So you are searching for a great soundbar but you’re wondering where to start?
Don’t worry, we got you!
We will guide you through the ins and outs of getting an awesome soundbar that not only sounds great but looks great as well for your home entertainment system.
Today our focus is on the Sonos Beam and the Bose Soundbar 500 to see which of these two you should take home.
The Sonos Beam is an awesome soundbar. Granted, it doesn’t support Dobly Atmos or DTS Virtual:X. But, it has a pretty impressive output for its size.
Plus the Sonos Beam comes with voice assistance and plenty of wireless capabilities.
The Bose Soundbar 500 performs great on its own. But you have the option of connecting additional speakers. It offers well-balanced sounds with no distortion even at loud volumes.
This is not surprising considering that Bose soundbars are known for their huge sounds in small packages.
So which is the better choice? Well, let’s dig deeper under the surface and find out.
The design
If you have a smaller TV such as a 40 inch or a 32 inch, the Sonos Beam soundbar will easily fit under it without interfering with the visual.
Compared to the other speakers in the Sonos product line, the Sonos Beam is the most compact.
It measures 25.59 X3.9 X2.7 inches. It features control buttons on the top which are touch-sensitive.
Plus there’s this part.
The Sonos Beam also has Google support and Amazon Siri. Good news if you are a huge fan of voice control.
But, c’mon looks are great too!
It comes with a sleek and neat-looking exterior. The exterior is made from a quality plastic that feels premium. But it doesn’t feature a metal grille at the front as many top-notch soundbars do.
That said, the Sonos has holes at the bottom which allow you to wall mount.
It has four full-range speakers with a tweeter situated at the center. The drivers all work in tandem to provide excellent sound. Plus it has TruePlay which is software that sets the output of the Sonos to fit the room.
And here’s the thing.
The Sonos Beam doesn’t come with an excessive number of ports. You only get an HDMI ARC port and an Ethernet port.
Talk about an easy setup!
Now let’s look at the design of the Bose Soundbar 500, shall we?
One of the first things you’ll notice when you first take a look at the Bose Soundbar 500 is how sleek it is. It will fit perfectly under any TV.
And just to make things all the more interesting, it has LED lights that blink in different colors depending on the settings and the mode.
Cool huh!
The sound from the Bose speaker comes from three forward-facing speakers that are bordered on both ends by side-firing speakers.
The Bose Soundbar 500 also has rubber padding at the bottom to reduce vibrations.
At the back of the speaker, you’ll find an HDMI ARC port, Ethernet port, and ports for connecting extra satellite speakers. You can also connect an Adapt IQ headset with a special port for just this.
And the fun part?
You can make use of the Bose Music app which is available on Android and IOS. Having connected the Bose Soundbar 500 to the Wi-Fi you get plenty of options to do here such as streaming services like Amazon Music and Spotify.
Provided of course you have subscriptions to these.
And let’s not forget you get Amazon Alexa.
The quality microphone can pick up your voice from quite the long way off. This, however, only seems to be an issue if there is plenty of background noise.
The verdict:
the Bose Soundbar 500 has a sleeker and more quality build than the Sonos Beam. It also has an excellent microphone which enables voice assistance even at large distances. As far as design and build go, the Bose Soundbar 500 takes the win.
The Price
By now you are probably wondering how much you are going to spend on the soundbars.
Let’s start with the Sonos Beam. You can pick this one on Amazon for about $490. Sure it may not be the cheapest speaker on the market but it’s not the most expensive either.
But how about the Bose Soundbar 500?
Well, you can purchase this one on Amazon for $695. Clearly, the higher-priced of the two.
The verdict:
if you are restricted by your budget, you may want to go for the Sonos Beam soundbar. Not only is it cheaper than the Bose but still offers some decent features with specs that will not disappoint.
The features
Both the Sonos Beam and the Bose Soundbar 500 come with some cool features.
So let’s take a closer look to get the true feel of what we can expect with the soundbars.
Starting up, the Bose Soundbar 500.
It lets you connect additional Bose units for a more immersive experience.
For instance, if you want to have more bass, you can connect the soundbar with the Bose Bass module 500 or the Bose module 700. Considering that the low-frequency sounds on the soundbar by itself can feel limited, this is a great option.
You can also connect the Bose surround speakers for a more enhanced surround sound.
And did I mention the Bose universal remote?
Any modern speaker needs to have wireless connectivity. That’s not a problem with the Bose Soundbar 500. You get Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Apple Airplay2 compatibility.
The Bose SimpleSync lets you connect the Bose Headphones 700 allowing you to continue watching your favorite action-packed movie as your partner snoozes away comfortably asleep on your lap.
Then there’s the Bose Music app.
It allows you to place all your music in a single location for easier access and easier play.
The Bose Voice4 Video feature lets you make the most voice control. Not only does it expand Alexa’s capabilities but you can also control your TV or the satellite Box.
But the Sonos Beam boasts some cool features as well.
For one, you get the Sonos app which lets you stream your music from your favorite music streaming services such as Spotify. You can also stream your favorite podcasts and even audiobooks.
How cool is that?
Like the Bose Soundbar 500, you also get Amazon Alexa. One of the major strong points of this one is that not only can you turn your TV on and off but you can also change to your favorite channels all hands-free.
If you use an Apple phone, you can connect wirelessly to the Sonos Beam using the Apple Airplay 2. You can easily listen to your saved music on your phone.
Plus you also get Siri!
And if you think we are done, think again!
Connect Your Sonos Beam to other smart devices in your home through the IFTTT integration.
This expands the Sonos Beam capabilities. For instance, you can set to pause music whenever you receive a phone call. A handy feature to make sure the awesome sound system doesn’t disconnect you from the rest of the world.
The Sonos Beam also lets you pair the TV remove with the soundbar.
No need for two remotes. This also allows you a wider array of options as we well know that soundbar remotes can be a bit limited on controls.
And if you want more boom and if you want to improve your surround sound, expand your sound system with a subwoofer and two rear speakers for a more immersive experience.
The verdict:
The Bose Soundbar 500 offers some cool features. For one, you get more wireless connectivity options including Apple Airplay2. However, the Sonos also lets you stream from your favorite services including Spotify. As far as features go, both soundbars do pretty well.
The performance
The first thing you’ll likely notice as soon as you set up the Bose Soundbar 500 is how clear and crisp the sound is. This is true even at high volumes.
It also has a wide output which is quite surprising when you consider the dimensions of this soundbar and how small it actually is.
And granted.
The bass may not be the biggest but it is still quite decent and will deliver nicely when listening to music or action-packed music. And remember you have the option of pairing it with a Boe Module 500 or Module 700 subwoofers.
But that’s not all.
The Bose Soundbar 500 is quite impressive at high volumes. You will likely find no need to exceed a 50% volume even if you are in a medium-sized room.
And even while you have a large room, the Bose 500 will still offer a decent performance.
But what about the Sonos Beam?
The Sonos Beam does not disappoint with the sound. It offers clear and crisp sounds. Like the Bose 500, its loudness may also surprise you considering the small size of the Soundbar. You will likely find this speaker sufficient for a small to medium-sized room.
This Soundbar also offers a wide sound. Even better is the surround sound which easily outperforms the Bose Soundbar 500. If you are a lover of sports, you will feel like part of the crowd as the Sonos Beam recreates the audience sounds.
However, the Sonos Beam also has its shortcomings. Like everything else in life, it is not perfect.
At high volumes, the Sonos Beam may show distortions.
Its output is well balanced which makes the Sonos Beam a great choice for a variety of media entertainment such as music, podcasts, and movies.
The verdict:
the Bose soundbar 500 does exceptionally well with its output. It offers loud sounds that are well balanced, crisp, and clear. Furthermore, it offers decent bass. The Sonos on the other hand is a close second and has great surround sound.
The Verdict
The Bose Soundbar 500 and the Sonos Beam are two exceptional speakers that you can pick off the market at a decent price. If you are constrained by your budget but still want a proper soundbar with a well-balanced output and crisp clear sounds, the Sonos Beam is the cheaper option.
But if you want more performance and you don’t mind spending a bit extra, you may want to consider the Bose Soundbar 500. Granted it doesn’t support Dolby Atmos, but on the upside you get clear and crisp sounds even on high volumes. Plus it does manage to offer acceptable bass.
So which of the two soundbars is the better choice? They are both excellent soundbars. The Sonos despite it not having the level of output as the Bose, offers some great features. The right choice for you however will depend on your budget and your personal preferences.
