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Tom’s Guide
Tom’s Guide
Technology
Erin Bashford

I put this $500 Bose soundbar to the test — it’s a great smart home product, but it won’t impress movie fans

Bose Tom Guide Spotify United States Dolby Atmos JBL Samsung
The black bose smart soundbar 2024 with remote, 2 touch controls on top, and mesh covering on top .

The Bose Smart Soundbar — released in 2024 — has a lot to live up to. The Bose Smart Ultra soundbar (from 2023) impressed us with its balanced sound and Dolby Atmos, so how does its more affordable cousin perform? Could it be one of the best soundbars?

The Smart Soundbar has one feature never seen before in a Bose hi-fi setup: it can link directly with Bose Ultra Open Earbuds for a (reportedly) fully immersive experience. But, that’ll cost you an extra $300 for the buds themselves. It’s nice to have, but perhaps not realistic for those limiting their soundbar budget to $500 in the first place.

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