Sonos Sub Mini Assessment: All About That Bass

Subwoofers appeared elusive to me for a few years—solely wealthy individuals, automobile individuals, or audiophiles actually handled them, and my household fell into none of these classes. After a lifetime of counting on actually horrible built-in audio system, my in-laws gifted us a sound system from Definitive Know-how, however even then I by no means foresaw myself establishing audio system past a Bluetooth connection. Fortunately, the Sonos Sub Mini doesn’t require far more than that so as to add far more bass to an current Sonos soundbar, however wouldn’t it have sufficient energy to fill my lounge?

I nervously swapped my present soundbar and subwoofer for the Beam (Gen 2) and new Sub Mini, fearful that the area they saved would price the sound that crammed the room. A lot to my shock, the Mini produced a thumping bass and a transparent sound. When you’re after a compact manner so as to add extra bass to your Sonos system, that is simply the ticket.

Adjustable Bass

I really like that the Sonos Mini Subwoofer is wi-fi. Except for plugging it into an influence supply, you join the Mini to your system by the Sonos app by including it to whichever system you want. In my case, I added it to the “lounge” system, simply pairing it with my Beam (Gen 2) with mainly a single faucet. This makes it easy if you wish to change methods, permitting you to plug the Mini in elsewhere and add it to whichever different rooms you might have arrange. Most individuals might not have a subwoofer of their bed room, nevertheless it’s really easy to maneuver that I’ve considered pairing the Mini with my Sonos Ray many instances.

Throughout your preliminary Sonos setup, you possibly can join your chosen distant to your sound system. Nonetheless, in case you’re keen on fine-tuning your listening expertise, the Sonos App is the way in which to go. Except for setting bass and treble ranges, you may as well modify sub and top audio, set quantity limits, and add encompass audio system to your setup.

It’s a bummer that Trueplay Tuning, which permits the audio system to tune themselves to your particular person room, hasn’t caught as much as the present iOS but, however that hangup spans all of Sonos and any non-iOS gadget for the time being. That being mentioned, the Mini nonetheless produces nice sound all through the room. There have been instances I needed to verify if it was really raining exterior as a result of the pitter-patters from my film dispersed so naturally.

However whereas a sub does quite a bit for readability and element in different scenes, I’d be remiss to not acknowledge what the individuals need: that bass. Whether or not you’re bumping Biggie or blaring Thundercat, bass could make all of the distinction in case your enjoyment. Each film rating and Midnights hear was completely punctuated with percussion. Each quiet dialog and screaming match had crisp, articulate highs and lows. And each single time a dragon landed on HBO, it virtually felt prefer it stepped proper into my lounge.

All Cylinders Firing

{Photograph}: Sonos

In my expertise, the straightforward physics of low-end (usually, a much bigger speaker plus extra mass means larger bass) subwoofers usually aren’t small. The one one I’ve ever had was a hefty field that always acted as additional tabletop space for storing out of necessity. Quite the opposite, the Sonos Mini is small, cylindrical, and trendy (very similar to its different Sonos brethren).

The wealthy, full sound takes up loads of air area in my one-bedroom, however the Mini will not be for each lounge. Very similar to the Sonos Ray, this subwoofer is ideal for house dwelling rooms, smaller rooms, and starter sound methods total. It packs sufficient punch to intensify no matter you’re taking part in with out disrupting the neighbors or different housemates, and it gained’t rattle your private home or house to the inspiration.

My solely criticism in regards to the design is that the cylindrical form could be troublesome to configure right into a room with Tetris-like furnishings. Each nook in my house issues, and the roundness doesn’t precisely click on proper into place subsequent to my rectangular leisure heart. That being mentioned, it seems to be like a refined piece of decor, and with just a little little bit of maneuvering it suits in simply effective.

My different minor gripe with the Sub Mini is the price. At just a little beneath $450, it’s a really costly addition to most sound methods, particularly when pairing it with different costly Sonos audio system just like the Arc ($900) or the Beam ($450). But it surely’s on par with different wi-fi subs of its caliber, and Sonos is thought for larger pricing than opponents in change for its wonderful ease of use (à la Apple) so sadly that’s simply the character of the beast right here.

All prices apart, I couldn’t imagine how properly this tiny, top-notch speaker took over my lounge. It’s not an ideal alternative for bigger household rooms, however in case you’re furnishing your house or different smaller rooms and actually wish to amplify your listening expertise, the Sonos Sub Mini is a superb selection—no audio nerdiness crucial.