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Reddit Reviews
There’s a deal at Bose rn for a smart soundbar+bass module 500 for $750. I have this combo and I’ve been enjoying it. I am in a smaller living room though.
https://preview.redd.it/c77nq7srrbkg1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9e6db222253e00cce5c6fbbb1ca40d7482a3a8e4 Small apartment living room. Went with the Bose Smart Soundbar + Bass module 500. Got them on sale for around $700. Beam + sub mini is also really good.
Just picked up a Bose smart soundbar for $300 on eBay. Wanted something compact for my apartment living room. Loving it so far, will def add a bass module though next year
Hey I just got a 75” QM6K pro from Costco as well last month! Got a Bose Smart Soundbar from Bose refurbished for $300. I’m also in an apartment and needed better vocal clarity for tv and movies. Been amazing so far. You can also get a Sonos Beam from their refurbished site for around the same price. Both are good options for your use case https://preview.redd.it/xes4nohpu28g1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eba4aa01503b57c39d634593dd984a68f73d4198
S60D, Sonos beam gen 2, Bose Smart Soundbar (have this and love it), JBL Bar 300mk2.
I’m in an apartment. Bought a Bose smart soundbar and Sonos beam gen 2, both refurbished (both were around $300). Ended up keeping the Bose as it sounded better to me, but you can’t really go wrong with either.
I love my Bose smart soundbar, but I also recently added the bass module 500. All in I paid $700. You can always add the bass module later too https://preview.redd.it/vhdh3iwvurhg1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d1c40031ad2408fb3ceab502c4044bbf07bbef17
I tested out the beam gen 2 and Bose, preferred the Bose a little bit more. Can’t really go wrong with either
https://preview.redd.it/hyd0emad5dig1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ccd268c79479e93dd9b5abd463fd9eacd876c574 Bose Smart soundbar, got it for $350. Also added a bass module recently for $350. You could always get the soundbar first and add a sub later. Sonos beam is also a good choice
I got the Bose smart soundbar and I’m loving it. Feel like you can’t really go wrong with any of these options, although I haven’t heard the JBL.
I only tested the beam gen 2 and the Bose smart soundbar. I’ve heard really good things about the ambeo mini though, will def have to check it out next time I’m at the store
I live in an apartment and I picked up a Bose smart soundbar off Bose’s eBay store for $300 last month. It’s been great so far, crisp clear dialogue and quite immersive for its compact size. I think it’s $350 refurb rn and $399 new, but you can get coupon code for first time purchase on their site Other suggestions would be Sonos beam gen 2 (usually goes on sale for around $369) , JBL Bar 300MK2 at $350, and Samsung S60D. These are all good compact soundbars that’ll do good in apartments imo
I was between beam and Bose smart soundbar, ended up with the Bose but both sounded great to me.
Love my bose smart soundbar, going to add a bass module soon. I was between this and the beam, and like you thought the Bose sounded better. Never got to test the ambeo mini, kind of wished I did.
Just for reference, I got used Bose TV Speakers for my parents at $50 a pop with eARC support. These are bad. Minor upgrade to your TV at best. They are worth $40 itself. Yamaha ATS soundbars from eBay are $40 refurbished and they have better sound + subwoofer out. IMO better to get premium soundbars used since they hold value like copper infused gold.
I don’t really follow the market . But for compact speakers Samsungs/LGs do have speakers with center channels (3.0 or more) which help tremendously with dialogue, something that most TV speakers struggle with. I like to get Bose for my parents just purely because they are dead simple to use, well built, and go pretty loud without the risk of permanently damaging them. Hope that helps. eBay refurbs with 20% coupons, Amazon resale clearance when they run extra % off, if you’re not too keen on hitting up facebook marketplace. But you do pay a hefty fee for convenience.
I was in your situation just 2 days ago.. After comparing the Bose smart soundbar with the Sonos Beam Gen2 in-store , I went with the Bose sound bar. I thought it sounded a little bit cleaner than the Sonos, plus the upfiring speakers was a factor for me too. It sounds amazing when playing Dolby Atmos content! Ofcourse, that's just my opinion when comparing it to the sound from my tv speakers. Im happy with my purchase and have no plans of returning it. I'd suggest going to a Bestbuy and trying out both.
We recently got the bose smart soundbar for around 38-39k, it is quite amazing compared to stock TV speakers obviously, but also other soundbars we checked out at the store. Also the sound bounces well in our TV room, the dolby atmos compatible movies are actually great to listen to. The drawback would be that it keeps you locked in to Bose ecosystem, so to get the subwoofer is like another 30k. With JBL (not sure about the others as I haven't tried them out), they include the subwoofer with it. But also, people swear by the samsung soundbars, as they own JBL as well, and probably use the best of tech in their own soundbars. Would suggest swinging by your nearest showrooms to try them out personally, really comes down to how you perceive their sound
I recently got an LG G5 with a Bose smart soundbar and couldn’t be happier.
Yes, I got the Bose smart soundbar with my new LG and eARC makes everything easier.
I love my Bose smart soundbar. So much sound for the small size and I'm amazed how it can fill a room with atmos sound. Meets all my needs and expectations.
I have a bose smart soundbar in my room and it's awesome.
I’ve done both the Bose and Sonos and I chose the Sonos. For me, the Bose seems to overly artificial bass.
Options: 1. Cheap and Crappy that includes the bar, rear speakers and bass module. You're price point of $80 is not realistic. The starting point for this category in my opinion should be the Hisense HS2100 for $129.99. 2. You can pony up for what i consider the true entry level point. Which would be the Bose TV Speaker for $279. I have had this for 5 years and I have no complaints. Bose has a proprietary dialogue enhancer button on the remote. Works like a charm. 3. Next level up would be the Sonos Arc Beam Gen 2 for $499. This is the bar I am personally going to upgrade to. 4. The final level would be bar, rear speakers and bass module for atleast $600 going all the way up to $1600. Bose Smart Soundbar at $599, Bose Ultra Soundbar at $999, LG S95AR at $1199 and literally all of the Samsung soundbars ranging from $600-$1600. Hope this helps and provides guidance for a first time buyer.
Rankings by Use Case
Top recommendations from others in the same boat
Best for Apartments

Top pick
Sonos - Arc Ultra
Best for Dialogue clarity

Top pick
Sonos - Beam (Gen 2)
Best for Large open-concept rooms

Top pick
Sonos - Arc Ultra
Best for Music-first listening

Top pick
Sonos - Playbar
Best for Standalone setups

Top pick
Sonos - Arc Ultra





