Sonos’ cheaper subwoofer still isn’t cheap

Sonos today revealed a smaller, more affordable subwoofer for its wireless speaker ecosystem, but it still isn't exactly what one would call cheap. Dubbed the Sub Mini, it retails for $699. While that's certainly cheaper than the $1,099 you'll pay for a full-size Sonos Sub, it's quite a bit more expensive than the Sonos Ray the manufacturer recommends you pair it with.

Sonos says the Sub Mini is best for smaller and midsize rooms, although the brand's Senior Director of Audio Engineering, Chris Davies, told Reviews.org AU that they've tested it in rooms up to 30 square metres.

To that extent, Sonos is pitching the Sub Mini as a companion to the Ray, Beam, or a stereo pair of Ones. It still recommends the full-size Sub for those with an Arc or Play:5s.

That being said, you can still pair the Sub Mini with any non-portable Sonos speaker. You can use the Sub Mini with a Sonos Arc, but Sonos says you'll get the most natural experience at lower volumes. 

The Roam and Move can't be used with the Sub Mini, with Davies saying "the nuance with portable products is super challenging". He told us that Sonos doesn't want customers pairing a Roam with a Sub Mini, and then moving it too far away and having the bass drop out, for example.

While Sonos allows you to pair up to two Subs in a home theatre setup, you can only pair one Sub Mini.

From a design perspective, the Sub Mini is about half the volume of the full-size Sub. It's got a 9-inch diameter and is 12-inch tall. Davies said Sonos opted for the cylindrical form-factor to
Make the device "a little more compelling from an aesthetic perspective" and fit into more spaces.

Like the full-size Sub, the Sub Mini has two custom opposing woofers. They're just naturally smaller in the Sub Mini. It can be tuned with Trueplay, and the Sonos app will let you increase or decrease the amount of bass according to your preference.

The Sub Mini will be available from October 6.