A dedicated subwoofer with Bose soundbar will take the audio to another dimension. Boosting the low ends will change the overall audio quality dramatically. Comparing Bose Soundbar 300 vs 500 vs 700, the Bose 700 supports both Dolby Digital and DTS. This makes the audio superior to the other two. The loudness, soundstage, details, and clarity make the Bose soundbar 300 the next popular one. However, in 2020, we can’t overlook the lack of Atmos.
Bose 300, 500 and 700 soundbars are best for movies or music. These are ideal if you want a plug-and-play soundbar which is easy to use and need less manual tweaking. They are futureproof as well, so you can make your very own home theater based on your audio preference. Even if you don’t have the budget to include the Surround speakers, we recommend adding at least one subwoofer.
Lastly the Bose soundbar 500 is best for general users who want a reliable and ‘branded’ upgrade from their TV speakers. These Bose soundbars focuses on delivering the best dialogue possible because they are most likely to be connect to TVs for movie watching. Although the inclusion of sub and rear speakers increases the cost, if you are a Bose lover, the cost is worth it.
Table: Quick comparison of Bose soundbar 300 vs 500 vs 700: Which is for what?
Bose Soundbar 300 vs 500 vs 700: Detailed Analysis
Bose SoundTouch 300 is a Bose soundbar released back in 2016. After that the Bose Soundbar 500 and 700 was released in 2018. The Bose Smart soundbar 300 is a new soundbar model released in 2020.
How similar are they?
Before diving into Bose smart soundbar 300 vs 500 vs 700 review, let’s see their similarities. All these soundbars are expandable with subwoofers and surround speakers. With only the soundbar, they represent a 3.0 channel system. None of them supports Dolby Atmos. These models support Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Microphone built-in into the soundbar picks up voice smartly.
Difference in features:
The quality, specific features vary from one model to another but some of them remains same.
Bose soundbar 300
The Bose Soundbar 300 is covered by metal grille ensuring durability of the enclosure and longer lifetime of the soundbar. It encourages using the app or remote because there aren’t any function buttons on top of it, only action for voice and turn on/off touch buttons. In case if you don’t have space on the tabletop, buy the Bose Soundbar Wall Bracket to wall mount the soundbar.
Use the Wall EQ settings while securing it on walls. For this, hold the mute button on the remote for 5s and wait for the light bar to flash white light twice. This model supports Pandora, TuneIn, Spotify Connect and AirPlay 2. It uses real time tuning to detect the type of content you are watching to adjust the sound accordingly.
The QuietPort technology is available in all these soundbars that reduces distortion delivering clean and tight bass. Comparing Bose soundbar 700 vs 500 vs 300, all these models have the SimpleSync feature. In case you need private listening, connect a Bluetooth headphone with SimpleSync. You can also use this play audio in multi room by connecting Bose smart speaker.
Product Differentiator
The Bose Soundbar 300 does a respectable job with dialogue-heavy material, such as TV. Using the separate center channel included in this version 3.0 arrangement, you can enjoy better clarity, overall. There’s also a dialogue enhancement setting to make things even crispier thanks to the system’s well-balanced midrange. However, for those who want to watch television at night, the absence of an auto-volume setting is a let down.
Bose soundbar 500
If you are wondering what the 3.5mm ports are for, these are needed for other features. Comparing Bose 300 vs 500 vs 700, both the Bose 500 and 700 use Adaptiq room calibration software which you need to wear a headset. The software will measure audio at multiple places of the room. This procedure takes about 10 minutes.
The Adaptiq uses frequencies to measure distance of objects in the room. analyzing your room is performed to understand it better and giving an effort to minimize any coloration of sound caused by room acoustics. The Bose soundbar 500 has lightbar on the left side of the soundbar. When you sit and listen, you will see two luminous lights, one of microphone.
Product Differentiator
The Bose 500 lacks sub-bass and satellites, making it a poor choice for movies since it doesn’t support Atmos and has a lackluster bass response. It’s still a decent sound profile since it is neutral and well-balanced. Audiobooks and podcasts, as well as a broad range of music genres, will benefit from this bar, while bass-heavy music will not. However, it isn’t going to be as loud as other bars, but it should still be enough for most purposes.
Bose soundbar 700
Comparing Bose 700 vs 300, the Bose 700 soundbar is an older model. The build quality of the soundbar is very good. The top of the soundbar is made of glass and the body is wrapped in aluminium grille. Although the quality and looks feel premium, the glass top catches fingerprints easily.
It has lower latency when compared to the Bose 300 or 500 making it more suitable to handle games or videos. It uses PhaseGuide, QuietPort, SimpleSync and several others that are similar in the 300 and 500 model.
Product Differentiator
Although the Bose Smart Soundbar 700 is a nice sound bar, it lacks a few features that make it stand out from the pack. The side-firing speakers give this bar a distinctive and expansive soundscape, making it suitable for a wide range of entertainment. The bass is a little lacking, but this can be remedied by purchasing a subwoofer. Due to its 3.0 design, it doesn’t provide a highly deep hearing experience while watching movies.
Comparison table:
The Bose soundbar 300 vs 500 vs 700 specifications are listed on the table below.
Which one sounds better?
All these soundbar models are expandable and futureproof. You have the freedom to include subwoofer and surround speakers as per your wish. However, make sure you can afford it because the cost will increase. Bose suggests the use of Bose Module 500 or 700 as subwoofer and Bose Surround speakers.
Support for Bluetooth connection makes it easy to pair with your iPhone and Android and go wireless. The Bose Soundbar 300 supports Bluetooth 4.2. Wireless connections are quite stable and free from interference.
Bose soundbar 300
Bose Smart soundbar 300 creates a broader soundstage with wider sweet spot. The tweeter at the middle of the bar ensures dialogue intelligibility to deliver clearer vocals making movies more enjoyable. TV shows and Movies are handled nicely by this bar; however, music is decent and not the best.
The dedicated center speakers work along with dialogue enhancement mode making you indulge into Netflix series. Although the Bose 300 doesn’t have room correction feature, you can alter the low-end audio from the settings. While playing music, the audio can get quite loud but overall, the quality is average. The audio and video latency are negligible making them sync together.
Bose soundbar 500
Comparing Bose 300 vs 500 soundbar, the 500 model has multiple presets. This helps you tweak the audio as per your preference. The sound is immersive, and the low ends are quite powerful even without a subwoofer. The bass shows its presence even while playing music. The audio can get very loud and delivers wide soundstage. It is an average-balanced soundbar with moderate loudness.
The sound might lack ‘Dolby Atmos’ tone, but it is rich and detailed. There is no compromise with clarity or crispness. The height effects are impactful and prominent. Cinematic feel engulfs you while watching movies. The treble is clear, mid-range is well-represented and the bass can always be boosted with the inclusion of a subwoofer. Overall balance is decent but not outstanding.
Bose soundbar 700
Comparing Bose Smart soundbar 300 vs 700, although the 700 is an older model, the sound has a balanced profile. Dialogues are much clearer and louder. This makes the Bose 700 best for movies, podcasts, or audiobooks. Now if you compare the Bose 500 vs 700, you will clearly realize a difference in audio again.
The Bose 700 soundbar delivers audio with utmost clarity, the tonal and sonic characteristics are much better than Bose 500 and 300. The side-firing speakers deliver a broader and powerful soundstage. If you compare the measured SPL of Bose 300 vs 500 vs 700, the 700 model has the most SPL which shows it can get louder than all.
This makes it best for parties or crowds. Distortions aren’t visible even at loud volumes. The bass region of the soundbar is strong enough to let you feel the rumble of the movie effects. The PhaseGuide technology allows the audio to sound room filling and spacious. Although the sound will not be as immersive as with Dolby Atmos, it is adequate and will improve with surround speakers.
Tweaking the bass, treble and center channel level brings out the best from the Bose 700 soundbar. Set the bass to +20 and treble to -30, or set the bass to +80, treble to 0 and center channel to +20. Like this, set and listen to the content for best results.
Flexibility of connections
The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 has HDMI ARC, optical in, and a USB (not for playback). For Soundbar 500, it has HDMI eARC and optical. These ports are also available in Bose 700 soundbar. Other ports like 3.5mm is for Adaptiq and IR control, and the USB is for service. HDMI ports are limited which limits the number of devices you can connect to the soundbar.
The Bose soundbar 700 supports Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer and Amazon Music, and Apple AirPlay 2. Connectivity doesn’t make these soundbars quite versatile. Its more suitable if you want to connect only the TV with the soundbar. Then use the TV to connect all other devices like gaming console, Blu-ray player etc.
Ease of use
Google Assistant and Alexa
Bose 300 vs 500 vs 700 soundbar, all these models have Google Assistant and Alexa built-in to it. With only 8 buttons, the Bose 300 remote control gives minimalist look. However, most of the settings needs to be done through the Bose companion app. This includes enabling dialogue mode, adjusting bass/treble, or choosing Wall EQ.
Voice4Video
Comparing the Bose smart bar 300 vs 500 vs 700, the 300 has the Voice4Video feature. This eliminates the hassle of going through multiple steps making it easier to control devices with voice assistants. In case you have Amazon Echo, the soundbar supports hands-free calling. Similar to Bose soundbar 500 and 700, the 300 smart soundbar has eight microphone arrays inside the bar.
Noise-cancelling
The noise-cancelling system makes voice pickup is fast and responsive so that the microphone captures your voice even when the sound is very loud. You can mute these microphones by using the microphone on/off on the soundbar. With HDMI CEC you can use TV remote for the 300, 700 or 500 bar.
Bose companion app and Remote controls
With the mobile app of Bose 500, adjust settings like bass and treble levels. You can choose the Dialogue Mode or even adjust volume of center channel. The Bose soundbar 500 remote controls have few more buttons compared to the 300 remote which is the simplest one. Although you need to use the remote, few settings must be changed through the mobile app.
Comparing Bose 300 vs 500 vs 700, the 700 soundbar model comes with Bose Soundbar Universal Remote. While the other two have small remote with few buttons, the Bose soundbar 700 remote control is a whole package. You can tweak and adjust all settings with the bar. It lets you choose one from six presets or select the desired source.
There are options of Cable/satellite functions, navigation pad, media playback etc. This remote has motion-activated backlit. You can use it to control TV, Blu-ray player, games console, set-top box, etc.
Are there any drawbacks?
Well, if you are into latest audio features, then you know all about the Dolby Atmos hype. These Bose models doesn’t use Dolby Atmos. This feature along with upward firing channels make a night and day difference to the sound quality. Movies are mostly affected due to the lack of this feature.
The support for DTS Virtual X and Dolby Atmos is now available in most soundbars in 2021. While they don’t deliver premium audio without up-firing speaker or rear speakers, they still have better impact on the movie effects. The Bose smart soundbars have very good quality and strong enclosure. The design is classy as well, but none of the models have any display.
Best alternatives
The following enlists some of the best alternatives of Bose 300, 500 and 700 soundbar models.
Sonos Beam
Comparing Sonos Beam vs Bose 300, the Sonos Beam has higher SPL and can get quite loud. It is expandable similar to the Bose soundbars which ensures clear and powerful sound. The bass is deep and tight, and the overall audio is rich and detailed. It has room correction feature and has a neutral audio profile. Movies or music are well handled by it.
Bose Solo 5
Comparing Bose Solo 5 vs Bose 500, the Solo 5 has a 2.0 channel configuration. The loudness and bass are average. It delivers clear dialogues with its phantom channel. The Solo 5 is decent for movies and music. If you don’t want to scrutinize, then it will act as an improvement of your TV speaker. The setup is simple, and it is quite easy to use the soundbar.
Sonos playbar
Comparing Sonos playbar vs Bose 700, the Sonos playbar has a decent sound profile. Rather than neutral, the audio profile seems to be bright at times. It doesn’t have Bluetooth or DTS, the sound is detailed, and the vocals are crisp and clear. with higher loudness and broader soundstage, it is a great deal as well. Upgrading it to 5.1 system will make audio more immersive and powerful.
Parting words
Should you choose Bose soundbar without Dolby Atmos? Well, although Atmos is a latest feature, Bose soundbars are quite popular for their decent audio and simplistic setup. Sturdiness of enclosure is a matter to take into consideration because we want our hard-earned money to last. Comparing Bose soundbar 300 vs 500 vs 700, the 700 has excellent quality.
In case you are tight on budget and have small or confined apartments, comparing Bose 500 vs 700, you can go with Bose 500. There is another soundbar known as Bose SoundTouch 300 which is mid-priced. It is an older model that supports Dolby Digital and DTS. Bose Smart Soundbar 300 vs 700 can be in your narrowed down list from which you can make your final decision.
However, the room correction features available in Bose 500 and 700 enhances the audio so in that case, opting for the Bose 700 soundbar seems to be the best choice. In terms of build quality, all these models have impressive design and build. The voice assistant compatibility makes it easier and more user-friendly.
FAQ
This FAQ is here to solve some of your problems. well, this query may arise while comparing Bose soundbar 300 vs 500 vs 700. let’s find out more!
Do Bose make good soundbars?
Bose makes some of the best speakers in the music industry. They are one of the most popular and reliable brands that excel in advanced engineering and produce psychoacoustic sound. However, there are users that don’t like the ‘Bose’ kind of audio. Overall, the build, features, flexibility and audio quality is impressive and likable.
How to connect both gaming console and TV to Bose 700 soundbar?
Since there is only one HDMI port on the Bose 700 soundbar, you have no option but to connect the TV with the soundbar. In case you want to connect gaming console or any other device, connect it to your TV.
Is Bose Soundbar 700 worth it?
For music, the Bose Smart Soundbar 700 is excellent. You can listen to a broad range of music genres because of its balanced sound. You may, however, acquire a separate subwoofer to improve bass performance, which is a minor drawback.
Network Engineer and Tech Journalist. Read More…