Bose Smart Soundbar 300 vs Sony HT-S400

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Votes 1 1
Rating 5 5

Smart Soundbar 300 vs HT-S400 comparison chart

Overall
Bose Smart Soundbar 300
7.6
Sony HT-S400
4.4
10
4
Multichannel surround
4
5

Bose Smart Soundbar 300 vs Sony HT-S400 review

Bose Smart Soundbar 300
vs
Sony HT-S400

Comparison of Bose Smart Soundbar 300 and Sony HT-S400 will reveal the best features offered by the devices. Smart Soundbar 300 is a better soundbar than the HT-S400. Its sound profile is well-balanced and stereo performance is better. According to the results of our comparison, Smart Soundbar 300 received 7.6 points out of 10 possible, and HT-S400 was rated 4.4 points.

Advantages Bose Smart Soundbar 300 over Sony HT-S400

  • Available the Amazon Music service
  • Stream music with Spotify
  • Possible to create a multi-room system
  • Wireless connection via Wi-Fi
  • Voice control supports
  • App for remote control
  • Built-in microphone

Advantages Sony HT-S400 over Bose Smart Soundbar 300

  • Separate subwoofer provided
  • Available the Apple Music service
  • Supports external media connection via USB

Audio features

The Smart Soundbar 300 is rated 5 of 10 against 6 for the HT-S400 according to the audio features rating.

Smart Soundbar 300
5
HT-S400
6

It worth understanding the difference between the two types of amplification: a passive soundbar does not have its own amplifier and receives amplification from the signal source, while an active soundbar has a built-in amplifier. The same active type of amplification is used in the Smart Soundbar 300 and the HT-S400.

There are stereo soundbars and multichannel ones. It is with the help of multichannel devices that you can get volumetric sound. It is worth noting one of the main differences, the Smart Soundbar 300 has 3.0 channels, while the HT-S400 has 2.1 channels.

Smart Soundbar 300 HT-S400
Built-in channels3.02.1
Amplification typeactiveactive
Output power, WN/A330 (overall)
Separate speaker (in package)00
Separate speaker connectionswirelesshas not

Subwoofers

Soundbars can have a built-in or external subwoofer. The first type is inseparable from the soundbar body, but for the second, you can choose a good location for deep bass. The HT-S400 comes with an external subwoofer. Bose Smart Soundbar 300 has the ability to handle wired and wireless connections from an external subwoofer, while Sony HT-S400 only has wireless connections.

Smart Soundbar 300 HT-S400
Built-in subwoofer
Separate subwoofer (in package)
Separate subwoofer connectionswired, wirelesswireless

Multichannel surround

Unlike stereo, when reproducing multichannel sound, each specific direction of sound corresponds to its dedicated channel with a separate independent loudspeaker, which creates a three-dimensional sound stage. The Smart Soundbar 300 received rating 4 out of 10 for multichannel audio processing, but the HT-S400, in the same category, earned 5 out of 10 points.

Smart Soundbar 300
4
HT-S400
5

The peculiarity of Dolby Atmos is that this format is object-oriented, that is, each object of the audio signal is sounded separately and linked to its spatial location. If we look at the models in terms of Dolby Atmos support, then none of these soundbars can work with this technology.

DTS:X is an algorithm for processing sound scenes by the processor, linking directly to objects, rather than channels, and calculating the optimal distribution of sound output in a room. This ability to reproduce surround sound with DTS:X technology is not implemented in any of the soundbars in this comparison.

Smart Soundbar 300 HT-S400
Dolby Atmos
Dolby (other)Dolby DigitalDolby Digital, Dolby Dual mono
DTS:X
DTS (other)has not

Streaming services

The possibility to listen online to millions of songs from one device has become a reality thanks to streaming services.

Smart Soundbar 300
10
HT-S400
0

The popular Spotify service is available on the Smart Soundbar 300.

Smart Soundbar 300 HT-S400
Apple Music (AirPlay)AirPlay 2
Amazon Music
Spotify
Other streaming servicesPandora,Tuneln, Deezer, iHeart, SiriusXMhas not

Connectivity

The existence of a sufficient number of current connectors significantly expands the functionality of the device. For example, only through HDMI is it possible to implement the transfer of object-oriented formats, and the presence of a Bluetooth connection will allow remote control, etc. The devices received different ratings for connectivity: Bose Smart Soundbar 300 was rated 8 out of 10, and Sony HT-S400 was rated 7 out of 10.

Smart Soundbar 300
8
HT-S400
7

The presence of Wi-Fi in the soundbar allows you to get rid of wires when connected to a sound source and get minimal audio latency when playing content from streaming services. Wireless connection via Wi-Fi is possible on the Smart Soundbar 300.

Bluetooth connection is now one of the main communication protocols for speaker systems, which provides excellent quality and minimal audio latency. The availability of Bluetooth protocol, we can see in both models. The Smart Soundbar 300 has 1/0 HDMI inputs/outputs, but the HT-S400 got 0/1 HDMI inputs/outputs from the manufacturer.

HDMI ARC is a very usefull technology that creates a two-way communication channel between a TV and another device. This is convenient since there is no need to use optical and other cables in the system. HDMI ARC is basic for both soundbars.

Smart Soundbar 300 HT-S400
WI-FI
Bluetooth
Ethernet (RJ45)00
NFC
HDMI input/output1/00/1
HDMI ARC
HDMI eARC
HDMI CEC
Optical digital input/output1/01/0
USB1 (USB 2.0)
Coaxial digital input/output0/00/0
Analog audio input/output (RCA)0/00/0
Headphone output00
Subwoofer output10

Features

Voice control is designed to make operating the device more convenient. This allows you to control basic soundbar functions from anywhere in the room.

Proprietary applications allow you to control your soundbars remotely. This is possible both via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The Smart Soundbar 300 has its own remote control application. Only Bose Smart Soundbar 300 has a built-in microphone.

Some soundbars can be part of a multi-room system and it is an affordable solution for sounding the whole house. The Smart Soundbar 300 has the ability to use a multiroom system.

Smart Soundbar 300 HT-S400
Voice controlAmazon Alexa, Google Assistant
App control
Microphone
Remote control
Multi-room

Dimensions

Smart Soundbar 300 HT-S400
Size (Wx H x D), cm/in66 x 5 x 10.1/26.5 x 2.2 x 490.1x6.6x8.8/35.5x2.6x3.5
Weight, kg/pounds3.6/82.2/5.1
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