Typically, projector speakers are weak and have poor audio quality. A Bluetooth speaker/soundbar is a simple tool that can be used to add an extra boost to your sound system that can surely give you a better experience. Quality alternatives are available at all price points, making it a cost-effective approach to meet your sound requirements.
An external soundbar is a smart addition to your projector since it allows you to meet your sound requirements at a minimal cost. They let you get over the soundbar’s inbuilt speakers’ poor quality and immerse yourself in the soundbar’s fantastic audio quality.
The Bluetooth soundbars are a compact and practical solution because it provides excellent audio without requiring a full-range audio system. The article compiled with a selection of the best BLUETOOTH SOUNDBAR FOR PROJECTOR that will wow you with their sound quality and overall performance.
COMPARISON TABLE OF THE BEST SOUNBARS FOR PROJECTOR
Sonos Arc
Sonos’ Arc is a sleek soundbar that provides a superb surround sound experience without the use of additional speakers. The Sonos Arc is a superb all-in-one surround sound system if you want a minimalist surround sound package, and you have a squarish home theater room.
The Sonos Arc uses Dolby’s newest TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus sound codecs to produce the highest quality pure audio available on cutting-edge Blu-ray discs and other streaming services. It then uses Dolby Atmos object tracks to augment the 3D soundscape by reflecting certain sounds off the walls surrounding you, giving the impression that they’re coming at you from all directions.
Despite all of this may appear sophisticated, the Sonos Arc setup is quite easy, requiring only a few taps on the smartphone app. The system’s all-in-one design and few cable connections contribute to the streamlined look and feel. This Dolby Atmos soundbar is all you need for superb surround sound if you have a media room with four walls and a roof.
Pros
- Amazing surround sound and music playback
- Supports Dolby Atmos, TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus
- All-in-one soundbar
Cons
- Not suitable for every room
- Trueplay Tuning is iOS only
- Smart assistant integration limited
DESIGN AND FUNCTIONALITY
The Sonos Arc is a perfect illustration of how Dolby Atmos is leading the charge to create 3D audio effects from a more streamlined system, which was previously only possible with a multi-speaker array.
The self-contained single unit only has two essential inputs: a power cable and an HDMI in, and while an Ethernet socket and a Digital Optical to HDMI adapter are included, they should only be used if necessary. Sonos doesn’t offer a controller, instead recommending that you connect the soundbar to your TV through the Audio Return Channel (ARC) and use your TV remote or the new Sonos S2 smartphone app to control it.
Also, the color options are limited with the Arc, which comes in either Black or White. While the Sonos Arc soundbar may be paired with the Sonos Sub or a pair of One SL speakers for deeper bass and full surround sound, it was designed to be a great audio solution on its own, reducing overall clutter.
The Arc is covered on the top, front, and both ends by metal, hole-punch speaker grilles that cover the various orientations of the Atmos driver array, since it’s intended to bounce audio off the roof and walls of your room to create a 3D soundscape.
The soundbar is a touch higher than some, at 3.4 inches (8.7 cm), but the built-in IR repeater ensures that it won’t interfere with your remote, and the extra headroom provides the upward firing Atmos drivers a little more room. Its 45-inch (114.17cm) width will roughly match up with the margins of a typical 55-inch TV, but it will also look well with anything larger.
The modest capacitive play/pause, volume, and mute buttons let it blend into the background, and there’s a simple status LED light that self-adjusts brightness depending to ambient light.The 13.78 lb (6.25 kg) unit has two reinforced rear holes for wall mounting, although the bass response is naturally more concentrated when it may bounce off a tabletop surface.
Your material must be encoded in DolbyTrueHD or Dolby Digital Plus, and your app, TV, and receiver must be able to process, or at least pass-through, these formats in order to achieve true Dolby Atmos surround sound.
While the Arc comes with a Digital Optical converter, Atmos can only be sent over HDMI 2.1, therefore connecting it will result in lower sound quality. Because Dolby Atmos isn’t yet widely available, making sure you have all of the necessary components can be time-consuming.
Trueplay, on the other hand, has one significant drawback: it is only compatible with iOS devices. This is a major annoyance for non-Apple consumers, and Sonos claims it won’t be creating it any time soon due to the diversity of Android gear.
Thankfully, you can borrow an iOS smartphone to perform the calibration at the final placement of the soundbar, and it will remain accurate as long as you keep everything in the same general area. It’s a minor annoyance, but it’s preferable to trying to remember where you put a dedicated tuning microphone after setup.
SOUND PERFORMANCE
Overall, the Sonos Arc’s audio capabilities are quite impressive. The tuning balances a fair degree of warmth through the mids with an amazing level of clarity, and eight elliptical woofers combine to give a solid overall bass performance.
The three silk dome tweeters, which offer notably clear highs with an impressive level of control, complement this precision. The unit’s ability to generate soundscapes that distinguished sound from individual instruments during specific arrangements without feeling fragmented particularly impressed us.
When you consider that the Sonos Arc was built to take advantage of Dolby Atmos, an audio codec that divides sounds into object-based audio tracks so that specific sources may be instantly switched between speakers and bounced around the room, this level of spatial precision makes sense. Unsurprisingly, after you’ve calibrated the Arc to the room and it’s able to bounce effects around and behind you, it’s rather capable.
It’s worth noting that the Arc’s ability to offer surround sound will vary slightly because the system leverages your room to really get the sound around you.
We put it to the test in a room with a 20-foot (6-meter) high ceiling and a blank wall behind the sofa, making it nearly impossible to bounce audio around.
While we were able to hear great height and left/right soundscape movement, we didn’t receive the same surround sound experience as a multi-speaker system.
However, the speaker’s audio location was good enough that we expect you will be able to obtain remarkably near to multi-speaker surround sound with just the Arc soundbar in a boxier media room.
We didn’t think the Arc soundbar needed a sub because it has plenty of powerful bass to let you feel those on-screen explosions or rhythm drops when set up loud. Even the night mode settings, which reduce the bass EQ, seemed like a handy option for individuals who live in apartments with thin walls.
Connecting a Soundbar to a Projector with HDMI
Because HDMI provides the best sound quality and supports more than two audio channels, it is the best option for connecting a soundbar to a projector. If you wish to use this method, you’ll need an HDMI or HDMI ARC input port on your soundbar and an HDMI output port on your projector. If you don’t already have one, you’ll also need to purchase an HDMI cable.
A soundbar may be connected using HDMI, and here’s how to do it:
- Turn off your projector and soundbar.
- Connect the other end to your soundbar’s HDMI or HDMI ARC input.
- Connect a media input device to your projector, such as a streaming device, laptop, or Blu-ray player.
- Switch on your gadgets.
- Set the audio output on your projector to HDMI and the audio input on your soundbar to HDMI if necessary.
Connecting A Soundbar to A Projector With Bluetooth
All you must do now is pair your projector and soundbar if they both support Bluetooth. Because this form of connection is susceptible to interference from other gadgets and wireless devices, the sound quality you hear may vary.
Here’s how to utilize a Bluetooth speaker with your projector:
- Enable pairing mode and turn on the soundbar.
- Enable Bluetooth on your projector’s settings menu and search for the soundbar.
- Approve the connection and, if necessary, input a pairing code.
- When both the soundbar and the projector are turned on in the future, the soundbar should automatically connect to the projector.
Verdict
Our sole critique about the Arc is its lack of musical boldness. It’s a terrific performer, providing one of the most immersive Dolby Atmos experiences we’ve heard from a soundbar. Only the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar and the Sony HT-A7000 are better, and both are much more expensive.
The Arc is also more than just a soundbar. It’s also a wireless speaker controlled by an app or voice, with access to almost every music streaming service, and it can be paired with additional Sonos speakers to create a fuller surround sound setup or a multi-room system.
Rarely does a device come along that can do so much and do it so effectively. Without a doubt, the Sonos Arc is a fantastic device.
Bose Smart Soundbar 300
The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 features a minimal look that measures less than 3 inches in height, making it suitable for individuals with limited space on their entertainment center. With the provided brackets, you can easily mount it to the wall, giving you even more location options.
Bose, on the other hand, isn’t the driving force in soundbars that it once was, and while that’s unfortunate in some ways, it did so on a high note: This small soundbar has a high-end aesthetic and sounds better than average. The SoundTouch 300 is constrained by a single HDMI port, but it accomplishes enough to warrant its status as a premium soundbar with a broad, dynamic, and expressive performance with both music and movies.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 offers HDMI and optical audio ports, as well as wireless networking via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and is compatible with streaming and mirroring programs such as Spotify Connect and AirPlay2. It pairs effortlessly with other Bose products, such as headphones or stand-alone subwoofers, and works with both Google and Alexa voice control systems.
This Bose soundbar is better for using it as a home theater rather than for listening to music in terms of sound quality. Its sound performance is strong and clear enough for films and television broadcasts.
Pros
- Profile is slim.
- Ideal for home theaters, the sound is clear and detailed.
- Both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa are supported.
- Setup is simple with the Bose Music app.
- Compatible Bose items make it simple to expand the system.
Cons
- The dialogue can be a little strange.
- There is no subwoofer installed.
- 3D sound isn’t supported.
Design and functionality
The build quality is comparable to the pricing. The top plate of Bose’s flagship bar is made of tempered black glass (which, admittedly, attracts fingerprints) and is matched by a wraparound aluminum grille.
It’s also worth noting that, because this isn’t a 2.1 system, no subwoofer is included, though Bose will sell you a wireless Acoustimas sub for an extra $700/£600. When you turn it over, you’ll see two non-slip rubber pads at the bottom of the bar.
An HDMI with ARC (Audio Return Channel), HDMI loop-through, optical digital audio input, Acoustimas jack, Adaptiq microphone input Ethernet, , and micro USB connection are all recessed in the back. The HDMIs are version 2.0 and support 4K HDCP 2.2 sources as Sky Q 4K and Roku 4. There’s not a lot of room back there and lacing the thing up can be a little tricky.
The Smart Soundbar 300, like the Soundbar 500 and 700, is a wireless smart speaker that can be used with other Bose wireless speakers to provide a whole-home music solution. As a result, the Bose Music app is required to set it up . Most people these days have a phone or tablet that can run the app
The Music app simplifies the process. It connects the soundbar to your wifi network in a matter of minutes and provides you the option of configuring the Soundbar 300 with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, or you can just skip this step (you can always do it later if you change your mind).
The accompanying optical cable allows you to connect the speaker to your TV without taking up one of your HDMI ports, which may be limited depending on your TV. Because advanced audio codecs like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X (which require HDMI ARC) aren’t compatible with the Soundbar 300, an optical connection is actually all you need.
Normally, using an optical connection prevents you from taking advantage of the TV-control functions that HDMI provides. You can still use Alexa or Google Assistant to control TV functionalities without HDMI owing to the Soundbar 300’s infrared emitter. That’s a clever technique that the Sonos Beam can’t pull off.
SOUND PERFORMANCE
Look no farther if you’re seeking for sound that fills a room. Whether you want bigger, better sound for movies and TV shows, or just want to listen to your favorite music, the Bose Smart Soundbar 300 delivers.
The speaker’s EQ is set to neutral by default, giving a pleasant mix of frequencies that works well with a wide range of music genres and television shows. Given that soundbars are often the go-to option for consumers looking for a quick home theater upgrade, it’s a good thing that the Music app can drastically boost bass response.
Don’t get me wrong: a dedicated subwoofer can offer bone-shaking bass, but in a smaller area, like a bedroom, the Soundbar 300 has more than enough oomph to bring even the most recent blockbusters to life.It’s not as though the soundbar needs to be kept in a tiny place; it can get quite loud and does so without distortion.
The soundbar delivers a crisp, clear representation of vocal-heavy music or TV speech. Even in more costly speakers, higher frequencies work freely and have both structure and airiness, which is a unique combination.
The Soundbar 300’s soundstage was very impressive. Its angled full-range drivers perform a great job of bouncing sound off your side walls and into the viewing/listening zone, giving you an immersive experience that the Sonos Beam can’t quite equal. When it comes to string instruments like the bass or cello, the Beam has a warmer and more resonant sound, but it’s also a more contained sound. The dispersion pattern of the Soundbar 300 is much more open.
The dialog enhancement mode is simply a one-click EQ adjustment that shifts higher frequencies to the foreground while pushing lower frequencies to the background. It’s not a perfect substitute for the Zvox AV157 TV Speaker, but it goes a long way toward making muddled speech easier to understand.
The Bose Music app makes it simple to manage several Bose wireless speakers throughout your home, including the flexibility to group them together for playback or play them separately. It’s not perfect — you can’t stereo pair speakers or use them as surrounds to complement a soundbar like the 300 — but it provides excellent control for most people.
However, when it comes to music streaming, that control is limited. Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, and SiriusXM are among the music providers supported by the app, although there is no consistency. Some services can be searched, while others cannot, and each has its unique user interface. Because the app doesn’t allow you to create playlists, you’re forced to rely on the services’ own tools. Presets can be saved for playlists, albums, and tracks, although the software only has six presets to work with.
With global search, infinite favorites, multi-source playlists, and support for every streaming service under the sun, Sonos’ system isn’t just better, it’s orders of magnitude better.
Verdict
With an expansive sound and some very creative added capabilities, the Bose Smart Soundbar 300 is an excellent choice for music and movies in small-to-medium-sized rooms.
Klipsch Cinema 600
The Klipsch Cinema 600 Sound Bar, also known as the Speaker 3.1, is a home theater system that revolves around a powerful soundbar with HDMI ARC support (Audio Return Channel). Its primary claim to fame, in our opinion, is how simple it is to set up thanks to HDMI ARC technology. Simply connect it and you’re ready to go.
The Klipsch Cinema 600 is a must-have soundbar since it can be connected wirelessly over Bluetooth without having to go into pairing mode or find the correct A/V or component connector on your projector.
You only need one cable or wire to experience the HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARCclear )’s HD connection, which reduces cable clutter and allows you to connect your media source to your projector by using your speaker as a middleman.
Design
The soundbar has a hardwood enclosure and a fabric grille that covers much of the visible surface area, measuring 2.8 by 45.0 by 3.4 inches (HWD). There are seven drivers in total: three 1-inch soft-dome tweeters on either end are mated to Tractrix horns, and there are four three-inch cone woofers.
A manual, as well as two wall mount screws and brackets, are provided with the soundbar. HDMI ARC (cable included), optical (cable included), and 3.5mm aux inputs are located on the back panel. The back panel also has a physical subwoofer output for a wired connection, as well as a connection for the provided power cord (unnecessary with the included wireless subwoofer). A Couple button is provided alongside these connections, allowing you to sync the subwoofer manually if it does not connect automatically.
When Dolby Digital audio is enabled, the Cinema 600 will play it, allowing for independent dialogue channels and a more theater-like experience (especially if you opt to add rear surround channels). You can also use Bluetooth to connect audio devices to it.
When you turn on the system, the subwoofer, which measures 18.5 by 14.3 by 14.5 inches, instantly pairs with the soundbar. With a down-firing 10-inch driver, the wooden enclosure is ported. The back panel of the sub contains a connection for the provided power cord (which is long enough to allow for convenient positioning throughout the room) as well as a Reconnect button in case the sub loses its wireless connection with the soundbar. The system has a frequency range of 28Hz to 20kHz and a combined output of 600 watts.
Power, LED (which dims or disables the soundbar’s LEDs), Bluetooth (for switching to paired devices and pairing), Analog (for the 3.5mm aux input), Digital (for the optical input), TV (for the HDMI ARC connection), and Sub Reset are all buttons on the remote control (resets the sub to factory volume). It also has dedicated volume up/down buttons, dedicated subwoofer volume up/down buttons, a play/pause control, and buttons for Night mode (which reduces bass and limits dynamics for late-night, quieter viewing), Dialogue mode that enhances the dialogue frequency range, and Surround mode. The remote requires two AA batteries (not supplied) and superhuman patience to remove the user-unfriendly battery compartment—a it’s flat surface with no real indentation or grip to move it, but ultimately, the entire back of the remote glides out, making it easier to open and close in the future.
The Klipsch Connect App for Android and iOS gives firmware updates and an easy-to-read documentation, but there is no customizable EQ or any other need to be using the app daily. It is recommended that you download it and register your product, but it is not required for normal use.
SOUND PERFORMANCE
Even with the subwoofer set to the mid-level, the system provides strong thuds, thumps, and thunder in Blade Runner 2049’s crash sequence. When you turn it up a notch, you get some major movie theater-style rumbling. Furthermore, the Surround mode here is effective rather than pretentious. It truly seems to help with dialogue clarity, and it does greatly widen the stereo field. When switching between Surround and Stereo modes, the music maintains outstanding clarity in both, although with the effect on, the soundstage feels enlarged.
The Cinema 600 gives strong depth via the subwoofer and outstanding clarity for the sound effects when the Death Star explodes in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Although the dialogue is sharp and easy to follow, there is a Dialogue mode that may be applied to films at three different settings or turned off.
Surround mode isn’t recommended for music because it makes studio-recorded tracks sound strange (certain orchestral recordings might sound fascinating with it on, but it’s not for purists). As a result, we tested music performance with Surround mode turned off and the subwoofer set to the middle position.
The Cinema 600 produces the kind of low-frequency depth you can feel in your stomach on tunes with significant sub-bass content, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout.” Even with the subwoofer cranked up, it doesn’t distort at high volumes. And, boy, can this thing get loud. This is undoubtedly one of the more powerful systems we’ve examined in recent memory, capable of reaching levels far beyond what most home theaters will ever require. The bass is powerful and astonishingly deep at moderate volumes, but the mix is still perfectly balanced.
The music “Drover” by Bill Callahan, which has significantly less deep bass in the mix, provides us a clearer idea of the Cinema 600’s overall sound signature. This track’s drums are deep, rich, and natural. They become absolutely thundering if you crank up the sub volume, but we recommend keeping things around mid-level. The acoustic guitar strums and higher-register percussion are bright and detailed, and Callahan’s vocals have a great low-mid richness and high-mid treble edge. Simply told, this is a lovely-sounding music system.
Orchestral sounds sound fantastic through the Cinema 600, such as the opening scene from John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary. The lower-register instrumentation has a full, wonderful richness to it, yet the higher-register brass, strings, and vocals in the mix remain in the forefront. This is a vibrant, rich sound with a great bass response to ground it.
This is a good moment to point out that the Cinema 600 can be upgraded with two Klipsch Surround 3 speakers that serve as the back left and right channels. They’re compact and wirelessly pair with the system, although they do require a powered connection. If you want a real 5.1 experience, the soundbar’s length combined with the Surround listening mode will give you 3.1, and adding the surrounds will give you 5.1.
Verdict
From the thunder of the subwoofer to the clarity of the soundbar, the Klipsch Cinema 600 delivers an amazing overall performance. This system sounds more like a $700+ soundbar-and-sub combo, whether you buy it for $499 or acquire it for less. To put things in context, we also like the $200 Sony HT-S350 and the $500 JBL Bar 5.1 Surround, which deliver 320 and 550 watts, respectively, versus the Cinema 600’s 600 watts. Klipsch not only gets the power correct, but they also get the other crucial details right, earning the Cinema 600 PC Editors’ Choice award. From our point of view this is the best wireless surround sound system for projector.
Bose 900 soundbar (Best outdoor speaker )
Bose is one of the most well-known names in home audio, and the TV Speaker is a perfect example of their expertise. It trims the fat and caters to those searching for a quick setup and upgrade. The bar sounds nice and, despite its small size, can grow pretty loud, providing an audio boost that is immediately noticeable. It adds functionality by connecting to smartphones and tablets through Bluetooth to play music, stream audiobooks, and listen to podcasts. If you like spoken word content, the speaker has a Dialogue Mode that puts voices forward and enhances their intelligibility.
The Bose 900 soundbar is excellent for smart home entertainment systems. It has built-in Alexa and Google Assistant voice control, as well as a noise-cancelling microphone that can hear your requests even when the volume is turned up high. It also supports wireless streaming via AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect and can be connected to additional Bose speakers via Wi-Fi to create multi-room audio sets.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 900’s sound quality is great for a home theater. With Dolby Atmos and TrueSpace technology for immersive 3D sound without the need for a sophisticated surround sound setup, its ADAPTiQ calibration optimizes the sound for your area. While the Bose 900 doesn’t come with an external subwoofer, the soundbar’s 7 full-range speakers provide a rich, powerful bass response.
The convenience and simplicity come at a price. The TV Speaker lacks the same level of customisation as rival models such as the Sony HT-S350 or even Vizio’s less expensive V21-H8. For speech, there’s only one alternate sound mode, and tone control is limited to bass alone, making it a one-size-fits-all option. There’s also no subwoofer, so while it can get loud and sound nice while doing so, it lacks the cinematic
Pros
- Setup is simple.
- Excellent for podcasts
- The sound is crisp and smooth.
Cons
- Some features are missing
- No subwoofer
- There is no virtual surround sound available.
DESIGN AND FUNCTIONALITY
The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 delivers exactly what the company is reknowned for. Two tweeters, four racetrack transducers, a center tweeter, and two dipole (up-firing) transducers for Dolby Atmos are housed in the bar. Regarding Atmos content, the business uses its own PhaseGuide, which it claims provides superior audio positioning than competing soundbars.
The Bose is equipped with HDMI eARC, Wi-Fi , and two-way Bluetooth streaming. Sonos lacks Bluetooth, which I enjoy because it lets you to attach a pair of Bose wireless headphones. The 900, like the 700, can be controlled via voice commands or the Music app. It would have been nice if Bose could have included a couple additional HDMI inputs for a $900 soundbar, as the Vizio Elevate does.
The Soundbar 900 is available in black or white and measures 2.3 inches in height, 4 inches in depth, and 41 inches in length. The ‘bar, according to the firm, is an excellent complement for televisions that are 50 inches or larger. The tempered glass top of the device, which conceals the unit’s individual, up-firing Dolby drivers, looks extremely impressive. Onboard controls are limited to a microphone on/off switch and an action button (activate assistant/play/pause).
External peripherals such as the Bose Surround Speakers ($349) and the Bass Module 500 ($449) and 700 ($799) can be used to expand the soundbar. While the 900 features a 3.5mm “bass” output, it’s only for physically connecting Bose versions; third-party subs aren’t supported by the soundbar.
The Sonos Arc, on the other hand, is compatible with a wider range of speakers, including the Sonos One ($200) and the Ikea Symfonisk line. It’s frustrating that Sonos’ cheapest (and only) sub costs $799 when compared to the Bose, but you don’t really need it with the Arc.
Bose has its own music app, but it is limited to Spotify, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn, Deezer, iHeartRadio, and SiriusXM, compared to the hundreds of streaming apps available on Sonos. Although the Bose app is user-friendly, it is not as simple to use as the Sonos app. Adding new services, for example, requires touching the small profile pic that displays when you tap on the soundbar itself — you won’t find it by going to “settings” as you might assume.
The machine itself was simple to set up, albeit it did require wearing a gaming-style microphone on your helmet and sitting in five of your favorite positions. It’s worth the time and effort to go through the setup routine because it results in significantly improved performance. My only gripe is that the subsequent “Adaptiq” calibration wasn’t switched on by default when I calibrated the device.
Finally, if you can’t find your TV remote, the Bose comes with a palm-sized remote control featuring a volume rocker and a source selector (or phone).
SOUND PERFORMANCE
The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 looks great on a TV stand and performed admirably in terms of listening music and watching movies. Both with and without the extra subwoofers, I compared it directly to the Sonos Arc. I utilized Bose’s Adaptiq calibration and the iOS-only Trueplay function to calibrate the Arc. The Bose sounded thin and boxy before Adaptiq, but afterward it gained a heavier bottom end — a little too much, in fact, and I had to reduce the bass by roughly half.
During our assessments, We quickly discovered that you can’t really ask either bar to provide surround sound. They both project a sense of height and have the ability to produce music that is as vast as the room, yet neither of them could get me to peek over my shoulder.
The Bose has better at weaving an unified soundstage. Despite being half the size of the Sonos sub, the Bose sub was able to produce enough bass for the revelation of the vista through the window. The camera’s “impossible” tracking shot through the window as it plummeted into the wreckage was accompanied by a hefty, dizzying crescendo of sound. I had shivers listening to the scene on the Sonos speaker as well, but it didn’t seem quite as expressive.
Between the two speakers, the music performance was practically a wash. With Grouper’s eerie The Way Her Hair Falls, the Bose sounded even better. The Arc dissected the simple folk arrangement, making it sound like the singer’s voice was separated from the guitar, whereas the Bose did the right thing by putting both in the same space.
Finally, I put Bose’s Dialog mode to the test. It’s not as customizable as the dialog mode on the Zvox AV357, for example; it’s simply on or off. By making sibilants and other components of speech sound crisper, enabling the Bose’s mode helped raise conversation.
VERDICT
The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 is a flagship soundbar that accomplishes everything you’d expect. It has a terrific aesthetic, a great sound, and a ton of entertainment options. Its broad set of features, particularly Bluetooth headphone support, round out a well-rounded package.
The primary Achilles heel of the Bose system, if you can call it that, is that Sonos provides a nearly identical product with a little better interface and more multiroom possibilities. If you want a full surround system, the Bose is less expensive to set up because of its more affordable sub, but the Arc is my pick by a hair.
Hi, my name is Afnan Bin Ibrahim, and I’m an aspiring freelance writer. Read more
