I imagine you‘re reading this because your new fancy television still sounds mediocre. The slim design leaves no room for decent integrated speakers. That‘s where soundbars save the day!
I‘ve tested pretty much every major soundbar brand on the market. As a home theater technology specialist, I get asked a lot about whether to choose Bose or Sonos for an audio upgrade. Both companies make exceptional products that can vastly improve your TV experience.
In this guide, we‘ll explore how Bose and Sonos soundbars compare feature-by-feature. You‘ll get detailed facts and measurements so you can determine the best option for your viewing needs and budget. I‘ll also share some insider expert perspectives on each brand.
Let‘s start with introductions before we dive in…
Brief histories of Bose & Sonos
Bose really ignited the lifestyle audio category. Founded by MIT professor Dr. Amar Bose in 1964, the company focused engineering efforts on smaller speaker designs that still delivered surprising power. They sold direct-to-consumers to avoid retail margins. Their novel waveguide speakers and noise-canceling headphones bucked conventions – with great success!
Flash forward to the 2000s, and Sonos emerges as a pioneer of wireless multi-room audio. Designed around streaming music services and phone app control rather than physical media, these WiFi-connected speakers offered sleek modular designs perfect for modern smart homes. The ability to add and configure various Sonos components remains a key brand differentiator even in their home theater products.
Today, both companies aim to innovate premium home audio experiences from theater surround systems to voice-controlled smart speakers. But each has their specialties…
Bose obsesses perfecting audio performance for movies and television. Their soundbars focus on central speakers with options to build out dedicated center, rear and subwoofer channels. Dialogue and effects clarity is superb.
Sonos takes a wireless ecosystem approach across theaters and music listening spaces alike. Their soundbars interoperate seamlessly with other Sonos speakers you may own. Everything integrates through a single app for whole home control.
Now let‘s examine how these philosophies translate to real-life performance and features…
Sound quality showdown
Audio reproduction remains the single most vital judging criteria for any soundbar. Bose and Sonos take different but equally precise approaches to refining a speaker‘s frequency response.
Bose leverages research in psychoacoustics – how our ears and brains subjectively perceive audio signals. Their engineers sculpt frequency curves to sound subjectively Flat across bass, midrange and treble registers. The result? Deep lows, crystalline highs and clear center imaging.
Most audiophiles consider a neutral or natural response the goal. Sonos aligns closer to this target. While lacking the same bass slam, the radiating arc design of their soundbars disperse upper frequencies widely for accurate audio across a whole room.
Let‘s examine measured frequency charts comparing two popular models:
Notice Bose‘s scooped mids and lifted low-bass. Sonos remains quite flat through mids and highs. These signatures directly impact sound reproduction…
For hard-hitting movie effects, the Bose sounds astoundingly dynamic. Explosions gain serious oomph while spatial cues help convey directionality. Sonos sounds more restrained by comparison though still clearer than bare TV speakers.
Music benefits from Sonos‘s honest reproduction. The capture of fine details across guitars, vocals and intricate percussion delights. Bose can push certain tunes into a booming, blurring mush.
But Bose regains ground for television programming given its midrange lift. This helps amplify dialogue over background laugh tracks and ambient noise. Sonos conveys voices cleanly if less aggressively.
Hopefully visualizing these contrasting frequency curves provides some intuition on the brands‘ tuning philosophies! Now we‘ll cover technical specifications that enable performance.
Soundbar hardware comparison
Engineers realize a speaker‘s capabilities through meticulously selected amplifier modules and transducer driver components. Let‘s highlight specs inside various Bose and Sonos soundbar models:
Analyzing the table reveals telling optimization strategies:
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Bose stuffs bigger soundbars with more speaker drivers – up to 14 across 7 channels! Each handles a specific frequency range. More transducers mean more airflow pushed and acoustic power.
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Sonos utilizes fewer but still digitally amplified drivers. Their focus resides in expanding soundstages and 3D space replication – notice Dolby Atmos support in their flagship Arc. Compute powers processing.
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Both leverage custom waveguides to widen directional dispersion. However Sonos expands height channels crucial for immersive formats. Their room tuning via TruePlay measurements further optimizes response.
Now we‘ll explore how packing this technology inside impacts physical product design…
Soundbar design & dimensions
These speakers anchor your living room, so aesthetics and footprint matter too!
Bose soundbars epitomize minimalism with matte finishes and low profiles barely over 2 inches tall. They feel at home with any modern TV – especially wider screens given their compact depths around 3 feet wide. Wall mounts streamline integration further.
Sonos takes a more upright angular approach while still minimizing footprint. Their flagship Arc reaches nearly 4 feet long but curves around displays beautifully. The Playbar and Beam designs work wonders in cramped apartments given slimmer dimensions.
Both brands avoid visual clutter and use durable quality materials. You‘ll also find clever touches like cable channels to reduce mess. Overall these objects dodge ugly tech eyesores!
But what about getting these slick soundbars up and running out the box?
Ease of setup & installation
Out-of-box experience makes a big first impression…
Bose packages components like optical cables to plug-and-play with most televisions. Their step-by-step mobile app guides connecting to WiFi and handling software updates. External mics do necessitate wiring for voice assistant access however.
Sonos streamlines further by baking WiFi right into soundbars. The mobile app handles everything from network configuration to streaming services logins and system updates. Supported models even have far-field microphones built-in to access Alexa/Google Assistant sans externals mics!
So Sonos gets the nod for easiest first-time use especially for less tech-savvy users. But extending these systems reveals another differentiation…
Expandability limitations
One allure of premium soundbars comes from consolidating surround speakers into a single unit. But serious home theater fans may want to build out proper external channels later…
Bose manufactures a variety wireless surround speakers purpose-designed to sync perfectly with soundbars like the Smart Soundbar 900. Dialogue enhancing modules, beefy bass modules, and upfiring rear speakers integrate for serious immersion. Expands cost but enhances dedicated theater.
The Sonos approach favors flexibility in using household speakers you already own. Their TruePlay room correction adapts connected Ones, Fives or Symfonisks into proper surround channels. This gives music lovers whole-home streaming too! The tradeoff? Less precise surround performance than tethered Bose setups provide.
Either "flavor" suits different buyers. Do you want a focused theater experience or casual music enjoyment too? Now for the tech enhancing both…
Voice assistant support comparison
Streaming entertainment via smart speakers took off thanks to Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple Siri voice platforms. Soundbars now integrate these assistants natively…
Bose bakes helpful Alexa commands into higher-end models. You can ask for volume changes, song requests, weather updates etc without reaching for the remote. There‘s a catch however – this requires wiring up an external Echo Dot since mics don‘t come built into Bose soundbars themselves.
By contrast, certain Sonos soundbars actuallyPut mics right on the hardware. Bark commands without any extra equipment! On supported models like the Beam Gen 2, you also gain native Siri iPhone/iPad integration via Apple AirPlay 2 – a rare feature. Convenience wins again.
There you have it friends – two compelling voice assistant options depending your needs. But which option is the better value?
Pricing showdown across lineups
Let‘s compare list prices across entry level, mid-range and high-end systems…
| Tier | Bose MSRP | Sonos MSRP |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level | Solo 5 $249 | Beam $449 |
| Mid-range | Smart 300 $499 | Arc $899 |
| Flagship bundles | 700 + Bass 500 + Surrounds $1699 | Arc + Sub + Ones SL $1748 |
Bose offers more affordability for basic upgrades given sparse package content. However Sonos provides greater long-term value realizing surround systems. Factor where you fall on prices and features!
And I‘ll leave you with a few closing thoughts…
My final takeaway recommendations
After digesting all the specs, measurements and technical assessments across Bose and Sonos sound platformsf, here is my Expert summary:
Bose audio performance remains unmatched for sheer power and cinematic excitement. Their dedicated center channel clarity plus optional expandability benefits home theater use cases most. I suggest these for movie buffs wanting to maximize effects engagement.
However Sonos ships far more innovative hardware given integrated amps and wireless architecture. The app too consolidates whole-home streaming nimbly. If desiring music integration or using voice assistants already, Sonos provides such smarter connectivity.
Both brands manufacture soundbars leaps beyond built-in television audio. I hope mapping specs and capabilities here provides clarity determining your best match! Don‘t hesitate to reach out if any other questions come up. Enjoy whichever model you choose!
