The best Bose soundbars of 2024

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Bose has been a leader in the home audio space for decades and continues to offer fantastic all-in-one home theater solutions. The best Bose soundbars are perfect for people who want immersive audio but don't have the space for a full surround sound setup.

After testing all of Bose's current soundbar offerings, I can confidently recommend the Bose Smart Soundbar as the best overall pick. It's big enough to make movies sound full and encompassing but can still fit on top of most entertainment centers. Plus, it supports Dolby Atmos for overheard audio effects and is packed with features like Alexa voice control. On the other hand, those on a budget or pressed for space should check out the smaller Bose TV Speaker, which lacks Atmos support but still offers solid performance.

Below, you can find a full breakdown of all the best Bose soundbars, with details on what each model is most suited for.

Our top picks for the best Bose soundbars

Best overall: Bose Smart Soundbar - See at Amazon

Best for smaller spaces: Bose TV Speaker - See at Amazon

Best for movie lovers: Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar - See at Amazon

Best add-on: Bose Bass Module 500 - See at Amazon

Best overall

The Bose Smart Soundbar isn't the brand's most advanced model, but it balances price and performance the best. It offers rich sound, an extensive set of features, Dolby Atmos support, and a midrange cost, enabling it to serve as a great audio upgrade for even the best TVs.

The Smart Soundbar is a refresh of Bose's older Smart Soundbar 600 model. It's physically the same soundbar as that previous model but has two new software features: AI Dialogue Mode and the ability to use Bose Ultra Open Earbuds as wireless rear speakers. The Smart Soundbar is meant to replace the 600, but if its new features aren't of interest, you can often still find the 600 in stock for $50 less.

The Smart Soundbar supports 3.0.2 channels of audio to spread effects all around your room, including upward to bounce audio off your ceiling while watching Dolby Atmos content. I was impressed by the Smart Soundbar's wide sound stage when watching movies and listening to music. In a moderate-sized living room, its volume is more than powerful enough to encompass viewers and keep them engaged. Even if the content you're streaming doesn't support Dolby Atmos, Bose's TrueSpace processing can up-mix stereo and regular 5.1 surround sound to create a height effect.

The Smart Soundbar includes Bose's AI Dialogue Mode, which used to be only available on the brand's more expensive Ultra Soundbar. AI Dialogue Mode uses a real-time machine-learning algorithm to boost vocals separate from background effects like explosions or engine noise. I was thoroughly impressed by this Dialogue Mode and ended up leaving it on most of the time. Enhanced speech is a primary reason people want a soundbar and this solution is excellent.

Another extra perk that was missing on the older Smart Soundbar 600 is Bose's new Personal Surround Sound feature. You can now connect a pair of Bose Ultra Open Earbuds to the soundbar to use as rear speakers. I tested this while watching "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and it worked flawlessly. The Ultra Open Earbuds left my ears exposed to hear the soundbar but accentuated the finer, surrounding details of laser blasts, engine noise, and explosions. But while this is a cool perk, I'm not sure the experience is worth buying the Ultra Open Earbuds for if you don't already own them. I also question whether it's worth the hassle of wearing earbuds every time you watch a movie.

Beyond playback from your TV via HDMI or optical cable, the Smart Soundbar offers plenty of wireless connection options. With WiFi, Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay, Google Chromecast, and Spotify Connect all built-in there are nearly endless ways to listen to music and other audio content. You can use Bose's mobile app to start playing music or send songs to the soundbar directly from one of your other devices. Amazon Alexa is also built-in for voice control and digital assistant functionality, extending the soundbar's usefulness beyond just being tethered to a TV.

For more top picks from other brands, check out our guide to all the best soundbars.

Best for smaller spaces

The Bose TV Speaker is the brand's most compact and affordable soundbar. It's under two feet in length and just over two inches tall, which makes it the best Bose soundbar for people in smaller spaces like an apartment. Despite knowing its dimensions ahead of time, I was still a bit shocked at how compact the unit looked in person.

Though it delivers less rumble and a lower top volume than Bose's larger models, don't let the TV Speaker's small size deceive you. This compact two-channel soundbar is still capable of producing compelling stereo audio through its three drivers.

Even though the TV Speaker doesn't have the same bass level or dynamic range as other Bose soundbars, it still delivered a huge upgrade to the speakers built into my smart TV. During testing, the dialogue was clearer and the overall sound was more evenly balanced. The TV Speaker compares favorably to the Sonos Ray, a similar option that earned a spot in our guide to the best budget soundbars. It's a comparable alternative for people who prefer the Bose brand.

That said, this isn't the best Bose soundbar to pick if you crave advanced features and big sound for larger spaces. There's no Dolby Atmos support, mobile app, or WiFI connectivity, for instance. However, it does support Bluetooth, so you can use it to play music from your phone or other mobile devices. But be aware: While the TV Speaker does support connecting to a display via HDMI ARC, it doesn't come with an HDMI cable in the box. It comes with an optical cable instead.

Best for movie lovers

The Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar is the best option for movie lovers looking for big sound, robust Dolby Atmos performance, and a full suite of features. It expands on the Smart Soundbar's foundation with even more drivers and a larger footprint.

This model delivers 5.1.2 channels of audio, and I found performance to be deep and expansive, with a wide sound field that seems to extend beyond the bar's physical size. The results are impressive and rival the home theater quality of similar competing Dolby Atmos soundbars like the Sonos Arc.

Beyond size and driver count, the most significant feature that separates the Bose Ultra Soundbar from the cheaper Smart Soundbar is ADAPTiQ calibration, which can adjust the sound profile to your specific room. This makes the biggest impact in oddly shaped spaces or ones with uncommon furniture placements. Be aware that you will need to use the included wired microphone headset to complete the calibration process.

For people all-in on Bose, the Ultra Soundbar also supports private listening with the company's headphones and earbuds. These audio devices get grouped together so they can be used during late-night binges. Like the Smart Soundbar model, the Ultra Soundbar features Bose's AI Dialogue Mode to enhance voices if you have trouble hearing them over other sounds.

The Ultra can also be used to listen to music over WiFi, Bluetooth, AirPlay, Chromecast, and Spotify Connect. Amazon Alexa support is built-in for voice control making this a home theater soundbar and smart speaker in one. Unlike the company's other soundbars which only come in black, the Ultra is also available in a white color option, so if aesthetics are important, the Ultra offers a bit more variety.

Best add-on

Bose offers several different add-ons for its soundbars, from subwoofers to rear surround speakers. All of these products will enhance the audio experience in meaningful ways, but we recommend you start with the Bose Bass Module 500 if you're aiming to upgrade your Bose setup.

The unit provides a big jump in deep low-frequency performance that will make movies rumble and music hit harder. The Bass Module 500 is compatible with all of the soundbars in this guide. Even if you're pressed for space, the subwoofer connects wirelessly so it can be placed anywhere in the room (though it does need to plug into a power outlet).

Bose also sells a larger Bass Module 700 which definitely offers more oomph and power, but the more modest 500 unit is no slouch. It can greatly enhance the low-end impact of movies when paired with Bose's smaller TV Speaker and Smart Soundbar, but it even added a noticeable amount of bass to the larger Ultra Soundbar during my tests.

If you're craving a bit more kick from your Bose soundbar system, this is a worthy upgrade to invest in.

How we test Bose soundbars

To evaluate the best Bose soundbars, I conducted hands-on tests with each of the brand's top models to get a sense of how they perform individually and in relation to each other. When considering which soundbar works best for different types of people, I focused on audio quality, physical size, connectivity, advanced software features, and ease of use.

I used each soundbar in different environments, from a bedroom at night to a living room during the day, to get a sense of how each performs in various circumstances and spaces. I also used a variety of streaming video services to view and listen to the latest blockbusters and classic hits, including content available in Dolby Atmos on the models that support it. I also streamed different songs from a wide range of music genres to get a sense of how the speakers performed for music lovers.

Where possible, I tried to use different connection methods, but in most instances, I stuck with an HDMI connection to get the best-quality audio input. Similarly, when streaming music, I tested as many connection methods as possible but tried to evaluate the soundbars using the options that offer the highest quality, such as WiFi, when supported.

Bose soundbar FAQs

Can you mount a Bose soundbar to the wall?

The Bose TV Speaker, Smart Soundbar, and Smart Ultra Soundbar can all be wall mounted with the Bose Soundbar Wall Bracket. The mount costs $39 and is a great option for buyers who don't have a TV stand that can accommodate a soundbar. If you're also looking for solutions to hang up your TV, visit our guide to the best TV wall mounts.

Can you connect a subwoofer to a Bose soundbar?

All of the best Bose soundbars in this guide are compatible with the Bose Bass Module 500 and 700 subwoofers. Both of these subs can connect to Bose soundbars wirelessly so you can place them anywhere in the room as long as they can reach a power outlet. If you prefer, you can also connect the subwoofer with a wire.

Buyers interested in soundbar models that already include a subwoofer in the package can check out our guide to the best soundbars with subwoofers.

Do Bose soundbars support Dolby Atmos?

The Bose Smart Soundbar and Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar both support Dolby Atmos immersive audio. Dolby Atmos is a surround sound format that uses object-based mixing to spread audio effects in all directions, including above your head. Bose's soundbars use up-firing speaker drivers to bounce audio off the ceiling and back down to your ears.

You can learn more in our Dolby Atmos guide and our roundup of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars.