Fed up with your TV delivering obscured dialogue, weak bass, and tinny, high-volume sound? Then it may be time for an audio upgrade. That’s right, I’d 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 you’re 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. It’s 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 it’s actually worth buying. As someone who’s tested dozens of models, including many of the best cheap soundbars, my expectations were pretty high for this one, so without further ado, let’s get into my impressions on Bose’s compact best-seller.
Sound check
First of all, what is the Bose TV speaker? It’s a 2.0 channel standalone soundbar, so there’s no subwoofer or rear speakers included in the box. It’s 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 – there’s 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 I’d expect from a small or older TV. In the movie’s more chaotic scenes – of which there are many – dialogue wasn’t 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 isn’t 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 owner’s 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 won’t get the raw power that a subwoofer provides, and dynamics aren’t 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 Bose’s 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 isn’t 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 didn’t have the cohesive sound I was looking for – vocals sounded understated, subtle guitars weren’t all too well defined, and bass wasn’t as agile or balanced as I’d like. You still get a decent listen, just don’t expect the nuance or razor-sharp clarity that some premium competitors serve up.
Is it really worth it?
This soundbar does not support more expansive sound formats like Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, so you won’t 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 isn’t half bad. It’s 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 you’ll have to purchase these separately. This model is compatible with either the Bose Bass Module 500 or Bass Module 700. There’s also the option to wall mount the soundbar – again, though, you’ll need to buy the required kit separately.
Equally, there are some significant drawbacks to mention. First of all, there’s no companion app. That’s a shame, as that means you don’t get any fancy features like EQ adjustment, room calibration, or alter channel levels. That’s something that we really liked about the slightly pricier and newer Bose Smart Soundbar.
And let’s 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 I’ve 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 doesn’t 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, it’s a little complicated. I think that it’s 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 I’d 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.
The best soundbars for all budgets
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harry.padoan@futurenet.com (Harry Padoan)
