matte black or white as its other products, and is small enough to be easily placed in a corner, so it’s not visible all the time.

The Sub Mini measures in at 12 inches tall and 9.1 inches in diameter, and I was easily able to hide it in a corner next to the couch. It has a slot in the middle, where two custom subwoofers face each other, and it connects wirelessly to your system, so you don’t have to worry about placing it near your soundbar.

Of course, a subwoofer is limited in size by physics. It still has to be big enough to deliver enough bass response, and the result of the Sub Mini being smaller than the larger Sub does have an impact on sound — but we’ll get into that a little later.

Setting up the Sonos Sub Mini was very simple. You’ll start by simply plugging it in and opening up the Sonos app. Then, the app should prompt you to start the setup process. Follow the on-screen instructions, and you should be good to go. Along the way, you’ll be prompted to link it with your soundbar. I initially tested it with a Sonos Beam, and then connected it to my Sonos Arc, which is the soundbar I use most of the time.

Sonos Sub Mini app and features

As you would expect from Sonos, the Sub Mini is packed with smart features and touches that make it sound better, and easier to use.

Once the Sub Mini is connected to the app, there are a number of features that you can use. Some of them are obvious — like the fact that you can control the volume on the Sub Mini. I turned it down a little from its default level.

Like Sonos’ other speakers, the Sub Mini also supports the much-loved TruePlay feature that leverages your phone’s microphone to tune your setup to your room. Unfortunately, this feature is still limited to iOS, so you won’t be able to use it from Android. Generally, it’s a feature I really like.

The Sub Mini also works with the soundbar’s Night Mode to limit rumble. That’s a feature that your neighbors will appreciate.

Sonos Sub Mini sound

While you might buy a Sonos soundbar for its smart features or compatibility, combined with its great sound, the only reason to buy the Sub Mini is to enhance the audio quality. Thankfully, it absolutely does so.

The Sub Mini, to be clear, is built for smaller and mid-sized living rooms, which is perfect for my condo. In fact, as mentioned, it was powerful enough to where I had to turn the volume down from its default — just for the sake of my neighbors.

When using the Sub Mini with a Beam, I found that it greatly enhanced the listening experience, seriously improving on bass extension and helping make the Beam sound much more like a more expensive system. The Beam’s bass response is already not bad for a soundbar in its price range, but indeed, the Sub Mini is a perfect companion for it.

Even when using the Sub Mini with the Arc, however, I saw a solid improvement. Sonos markets the device as mainly a companion for the Beam and Ray, but Arc users who want a little extra bass but don’t want to buy the Sub should seriously consider the Sub Mini.

Generally, the Sub Mini ensured that things like explosions, bass lines, and other deep sounds were much fuller than with a soundbar alone. It definitely doesn’t get as deep or powerful as the larger Sub, but for the price, it sounds excellent.

Conclusions

The Sonos Sub Mini isn’t as big or impressive as the standard Sonos Sub, but when paired with the right soundbar it still seriously extends bass response without breaking the bank. When paired with the Beam or Ray, it adds impressive oomph, however I even find it helpful when paired with the Arc. If you’re looking for some extra bass response and don’t want to spend the cash on the Sonos Sub, the Sub Mini is absolutely the way to go.

The competition

If you’re in Sonos’ ecosystem there’s no competition at this price point. If you’re deciding between this or the Sonos Sub, your decision should come down to how big your living room is. For small or medium size living rooms, the Sub Mini will easily do the job, but if you have a larger living room the standard Sonos Sub is probably your best bet.