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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
  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

Sonos Beam (Gen 2) vs Bose Smart Soundbar

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
Bose Smart Soundbar

Tested using Methodology v1.3

Updated Nov 21, 2024 02:28 PM

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Tested using Methodology v1.3

Updated Nov 15, 2024 09:42 PM

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Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Picture
Bose Smart Soundbar Picture
Channels
5.0
Channels
3.0.2
  1. Recommended in 7 articles:
  2. Soundbars
  3. All-In-One
  4. Music
  5. Small
  6. Under $500
  7. Dialogue
  8. Movies
  1. Recommended in 3 articles:
  2. Dolby Atmos
  3. Bose
  4. Small

Variants

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

Review

See Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Review
See Bose Smart Soundbar Review
11 
1 

Our Verdict

Sonos Beam (Gen 2)

Bose Smart Soundbar

Whether you should choose the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) or the Bose Smart Soundbar depends on your primary usage and if you already own Sonos or Bose products to integrate under one app. The Sonos has a bigger stereo soundstage and works better for TV shows and music with a slightly better audio format support that includes DTS. Meanwhile, you may prefer the Bose for its better Dolby Atmos and surround sound and less compressed sound at high volumes.

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Black
Beam (Gen 2)
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Black
Smart Soundbar
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White
Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
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Black
Smart Soundbar
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Black
Smart Soundbar
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Black
Smart Soundbar
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Black
Smart Soundbar
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Main Differences for
Mixed Usage

Threshold 

0.10

Mixed Usage 

7.4
7.2

Auto-Volume/Night Mode 
 

Yes
No

Center 
 

7.4
8.6

Stereo Soundstage 
 

8.0
7.0

Full Comparison

Design

Style - Bar  

Style photo - bar  

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

Style - Subwoofer  

Style photo - sub  

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

Sub Wireless 
 

No
No

Enclosure 
 

No Subwoofer
No Subwoofer
Show text

Style - Satellites  

Style photo - satellites  

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

Satellite Wireless 
 

No
No
Show text

Dimensions - Bar  

Dimensions photo - bar  

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

Width  

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

Height  

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

Depth  

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

Dimensions - Subwoofer  

Dimensions photo - sub  

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

Width  

N/A
N/A

Height  

N/A
N/A

Depth  

N/A
N/A

Dimensions - Satellites  

Dimensions photo - satellites  

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

Width  

N/A
N/A

Height  

N/A
N/A

Depth  

N/A
N/A

Mounting 
 

Bar Mounting Holes  

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

Satellite Mounting Holes  

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

8.5
8.0

Build quality photo  

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

In The Box 
 

In The Box photo   

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

Stereo Frequency Response 
 

7.4
7.2

Stereo Setup  

Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Stereo Setup
Bose Smart Soundbar 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 
 

5.0
3.0.2

Tested Preset 
 

No Preset
No Preset

Slope 
 

-0.56
-0.59

Standard Error 
 

2.82 dB
3.15 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

50.4 Hz
53.4 Hz

High-Frequency Extension 
 

16.7 kHz
19.9 kHz
Show text

Stereo Frequency Response With Preliminary Calibration 
 

7.4
7.2

Frequency Response Calibrated  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Suggested Preset 
 

No Preset
No Preset

Suggested Bass Setting 
 

-3
-30

Suggested Treble Setting 
 

2
30

Slope 
 

0.05
-0.05

Standard Error 
 

2.66 dB
3.02 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

51.9 Hz
52.6 Hz

High-Frequency Extension 
 

17.2 kHz
19.9 kHz
Show text

Stereo Soundstage 
 

8.0
7.0

Crosstalk  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Crosstalk Error 
 

2.32 dB
3.31 dB
Show text

Stereo Dynamics 
 

7.1
7.9

Dynamic Range Compression  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

88.8 dB SPL
92.3 dB SPL

DRC @ 90dB 
 

N/A
0.47 dB

DRC @ Max Volume 
 

1.70 dB
1.75 dB
Show text

Center 
 

7.4
8.6

Center Setup  

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

Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Localization 
 

Discrete
Discrete

Slope 
 

0.24
0.13

Std. Err. 
 

3.73 dB
2.60 dB

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

72.3 dB SPL
94.8 dB SPL

Weighted THD @ 80dB 
 

0.63
0.57

Weighted THD @ Max Volume 
 

1.54
0.92
Show text

Surround 5.1 
 

5.9
6.1

Surround Setup  

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

Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Localization 
 

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

Slope 
 

-0.56
-1.06

Std. Err. 
 

2.79 dB
3.72 dB

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

70.4 dB SPL
92.2 dB SPL

Weighted THD @ 80dB 
 

0.38
1.15

Weighted THD @ Max Volume 
 

0.87
2.72

7.1 Rears 
 

No
No
Show text

Height (Atmos) 
 

5.7
6.3

Height Setup  

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

H Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Localization 
 

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

Slope 
 

1.01
-0.27

Std. Err. 
 

3.35 dB
3.09 dB

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

59.2 dB SPL
82.1 dB SPL

Weighted THD @ 80dB 
 

1.45
0.68

Weighted THD @ Max Volume 
 

0.30
0.72
Show text

Sound Enhancement Features 
 

5.4
3.0

Room Correction 
 

Yes
No

Dialogue Enhancement 
 

Yes
Yes

Auto-Volume/Night Mode 
 

Yes
No

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
Yes

Virtual Surround 
 

No
No
Show text
Connectivity

Inputs/Outputs - Bar 
 

Physical Connections Bar Photo 1  

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

Physical Connections Bar Photo 2  

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

Optical Audio In 
 

Adapter into HDMI ARC
1

HDMI Out 
 

eARC
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 
 

1
No

Subwoofer Output 
 

No
Yes
Show text

Audio Format Support: ARC/eARC 
 

9.6
8.1

Dolby Atmos 
 

Supported
Supported

Dolby Digital 
 

Supported
Supported

Dolby Digital Plus 
 

Supported
Supported

Dolby TrueHD 
 

Supported
Supported

DTS 
 

Supported
Not Supported

DTS:X 
 

Not Supported
Not Supported

DTS-HD MA 
 

Not Supported
Not Supported

PCM Channels 
 

Up To 7.1
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

Audio Format Support: Optical 
 

10
6.5

Dolby Digital 
 

Supported
Supported

DTS 
 

Supported
Not Supported

PCM Channels 
 

2.0
2.0
Show text

Audio Latency: ARC 
 

7.3
9.0

ARC Latency Video  

PCM-2.0 ch 
 

61 ms
57 ms

PCM-5.1 ch 
 

61 ms
60 ms

Dolby MAT (PCM) Atmos 
 

79 ms
60 ms

Dolby Digital 
 

111 ms
80 ms

Dolby Digital Plus 
 

121 ms
93 ms

Dolby Digital Plus Atmos 
 

121 ms
94 ms
Show text

Audio Latency: HDMI In 
 

0.0
0.0

HDMI Latency Video  

PCM-2.0 ch 
 

N/A
N/A

PCM-5.1 ch 
 

N/A
N/A

Dolby MAT (PCM) Atmos 
 

N/A
N/A

Dolby Digital 
 

N/A
N/A

Dolby Digital Plus 
 

N/A
N/A

Dolby Digital Plus Atmos 
 

N/A
N/A

Audio Latency: Optical 
 

7.8
7.5

Optical Latency Video  

PCM-2.0 ch 
 

119 ms
130 ms

Dolby Digital 
 

180 ms
175 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 
 

3.0
10

Bluetooth 
 

No
Yes

Wi-Fi Playback 
 

Yes
Yes

Chromecast built-in 
 

No
Yes

Apple AirPlay 
 

Yes
Yes

Spotify Connect 
 

Yes
Yes
Show text
Additional Features

Interface 
 

Interface photo  

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

Display 
 

No
No
Show text

Bar Controls 
 

Controls photo  

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

Remote  

Remote photo  

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

Voice Assistants Support 
 

Amazon Alexa 
 

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

Google Assistant 
 

Yes (Built-in)
No

Apple Siri 
 

No
No

Microphone Mute 
 

Yes
Yes
Show text

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

Bose Smart Soundbar

Comments

  1. Comparison
 • Posted 4 months ago

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

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