Get insider access
Preferred store
Notice: Your browser is not supported or outdated so some features of the site might not be available.
Notice: Big Spring Sale Deal: The Samsung HW-Q990D has dropped by $500 on Amazon.com. See all Soundbar Big Spring Sale deals.
  1. Table of Contents
  2. Top
  3. Main Differences
  4. Design
    1. Style - Bar
    2. Style - Subwoofer
    3. Style - Satellites
    4. Dimensions - Bar
    5. Dimensions - Subwoofer
    6. Dimensions - Satellites
    7. Mounting
    8. Build Quality
    9. In The Box
  5. Sound
    1. Stereo Frequency Response
    2. Stereo Frequency Response With Preliminary Calibration
    3. Stereo Soundstage
    4. Stereo Dynamics
    5. Stereo Total Harmonic Distortion
    6. Center
    7. Surround 5.1
    8. Height (Atmos)
    9. Sound Enhancement Features
  6. Connectivity
    1. Inputs/Outputs - Bar
    2. Audio Format Support: ARC/eARC
    3. Audio Format Support: HDMI In
    4. Audio Format Support: Optical
    5. Audio Latency: ARC
    6. Audio Latency: HDMI In
    7. Audio Latency: Optical
    8. Video Passthrough To TV
    9. Wireless Playback
  7. Additional Features
    1. Interface
    2. Bar Controls
    3. Remote
    4. Voice Assistants Support
  8. Comments

Bose Smart Soundbar 300 vs Sonos Beam (Gen 2)

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

Bose Smart Soundbar 300
Sonos Beam (Gen 2)

Tested using Methodology v1.2

Updated Mar 15, 2024 07:11 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v1.3

Updated Nov 21, 2024 02:28 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Bose Smart Soundbar 300 Picture
Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Picture

Variants

  • Smart Soundbar 300 (Black)
  • Beam (Gen 2) (Black)
  • Sonos Beam (Gen 2) (White)

Our Verdict

Bose Smart Soundbar 300

Sonos Beam (Gen 2)

The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is better than the Bose Smart Soundbar 300. The Sonos is a better-built 5.0 setup. It has better soundstage and surround performances. Unlike the Bose, it supports Dolby Atmos content. Also, there are more sound enhancement features, like room correction. That said, only the 3.0 Bose supports Bluetooth connectivity.

0 

Check Price

Black
Smart Soundbar 300
Searching
Finding store
Black
Beam (Gen 2)
Searching
Finding store
Black
Smart Soundbar 300
Searching
Finding store
White
Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
Searching
Finding store
Black
Smart Soundbar 300
Searching
Finding store
 
Black
Smart Soundbar 300
Searching
Finding store
 
Black
Smart Soundbar 300
Searching
Finding store
 
Read more

Main Differences for
Mixed Usage

Threshold 

0.10

Mixed Usage 

6.8
7.4

Height (Atmos) 
 

0.0
5.7

Audio Format Support: ARC/eARC 
 

4.8
9.6

Stereo Frequency Response 
 

7.1
7.4

Auto-Volume/Night Mode 
 

No
Yes

Surround 5.1 
 

3.9
5.9

Full Comparison

Design

Style - Bar  

Style photo - bar  

Bose Smart Soundbar 300 Style photo - bar
Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Style photo - bar
Show text

Style - Subwoofer  

Style photo - sub  

Bose Smart Soundbar 300 Style photo - sub
Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Style photo - sub

Sub Wireless 
 

No
No

Enclosure 
 

No Subwoofer
No Subwoofer
Show text

Style - Satellites  

Style photo - satellites  

Bose Smart Soundbar 300 Style photo - satellites
Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Style photo - satellites

Satellite Wireless 
 

No
No
Show text

Dimensions - Bar  

Dimensions photo - bar  

Bose Smart Soundbar 300 Dimensions photo - bar
Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Dimensions photo - bar

Width  

27.4" (69.5 cm)
25.6" (65.0 cm)

Height  

2.2" (5.6 cm)
2.6" (6.7 cm)

Depth  

4.1" (10.5 cm)
4.0" (10.1 cm)
Show text

Dimensions - Subwoofer  

Dimensions photo - sub  

Bose Smart Soundbar 300 Dimensions photo - sub
Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Dimensions photo - sub

Width  

N/A
N/A

Height  

N/A
N/A

Depth  

N/A
N/A

Dimensions - Satellites  

Dimensions photo - satellites  

Bose Smart Soundbar 300 Dimensions photo - satellites
Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Dimensions photo - satellites

Width  

N/A
N/A

Height  

N/A
N/A

Depth  

N/A
N/A

Mounting 
 

Bar Mounting Holes  

Bose Smart Soundbar 300 Bar Mounting Holes
Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Bar Mounting Holes

Satellite Mounting Holes  

Bose Smart Soundbar 300 Satellite Mounting Holes
Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Satellite Mounting Holes

Mountable Bar 
 

Yes
Yes

Bar Brackets Included 
 

No
No

Mountable Satellites 
 

No
No

Satellite Brackets Included 
 

No
No
Show text

Build Quality 
 

8.0
8.5

Build quality photo  

Bose Smart Soundbar 300 Build quality photo
Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Build quality photo
Show text

In The Box 
 

In The Box photo   

Bose Smart Soundbar 300 In The Box photo
Sonos Beam (Gen 2) In The Box photo
Show text
Sound

Stereo Frequency Response 
 

7.1
7.4

Stereo Setup  

Bose Smart Soundbar 300 Stereo Setup
Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Stereo Setup

Raw Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Frequency Response Small  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Channels 
 

3.0
5.0

Tested Preset 
 

No Preset
No Preset

Slope 
 

-0.25
-0.56

Standard Error 
 

3.34 dB
2.82 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

54.2 Hz
50.4 Hz

High-Frequency Extension 
 

19.9 kHz
16.7 kHz
Show text

Stereo Frequency Response With Preliminary Calibration 
 

7.4
7.4

Frequency Response Calibrated  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Suggested Preset 
 

No Preset
No Preset

Suggested Bass Setting 
 

-30
-3

Suggested Treble Setting 
 

-20
2

Slope 
 

-0.21
0.05

Standard Error 
 

2.31 dB
2.66 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

55.0 Hz
51.9 Hz

High-Frequency Extension 
 

19.6 kHz
17.2 kHz
Show text

Stereo Soundstage 
 

7.5
8.0

Crosstalk  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Crosstalk Error 
 

1.95 dB
2.32 dB
Show text

Stereo Dynamics 
 

7.6
7.1

Dynamic Range Compression  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

93.1 dB SPL
88.8 dB SPL

DRC @ 90dB 
 

N/A

DRC @ Max Volume 
 

2.03 dB
1.70 dB
Show text

Stereo Total Harmonic Distortion 
 

8.0

THD  

See details on graph tool

Weighted THD @ 80dB 
 

0.36

Weighted THD @ Max Volume 
 

1.19
Show text

Center 
 

8.3
7.4

Center Setup  

Bose Smart Soundbar 300 Center Setup
Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Center Setup

Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Localization 
 

Discrete
Discrete

Slope 
 

-0.19
0.24

Std. Err. 
 

3.27 dB
3.73 dB

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

93.3 dB SPL
72.3 dB SPL

Weighted THD @ 80dB 
 

0.40
0.63

Weighted THD @ Max Volume 
 

1.15
1.54
Show text

Surround 5.1 
 

3.9
5.9

Surround Setup  

Bose Smart Soundbar 300 Surround Setup
Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Surround Setup

Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Localization 
 

Stereo (Downmix)
Phantom (Front Firing and Side Firing, Bar)

Slope 
 

-0.97
-0.56

Std. Err. 
 

3.62 dB
2.79 dB

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

88.9 dB SPL
70.4 dB SPL

Weighted THD @ 80dB 
 

0.70
0.38

Weighted THD @ Max Volume 
 

1.72
0.87

7.1 Rears 
 

No
No
Show text

Height (Atmos) 
 

0.0
5.7

Height Setup  

Bose Smart Soundbar 300 Height Setup
Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Height Setup

H Frequency Response  

Bose Smart Soundbar 300 H Frequency Response
See details on graph tool

Localization 
 

Not Supported
Phantom (Front Firing, Bar)

Slope 
 

N/A
1.01

Std. Err. 
 

N/A
3.35 dB

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

N/A
59.2 dB SPL

Weighted THD @ 80dB 
 

N/A
1.45

Weighted THD @ Max Volume 
 

N/A
0.30
Show text

Sound Enhancement Features 
 

2.7
5.4

Room Correction 
 

No
Yes

Dialogue Enhancement 
 

Yes
Yes

Auto-Volume/Night Mode 
 

No
Yes

Subwoofer Level Adjustment 
 

No
No

Bass Adjustment 
 

Yes
Yes

Treble Adjustment 
 

Yes
Yes

EQ 
 

No
No

Surround Level Adjustment 
 

No
No

Rear Level Adjustment 
 

No
No

Height Level Adjustment 
 

No
No

Virtual Surround 
 

No
No
Show text
Connectivity

Inputs/Outputs - Bar 
 

Physical Connections Bar Photo 1  

Bose Smart Soundbar 300 Physical Connections Bar Photo 1
Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Physical Connections Bar Photo 1

Physical Connections Bar Photo 2  

Bose Smart Soundbar 300 Physical Connections Bar Photo 2
Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Physical Connections Bar Photo 2

Optical Audio In 
 

1
Adapter into HDMI ARC

HDMI Out 
 

ARC
eARC

HDMI 2.1 Class Bandwidth 
 

No
No

Full HDMI In 
 

No
No

Analog Audio In 3.5mm (Aux) 
 

No
No

RCA In 
 

No
No

USB for Files 
 

No
No

Ethernet 
 

No
1

Subwoofer Output 
 

Yes
No
Show text

Audio Format Support: ARC/eARC 
 

4.8
9.6

Dolby Atmos 
 

Not Supported
Supported

Dolby Digital 
 

Supported
Supported

Dolby Digital Plus 
 

Not Supported
Supported

Dolby TrueHD 
 

Not Supported
Supported

DTS 
 

Not Supported
Supported

DTS:X 
 

Not Supported
Not Supported

DTS-HD MA 
 

Not Supported
Not Supported

PCM Channels 
 

2.0
Up To 7.1
Show text

Audio Format Support: HDMI In 
 

0.0
0.0

Dolby Atmos 
 

Not Supported
Not Supported

Dolby Digital 
 

Not Supported
Not Supported

Dolby Digital Plus 
 

Not Supported
Not Supported

Dolby TrueHD 
 

Not Supported
Not Supported

DTS 
 

Not Supported
Not Supported

DTS:X 
 

Not Supported
Not Supported

DTS-HD MA 
 

Not Supported
Not Supported

PCM Channels 
 

Not Supported
Not Supported
Show text

Audio Format Support: Optical 
 

6.5
10

Dolby Digital 
 

Supported
Supported

DTS 
 

Not Supported
Supported

PCM Channels 
 

2.0
2.0
Show text

Audio Latency: ARC 
 

7.3

ARC Latency Video  

PCM-2.0 ch 
 

61 ms

PCM-5.1 ch 
 

61 ms

Dolby MAT (PCM) Atmos 
 

79 ms

Dolby Digital 
 

111 ms

Dolby Digital Plus 
 

121 ms

Dolby Digital Plus Atmos 
 

121 ms
Show text

Audio Latency: HDMI In 
 

8.4
0.0

HDMI Latency Video  

Latency Video  

PCM-2.0 ch 
 

N/A

PCM-5.1 ch 
 

N/A

Dolby MAT (PCM) Atmos 
 

N/A

Dolby Digital 
 

N/A

Dolby Digital Plus 
 

N/A

Dolby Digital Plus Atmos 
 

N/A

ARC 
 

47 ms

Optical 
 

45 ms

Full HDMI In 
 

N/A
Show text

Audio Latency: Optical 
 

7.8

Optical Latency Video  

PCM-2.0 ch 
 

119 ms

Dolby Digital 
 

180 ms
Show text

Video Passthrough To TV 
 

0.0
0.0

1080p Max Refresh Rate 
 

Not Supported
Not Supported

1080p @ 4:4:4 Max Refresh Rate 
 

Not Supported
Not Supported

4k Max Refresh Rate 
 

Not Supported
Not Supported

4k @ 120Hz @ 10-Bit 
 

Not Supported
Not Supported

4k @ 4:4:4 Max Refresh Rate 
 

Not Supported
Not Supported

8k Max Refresh Rate 
 

Not Supported
Not Supported

HDR10 Passthrough 
 

No
No

HDR10+ Passthrough 
 

No
No

Dolby Vision Passthrough 
 

No
No

HDMI Forum VRR Passthrough 
 

No
No

FreeSync Passthrough 
 

No
No

G-SYNC Passthrough 
 

No
No

ALLM Passthrough 
 

No
No
Show text

Wireless Playback 
 

10
3.0

Bluetooth 
 

Yes
No

Wi-Fi Playback 
 

Yes
Yes

Chromecast built-in 
 

Yes
No

Apple AirPlay 
 

Yes
Yes

Spotify Connect 
 

Yes
Yes
Show text
Additional Features

Interface 
 

Interface photo  

Bose Smart Soundbar 300 Interface photo
Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Interface photo

Display 
 

No
No
Show text

Bar Controls 
 

Controls photo  

Bose Smart Soundbar 300 Controls photo
Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Controls photo
Show text

Remote  

Remote photo  

Bose Smart Soundbar 300 Remote photo
Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Remote photo
Show text

Voice Assistants Support 
 

Amazon Alexa 
 

Yes (Built-in)
Yes (Built-in)

Google Assistant 
 

Yes (Built-in)
Yes (Built-in)

Apple Siri 
 

No
No

Microphone Mute 
 

Yes
Yes
Show text

Check Price

Black
Smart Soundbar 300
Searching
Finding store
Black
Beam (Gen 2)
Searching
Finding store
Black
Smart Soundbar 300
Searching
Finding store
White
Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
Searching
Finding store
Black
Smart Soundbar 300
Searching
Finding store
 
Black
Smart Soundbar 300
Searching
Finding store
 
Black
Smart Soundbar 300
Searching
Finding store
 

Bose Smart Soundbar 300

Sonos Beam (Gen 2)

Comments

  1. Comparison

Bose Smart Soundbar 300 vs Sonos Beam (Gen 2): Main Discussion

What do you think of these products? Let us know below.


Looking for a personalized buying advice from the RTINGS.com experts? Insiders have direct access to buying advice on our insider forum.

PreviewBack to editorFormat guide
No comments yet, refresh to see new ones