• Sonos Sub Mini - tag
    Sonos Sub Mini
    Our top choice

    The Sonos Sub Mini is a lovely looking subwoofer with a statement design that makes it stand out. It offers great performance too, delivering extra depth to music when required and enhancing action scenes in movies with added punch, to offer a more immersive experience.

    Pros
    • Great design
    • Super simple setup
    • Solid performance
    Cons
    • Limited to Sonos system
    • Still quite expensive
    • Not a necessity
  • Sonos Sub Gen 3 - tag
    Sonos Sub (Gen 3)
    A good alternative

    The Sonos Sub isn't for everyone, nor will it be necessary for everyone, but it is a device that is all about sound and it's an excellent addition to the Sonos system if you can afford it. For those intrigued enough to pay double what you would a regular sub-woofer, you won't be disappointed.

    Pros
    • Great bass
    • Excellent addition to Sonos
    • Easy setup
    Cons
    • Very expensive
    • Big and heavy
    • Could be too loud for some

Key Takeaways

  • The Sonos Sub Mini is a more affordable option compared to the original Sonos Sub, with a price tag of £429/$429/€499, while the Sub costs nearly double at $749/£749/€849.
  • The Sub Mini has a cylindrical shape with a matte finish and comes in Black and White color options, while the Sub has a square shape, a glossy finish, and is significantly larger and heavier.
  • Both the Sub Mini and the Sub have similar features and can be paired with other Sonos speakers or soundbars to enhance the bass. However, the Sub can be paired with multiple Subs for even more bass, while the Sub Mini cannot be paired with another Sub Mini or the Sub.

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 over 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. We give you the Sonos subwoofer comparison.

Specs, price, availability

Let's start with the price as there is a pretty substantial difference between the Sonos Sub Mini and the Sonos Sub Gen 3. The Sonos Sub Mini costs £429 in the UK, $429 in the US and €499 in Europe. It arrived in on 6 October 2022 so it's now widely available across many countries and a number of retailers. It also comes in Black and White colour options, both of which are matte.

The Sonos Sub meanwhile, is nearly double the price of the Sonos Sub Mini. It costs $749 in the US, £749 in the UK and €849 in Europe. The Sonos Sub first arrived in May 2012, though the Sonos Sub Gen 3 was released in June 2020. It offers the same design but an upgraded processor. Like the Sonos Sub Mini, there are Black and White colour options, but the Sub Gen 3 has a glossy finish.

You can see a quick rundown of the main specifications of the Sonos Sub Mini and Sonos Sub Gen 3 side-by-side below, including their dimensions and weight, though we go into more detail further down.


  • Sonos Sub MiniSonos Sub (Gen 3)
    Dimensions230 x 305mm (12 x 9.1-inches)389 x 402 x 158mm (15.3 x 15.8 x 6.2-inches)
    BrandSonosSonos
    AmplifersTwo Class-DTwo Class-D
    ColorsBlack, WhiteBlack, White
    WoofersDual 6-inch, inward facingTwo engineered drivers, inward facing
    ConnectivityWi-Fi, EthernetWi-Fi, Ethernet
    Weight6.35kg (14lbs) 16kg (36.3lbs)

Sonos Sub mini vs Sub Gen 3 design

Sonos Sub Mini review photo 6

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 as we mentioned above. It looks great overall, with the matte finish offering a lovely modern look. We are also huge fans of the white colour option.

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 glossy finish does mean it picks up more dust than the Sub Mini, though it's flat-edge design does mean you can place it out of the way under a sofa for example, while the Sub Mini has to be on show.

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

Sonos Sub Mini review photo 12
Pocket-lint

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 and you really are talking seconds to set it up.

Inside, the Sonos Sub Mini has class-D amplifiers and dual 6-inch woofers that face inwards for a force-cancelling 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

Sonos Sub Review All About That Bass image 3
Pocket-lint

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 Gen 3 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.

Sonos Sub Mini or Sub Gen 3: Which should you buy?

The Sonos Sub Mini has many of the same features as the Sonos Sub Gen 3 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 be more than adequate.If you have a larger room, or one of Sonos' larger speakers, like the Sonos Arc, Sonos Five or Sonos Era 300, 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.

Sonos Sub Mini - main
Sonos Sub Mini
Our top choice

The Sonos Sub Mini is an exceptional option for those that want to add some extra bass to a small or medium-sized room. It pairs up perfectly with the Era 100, Era 300 and older Sonos One speakers, as well as the Ray and Beam soundbars.

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.

Sonos Sub
Sonos Sub (Gen 3)
Good alternative

For those that have a larger room, or want more than one Sub, the Sonos Sub Gen 3 is the one you'll want to be looking at. It pairs up perfectly with the Era 300, Sonos Five and the Arc soundbar for more bass than you'll probably know what to do with.