Bose’s Smart Soundbar ($499 USD) has one feature we’ve never seen before in any home theater speaker setup. It has the capability to work in conjunction with Bose Ultra Open Earbuds ($299) as surround speakers. Bose calls it Personal Surround Sound Technology, because it only works for one user.
Everyone in a room can still hear Dolby Atmos content through the soundbar thanks to its 5 driver configuration that steers sound in all directions. The Ultra Earbud wearer also hears the same sound from the soundbar, but gets to hear even greater surround sound effects.
How well this works is yet to be determined, but we hope to test it out soon.
The new Bose Smart Soundbar (which replaces the identical looking Smart Soundbar 600) provides two side-firing racetrack-shaped transducers that project audio horizontally into the room, a center tweeter for dialogue, and two upfiring transducers that reflect sound upward off the ceiling to make it seem as though it’s coming from overhead.
Smart Soundbar also features A.I. Dialogue Mode that debuted in the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar. A.I. Dialogue Mode creates clearer dialogue that can otherwise be overpowered by accompanying background effects. Using a machine learning algorithm, the soundbar automatically adjusts tonal balance in real-time when it detects speech in an audio stream for clarity.
Tip: Bose Personal Surround Sound is also coming to the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar ($899) later this fall.
Design
The Bose Smart Soundbar is 2.2” tall, 4.1” deep, and just over 27” long giving the speaker a low profile to fit effortlessly under a TV without obstructing it. It features a refined matte body with a sophisticated wraparound metal grille all in black.
Setup
The Bose Smart Soundbar features a simple setup. Connect one cable — either an HDMI eARC to access Dolby Atmos content or an optical cable for a standard setup — from the soundbar to the TV.
The soundbar offers flexible streaming options and comes Roku TV ready. Wi-Fi, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, or Apple AirPlay 2 allow for instant access to popular streaming music services. Bluetooth lets you connect your phone or tablet to stream whatever is playing on your device. For voice control, the soundbar has Works with Google Assistant functionality and Amazon Alexa built-in — and the Bose Voice4Video feature used with Alexa turns a TV on to the correct channel and input with a simple command.
The Bose Smart Soundbar is compatible with all other Bose smart speakers and soundbars to create a multi-room audio system with SimpleSync, and couples with Bose bass modules and rear speakers for an even more robust home theater experience.
Price & Availability
The new Bose Smart Soundbar is available now for $499 at Bose.
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