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  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
    10. Back - Bar
    11. Back - Subwoofer
    12. Back - Satellites
  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
    10. Connectivity - Subwoofer
    11. Connectivity - Satellites
  7. Additional Features
    1. Interface
    2. Bar Controls
    3. Remote
    4. Voice Assistants Support
    5. App
    6. Other Features
  8. Comments

Bose TV Speaker vs TCL Alto 3

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

Bose TV Speaker
TCL Alto 3

Tested using Methodology v1.3

Updated Nov 05, 2024 08:33 PM

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Tested using Methodology v1.0

Updated Jan 25, 2024 04:47 PM

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Bose TV Speaker Picture
TCL Alto 3 Picture
  1. Recommended in 3 articles:
  2. Bose
  3. Under $200
  4. Under $300

Variants

  • TV Speakers (Black)
  • Alto 3 (Black)

Our Verdict

Bose TV Speaker

TCL Alto 3

The Bose TV Speaker is a better soundbar than the TCL Alto 3. The Bose is better built, and its sound profile is more neutral and balanced, making it suitable for a wider range of audio content. However, the TCL has a few EQ presets, which the Bose lacks.

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Notice: Two or more of the products selected have been tested with different test methodologies, so some of the results below aren't directly comparable. Learn how our test benches and scoring system work, and read more about the latest changes to our soundbars test methodology.

Main Differences for

Threshold 

0.10

Mixed Usage 

6.2
5.3

Stereo Frequency Response 
 

7.2
5.3

Audio Format Support: ARC/eARC 
 

4.8
0.0

Stereo Dynamics 
 

6.2
7.8

Stereo Soundstage 
 

6.5
5.5

Full Comparison

Design

Style - Bar  

Style photo - bar  

Bose TV Speaker Style photo - bar
TCL Alto 3 Style photo - bar

Show text

Style - Subwoofer  

Style photo - sub  

Bose TV Speaker Style photo - sub
TCL Alto 3 Style photo - sub

Sub Wireless 
 

No
No

Enclosure 
 

No Subwoofer
No Subwoofer

Show text

Style - Satellites  

Style photo - satellites  

Bose TV Speaker Style photo - satellites
TCL Alto 3 Style photo - satellites

Satellite Wireless 
 

No
No

Show text

Dimensions - Bar  

Dimensions photo - bar  

Bose TV Speaker Dimensions photo - bar
TCL Alto 3 Dimensions photo - bar

Width  

23.5" (59.6 cm)
23.7" (60.2 cm)

Height  

2.2" (5.7 cm)
2.4" (6.2 cm)

Depth  

4.1" (10.4 cm)
3.6" (9.1 cm)

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Dimensions - Subwoofer  

Dimensions photo - sub  

Bose TV Speaker Dimensions photo - sub
TCL Alto 3 Dimensions photo - sub

Width  

N/A
N/A

Height  

N/A
N/A

Depth  

N/A
N/A

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Dimensions - Satellites  

Dimensions photo - satellites  

Bose TV Speaker Dimensions photo - satellites
TCL Alto 3 Dimensions photo - satellites

Width  

N/A
N/A

Height  

N/A
N/A

Depth  

N/A
N/A

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Mounting 
 

Bar Mounting Holes  

Bose TV Speaker Bar Mounting Holes

Satellite Mounting Holes  

Bose TV Speaker Satellite Mounting Holes

Mountable Bar 
 

Yes

Bar Brackets Included 
 

No

Mountable Satellites 
 

No

Satellite Brackets Included 
 

No

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Build Quality 
 

8.0
7.0

Build quality photo  

Bose TV Speaker Build quality photo
TCL Alto 3 Build quality photo

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In The Box 
 

In The Box photo   

Bose TV Speaker In The Box photo
TCL Alto 3 In The Box photo

HDMI Cable Length 
 

N/A

Digital Optical Cable Length 
 

1.5 m (4.9 ft)

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Back - Bar  

Back photo - bar  

TCL Alto 3 Back photo - bar

Bar Mounting 
 

No

Show text

Back - Subwoofer  

Back photo - sub  

TCL Alto 3 Back photo - sub

Enclosure 
 

No Subwoofer
No Subwoofer

Show text

Back - Satellites  

Back photo - satellites  

TCL Alto 3 Back photo - satellites

Mounting 
 

No

Show text

Sound

Stereo Frequency Response 
 

7.2
5.3

Stereo Setup  

Bose TV Speaker Stereo Setup
TCL Alto 3 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 
 

2.0
2.0

Tested Preset 
 

No Preset
Music

Slope 
 

-0.10
-0.25

Standard Error 
 

2.82 dB
5.53 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

55.0 Hz
92.4 Hz

High-Frequency Extension 
 

19.9 kHz
12.4 kHz

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Stereo Frequency Response With Preliminary Calibration 
 

7.2
5.3

Frequency Response Calibrated  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Suggested Preset 
 

No Preset
Music

Suggested Bass Setting 
 

0
N/A

Suggested Treble Setting 
 

N/A
N/A

Slope 
 

-0.10
-0.25

Standard Error 
 

2.82 dB
5.53 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

55.0 Hz
92.4 Hz

High-Frequency Extension 
 

19.9 kHz
12.4 kHz

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Stereo Soundstage 
 

6.5
5.5

Crosstalk  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Crosstalk Error 
 

2.99 dB
3.12 dB

Show text

Stereo Dynamics 
 

6.2
7.8

Dynamic Range Compression  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

84.6 dB SPL
88.0 dB SPL

DRC @ 90dB 
 

N/A

DRC @ Max Volume 
 

2.41 dB
0.38 dB

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Stereo Total Harmonic Distortion 
 

7.9

THD  

See details on graph tool

Weighted THD @ 80dB 
 

0.40

Weighted THD @ Max Volume 
 

1.11

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Center 
 

6.8
6.4

Center Setup  

Bose TV Speaker Center Setup
TCL Alto 3 Center Setup

Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Localization 
 

Phantom
Phantom

Slope 
 

0.08
-0.65

Std. Err. 
 

2.45 dB
3.01 dB

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

88.1 dB SPL
82.8 dB SPL

Weighted THD @ 80dB 
 

0.50
0.34

Weighted THD @ Max Volume 
 

1.08
0.70

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Surround 5.1 
 

3.3
4.0

Surround Setup  

Bose TV Speaker Surround Setup
TCL Alto 3 Surround Setup

Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Localization 
 

Stereo (Downmix)
Stereo (Downmix)

Slope 
 

-1.17
-0.67

Std. Err. 
 

4.79 dB
2.97 dB

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

84.7 dB SPL
82.7 dB SPL

Weighted THD @ 80dB 
 

0.55
0.33

Weighted THD @ Max Volume 
 

1.11
0.69

7.1 Rears 
 

No
No

Show text

Height (Atmos) 
 

0.0
0.0

Height Setup  

Bose TV Speaker Height Setup
TCL Alto 3 Height Setup

H Frequency Response  

Bose TV Speaker H Frequency Response
TCL Alto 3 H Frequency Response

Localization 
 

Not Supported
Not Supported

Slope 
 

N/A
N/A

Std. Err. 
 

N/A
N/A

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

N/A
N/A

Weighted THD @ 80dB 
 

N/A
N/A

Weighted THD @ Max Volume 
 

N/A
N/A

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Sound Enhancement Features 
 

2.1
1.8

Room Correction 
 

No
No

Dialogue Enhancement 
 

Yes
Yes

Auto-Volume/Night Mode 
 

No
No

Subwoofer Level Adjustment 
 

No
No

Bass Adjustment 
 

Yes
No

Treble Adjustment 
 

No
No

EQ 
 

No
Presets

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 TV Speaker Physical Connections Bar Photo 1
TCL Alto 3 Physical Connections Bar Photo 1

Physical Connections Bar Photo 2  

Bose TV Speaker Physical Connections Bar Photo 2
TCL Alto 3 Physical Connections Bar Photo 2

Optical Audio In 
 

1
1

HDMI Out 
 

ARC
No

HDMI 2.1 Class Bandwidth 
 

No

Full HDMI In 
 

No
No

Analog Audio In 3.5mm (Aux) 
 

1
1

RCA In 
 

No
No

USB for Files 
 

No
1

Ethernet 
 

No
No

Subwoofer Output 
 

Yes

HDMI ARC 
 

No

Show text

Audio Format Support: ARC/eARC 
 

4.8
0.0

Dolby Atmos 
 

Not Supported
No

Dolby Digital 
 

Supported
No

Dolby Digital Plus 
 

Not Supported
No

Dolby TrueHD 
 

Not Supported
No

DTS 
 

Not Supported
No

DTS:X 
 

Not Supported
No

eARC 
 

No

DTS-HD MA 
 

Not Supported
No

PCM Channels 
 

2.0

5.1 PCM (eARC only) 
 

No

Show text

Audio Format Support: HDMI In 
 

0.0
0.0

Dolby Atmos 
 

Not Supported
No

Dolby Digital 
 

Not Supported
No

Dolby Digital Plus 
 

Not Supported
No

Dolby TrueHD 
 

Not Supported
No

DTS 
 

Not Supported
No

DTS:X 
 

Not Supported
No

DTS-HD MA 
 

Not Supported
No

PCM Channels 
 

Not Supported

5.1 PCM 
 

No

Show text

Audio Format Support: Optical 
 

6.5
6.0

Dolby Digital 
 

Supported
Yes

DTS 
 

Not Supported
No

PCM Channels 
 

2.0

Show text

Audio Latency: ARC 
 

10

ARC Latency Video  

PCM-2.0 ch 
 

10 ms

PCM-5.1 ch 
 

N/A

Dolby MAT (PCM) Atmos 
 

N/A

Dolby Digital 
 

28 ms

Dolby Digital Plus 
 

N/A

Dolby Digital Plus Atmos 
 

N/A

Show text

Audio Latency: HDMI In 
 

0.0
8.2

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 
 

N/A

Optical 
 

53 ms

Full HDMI In 
 

N/A

Audio Latency: Optical 
 

10

Optical Latency Video  

PCM-2.0 ch 
 

69 ms

Dolby Digital 
 

126 ms

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Video Passthrough To TV 
 

0.0
0.0

1080p Max Refresh Rate 
 

Not Supported

1080p @ 4:4:4 Max Refresh Rate 
 

Not Supported

4k Max Refresh Rate 
 

Not Supported

4k @ 120Hz @ 10-Bit 
 

Not Supported

4k @ 4:4:4 Max Refresh Rate 
 

Not Supported

8k Max Refresh Rate 
 

Not Supported

HDR10 Passthrough 
 

No
No

HDR10+ Passthrough 
 

No

Dolby Vision Passthrough 
 

No

HDMI Forum VRR Passthrough 
 

No

4k @ 60 Hz Passthrough 
 

No

FreeSync Passthrough 
 

No

G-SYNC Passthrough 
 

No

ALLM Passthrough 
 

No

4k @ 60 Hz @ 10 bit Passthrough 
 

No

4k @ 60 Hz @ 4:4:4 Passthrough 
 

No

Show text

Wireless Playback 
 

6.0
6.0

Bluetooth 
 

Yes
Yes

Wi-Fi Playback 
 

No
No

Chromecast built-in 
 

No
No

Apple AirPlay 
 

No
No

Spotify Connect 
 

No

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Connectivity - Subwoofer 
 

Physical inputs subwoofer photo 1  

TCL Alto 3 Physical inputs subwoofer photo 1

Physical controls subwoofer photo 1  

TCL Alto 3 Physical controls subwoofer photo 1

Sub Wireless 
 

No
No

Show text

Connectivity - Satellites 
 

Physical inputs satellites photo 1  

TCL Alto 3 Physical inputs satellites photo 1

Physical controls satellites photo 1  

TCL Alto 3 Physical controls satellites photo 1

Sat Wireless 
 

No
No

Show text

Additional Features

Interface 
 

Interface photo  

Bose TV Speaker Interface photo
TCL Alto 3 Interface photo

Display 
 

No
No

Show text

Bar Controls 
 

Controls photo  

Bose TV Speaker Controls photo
TCL Alto 3 Controls photo

Show text

Remote  

Remote photo  

Bose TV Speaker Remote photo
TCL Alto 3 Remote photo

Universal Remote 
 

No

Show text

Voice Assistants Support 
 

Amazon Alexa 
 

No
No

Google Assistant 
 

No
No

Apple Siri 
 

No
No

Microphone Mute 
 

No

App 
 

App image  

TCL Alto 3 App image

App Name  

No App

iOS  

No

Android  

No

Acts As A Remote 
 

No

Controls Soundbar's Settings 
 

No

Casts Device Files 
 

No

Show text

Other Features 
 

Power Saving 
 

No

HDMI CEC (TV Remote Control) 
 

No

Show text

Bose TV Speaker

TCL Alto 3

Comments

  1. Comparison

Bose TV Speaker vs TCL Alto 3: Main Discussion

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