Audio Video News

Sonos Bass Boost

Sonos Sub Mini Powered Wireless Subwoofer: $429

For owners of Sonos speakers and soundbars who are looking to wring a little more oomph out of their systems, Sub Mini is a great gift — and perfect upgrade. Standing a foot tall and measuring only 9 inches across, the stylish bass canister is designed to boost the bass of any Sonos non-portable, amplified product, including the new Ray soundbar also featured here. At $429, it’s not a drop in the bucket but it is $320 less than the company’s Sub (now in its third generation) not to mention considerably smaller and lighter.

The Mini connects wirelessly to Sonos speakers through a 5GHz Wi-Fi connection designed for low latency and better lip-sync performance and is super easy to set up and control using the Sonos app. Easy, in part, because the system automatically adjusts the crossover and EQ to match the product the sub is “bonding” with. In a clever design twist that eases cable management, the power connection (and an Ethernet port for those who want a foolproof wired connection) are on the bottom of the sub, which is elevated by rubberized feet. The cabinet houses a pair of Class-D amplifiers and two inward-facing 6-inch woofers, a design said to cancel distortion and boost performance. (The Sonos Sub uses a similar configuration, so there’s proof of concept.)

So how did the little guy perform? Admirably, as illustrated by a series of listening tests conducted by reviewer Leslie Shapiro who was inspired to rewatch the Netflix series “The Terminal List” with the Sub Mini linked to (and greatly expanding the reach of) her Beam soundbar. In addition to hearing and feeling a pounding heartbeat in opening credits she hadn’t noticed before, the sub brought a new dimension of realism to battle sequences: “Explosive impact as gunshots rang out in the underwater caves, followed by grenade discharges, echoed with a massively bass-heavy score.” Music also acquitted itself well with bass that was appropriately tight and controlled. The Sub Mini is a no-brainer for Sonos fans looking to take things up a notch.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Most affordable Sonos subwoofer
Compact, attractive
Controlled, restrained bass response
Minus
No Trueplay for Android
Fixed crossover
Only useable in the Sonos ecosystem

Full Review Here (posted 10/26/22)

Bigger Bass for All

OSD Black Trevoce 12 EQ DSP Subwoofer: $600

Unlike the Sonos Sub Mini, which is designed to work with Sonos speakers, the Trevoce 12 EQ DSP subwoofer from OSD (Optimal Speaker Design) will add a lush bottom end to any speaker system in need of a bass boost. The sub mates a 12-inch woofer with two side-facing passive radiators, app controllable DSP with 25-band parametric equalization, and an 800-watt amplifier in a manageable 15-inch cube. There are also standard crossover, volume, and phase controls but you probably won’t use them once you fire up the app. That you get all this for $600 is impressive.

Reviewer Al Griffin subjected the subwoofer to dual torture tests — one in a system set up for music, the other in a home theater dedicated to movie watching. The Trevoce 12 rendered the bass swells on Steven Wilson's "King Ghost" (The Future Bites) in a clean, dynamic manner and was able to convey the immense power of the deep synth-bass lines on "Valley" from The Orb's 1995 electronic album Orbus Terrarum. “I was impressed with how much of it I was hearing,” Griffin noted, adding: “I was also able to push the volume to near-uncomfortable levels without losing clarity.”

Movie time was every bit as impressive. When the plane gets hijacked and smashes into a hangar in the 2020 sci-fi action thriller Tenet, the impact was palpable, and Ludwig Göransson's droning, bass-heavy score was rendered in an appropriately dynamic manner — one that created the extreme tension the composer was no doubt going for. If the Trevoce isn’t a good fit for anyone on your shopping list, it might be time to treat yourself to an upgrade — or at least let it be known that you could really use a new subwoofer.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Deep bass from a compact design
DSP and app control
Minus
Control app not user-friendly
Unreliable auto on/off function
No wireless connection option

Full Review Here (posted 1/26/22)

A Full-On Surround Bargain

Roku Streambar Pro 5.1 System: $660

Moving up the performance ladder but staying well within the “affordable” category, Roku’s top-of-the-line Streambar Pro 5.1 soundbar system is a great value. You get a versatile a six-piece wireless speaker system that delivers a high-fidelity listening experience with music and an expansive surround-sound experience with movie soundtracks — one that exceeds the performance of other speaker systems in its class. In addition to the soundbar, which functions as a center-channel speaker in a 5.1 configuration, the system includes a surprisingly good powered subwoofer and four small speakers, each an excellent two-way speaker in its own right.

Adding to the value is the inclusion of Roku’s excellent 4K streaming platform, which puts a variety of free and subscription streaming services at your fingertips with shortcuts to favorites such as Netflix and Disney+. The system also provides a number of useful sound settings, including a Night mode for late-evening movie watching and an Expanded Stereo setting that engages all of the speakers when listening to two-channel music or TV/movie sources.

Reviewer Mark Henninger did not mince words when describing his impressions of the Streambar Pro 5.1 system: “When running the full system, it was hard to find fault with its cost. You can spend more on a soundbar and not achieve the same fidelity. Even though it doesn't support Atmos, the sense of immersion is probably better than soundbars that say they support Atmos but don't really do it right.” Bottom line: 5.1 soundtracks sound great because Roku has mastered the fundamentals.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
High fidelity sound
Easy setup
Built-in Roku 4K streaming
Components sold separately
Cordless private-listening mode
Minus
No Dolby Atmos support
Weak bass without the subwoofer

Full Review Here (posted 11/23/22)

No Joke: A THX Speaker System for $600

Monolith M518HT 5.1 THX Sub/Satellite System: $800 ($600 on monoprice.com as of this writing)

Did you know you can buy a THX-certified speaker system for 800 bucks (now on sale for $600)? Neither did we until we heard about Monoprice’s latest audio triumph: the Monolith M518HT speaker system comprising a robust powered subwoofer rated down to 30Hz and five identical satellites, each featuring a concentric “point-source” driver with a 0.8-inch silk-dome tweeter in the throat of a 4.5-inch woofer. Ideal for gamers and movie lovers alike, the system is a powerful home-theater-in-a-box alternative to soundbar-based speaker setups that carries the THX Certified Compact designation, which ensures THX reference-level performance in smallish spaces up to 1,000 cubic feet.

Whether listening to music, watching a movie, or playing Grand Theft Auto Online, reviewer Mark Henninger was captivated by the tiny speakers’ ability to create realistic sound fields and immerse the listener in three-dimensional aural panoramas. “For movies, I checked out scenes from Top Gun: Maverick, Bullet Train, Black Adam, Nope, and Elvis. Each exceeded my expectations for a 5.1 compact system for creating a sense of envelopment, but even with complex action, the dialogue clarity was notable.” No question, Monoprice has raised the bar of what we can expect from the once lowly HTiB. As of this writing, the Monolith M518HT is available on monoprice.com for $600 with delivery in five to seven days.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Compact
Clear and precise sound
Wall mountable
Tunable subwoofer EQ
Minus
4-ohm impedance
Low sensitivity

Full Review Here (posted 12/7/22)

A Soundbar for Audiophiles

Bowers & Wilkins Panorama 3 Atmos Soundbar: $999 ($799 on amazon.com as of this writing)

Deal alert: the price of this upscale all-in-one soundbar has been reduced to $800 on amazon.com — 20% off the regular price of $999. Bowers & Wilkins, more commonly known as B&W, has a storied history of making outstanding speakers — speakers so good that they have been the monitors of choice at London’s iconic Abbey Road Studios for years. So it should come as no surprise that the company’s second soundbar, the upscale Panorama 3, makes good on the promise of delivering audiophile-quality sound, in this case with hi-res music streaming via B&W’s excellent app and movie magic provided courtesy of Dolby Atmos. AirPlay 2 and aptX Adaptive Bluetooth are also on tap for more high-quality streaming options.

The bar packs 400 watts of power and engages 13 drivers to create a 3.1.2 Atmos setup featuring a trio of front-channel arrays — each of which mates a titanium-dome tweeter with two midbass drivers — two upfiring height drivers, and two 4-inch woofers, which make use of a long sealed chamber to produce solid, though not earth-shaking, bass. And then there’s the DSP-controlled equalization that helps keeps everything in check when the volume is pushed to high levels.

Veteran reviewer Rob Sabin was impressed with the Panorama 3’s “highly palatable audiophile playback” and ability to cast a respectably wide image with music, pausing to revel in the outstanding clarity and detail he heard on "Bad Guy" by Billie Eilish and "You Look Good to Me" by the Oscar Peterson Trio, the latter of which garnered special “as good as I’ve heard” praise. Playing a selection of Atmos music and movie titles, he verified the bar’s ability to deliver immersive surround with a sense of height. Falling rain in Disney’s Jungle Cruise, in particular, provided a nice broad canopy of ambience and the film’s chaotic chase scene left Sabin astonished at the convincing detail and cleanliness of the overall presentation. As of this writing, the Panorama 3 is available on amazon.com for $799 with delivery in time for Christmas.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Audiophile sound for music and movies
Atmos height effects
Good bass
Integrated high-res music streaming
Minus
No expandability for surrounds or sub
No voice-boost or height-channel adjustments

Full Review Here (posted 6/23/22)

Also see 10 S&V-Approved Holiday Gift Picks, which includes three items that can be had for $250 or less:

Apple TV 4K (3rd Generation) Streamer ($129 and $149)

Monolith By Monoprice Belt-Drive Turntable ($250)

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) Noise-Canceling Wireless Earbuds ($249)

To browse all Sound & Vision-recommended AV gear, broken out by category, visit our Top Picks page.