What a honey of a subwoofer. I love good audio, even though next to the best audiophiles I know I feel like somewhat of an oafish clod, like bringing your schnauzer to a wine tasting. But still, I love and appreciate good audio.
I also love and appreciate living in an apartment without rattling the windows to pieces. I mean that’s fun, too, until you get evicted. So when UPS dropped off the new Sonos Sub 4 last fall, shortly after it launched in late October, I unboxed the chunk and shuddered at the premonition of wall-shaking bass that was sure to come.
It didn’t. Only fairly glorious sound, with less shaking than the smaller, budget Vizio subwoofer it was displacing. Now it’s $120 off, and at $679 it’s still a premium subwoofer. But is it worth it? Oh yeah.
kind of neighbor-friendly (really)
I noticed something immediately when I plugged in the Sub 4 and wirelessly linked it to the Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar, something that made an immense difference in my continued ability to avoid eviction from my apartment and enjoy great sound.
The Sub 4 uses opposed drivers that face each other, with the promise that they impart all the necessary deep, stomach-rumbling bass while canceling out the unwanted vibrations that rattle the pictures off walls and turn neighbors and roommates into sworn blood enemies.
That’s all well and good for marketing terms, and I’m always skeptical of marketing when it comes to anything. But alongside some deeply satisfying bass, it shook my apartment noticeably less than the more conventional subwoofer it replaced.
Granted, the Sub 4 is a lot pricier than the Vizio, so the greater richness I’d expected. It’s also bigger, though, and my assumption was that I’d get a passive-aggressive note from the neighbor-scribe upstairs (every apartment building has got one), for surely the Sub 4 would shake, rattle, and roll my apartment more than the punier Vizio subwoofer, no? No.
Paired with the equally new and equally kick-ass Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar, also on sale right now for $100 off, the combination transforms into something truly special.
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