Finally, Sonos has a subwoofer that's more affordable and practical for smaller spaces, the Sub Mini. It only took 10 years to get here. Sonos' original wireless Sub, which debuted in 2012, has always been targeted at its most hardcore users. With a launch price of $699, it was just as expensive as the company's flagship Playbar, and its enormous size made it overkill for apartments. (It's now $50 more after Sonos' recent price hikes.)

Casual Sonos fans were basically out of luck, especially as the company released more affordable soundbars, like the Beam and Ray. You probably wouldn't want to pair a $699 subwoofer with a speaker that costs $400 or less. Simply put, the $429 Sub Mini fills a huge gap in Sonos's lineup. But is it actually any good?

Sonos Sub Mini

Sonos Sub Mini top profile

If I could, I'd show you my cat's shocked reaction as I blasted Baby Driver's opening car chase on the Sonos Arc in my family room. Sonos may not be the most price-conscious company around, but it's always made reliably great speakers. The Sub Mini is no exception.

Now I know, if you own an Arc, you'd most likely opt for the beefier Sonos Sub. But I was still impressed by how much the smaller subwoofer helped, especially for a soundbar that already delivered some fabulous low-end sound on its own. Muffled shotgun firing at the beginning of Baby Driver shook my walls (and made one cat leap into the air). I could viscerally feel the rumble of engines, the impact of car crashes and the weight shift every time Baby used the emergency brake for a sharp turn. The Sub Mini transformed the movie from something I was just watching to something I was experiencing.

I was genuinely surprised by how big the Sub Mini sounded, especially since it's a relatively small cylinder. It weighs 14 pounds — 22 pounds lighter than the big Sonos Sub — and features dual six-inch woofers that face inward. Its sealed design means it doesn't push out a ton of air like ported subs, but that also ensures a tighter bass response. The Sub Mini can reach down to 25Hz – more than enough to make the opening of Blade Runner 2049 hit me right in the gut.