Bose - Smart Soundbar 600

Bose 600. Personally to me the best soundbar which lacks bass. Even then, you can further adjust it down. Shines in other aspects.

I like my bose 600. It's not the same as a true surround setup but it's pretty good. I got good life out of both the JBL and the Harmon Kardon sound bars as well. Of those, the bose with surrounds and sub are the better choices.

I have the Bose 600 with subwoofer and surround back speaker, it's amazing I feel like I'm at the cinema

TBH I don't like most budget soundbars in that price range. They are barely better than TV speakers and one day you'll want to upgrade them AGAIN at which point you're just out more money and created more e-waste. For an 85" TV I don't think these budget bars have the right punch to suit a TV of that size. I would recommend choosing from one of, in no particular order: * Sonos Arc (preferably plus Sub Mini) * Bose Soundbar 700/900/Ultra (okay standalone without subwoofer) * Samsung Q990D (you can find some online retailers that discount this deeply) Or if you really want to go on a budget, maybe the Q930 or the Bose 600. A good sound system is a long term purchase. Like I have a Sonos Playbar from 2013 and quite frankly even a brand new top-of-the-line system doesn't sound a ton better than that.

I test a lot of audio products but honestly I don't know if this is a category with good contenders. The closest I can think of is the ZVOX brand. Especially for older and non technical folks who are looking for dialog clarity, their products just work and have like 6 levels of selectable dialog clarity enhancement. No fancy smart apps, no CEC drama, minimal audio processing hence minimum lip sync delay..... Maybe this isn't the answer you're looking for but both the Bose 600 and the Sonos Beam are really outstanding bang for the buck in terms of having impressive performance at a value price. Lately, more so the Bose 600.

Well … this post resulted in me walking 30 minutes to BestBuy and buying a Sonos Beam Gen 2. Spent ages comparing it to the Bose Smart Soundbar 600, and ultimately it came down to three factors: * I live in a studio apartment. For the time being (and for the sake of my neighbors) I don’t need/want a Sub. If the day ever comes that I want a Sub, the Sonos ecosystem appears to be more expansive. * I read multiple reviews that say the Sonos app is consistently more reliable than the Bose app, which does actually impact user experience even if it’s minor * I preferred the buttons and look for the Sonos

I was able to get it for 150 refurbished from the Bose site. I got a price match of 199 to the Walmart version, and then was able to negotiate a lower price since this was refurbished. YMMV, but if you can get this, then sounds like a good deal.

To start with, you have speakers there that are replacements for other speakers. Firstly the Solo series (and the TV speaker series) are not considered soundbars. THey won't give you movie quality or surround sound. They are really just there to improve on your TV sound (particularly vocals) without blowing the budget. They lack many functions like adding surround sound, and generally have no app or wifi connectivity. I beleive the 15 replaced the 10, and the 5 replaced the 15. The "Bose TV speaker", replaced the Solo naming conventions and is the current on. The current Soundbars are the 600 (entry level, but just announced the replacement "Bose Smart Soundbar") and the 900 (top of the line) are the current ones. So if you are after movies and good quality sound, you really have a choice between the two (better or best). Bose tends to sell through old stock fairly well, so if you are seeing those others, it's likely they are second hand or refurbished.

Hi everyone, wanted to share my experience from having the Polk Magnifi Mini AX for more than a year, and now I have switched to the Bose 600. I have/had them in a kind of small room, and the main purpose was gaming (PS5) and movies to take advantage of ATMOS effects. The Polk has good audio quality, very punchy sound because of the woofer, but the ATMOS effect is not great (neither top nor side effect). When compared to the Bose, the Bose gives us more details and the high-ends are better, but it lacks a lot of the power of the Polk mainly because it has no woofer. However, the Bose is way better in Atmos because of the top and side speakers, would say it is a bit better for music also. So mainly because of the Atmos, the Bose is better for me, but if you don't care about Atmos, for overall (TV, Gaming, movies, music, ...) use, I would say the Polk is a better package and most of the time it costs less....even more if you intend to add the satellites for surround since they are much cheaper.

Sorry for the late answer. If you want sound with power and punch, go with the Polk. If you want detail, clear voices, and atmos performance (the difference in atmos performance is significant), go with the Bose. Performance for the money, Polk is better IMHO, but I really wanted atmos performance.

Do you think the Bose subwoofer is worth it? I have the soundbar 600 and it has a "Bass" 3.5mm jack on the back, which can be connected to a non-bose subwoofer. I got a lot of "rumble" but have turned it way down to just add that little bit of low-end. This seems to work.... So my main question is: Next step is the Surrounds and I don't see a cheaper way around them. Are you running the 700s or the "Bose surround speakers" (the more conventional ones. How much do they add to the sound? Thanks!

The soundbar provides all the amplification/sound out. I recommend the optical connection for most applications. You should be good-to-go with just the 600 (I have that one, love it!)

Ultra. Granted I’m not a bass head and live in an apartment and tried both the 600 and Ultra. Wider soundstage and room correction(not sure if they’ve added it to the Smart). I’m still sometimes surprised at how sounds feel like they’re coming from the sides of my living room. If you feel the bass isn’t enough, you can save up and get the BM but you can’t add to the bar.

I have the Ultra and if the choice is between the two, get the ultra. There is a noticeable difference in the soundstage and the ultra also has room correction. The Smart is a good bar regardless if money is tight but the ultra is definitely better. If you’re looking at the Ultra price point maybe take a look at the Sonos Arc Ultra as well. I tried it but preferred the Bose.

I have the Bose Ultra and it is indeed excellent for dialogue. It’s a bit more than what OP is willing to spend though. The lower model (550/600/Smart) is also quite good. I think for Black Friday the 550 was selling for about $200. I tried the 600, Ultra, Q990C, Arc Ultra, Beam 2 and ultimately kept the Bose Ultra mainly for the dialogue clarity.

I’d recommend checking out the Bose soundbar 600. It has fantastic dialogue clarity, immersive sound and a small size. Currently on sale for $449 in the US. I have one and really like it…dialogue is clear even at low volumes which is great for watching stuff in our bedroom after our kids are in bed.

I’m not sure if a Bose soundbar will regulate the volume change between shows/movies and commercials, but their soundbars have exceptional dialogue and have a dialoge enhancement mode if you need to make it clearer without turning the volume up too high. It’s $399, but I’d recommend the smart soundbar. It sounds great and dialogue is very clear.

I have a 600 in our bedroom and 900 in our tv room. Flat, 8ft ceilings and we don’t get specific height effects either. Just a greater sense of height to the overall presentation. We have bass modules for both bars as well and they definitely up the immersion factor. Not just by adding bass…the whole setup sounds bigger. I think the sound processing might adjust when the bass modules are added which allows the bars to focus more on mid range stuff. There’s an added weight to the midrange…it’s not in your face, but noticeable.

Why not just move the 500 to the room with the Ultra and try it? I have a soundbar 900 with bass module 700 in my TV room and a 600 with bass module 500 in my bedroom. I've tried the 500 with the 900 and it sounds really good. But, the 500 lacks the definition. lower frequencies and attack of the 700...even at lower volumes its noticeable. it doesn't need to be overpowering...you can just dial back the power output in the Bose app to tone it down while still keeping the definition and lower frequencies. If you don't want to break the bank I think the 500 will give you 75% of the performance of the 700 for a lot less $$.

The 550 is the same as the soundbar 600, minus voice assistant. I think the 550 was a Costco exclusive. Check out reviews of the 600 for an idea of how it sounds. We have a 600 w bass module 500 in our bedroom and really like it. I’d say the 550 and 600 are good for small to medium sized rooms.

That sucks that it doesn’t work well w the Hisense. I have a 900 and 600, both connected to Sony TVs and they’ve been pretty much plug and play since day one.

I went with a refurbished Bose 600 and really enjoy it - has Dolby Atmos lot of options in that price range do not

I decided to go with a Bose Smart Soundbar 600 because my monitors are to big and there wasn't enough space to have shelf speakers on the desk. I've been really impressed with the sound. I added a subwoofer almost immediately which greatly improved the overall sound for games. Soundbars save on the clutter and neatly sit underneath the monitor/s.

My room is 10×15 sq ft and i got bose 600 with a sub. It is more than sufficent and gets pretty loud. Don t waste your money on a bigger soundbar because it would be an overkill. Sound bounces off walls and ceiling really well. Don t go for samsung, try bose if you value premium sound quality and bose sound signature focuses on dialogue like no one else in the industry can compete with them. I took sonos demo but was unimpressed in comparison.

I got a lot of shitty soundbars before for cheap. I invested in a Bose 600 Atmos soundbar and a subwoofer for like 1200. It sounds great and shakes the room and the fake up firing atmos works pretty well. Although the bar itself has technical issues all the time with connecting to the tv

I have a bose 600. It's amazing. Good for small places. Trust me it sounds amazing.

I have the bose soundbar 600. The bass is good enough. You can always add a bass module if you want more bass.

Depending on your situation, their smart soundbar was amazing, I ended up adding a bass module and its a bit much for this small space, they do incredible stuff with how small everything is.

I had both the Bose 600 and Beam 2. I ended up keeping the Beam 2.

Keep the "upgrade" isnt that big.. its almost like the current Bose smartbar vs the 600... only difference is there is some AI program that supposedly runs the Smart Bar and the bar other than that is AEXACTLY the same and that AI program isnt worth the upgrade its not that good.. Same deal here the upgrade just ISNT that much/worth it.

More drivers doesn't always mean better in my opinion. I've had a good amount of different soundbar setups like the Sonos Arc, Bose Smart 600, Samsung Q800B, Sony S2000, & others. I was looking at the Sennheiser Ambeo Plus myself, & it looks like an amazing piece, but I get the feeling you might be paying a tad more for the name than performance. Also the lack of tweeters really raises my eyebrows in a bad way. Personally I thought the Bose 600 sounded better, louder, & maybe even more immersive than the Arc did despite being half the size. & The BM700 is just a monster subwoofer. I highly recommend looking at the Bose systems. Or you can get my newest & now favorite soundbar, the Klipsch Flexus 200 & Sub 100. This system just rocks. I sold my Sonos setup (Arc, Sub Mini, 2 Era 100's) for this Klipsch system, & I don't regret it at all!!! Eventually I plan to buy another Sub 100 & the Surround 200's when they release.

Of your current options id be between the Flexus Core 300 & the Ambeo Plus. I have the Core 200 right now and it's a very solid system, no complaints at all. Impressive audio & solid app controls. However, I did get a demo of the Ambeo Plus in Best Buy and the level of detail in it was just purely mind blowing! Sounds sooooo insanely polished & perfect it's almost scary how clean it sounds. I've never heard anything come even close to this. I'd say Bose is close (I had the Smart 600, also an absolutely amazing system), but the Ambeo still felt like a different level of sound. I know the Ambeo doesn't offer rears but even from a brief demo I felt it's immersion was off the charts! I cannot express enough how good this thing sounded! If you strictly want the absolute cleanest sounding system, Ambeo Plus is the ONLY way to go!! Now if you want loads of power, the Klipsch Flexus Core 300 might be a bit beefier sounding. This is almost like comparing a Ferrari to a Bentley. Ferrari being loud & ferocious (Klipsch) while Bentley being smooth, clean & luxurious (Sennheiser).

I'd 100% recommend the Klipsch Flexus Core 200. Has 2 4" subs built into it that REALLY give it a full sound. I had someone laugh when I said that, but like, 4+4=8" cone area...... & Last I knew I'm pretty sure the Samsung Q990C has an 8 inch subwoofer, not that it'll be a close comparison side by side but you get the idea 🤷 I definitely believe it's one of the absolute best systems out there at this price. Plus you can buy a separate subwoofer later on for like $300, or $250 right now for black friday I believe. Or another close but different alternative would be the Bose Smart 600. Man this little bar sounds absolutely amazing, gets quite loud, but also remarkably clean audio reproduction! Not much bass from the unit alone but add the BM700 to it & you have a budget system BEAST.

I'd look into the Sennheiser Ambeo Plus if you want the absolute most laser etched sound you'll ever hear. The level of detail in that bar is just unreal! Another one to consider is the Bose Smart Ultra. Had the Bose Smart 600 for awhile & it was just amazing!!

Personally, I'd say it's between either the Ambeo or the Flexus. I'd say skip the Arc Ultra. I've heard it's mainly just the Arc with more bass, but very similar performance all around. Samsung is a solid choice, but Samsung has never truly "wowed" me before, & I've had 3 with the HW-Q6CR, Q600C, & the best I've had the Q800B. It was a solid system all around, but again, nothing really blew me away. & I sometimes found the subwoofer to be a bit overpowering, even at -6. & Also the Q800's have everything the Q900's have except less front channels & 1 less side channel. But the subwoofer is practically damn near the same. Sony ive heard mixed reviews about the Bravia bars, but until Sony releases new subwoofers, I can't recommend anyone buying Sony. I have the S2000 + SW5 & Even the SW5 subwoofer is terribly underwhelming for the price from my experience. Now I currently have the Core 200 myself + the sub 100. I have no complaints with this system at all, which is something I've never said about a soundbar before & I've had a lot anywhere from the Sonos Arc, Bose 600, few JBL'S, & others. I will admit the Bose 600 + BM700 setup I had is quite a contender as my favorite. But I think I'd lean a bit more to the Klipsch system in a blind test. There's just something about how full I think it sounds to me. But then you look at the price difference compared to performance difference, and the Klipsch feels like a much better deal. There's a deal I saw on Amazon for the Core 200, + Surr 100's, + 2 Sub 100's for 1k which seems like a steal to me. Now the Ambeo on the other hand is a fantastic SOUNDING system, possibly the best I've heard with the level of detail it has. But I've read quite a bit about bugs in the system so it's possibly kinda a hit or miss. I haven't had a single issue at all with my Flexus system. & I think the subwoofers are probably better on the Flexus system too considering you can buy either a 10" or 12" while Sennheiser only offers an 8". & Another con of the Sennheiser is there's no rears offered which is quite shocking. So my vote is the Flexus system!

I'd personally pick the Samsung as it'd be a more reliable system. & There's also that Bose BM700 subwoofer popping/crackling noise issues, but depends on your wifi settings apparently. Also the Samsung is just a much better deal for damn near or better sound. I personally think Bose can be hit or miss in my experience with their car & maybe home audio too (only had 1 home system). Some of the worst car systems I've heard were Bose, but at the same time one of the best car systems I've ever heard was also a Bose system, so drastically different it's hard to believe they're both the same company systems. I suppose I could say that the soundbars have a hit & miss scenario with an amazing bar but "bugged" subwoofer. I had the Bose Smart 600 Soundbar + BM700 Sub, & it was such a beast, one of the cleanest soundbars I've heard (the hit) & I think the loudest soundbar subwoofer I've heard. But at casual listening volumes that damn subwoofer electrical popping noise (the miss) was just so noticeable it was too much for me, so I sold it & moved on (I've had like 10+ soundbar setups over the years).

Sennheiser Ambeo Mini or the Bose Smart Soundbar both will be a million times better than the Beam. I had the Beam & the Bose Smart Soundbar (was the Smart 600 at the time) & the Sonos sounded like literal junk compared to the Bose. Brighter, more detail, more balanced, better surround performance, just better in literally every aspect than the Beam. I can't speak on the Sennheiser Ambeo Mini but I did have a demo of the Ambeo Plus & it's truly in a league of its own, Bose is close behind tho. I'd pick the Bose over the Ambeo mini due to lack of center channel with the Ambeo. Imo the Bose Smart Soundbar is one of the absolute best budget bars out there.

The Ambeo lineup is one of/if not the absolute best sounding system out there. I heard a demo of the Plus at Best Buy and it blew me away with the level of detail it has, & I mean nothing I've had even sounds remotely close, & I've had everything from the Sonos Arc, Samsung Q800B, Bose Smart 600, none of them are even close to the Ambeo in terms of detail to the sound, it's truly INCREDIBLE!!!

I have a Bose 600 in a 2nd floor apartment (wood frame) and it sounds awesome. So far my neighbor downstairs hasnt complained yet. I was on the fence between the Sonos Beam or Bose 600 and every review favored Bose for TV and Movies.

Nice. I bought a refurbished 600 from Bose a few weeks ago too then used the savings on a bass module 500 that was 20%/$100 off. The 500 makes it even better

Bose 600 Soundbar. I don’t regret it one bit. And you could upgrade to get the woofer later.

And holy cow, am I glad I did ! Got a great deal on a refurbished model ordered directly from Bose. (Honestly, it looked brand new to me, right down to the untouched packaging... and it arrived in TWO days...) But, the performance is what you all want to read about and on that topic I gotta say I'm very impressed. It's new home is in a room that's about 14x16 give or take, an average size I'd say. Maybe a bit larger than usual....oh, who cares. The point is it sounds spectacular. The two most important takeaways: 1) The surround effects that come out of this thing are practically otherworldly. Just watching music videos on YouTube is an eyeopener. The way the sound follows you as you walk around the room or even just turn your head while sitting still are like something that I've never experienced. It's that " sound mapping " feature, I forget the official name of it, but it's worth every penny for that effect alone. I imagine that it's even more pronounced while wearing the matching headphones, which I plan to purchase right after Christmas. ( If not sooner... the Ultra Comfort models are currently on sale for $299 everywhere...😲) 2) In terms of watching movies with Dolby Atmos, the results, while still impressive, are slightly less glowing. Don't get me wrong, that sound mapping thing still surprises. Little details appear in movies I've seen multiple times that I've never heard before. (In Pearl Harbor, during the big invasion sequence that must go on for twenty minutes... lol But I swear, you could feel the shell casings hitting the ground below your feet. An actual tactile feeling. So real it was almost disorienting. Color me impressed) But, in terms of Atmos and the bar's upward firing speakers, the results are less than jaw dropping. The Soundbar sits about six feet from the ceiling and is unobstructed. But so far little specific overhead effects have manifested themselves. ( The ceiling tiles are acoustic, which may be hindering the performance) But, really, I'm finding out that that really doesn't matter all that much, what with the magical surrounding audio bliss this unit conjures up on the spot. Long story short: (too late ! 🤓) I'm amazed and impressed by this Soundbar. Highly recommended.

Sweet. Yeah, I failed to mention the bass response. I know that's crucial for a lot of folks. For me, I would sum it up with the word "adequate". Is the bar on it's own rattling the walls ? No, but it gets a lot closer than one might imagine. After tweaking around with the settings on the Bose app, ( a must have) I arrived at a balanced sound that I think most average movie watchers would be happy with. ( That's AVERAGE movie watchers... not those obsessed with obtaining audio and video perfection that's always just out of reach such as myself and most likely anyone reading this...🤓) Never during various settings did the 600 sound weak or tinny... It's all up to what sounds the best to your particular set of ears. Interestingly, I found that decreasing the height settings to around 50 or 60 opened up the sound a bit more, increasing both the bass response and those amazing sound mapped effects. I'm sure adding the 500 module would bring things up to another level, but truthfully if I decide to add anything to this bar, aside from those Ultra Comfort headphones that are seeming sweeter and sweeter with every passing moment, (😉) it would most likely be a pair of wireless surrounds. There are a couple different varieties available, and we'll see what the sales are like right after Christmas. Here's hoping you're enjoying your setup as much as I'm enjoying mine...🙂

I have the Bose Smart Soundbar 600 and really happy with the quality of sound and performance

Got a Bose 550/600 recently and was impressed how Much good clean sound it puts out.

Alright, I can’t remember how the S50A sounds (or even if I’ve listened to it haha), but I’ve listened to the Sonos Beam (gen 2) and Bose 600 very recently. Was really not impressed by them, but that might be my nitpicking too. With a gun to my head, I’d say the Bose 600 or 900 might sound a bit better without sub. The soundstage feels bigger than the Sonos due to the up-firing speakers. Just a note: while Dolby Atmos-compatible, the Sonos as a standalone is a 5.0 soundbar, it does not have speakers for the height channels.

Meanwhile using pass through from my Xbox Series X, with my Bose Smart Soundbar 👀. Glad I didn’t listen to you all, enjoy your lower bandwidth sound signal !

I'd pick the sonos. That being said you won't regret either one. Both sound great, but the bose surrounds are dated as fck if you ever intend to expand. Best thing bose has is that awesome sub which I think blows Sonos sub out of the water.