We've currently tested 14 Bose soundbars. Bose is an audio-centric brand that focuses on creating premium-feeling, well-built products that are just as sturdy as they are sleek-looking. While they may lack extensive audio customization, their balanced and neutral sound reproduction makes the soundbars relatively easy to use. You can expand your collection by adding satellites and outboard subwoofers later, which adds flexibility to your home theater.
Updates
- 08/06/2026Bose Home Theater Set reviewed
- 08/03/2026Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar reviewed
- 11/05/2024Bose Smart Soundbar reviewed
- 12/04/2023Bose Smart Soundbar 300 updated
- 11/17/2023Bose Smart Soundbar 600 updated
Our recommendations are built upon our thorough testing and rigorous reviews. Every soundbar we evaluate goes through multiple testing stages with different teams to ensure accurate, authentic results. No cherry-picked units or data.
Curious how we've tested over 200 soundbars (and counting)? Look at our How We Test Soundbars article for a behind-the-scenes look at our lab and process.
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Best Bose Soundbar
Stereo Frequency ResponseStereo DynamicsMixed UsageDialogue/TV ShowsMusicSee all our test resultsMoviesThe Bose Home Theater Set is Bose's most expansive and premium soundbar offering, combining a Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar with two Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speakers and a sub from the same line. The result is a 7.1.4 configuration, Atmos-ready home theater system that outperforms the other products in this article. It boasts an excited frequency response that boosts the bass range for some extra rumble, while retaining plenty of treble range detail. There's CustomTune room-correction technology to adjust the sound to your room's acoustics, as well as 3-band EQ for further sound tweaking.
The bar can get loud enough to fill a large living room with sound, and the discrete center channel ensures voices and dialogue can be pinpointed within the sound field. The two satellites work in tandem with the bar's side-firing drivers to reproduce surround-channel content with plenty of detail. That said, while the two up-firing drivers can create an illusion of height that rises a few feet above the soundbar, the overall performance with Atmos content isn't quite on par with other premium soundbars. If you find the sub and satellites to be overkill, you can always pick up the standalone Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar or even opt for the cheaper Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar, which offers a comparable performance at a lower price.
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Best Mid-Range Bose Soundbar
Stereo Frequency ResponseStereo DynamicsMixed UsageDialogue/TV ShowsMusicSee all our test resultsMoviesThe best mid-range option is the Bose Smart Soundbar, which replaces the previous Bose Smart Soundbar 600 with very minor tweaks, like support for connecting your Bose Ultra Open Earbuds to the bar. Compared to the top pick, it's a 3.0.2 configuration that's considerably smaller to fit in tight spaces, but it lacks a room correction tool. Thanks to its side-firing drivers, balanced-sounding center channel, and the TrueSpace function, however, it creates a fairly wide soundstage for its size, which is great for immersing yourself in music. The soundbar supports most wireless connections, making it easy to play your favorite tracks. Plus, for movies and streaming, there's support for Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital at low latencies.
Overall, the sound is rather balanced and retains dynamics well for clear vocals and separation of instruments, and it outperforms its size. However, like most small bars, it can't quite provide the fullest-sounding low rumbles during tense action scenes. That said, you can always add a bass module or satellites later if you need to fill out the space more. While it doesn't have a full equalizer, you can adjust the treble and bass to shape the sound. There are also controls for Atmos height adjustments, AI Dialogue mode to enhance speech if necessary, and Wall EQ to change the tuning if you mount the bar. If you can't fit the larger Bose Home Theater set in your space and aren't too concerned about room correction, it offers good value.
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Best Budget Bose Soundbar
Stereo Frequency ResponseStereo DynamicsMixed UsageDialogue/TV ShowsMusicSee all our test resultsMoviesThe best Bose soundbar in the budget range is the Bose TV Speaker. At just under 24 inches in width, this soundbar can easily fit under smaller TV stands and computer monitors, taking up even less space than the compact Bose Smart Soundbar. It's only a 2.0 setup, so it isn't as versatile as the more premium models in Bose's lineup, but it's still a fair choice if you mostly listen to dialogue-focused content like podcasts and TV shows. Given its neutral sound, dialogue and lead instruments are clear and present in the mix. You miss out on the rumble in the bass that brings genres like EDM to life, but you can always add on a separate sub from the manufacturer if you want.
Of course, the bar's performance isn't quite as impressive as more expensive models. There's no Atmos support, and it has to downmix surround-sound formats to stereo to play them. Its soundstage is smaller, too, so you don't get the feeling of sound stretching around you. That said, that's not really what this bar is for. It's a simple plug-and-play option that marks a solid upgrade over any existing TV speakers, and overall, it's a great choice if you mostly listen to stereo content and are content with Bluetooth as your sole wireless connection.
Compared To Other Brands
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Balanced sound profile.
Although the soundbars we've tested lack a subwoofer by default and struggle to produce thumpy bass, their other sound profiles are balanced and fairly neutral, making them suitable for a wide range of audio content.
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Well-built design.Bose soundbars are generally well-built, with a premium look and feel.
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Easily upgradable setup.You can upgrade their current soundbars by purchasing a separate subwoofer or some satellites, which is great if you want to expand your setup down the line.
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Lacking low bass.
Without a dedicated subwoofer, Bose soundbars lack the thump and rumble integral to genres like EDM and hip-hop.
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No height channels.
Some Bose soundbars don't support Dolby Atmos content found on many 4k Blu-rays and some streaming services, so you won't get the most immersive experience when watching movies. You'll have to pay for the premium setups to use these formats.
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No Full HDMI In port.You can't use Bose soundbars as a hub between external devices like a Blu-ray player and your TV.
Bose vs Samsung
Samsung and Bose both produce a wide array of soundbars, from top-of-the-line setups to more budget-friendly models. Samsung soundbars tend to offer more customization features and more physical inputs for video passthrough. Meanwhile, Bose soundbars use digital signal processing (DSP) to extend sound past the edges of the bar itself.
Bose vs Sonos
Sonos and Bose are direct competitors in the soundbar market. Sonos soundbars usually offer the same features and similar performances, and while their sound quality is impressive, you won't find as many sound enhancement tools and less robust app support for Android devices. Sonos supports DTS content, unlike Bose soundbars, and if you already own products in their ecosystem, you can usually connect them all to stream audio throughout your house.
Bose makes well-built and neutral-sounding soundbars. They tend to be very straightforward, and some setups are easily upgradable. However, due to their simple design, they don't offer as many sound-enhancement features as other brands and lack HDMI In ports. Bose still provides a solid sound experience right out of the box, which is great for those who don't want to tinker with their settings too much. Their companion app is the same if you own Bose headphones, so updates and features are in one place.
Lineup
Bose only has a few soundbars on the market at any given time. Unlike other brands, they don't tend to release new products every year; instead, their premium products remain in stock for several years at a time. Some trends in their naming conventions can help you determine which features are available with your soundbar:
- Smart Soundbar lineup: Supports Dolby Atmos content with built-in voice assistants for hands-free control.
- Lifestyle Ultra lineup: Bose's flagship soundbar and speaker line, with modular configurations.
- Solo lineup: Discontinued compact standalone bar for smaller spaces.
- TV Speaker lineup: Another standalone bar for upgrading TV speakers.
Generally speaking, the higher the number, the more channels available with the bar.
Recent Updates
Aug 19, 2026:
We've added the Bose Home Theater Set as our top pick because it outperforms every other Bose soundbar we've tested, thanks to the discrete sub and satellites. We've also updated the lineup section to include the Lifestyle Ultra line.
Apr 15, 2026:
We haven't tested any new Bose soundbars since we last updated this article, so our picks remain the same.
Jan 16, 2026:
This article's format was updated to match our guidelines, with no changes to the picks.
Apr 24, 2025:
We haven't reviewed any Bose soundbars since the last update, and all our picks are still accurate and in stock.
Jan 28, 2025:
This article has been updated with minor text edits for clarity without changes to the picks.
Conclusion
Bose is a well-known brand that focuses on well-built, premium-feeling audio products that reproduce a balanced, neutral sound out of the box. While their soundbars are a little lackluster, especially compared to brands that offer more variety of setups, they still have a sound suited for most audio content, and you can upgrade most of their setups down the line. They're a good choice for those who want something simple yet sturdy without sacrificing audio quality.