Here's the design of Sonos's upcoming Sub Mini
Here's the design of Sonos's upcoming Sub Mini
Sonos last week announced its most affordable soundbar ever. But some of the company's loyal customers were disappointed by the lack of a less expensive subwoofer to go with the new Sonos Ray. It felt like it was the right time to announce a product that has been rumored for months. The only subwoofer that Sonos currently sells is the $749 sub, which costs more than both the Ray and the Beam—so it's hard to justify as an accessory on those terms.
But despite no announcement last week, The Verge can confirm that Sonos is getting closer to releasing a smaller, less expensive subwoofer capable of connecting wirelessly with the Sonos Ray, Beam, and Arc. Is. What will happen. Rumors about such a device surfaced a few months ago after Sonos accidentally leaked some early details in its mobile app. At the time, screenshots revealed the name of the product - Sub Mini - and The Verge is now able to confirm this branding.
More importantly, for the first time ever, after seeing an image of the upcoming product, I've been able to share a preview of the Sub Mini's general design. In earlier leaks, Sonos described it as a "small, cylindrical subwoofer", and The Verge's 3D render matches it. The sub mini is the Sonos model S37, which comes directly after the S36, which ended up as $279.
Ask any sub owner and they'll confirm how much of a difference a subwoofer makes when watching a movie or listening to music. When Sonos soundbars recognize a linked sub, they adjust the audio output to focus on the higher frequencies, dropping the low rumble and floor-rattling bass on the dedicated subwoofer.
The main thing that sets the Sub Mini hardware apart is a tall, pill-shaped vertical cutout right in the middle of the device. It just so happens that the regular sub has a rectangular cutout, so Sonos seems to have settled on this for functionality and as a design feature of sorts. In the case of the Sub, there are acoustic ports on either side, so it will follow that the Sub Mini will have a similar internal layout – albeit with smaller, less powerful components.
Features, specific release timing and pricing details for the Sub Mini are yet to be learned, and the same goes for the actual size and dimensions of the hardware. But the broad stroke design seen here should be similar to what Sonos will announce in the coming months. The Verge has reached out to the company for comment.
During a February call with investors, Sonos CEO Patrick Spence said, "In fiscal year 2022, we are focused on launching new products across our existing product categories." Like the Sonos Ray, the Sub Mini will meet those criteria and fit into the company's home theater lineup.
Sonos' fiscal year runs through September 2022, so any announcements in an entirely new product category (like wireless headphones) will have to wait until the fall. According to Chief Financial Officer Brittany Bagley, Sonos has launched five products so far in 2022. That count apparently includes the new Sonos ROM SL, Sonos Ray soundbar, new colors of the standard ROM, and the second-gen Beam (released last September). In addition to Sonos Voice Control.
According to people familiar with the matter, Spence has expressed frustration internally with Sonos employees over the increase in leaks recently. In addition to revealing the Ray's design a few weeks before its official introduction, The Verge also teased Sonos' announcement of its own voice control service, which will be available to customers in the US on June 1.
"I know it's hard for all of you, but ... we want to make sure that when we actually have it ready, we bring it out to the world, and only then do we go about it." Talk." He said on last week's earnings call how the recent acquisition could factor into future Sonos products.
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