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  1. Home
  2. Soundbar
  3. Compare
  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. Center
    6. Surround 5.1
    7. Height (Atmos)
    8. 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 Ultra Soundbar vs Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar
Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8

Tested using Methodology v1.3

Updated Nov 28, 2024 02:21 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v1.3

Updated Oct 18, 2024 01:25 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar Picture
Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 Picture
Channels
5.1.2
Channels
5.0.2
  1. Recommended in 1 article:
  2. Bose

Variants

  • Smart Ultra Soundbar (Arctic White)
  • Smart Ultra Soundbar (Black)
  • BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 (Black)

Review

See Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar Review
See Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 Review
16 
13 

Our Verdict

Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar

Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8

The Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar is a bit more immersive than the Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8, with a wider soundstage and a slightly higher Dolby Atmos height. Both are fairly bright soundbars with limited sound enhancements besides room calibration and a handful of listening modes. They both reproduce clear dialogue, too. If you're looking for smart home integration, only the Bose offers voice assistance. The Sony offers a bit more audio format support, such as DTS:X, and includes an HDMI In port in addition to eARC. Plus, you can achieve 4k @ 120Hz via passthrough only with the Sony. If you have older devices, the Bose includes Optical, alongside eARC.

0 

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Black
Smart Ultra Soundbar
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Black
BRAVIA Theater Bar 8
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Arctic White
Smart Ultra Soundbar
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Black
BRAVIA Theater Bar 8
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Black
BRAVIA Theater Bar 8
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Black
BRAVIA Theater Bar 8
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Black
BRAVIA Theater Bar 8
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Main Differences for
Mixed Usage

Threshold 

0.10

Mixed Usage 

7.3
7.1

Stereo Soundstage 
 

8.0
6.5

Audio Format Support: HDMI In 
 

0.0
10

Auto-Volume/Night Mode 
 

No
Yes

Full Comparison

Design

Style - Bar  

Style photo - bar  

Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar Style photo - bar
Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 Style photo - bar
Show Text 

Style - Subwoofer  

Style photo - sub  

Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar Style photo - sub
Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 Style photo - sub

Sub Wireless 
 

No
No

Enclosure 
 

No Subwoofer
No Subwoofer
Show Text 

Style - Satellites  

Style photo - satellites  

Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar Style photo - satellites
Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 Style photo - satellites

Satellite Wireless 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Dimensions - Bar  

Dimensions photo - bar  

Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar Dimensions photo - bar
Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 Dimensions photo - bar

Width  

41.1" (104.5 cm)
43.3" (110.0 cm)

Height  

2.2" (5.7 cm)
2.5" (6.4 cm)

Depth  

4.3" (10.8 cm)
4.4" (11.3 cm)
Show Text 

Dimensions - Subwoofer  

Dimensions photo - sub  

Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar Dimensions photo - sub
Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 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 Ultra Soundbar Dimensions photo - satellites
Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 Dimensions photo - satellites

Width  

N/A
N/A

Height  

N/A
N/A

Depth  

N/A
N/A

Mounting 
 

Bar Mounting Holes  

Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar Bar Mounting Holes
Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 Bar Mounting Holes

Satellite Mounting Holes  

Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar Satellite Mounting Holes
Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 Satellite Mounting Holes

Mountable Bar 
 

Yes
Yes

Bar Brackets Included 
 

No
Yes

Mountable Satellites 
 

No
No

Satellite Brackets Included 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

8.5
7.5

Build quality photo  

Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar Build quality photo
Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 Build quality photo
Show Text 

In The Box 
 

In The Box photo   

Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar In The Box photo
Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 In The Box photo
Show Text 
Sound

Stereo Frequency Response 
 

7.1
7.1

Stereo Setup  

Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar Stereo Setup
Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 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 
 

5.1.2
5.0.2

Tested Preset 
 

No Preset
Standard Surround

Slope 
 

0.50
0.63

Standard Error 
 

3.74 dB
3.49 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

48.3 Hz
52.6 Hz

High-Frequency Extension 
 

19.9 kHz
19.3 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
Standard Surround

Suggested Bass Setting 
 

0
1

Suggested Treble Setting 
 

-50
N/A

Slope 
 

0.03
-0.40

Standard Error 
 

2.97 dB
2.95 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

48.3 Hz
48.3 Hz

High-Frequency Extension 
 

19.9 kHz
19.6 kHz
Show Text 

Stereo Soundstage 
 

8.0
6.5

Crosstalk  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Crosstalk Error 
 

1.68 dB
4.49 dB
Show Text 

Stereo Dynamics 
 

8.0
7.3

Dynamic Range Compression  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

94.2 dB SPL
92.9 dB SPL

DRC @ 90dB 
 

0.50 dB
0.63 dB

DRC @ Max Volume 
 

2.30 dB
4.32 dB
Show Text 

Center 
 

8.2
8.5

Center Setup  

Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar Center Setup
Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 Center Setup

Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Localization 
 

Discrete
Discrete

Slope 
 

0.57
0.65

Std. Err. 
 

3.54 dB
2.66 dB

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

95.0 dB SPL
94.9 dB SPL

Weighted THD @ 80dB 
 

0.49
0.35

Weighted THD @ Max Volume 
 

1.96
5.11
Show Text 

Surround 5.1 
 

5.6
4.7

Surround Setup  

Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar Surround Setup
Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 Surround Setup

Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Localization 
 

Phantom (Front Firing and Up Firing, Bar)
Phantom (Side Firing, Bar)

Slope 
 

-0.42
2.43

Std. Err. 
 

3.35 dB
7.75 dB

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

95.6 dB SPL
91.7 dB SPL

Weighted THD @ 80dB 
 

0.72
0.33

Weighted THD @ Max Volume 
 

2.72
0.76

7.1 Rears 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Height (Atmos) 
 

6.1
5.1

Height Setup  

Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar Height Setup
Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 Height Setup

H Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Localization 
 

Phantom (Front Firing, Bar)
Phantom (Front Firing, Bar)

Slope 
 

-0.76
0.62

Std. Err. 
 

3.68 dB
6.11 dB

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

87.7 dB SPL
85.1 dB SPL

Weighted THD @ 80dB 
 

0.58
3.35

Weighted THD @ Max Volume 
 

1.68
0.40
Show Text 

Sound Enhancement Features 
 

4.7
5.3

Room Correction 
 

Yes
Yes

Dialogue Enhancement 
 

Yes
Yes

Auto-Volume/Night Mode 
 

No
Yes

Subwoofer Level Adjustment 
 

No
No

Bass Adjustment 
 

Yes
Yes

Treble Adjustment 
 

Yes
No

EQ 
 

No
No

Surround Level Adjustment 
 

No
No

Rear Level Adjustment 
 

No
No

Height Level Adjustment 
 

Yes
Yes

Virtual Surround 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 
Connectivity

Inputs/Outputs - Bar 
 

Physical Connections Bar Photo 1  

Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar Physical Connections Bar Photo 1
Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 Physical Connections Bar Photo 1

Physical Connections Bar Photo 2  

Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar Physical Connections Bar Photo 2
Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 Physical Connections Bar Photo 2

Optical Audio In 
 

1
No

HDMI Out 
 

eARC
eARC

HDMI 2.1 Class Bandwidth 
 

No
Yes

Full HDMI In 
 

No
1

Analog Audio In 3.5mm (Aux) 
 

No
No

RCA In 
 

No
No

USB for Files 
 

No
No

Ethernet 
 

1
No

Subwoofer Output 
 

Yes
No
Show Text 

Audio Format Support: ARC/eARC 
 

8.1
10

Dolby Atmos 
 

Supported
Supported

Dolby Digital 
 

Supported
Supported

Dolby Digital Plus 
 

Supported
Supported

Dolby TrueHD 
 

Supported
Supported

DTS 
 

Not Supported
Supported

DTS:X 
 

Not Supported
Supported

DTS-HD MA 
 

Not Supported
Supported

PCM Channels 
 

Up To 7.1
Up To 7.1
Show Text 

Audio Format Support: HDMI In 
 

0.0
10

Dolby Atmos 
 

Not Supported
Supported

Dolby Digital 
 

Not Supported
Supported

Dolby Digital Plus 
 

Not Supported
Supported

Dolby TrueHD 
 

Not Supported
Supported

DTS 
 

Not Supported
Supported

DTS:X 
 

Not Supported
Supported

DTS-HD MA 
 

Not Supported
Supported

PCM Channels 
 

Not Supported
Up To 7.1
Show Text 

Audio Format Support: Optical 
 

6.5
0.0

Dolby Digital 
 

Supported
Not Supported

DTS 
 

Not Supported
Not Supported

PCM Channels 
 

2.0
Not Supported
Show Text 

Audio Latency: ARC 
 

9.0
6.3

ARC Latency Video  

PCM-2.0 ch 
 

59 ms
100 ms

PCM-5.1 ch 
 

55 ms
96 ms

Dolby MAT (PCM) Atmos 
 

55 ms
104 ms

Dolby Digital 
 

80 ms
127 ms

Dolby Digital Plus 
 

97 ms
134 ms

Dolby Digital Plus Atmos 
 

94 ms
136 ms
Show Text 

Audio Latency: HDMI In 
 

0.0
5.8

HDMI Latency Video  

PCM-2.0 ch 
 

N/A
100 ms

PCM-5.1 ch 
 

N/A
97 ms

Dolby MAT (PCM) Atmos 
 

N/A
108 ms

Dolby Digital 
 

N/A
147 ms

Dolby Digital Plus 
 

N/A
139 ms

Dolby Digital Plus Atmos 
 

N/A
142 ms
Show Text 

Audio Latency: Optical 
 

7.8
0.0

Optical Latency Video  

PCM-2.0 ch 
 

122 ms
N/A

Dolby Digital 
 

166 ms
N/A
Show Text 

Video Passthrough To TV 
 

0.0
9.6

1080p Max Refresh Rate 
 

Not Supported
120Hz

1080p @ 4:4:4 Max Refresh Rate 
 

Not Supported
120Hz

4k Max Refresh Rate 
 

Not Supported
120Hz

4k @ 120Hz @ 10-Bit 
 

Not Supported
Supported

4k @ 4:4:4 Max Refresh Rate 
 

Not Supported
120Hz

8k Max Refresh Rate 
 

Not Supported
60Hz

HDR10 Passthrough 
 

No
Yes

HDR10+ Passthrough 
 

No
No

Dolby Vision Passthrough 
 

No
Yes

HDMI Forum VRR Passthrough 
 

No
Yes

FreeSync Passthrough 
 

No
No

G-SYNC Passthrough 
 

No
Yes

ALLM Passthrough 
 

No
Yes
Show Text 

Wireless Playback 
 

10
9.0

Bluetooth 
 

Yes
Yes

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 Ultra Soundbar Interface photo
Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 Interface photo

Display 
 

No
Yes
Show Text 

Bar Controls 
 

Controls photo  

Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar Controls photo
Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 Controls photo
Show Text 

Remote  

Remote photo  

Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar Remote photo
Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 Remote photo
Show Text 

Voice Assistants Support 
 

Amazon Alexa 
 

Yes (Built-in)
No

Google Assistant 
 

No
No

Apple Siri 
 

No
No

Microphone Mute 
 

Yes
No
Show Text 

Check Price

Black
Smart Ultra Soundbar
Searching
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Black
BRAVIA Theater Bar 8
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Arctic White
Smart Ultra Soundbar
Searching
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Black
BRAVIA Theater Bar 8
Searching
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Black
BRAVIA Theater Bar 8
Searching
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Black
BRAVIA Theater Bar 8
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Black
BRAVIA Theater Bar 8
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Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar

Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8

Comments

  1. Comparison
 • Posted 8 months ago

Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar vs Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8: Main Discussion

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