Bose Soundbar 500 vs Bose Smart Soundbar 300

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Comparing Bose Soundbar 500 and Bose Smart Soundbar 300 makes sense because it shows what devices in their segment can offer. Smart Soundbar 300 offers better sound and bass than its opponent - Soundbar 500. According to the results of our comparison, Soundbar 500 received 7.4 points out of 10 possible, and Smart Soundbar 300 was rated 7.6 points.

Advantages Bose Soundbar 500 over Bose Smart Soundbar 300

Advantages Bose Smart Soundbar 300 over Bose Soundbar 500

Audio features

The Soundbar 500 is rated 6 of 10 against 5 for the Smart Soundbar 300 according to the audio features rating.

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 Soundbar 500 and the Smart Soundbar 300.

There are stereo soundbars and multichannel ones. It is with the help of multichannel devices that you can get volumetric sound. The number of channels in the considered devices is the same - 3.0.

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. Both are not equipped with an external subwoofer. Bose Soundbar 500 has the ability to handle wireless connections from an external subwoofer, while Bose Smart Soundbar 300 only has wired and wireless connections.

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 multichannel sound reproduction capabilities of the soundbars were rated 4 out of 10.

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. Dolby Atmos surround sound support is implemented only in Bose Soundbar 500.

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.

Streaming services

The possibility to listen online to millions of songs from one device has become a reality thanks to streaming services. The streaming services category rating is the same - 10 out of 10 points.

AirPlay is available on each of the two models. The popular Spotify service is available on both soundbars. The streaming audio from Pandora,Tuneln, Deezer, iHeart, SiriusXM, it is possible to listen to each of soundbars.

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. Connectivity of competitors was rated 8 out of 10.

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 both devices.

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 competitors in this comparison has 1/0 HDMI inputs/outputs.

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.

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. The voice control feature is implemented in each of the compared soundbars.

Proprietary applications allow you to control your soundbars remotely. This is possible both via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The ability to control the soundbar using the application is implemented in each of the competitors. Both soundbars have 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.

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