Sonos Sub Mini release appears to have been pushed back to 2023
>
Sonos owners looking to add some extra low end to their brand new Ray sound bars may have a bit more of a wait in store, after it was all but confirmed that its much-anticipated Sub Mini subwoofer has had its release delayed.
Rumours of the device first surfaced last November, when Sonos initially teased the idea of a Sub Mini on its mobile app, with the existence of the device further corroborated when it appeared on the FCC’s database back in June.
According to a leak in May by The Verge, the Sub Mini looks set to be a small cylindrical subwoofer that will be significantly cheaper than the current £749/$749 Sonos Sub, providing the perfect accompaniment to their recently released, more affordable Ray soundbar, as well as teaming up nicely with other speakers in the range such as the Beam and Arc.
Sonos had been widely expected to unveil the petite new bass provider around the time of next month’s IFA expo in Berlin, but those plans appear to have been shelved following an announcement during the multi-room speaker manufacturer’s third quarter earnings call this week.
During Wednesday’s call, Sonos CEO Patrick Spence confirmed that an as-yet unannounced product would be delayed, saying: “We always consider the kind of product that it is, and the timing”.
A Sonos rep later confirmed to The Verge that the company had “decided to push an anticipated product launch from Q4 ’22 into Q1 ’23.”
There was further bad news during the call, with the company revealing lower than expected revenue in its Q3 earnings report, pointing to high inflation and smaller consumer demand for its products, along with a warning of a “challenging Q4.”
Analysis: The wait for a new Sonos sub is long-overdue
It’s now over a decade since Sonos first introduced its Sonos Sub. There have been a couple of updated versions to the high-end wireless subwoofer with some minor tweaks in that time, but its hefty form factor and equally weighty asking price will likely have put off many Sonos owners from adding a bit more body to their multi-room audio setups.
The last 12 or so months have seen a raft of new releases from the company – from the second-generation Sonos Beam last autumn, to the Sonos Roam SL, new colours of the Roam and the Sonos Ray, but for many existing Sonos system owners, it’s the Sub Mini that they will have been most anticipating.
On top of the list of those most keenly waiting for the new device will be new owners of the Sonos Ray. With its smaller form factor and less beefy sound, its release appeared somewhat incomplete without the option of adding an equally compact bass expander. This extra wait may now add further frustration to those early owners of the new soundbar.