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It’s a Hard Nocs Life With the Small, But Mighty and Minimalist Mini

09.14.23 | By
It’s a Hard Nocs Life With the Small, But Mighty and Minimalist Mini

Swedish soundsmiths Nocs went unapologetically big with their initial monolithic speaker design, a handmade minimalist ode to music realized in a blackened birch plywood cabinet, powered by a Class-D amplifier, and an array of 3.5-inch full range drivers and 6-inch dual vented woofers. The unique three-over-two arrangement resulted in an enormous presence both aurally and physically, with something we’d describe as a Batman+boombox aesthetic. Nocs Lab’s followup, the Nocs Mini, sets out to attain a similar presence and retain a familiar design language but at a more modest (and affordably priced) scale.

Front slightly angled view of the Nocs Mini wireless speaker showing the pair of stacked driver speakers over the perforated pixel pattern anodized aluminum plate.

Photo: Ion Kombokis

“We were driven to preserve the Nocs Studio sound within a smaller unit,” explains Nocs Founder, Daniel Alm. “In the process, we encountered several challenges: For example how do we maintain a solid bass response within this ultra-compact frame? The answer lay in our decision to choose a subwoofer module with a passive radiator over the conventional vented design – a choice that defines Mini’s distinct character.”

Angled cropped view from the Nocs Mini's left side showing the perforated pixel pattern anodized aluminum plate and two top drivers.

An anodized aluminum plate covering the passive radiator offered Nocs a subtle section of the speaker to embellish, featuring a perforated pixel pattern. \\\ Photo: Ion Kombokis

Front slightly angled view of the Nocs Mini wireless speaker showing the pair of stacked driver speakers over the perforated pixel pattern anodized aluminum plate against light background.

Photo: Ion Kombokis

The challenge required a year’s research and development before the Nocs team reached a satisfactory solution. Utilizing the same technical platform as their larger Monolith audio system, the Mini is equipped with a pair of Scan Speak drivers and bolstered on the low end by a custom tuned subwoofer module. The two over sub layout is powered by a 110 watt Class-D amplifier housed within the CNC’ed MDF cabinet measuring 10.6 x 9 x 3.9 x 4.1 inches.

Upper left top corner of the Nocs Mini all black wireless speaker zoomed into one of its two Scan Speak drivers.

Photo: Daniel Alm

The Mini may be smaller, but it is designed to be a prolific presence if you desire to use them in multitude. Up to eight Minis can be connected for multi-room playback/wireless stereo, including mix-and-match setups integrating the original and larger Monolith with a single or multitude of Minis all conjoined using the Nocs app.

Nocs Mini all black wireless speaker set on console wood table with Flos table lamp to the left with concrete wall with frame art above it.

Just like its big brother, the Monolith, the Mini supports Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, and Bluetooth 5.0 (Apple AirPlay 2 support is in the works). \\\ Photo: Daniel Alm

In the effort to make a more sustainable product, Nocs made the decision to move their manufacturing from China back to Sweden and Europe, most notably in Estonia where speaker manufacturing is a well-established industry. Additionally, the speaker was designed with modular components that can be repaired and upgraded one part at a time, leaving the majority of the unit aesthetically intact.

Detail cropped photo of the Nocs Mini's left side of the perforated pixel pattern anodized aluminum plate and one driver.

The Mini features Sorbothane damping pads at the base to curb unwanted vibrations even at the highest volumes. \\\ Photo: Ion Kombokis

The Nocs Mini will be available for pre-order for $750, and will begin shipping orders the first week of October.

Gregory Han is a Senior Editor at Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.