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Hi

The question is often asked “does a Sonos Sub improve the listening experience of Sonos speakers”. IMO the answer is “Yes”. 

The more prudent answer given by community members (in most cases) is to suggest that the person asking the question allow their ears to make the final judgement. Meaning…purchase a Sonos sub and return it within the Sonos return window for your region; if not satisfied.  In the US the Sonos return window is 45 days. You can also do the same from a local or online retailer that offers a reasonable return policy/window.

Sonos speakers (IMO) are great but none offer the low-end that I prefer...not even the excellent Sonos Five. However, there are considerations. 

As you are aware Sonos offers a full size sub and now after much lobbying by community members the Sub-Mini. Both subs serve a specific purpose for their intended use. Before I go further…to keep things simple in this discussion…”Cost” is not a factor of consideration regarding the full size sub versus the sub-mini.

IMO there are use scenarios wherein the full-size sub may serve you better than the sub-mini and vise versa. For my purposes the full-size sub is a home theater product. The sub-mini is more applicable for music listening. However, that’s not to say (given the multitude of possible variables that may come into play) that the suggested use scenario for either sub might be reversed.

I’m not a “bass-head” when it comes to music. I prefer a flat-line that allows the music to be heard as it was originally recorded with very little coloring. That said I’ve found a sub-mni to be an excellent speaker to carry the low-end when listening to music.

I have two Era 100’s set as a stereo pair bonded to a sub-mini in my garage which is 27 x 25 feet with 10 foot ceiling. The Era 100’s are 6 feet apart mounted on a wall 8 feet above floor level. I can definitely hear the difference if I remove the sub-mini. The sub-mini sits in a corner. IMO a full-size sub would have been over-kill however as I said I’m not a “bass-head”. I also have a pair of Era 300’s bonded to a sub-mini that sits behind a sofa that delivers plenty of low-end for traditional stereo and Dolby Atmos spatial audio music.

I watch a lot of movies with Dolby Atmos sound tracks. So much so that I have a media room with Arc, Era 300’s as surrounds and dual full size subs. I really want to hear and feel the explosions and/or any noise intended for the low-end spectrum.  I have a similar setup in another room and in my bedroom. Similar for those rooms means that only one full-size sub is used. A sub-mini would have sufficed for the bedroom but I had an unused full-sized sub available. Just to add…a Sonos sub of any size will improve the dialogue for a Sonos soundbar be it an Arc, Beam2 or Ray.

The bottom-line here IMO is that a Sonos sub (full-size or mini)_given your preference for low-end be it a lot or a little in a particular use scenario_ is well worth the investment. 

Hi @AjTrek1,

Thanks for sharing your detailed opinion on the Sub and Sub-Mini. You’ve raised a lot of good points that some users may not consider, such as having a Sub in a Home Theater setup improving dialogue.

I’d say that I’m also not a bass-head when it comes to music, and my room size doesn’t really constitute the addition of a Sub, but I do agree that having a Sub will always improve your listening experience.

I’m sure this post will help other users who are looking into whether they need a Sub or not come to a decision. Also, for if they actually need a Sub, they can always try it out as you’ve said and then return it if they’re not satisfied.

Thank you for another incredibly well written post, always learn something from you. 

Thanks @Jamie A and @Bumper. Glad you enjoyed the read 😊

 

I’m sure this post will help other users who are looking into whether they need a Sub or not come to a decision. 

In which case, is this thread being saved in some way from getting submerged as subsequent new threads keep getting opened? Such that it is easily found by Sub users say two years from now?

There is another advantage of a Sub that is counterintuitive, for the value it adds in low volume listening to music, where because bass levels are also decreased, the music sounds thin. The presence of a Sub can prevent that, allowing even music playing at low levels to sound rich enough to enjoy it more. The other benefit is that because the main speakers do not have to deal with low frequencies, they do a better job of the frequencies passed to them, allowing for a subtle change for the better delivery of what is all important for acoustic music/vocals, the mid range. This also allows for the main speakers to be smaller in size and therefore being easier to place with no effect on sound quality; assuming that one has place for the Sub!

What also needs to be added to this thread is how best to place the Sub both for music play, or if one has two Subs in the room, because in such cases, they can cancel each other out. And also, for such dual Sub set ups, what is the way to get best results from Trueplay tuning, for a multiple Sub configuration for music play. Personally, I think two Subs make little sense for music play in all but very large rooms, but for those that think otherwise, this may still be a useful addition to the thread.

I was not satisfied with only an Arc (either tv or music in a medium to large room).. I recently added a sub-mini which improved the overall sound significantly.. I’m not sure the premium we pay for Sonos is worth it..

Yes. Sub does improve listening experience. BUT. You get out what you put in. Anime/tv shows from 90ties? Dont bother. Newest star wars on disney? Good quality music? Even spotify? Your windows will easily be shaking.

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