Sonos Sub by Sonos Inc. - more bass for the streaming living room

The Sonos Sub stands in the corner like a glossy black monolith, its central cut-out forming a quiet frame for the cables along the wall. One tap on the Sonos app, one bass-heavy track, and the floorboards start to hum under your feet.

Wireless bass add-on for Sonos

Sonos Sub is a wireless subwoofer designed as an add-on for Sonos speakers and soundbars, from the Beam and Ray to the Arc and Era line. It connects via Wi-Fi and is set up in a few minutes through the Sonos app on a phone or tablet.

The unit uses two force-cancelling drivers placed face-to-face in the curved chamber, which helps cancel cabinet vibration and reduce rattling even at high volume. Sonos specifies a frequency response that reaches deep into the low bass range, with practical measurements in specialist tests showing usable output down to around 25 Hz.

Design, finish and footprint

In the living room, the Sub feels less like a tech box and more like a piece of minimalist furniture, thanks to its rectangular frame and the open slot in the center. The current generation comes in high-gloss black and, in some markets, in white, the lacquer reflecting light and fingerprints equally well.

At roughly 389 x 402 x 158 mm and about 16 kg, the subwoofer has a clear physical presence but can be laid flat under a sofa or stood upright against a wall. The enclosure is sealed, with the drivers hidden behind the central opening, which keeps dust and curious fingers away while maintaining airflow around the unit.

Targeted for home cinema and music

Product manager Giles Martin, who advises Sonos on sound design, has repeatedly stressed that the Sub is tuned for both film and music listening, not just explosions and effects. In cinema mode, the Sub expands the Arc or Beam into a full 5.1 system when paired with rear speakers.

For music, the unit can partner with stereo pairs of Sonos One, Era 100 or Era 300, taking over the lowest frequencies so that the main speakers sound cleaner and more open. Many users place the Sub slightly off-center to keep it from dominating the room visually, while still benefiting from its omnidirectional bass output.

Setup, app and Trueplay tuning

On first setup, the Sonos app guides the user through adding the Sub to an existing room, with clear prompts to place it away from walls if possible. The app automatically detects compatible speakers and groups the subwoofer to follow their volume and mute state.

With an iOS device, the optional Trueplay tuning feature measures the room via microphone sweeps and adjusts the Sub’s level and EQ to reduce boomy resonances. Users can still manually tweak the sub level and crossover behaviour via the app, but the default settings aim to deliver deep yet controlled bass without manual tweaking.

Connectivity, compatibility and multiroom

The Sub connects over 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi to the Sonos system, avoiding the need for a physical audio cable. It does require mains power, and there is an Ethernet port for wired networking if the local wireless environment is congested or unstable.

Compatibility-wise, the current Sonos Sub pairs with most modern Sonos speakers and soundbars, including Arc, Beam, Ray, Era 100, Era 300, Sonos One, One SL and Five, but not with portable speakers like Roam and Move. In a multiroom setup, the Sub remains anchored to one room; its bass will not follow you when music is playing in other rooms without a dedicated subwoofer.

Pricing and availability

In Germany, Sonos lists the Sub at an MSRP of around 899 euros, positioning it clearly as a premium accessory rather than an impulse purchase. Retailers occasionally offer discounts, but pricing tends to be relatively stable due to Sonos’ controlled distribution strategy.

The product is available directly via the Sonos online shop and through selected electronics chains and specialist audio dealers. On the Sonos website, the Sub is marketed as an add-on for Arc and Beam in home cinema bundles, and it often appears in promotional sets with matching rear speakers for a full surround system.

Role in Sonos Inc.'s portfolio

From a business perspective, the Sub sits in Sonos’ home audio hardware segment, which is a major revenue contributor alongside the company’s portable speakers. CEO Patrick Spence and his team use such accessory products to increase the average revenue per household, as many families start with a single speaker and then expand.

This strategy is visible in product messaging: Sonos presents the Sub not as a standalone device but as a natural second or third purchase for existing customers. The company’s investor communications frequently mention multiroom expansion and attached device sales as drivers of gross margin improvement and recurring engagement in the existing user base.

Sonos Sub and the Sonos Inc. share

For investors watching Sonos Inc., the Sub is one of several hardware add-ons that deepen the customer’s lock-in to the Sonos ecosystem and can support the company’s hardware revenue over time. On Xetra, Sonos Inc. stock most recently traded in the low double-digit euro range, reflecting market expectations on hardware demand and ecosystem stickiness.