I tried this Amazon best-selling soundbar from Bose, is it really worth buying?

Date:
Sat, 13 Dec 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Description:
I tested Boses Amazon best-selling soundbar is it worthy of my recommendation?

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Fed up with your TV delivering obscured dialogue, weak bass, and tinny, high-volume sound? Then it may be time for an audio upgrade. Thats right, Id highly recommend picking up a soundbar not only for those seeking immersive Dolby Atmos and surround sound, but also for those who want to enjoy
generally clear, all-around audio.

If a basic audio upgrade is all youre after, there are plenty of options around some great, some not so much. One of the best-selling models on
Amazon is the Bose TV Speaker. Its a soundbar I was familiar with but had never actually tested myself. That was until recently.

Yes, I called in the Bose TV speaker and spent hours upon hours watching movies and listening to music to determine whether its actually worth buying. As someone whos tested dozens of models, including many of the best cheap soundbars , my expectations were pretty high for this one, so without further ado, lets get into my impressions on Boses compact best-seller. (Image
credit: Future) Sound check (Image credit: Future)

First of all, what is the Bose TV speaker? Its a 2.0 channel standalone soundbar, so theres no subwoofer or rear speakers included in the box. Its a small model, which is ideal for smaller-sized TVs, and can connect to your TV via HDMI ARC or digital optical. It can also be linked to another device
like a smartphone over Bluetooth or AUX.

Setting up the Bose TV speaker was incredibly easy, and it even comes with a mini remote, which is responsive and straightforward to use. Although I will note one thing theres no HDMI cable included in the box, just an optical alternative. I was a bit puzzled by this, but luckily I had an HDMI cable on hand for testing.

In terms of sound quality, the Bose TV Speaker is certainly not a bad choice. I started by firing up The Mask on our Panasonic DP-UB820, and there were
some clear positives from the off. For instance, during a scene with The Mask and Tina dancing, the music played through with good overall clarity, with
the expressive lead sax never sounding tinny or recessed, and the percussion hitting with solid impact.

In more dialogue-heavy scenes, speech was certainly clearer than Id expect from a small or older TV. In the movies more chaotic scenes of which there are many dialogue wasnt expertly separated from the rest of the action, however. There is a speech enhancement setting, which does help in this regard, but it creates a less balanced sound overall, which isnt ideal for movies it would certainly be handy for podcasts, though.

When I turned the volume up high, there was also some noticeable compression at one point, Stanley yelled at the bank owners son, and I picked up on some distortion there. This is fairly common for a small model like the Bose TV Speaker, but it's certainly worth bearing in mind.

The area where the Bose TV Speaker impressed me the most was with its bass response. Is it perfect? No, you wont get the raw power that a subwoofer provides, and dynamics arent exactly top-drawer either. But it certainly outstrips a lot of the competition in its size class.

When I flicked on The Boy and the Heron , I was satisfied by the
low-frequency rumble running through a scene in which a horde of frogs and fish bellow JOIN US! Premium models like the Marshall Heston 60 provide even heftier low-end might, but that bar is double the price of Boses Amazon best-seller. Even when watching Barbarian , the haunting bass blaring as a character dashes away was meaty and attention-grabbing, only furthering my immersion in the action.

The bass boost button on the remote also works well for movies, creating an even more enveloping low-end performance. For music, the bass boost function can cause low-frequency sounds to come across as a bit boomy and uncontrolled
something I discovered when bumping Mushroom Jazz by Prunk. As impactful as the bass was, I did sense that vocal chops and higher-pitched elements got a little overwhelmed.

In general, this soundbar isnt going to be the best for music, as is the case for a lot of smaller bars in this price range. Swing Shift by Ned Doheny
didnt have the cohesive sound I was looking for vocals sounded understated, subtle guitars werent all too well defined, and bass wasnt as agile or balanced as Id like. You still get a decent listen, just dont expect the nuance or razor-sharp clarity that some premium competitors serve up. Is it really worth it? (Image credit: Future)

This soundbar does not support more expansive sound formats like Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, so you wont get that intoxicating three-dimensional audio that
rival soundbars supply. Still, this bar creates an impression of audio
flowing beyond its limited confines, something I discovered when a character fell from a distance in Barbarian .

Beyond sound, there are a few positives to discuss. First of all, the bar's build quality isnt half bad. Its solidly made and has a fairly sleek look, with a clear LED display, an attractive speaker grille, and a well-finished outer casing.

This soundbar also provides the chance to connect up a subwoofer, though
youll have to purchase these separately. This model is compatible with either the Bose Bass Module 500 or Bass Module 700. Theres also the option to wall mount the soundbar again, though, youll need to buy the required kit separately.

Equally, there are some significant drawbacks to mention. First of all,
theres no companion app. Thats a shame, as that means you dont get any fancy features like EQ adjustment, room calibration, or alter channel levels. Thats something that we really liked about the slightly pricier and newer Bose
Smart Soundbar .

And lets talk about price for a moment. This model is still sometimes on sale at full price, despite launching in 2020. For reference, it typically costs $279 / 269.95 / AU$419.95. For me, that asking price is just too high. In fact, even though Ive seen it fall to less than $200 / 200 / AU$400 on occasion, I still think your money could be better spent.

One of our favorite budget-friendly models, the Sony HT-S2000 , is regularly available for less than $300 / 270 / AU$400, and it blows this Bose model out of the water. It packs in effective Dolby Atmos effects, awesome bass output, and clear dialogue.

Even if you want something cheaper, you can go for the Sonos Ray , another older model. This one doesnt support HDMI, but we still felt it delivered
big, well balanced sound, beautiful looks, and satisfyingly clear speech reproduction. That model is often floating about for less than $220 / 160 / AU$290.

So, would I recommend the Bose TV Speaker? Well, its a little complicated. I think that its a decent model overall, with pretty good bass performance,
good connectivity options, and solid looks. It will provide a considerable upgrade over TV audio in general, too, and if you can grab it at a record low price, it could be worth considering.

Ultimately, though, I think it falls a little flat in the value department. The lack of a companion app, the sometimes underwhelming dialogue clarity,
and that asking price mean that Id give the edge to those aforementioned rivals. The Atmos-enabled Sony HT-S2000 would definitely be my number one pick, but make sure to check out our guide to the best soundbars for more top-tier options.

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/televisions/soundbars/i-tried-this-amazon-best-selli ng-soundbar-from-bose-is-it-really-worth-buying


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