Roku isn't the only company with a new small subwoofer for its speakers. Sonos just announced its own, the Sub Mini.
The Sonos Sub Mini is a scaled-down version of the Sonos Sub, the company's already established add-on subwoofer for its sound systems. At 14 pounds it's about a third the weight of the Sonos Sub, though it's a few inches wider at 9.1 inches. While the Sub is boxy and the Sub Mini is cylindrical, both share a similar cut-out design with a long, oblong keyhole in the center.
Despite sharing that hole-in-the-center look, the Sub Mini is engineered differently from its larger sibling. Based on the specs Sonos shared, it appears to use a sealed design for its dual 6-inch drivers, compared with the ported drivers on the Sub. Sonos claims this design reduces distortion and improves bass response; the former makes sense, but we're skeptical of the latter considering how subwoofers rely on moving large amounts of air, which is why most are ported to begin with.
Both subwoofers connect to 5GHz Wi-Fi networks (the Sub also supports 2.4GHz) and must be integrated into a Sonos wireless speaker system. This can be as simple as a single Sonos One or an entire home theater setup with a soundbar and multiple satellites. Sonos recommends that the Sub Mini be paired with Sonos' smaller speakers like the Ray soundbar, while the Sub works better with the Arc (and both are suited for the midsized Beam).
The Sonos Sub Mini will be available on Oct. 6 for $429, significantly less than the $749 Sonos Sub.