Choosing a soundbar is not an easy task and the Bose Soundbar 700 vs Sonos Arc comparison is meant to help you with that. As a result, it is clear that Arc is much better designed and has a better sound performance than Soundbar 700. According to the results of our comparison, Soundbar 700 received 6.6 points out of 10 possible, and Arc was rated 7 points.
The Soundbar 700 is rated 6 of 10 against 5 for the Arc 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 700 and the Arc.
There are stereo soundbars and multichannel ones. It is with the help of multichannel devices that you can get volumetric sound.
Soundbar 700 | Arc | |
---|---|---|
Built-in channels | 3.0 | N/A |
Amplification type | active | active |
Output power, W | N/A | N/A |
Separate speaker (in package) | 0 | 0 |
Separate speaker connections | wireless | wireless |
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 700 has the ability to handle wired and wireless connections from an external subwoofer, while Sonos Arc only has wireless connections.
Soundbar 700 | Arc | |
---|---|---|
Built-in subwoofer | ✖ | ✖ |
Separate subwoofer (in package) | ✖ | ✖ |
Separate subwoofer connections | wired, wireless | wireless |
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 Sonos Arc.
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.
Soundbar 700 | Arc | |
---|---|---|
Dolby Atmos | ✖ | ✔ |
Dolby (other) | Dolby Digital | Dolby Digital |
DTS:X | ✖ | ✖ |
DTS (other) | has not | has not |
The possibility to listen online to millions of songs from one device has become a reality thanks to streaming services. For the ability to work with streaming services, the Soundbar 700 received 9 points, and the Arc - 10 on a 10-point scale.
AirPlay is available on each of the two models. The popular Spotify service is available on both soundbars.
Soundbar 700 | Arc | |
---|---|---|
Apple Music (AirPlay) | AirPlay 2 | AirPlay 2 |
Amazon Music | ✔ | ✔ |
Spotify | ✔ | ✔ |
Other streaming services | Pandora,Tuneln, Deezer, iHeart, SiriusXM | Pandora, Tuneln, iHeart, Chromecast |
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 Soundbar 700 was rated 6 out of 10, and Sonos Arc was rated 7 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. Unable to connect external devices via USB on both models.
Soundbar 700 | Arc | |
---|---|---|
WI-FI | ✔ | ✔ |
Bluetooth | ✔ | ✔ |
Ethernet (RJ45) | 0 | 1 |
NFC | ✖ | ✖ |
HDMI input/output | 1/0 | 1/0 |
HDMI ARC | ✔ | ✔ |
HDMI eARC | ✔ | ✖ |
HDMI CEC | ✔ | ✔ |
Optical digital input/output | 1/0 | 0/0 |
USB | ✖ | ✖ |
Coaxial digital input/output | 0/0 | 0/0 |
Analog audio input/output (RCA) | 0/0 | 0/0 |
Headphone output | 0 | 0 |
Subwoofer output | 1 | 0 |
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. However, it is impossible to create a multiroom system based on each of these soundbars.
Soundbar 700 | Arc | |
---|---|---|
Voice control | Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant | Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant |
App control | ✔ | ✔ |
Microphone | ✔ | ✔ |
Remote control | ✔ | ✔ |
Multi-room | ✖ | ✖ |
Soundbar 700 | Arc | |
---|---|---|
Size (Wx H x D), cm/in | 97.8 x 5.6 x 10.6 /38.5 x 2.2 x 4.2 | 114 x 7.6 x 10.1/45 x 3.4 x 4.5 |
Weight, kg/pounds | 4.5/10.5 | 6.2/13.7 |