Sonos Sub Mini update shares bad news

If you've been waiting excitedly for the Sonos Sub Mini, its smaller and more affordable version of the hugely impressive Sonos Sub, it looks like you'll have to wait a bit longer to see if it's one of the best subwoofers for you.

As The Verge reports, Sonos has told investors that it has decided to push back the product launch it had planned for the near future. We already know from previous leaks that Sonos was planning to launch the Sub Mini this year and most industry watchers expected an August/September launch; it now seems that the launch will be between October and December, assuming Sonos doesn't delay it further.

If the Sonos Sub Mini doesn't launch until the later part of that time frame, or if it's delayed again, that could see Sonos lose potential customers to rivals: with the usual Black Friday madness not that far in the future and lots of soundbar and subwoofer deals likely to come over the next few months, lots of people will be splashing out on soundbar and subwoofer packages as the nights draw in. Without the Sub Mini, the cheapest Sonos soundbar/sub combination is over $1,000/£1,000.

Tough times for high-end hi-fi

Like many high-end firms, Sonos isn't having the best 2022: while the global semiconductor shortage is fading away the double whammy of a strong dollar and rising inflation have softened demand, and Sonos admits it has more products in its inventory than it'd like. Sales of the Sonos Ray soundbar weren't as great as expected either, which Sonos says is largely due to a slowdown in TV sales. However, the firm told The Verge that it's confident the Ray will prove to be a soundbar success story.

For now, if you want to add a sub to your Sonos setup you'll need the Sonos Sub, whose RRP is $749/£749 – although if you have the Sonos Amp, you can choose your own subwoofer and connect it to the RCA output. But if you're looking for an affordable sub to go with your Sonos Ray or Beam, you'll have to wait a little longer. Hopefully the Sub Mini will be a subwoofer worth waiting for.