Hands On With The Sonos Sub

The Sonos Sub, not to be confused with the Five-Dollar Footlong, is a subwoofer that works wirelessly with the Sonos family of devices and adds considerable bass to any Sonos CONNECT:AMP, PLAY:5, or PLAY:3 device. It is a substantial device with two force-canceling speakers that outputs down to 25 Hz.

At $699 this isn’t your run-of-the-mill audio purchase. However, the difference in sound reproduction with and without the Sub is quite striking.

I have dual PLAY:5s pumping out audio in my living room and I thought they were more than sufficient for my needs. However, after adding the Sub I noticed a fuller range of sound as the PLAY:5s took over on the high end and Sub was able to add bass. The difference, as they say, is night and day.

The Sub is full of subtle menace. A center hole is lined by grey plastic while the casing is piano black and almost featureless. You can play it standing up or lying down and the only branding is the Sonos logo on the top. A power cable is all you need to keep this thing running so it could feasibly be in any spot in the house.

All told, this is an impressive piece of hardware. Audiophile it isn’t, but in terms of convenience, sound field, and fidelity you could do much worse.

There are some caveats, however. You’re obviously dealing with brand lock-in so be sure you like and use your Sonos gear before picking this up. Also remember that this will sit alongside your other audio hardware like a glossy black monolith. Two subs in one room – one for the Sonos and one for the home theatre – might make for a headache.

The Sub is available today at Sonos.com and is well worth considering of you’re a certified Sonosphile.

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