Sonos Sub Mini vs Sonos Sub: Which is right for you?
Sonos announced a more affordable subwoofer in September 2022, in the form of the Sub Mini. The device sits alongside the original Sonos Sub, which was first introduced in 2012. It’s had a couple of generation updates, though its design has remained the same for 10 years.
Now in its third generation, here is how the Sonos Sub compares to the Sonos Sub Mini to help you work out which is right for your setup and which one you should buy.
Sonos Sub Mini vs Sonos Sub (3rd Gen) price
Sub Mini: £439/$429/€499Sub: £749/$749/€849
Let’s start with the price as there is a pretty substantial difference between the Sonos Sub Mini and the Sonos Sub (3rd Gen). The Sonos Sub Mini will cost £429 in the UK, $429 in the US and €499 in Europe when it arrives on 6 October.
The Sonos Sub meanwhile, is nearly double the price. It costs £749 in the UK, $749 in the US and €849 in Europe.
Sonos Sub Mini vs Sub design
Sub Mini: Cylindrical, 230 x 305mm (12 x 9.1-inches), weighs 6.35kg (14lbs)Sub: Square, 389 x 402 x 158mm (15.3 x 15.8 x 6.2-inches), weighs 16kg (36.3lbs)
The Sonos Sub Mini and the original Sonos Sub share similarities, but on the whole, they are quite different in terms of their design. The Sub Mini is cylindrical in shape, with a flat top and an elongated pill-shape cut out in the centre, designed to efficiently move air to maximise bass.
The Sub Mini measures 230 x 305mm (12 x 9.1-inches) and it weighs 6.35kg (14lbs). It also has a matte finish and it comes in Black and White colour options.
The Sonos Sub is square, has a matte finish and it is much larger and heavier than the Sub Mini. The Sub has a flat top, but it also has flat sides, enabling it to be positioned horizontally or vertically. Like the Sub Mini though, the Sub has a cut out in the middle too, and it also comes in Black and White colour options.
The Sub measures 389 x 402 x 158mm (15.3 x 15.8 x 6.2-inches) and it weighs 16kg (36.3lbs) so it is significantly heavier than its Mini sibling.
Sonos Sub Mini vs Sub hardware
Sub Mini: Class-D amplifiers, Dual 6-inch woofers, down to 25HzSub: Class-D amplifiers, Pair of engineered drivers, 25Hz
Both the Sonos Sub Mini and the Sonos Sub come with a pairing button on the rear, along with an Ethernet port and a power port. The Sub Mini features NFC on the top though for even easier pairing with your Sonos system.
Inside, the Sonos Sub Mini has class-D amplifiers and dual 6-inch woofers that face inwards for a force-canceling effect. There’s a sealed cabinet to neutralise distortion and enhance bass response and the Sub Mini offers a frequency response down to 25Hz.
The Sonos Sub also has class-D amplifiers and it has a pair of engineered drivers that are also positioned facing each other for the force-canceling effect and to eliminate rattle and buzz. It too offers a frequency response down to 25Hz, but it is more powerful at the higher frequencies than the Sub Mini.
The Sonos Sub Mini supports 5GHz Wi-Fi, while the Sub has 2.4Ghz or 5GHz support.
Sonos Sub Mini vs Sub features
Sub Mini: Trueplay tuning, EQ customisation, Automatic volumeSub: Trueplay tuning, EQ customisation, Automatic volume, Pair up to three Subs together
The Sonos Sub Mini and the Sonos Sub have similar features. They can both be paired with a Sonos speaker or Sonos soundbar to enhance the bass, and they both have Trueplay tuning on board to automatically adjust the bass to the room it is in when setup.
Both Sonos Subs will also automatically adjust the volume with the paired speaker or soundbar, but you can also adjust the EQ settings in the Sonos app if you want to customise the bass.
Where the Sonos Sub Mini and the Sub (3rd Generation) differ is the Sub Mini cannot be paired with another Sub Mini, or the Sub. The Sub however, can be paired with another two Subs for even more bass.
Conclusion
The Sonos Sub Mini has many of the same features as the Sonos Sub (3rd Gen) but it’s a lot smaller and lighter, whilst also being significantly cheaper.
The Sub Mini isn’t as powerful as the Sonos Sub, and it can’t be paired with another Sub Mini, but for those with small or medium sized rooms, the Sub Mini will likely be more than adequate.
If you have a larger room, or one of Sonos’ larger speakers, like the Sonos Arc or Sonos Five, it’s the larger Sub you’ll want for the power and extra capability, and this model is handy if you want to slide your Sub under your sofa too.
Otherwise though, the Sub Mini has a much softer design than the Sub and many of the same features for a fraction of the price.
