- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Our Verdict
- Test Results
- Differences
- Compared To Others
- Deals
- Discussions
The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 is a small 3.0 setup from 2020. It has an excited V-shaped sound profile that's suitable for a variety of audio content. While it lacks thump and rumble in its low-bass, there's a bass adjustment feature to help tweak its sound to your liking. However, there's no EQ or room correction feature, which is a little disappointing. The bar also doesn't support Atmos. On the upside, you can expand this setup down the line as the manufacturer sells a bass module subwoofer and satellites separately.
Our Verdict
The Bose Soundbar 300 is okay for mixed use. This bar has an excited V-shaped sound profile that's suitable for rock or pop music. Unfortunately, it lacks low-bass, so you don't feel the deep thump and rumble in bass-heavy music or action-packed movies. It also doesn't support Dolby Atmos, and its surrounds performance is poor. That said, it still offers a decent performance with dialogue-centric content like TV shows.
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Outstanding wireless connectivity options.
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Bass adjustment feature available.
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Can get loud with minimal compression artifacts.
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No EQ or room correction.
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Lacks low bass.
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Doesn't support Atmos.
The Bose Soundbar 300 is decent for dialogue-centric content like TV shows. This 3.0 setup comes with a discrete center channel that helps to accurately localize dialogue within the sound image. Its balanced mid-range reproduces voices clearly and with detail, and there's even a dialogue enhancement mode to make them more crisp. Unfortunately, it lacks an auto-volume mode, disappointing for those who like to watch TV at night.
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Dialogue enhancement feature available.
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Outstanding wireless connectivity options.
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No EQ or room correction.
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No auto-volume feature.
The Bose Soundbar 300 is decent for music. It has an excited V-shaped sound profile that's well-suited for pop or rock genres. However, it lacks quite a bit of low bass. While it doesn't come with an EQ, it has a bass adjustment feature so that you can tweak its sound a bit. The bar can also get loud with minimal thumping and compression artifacts. You can also stream your favorite music to the bar wirelessly.
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Bass adjustment feature available.
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Can get loud with minimal compression artifacts.
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No EQ or room correction.
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Lacks low bass.
The Bose Soundbar 300 is acceptable for movies. It doesn't support Atmos, and although it has an excited V-shaped sound profile, it lacks a thumpy low bass, which impacts the immersiveness of sound effects. There's no EQ either, which is a little disappointing. Luckily, you can adjust the bass. It can also get loud enough to fill a large or crowded room.
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Bass adjustment feature available.
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Can get loud with minimal compression artifacts.
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Lacks low bass.
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Doesn't support Atmos.
- 6.8 Mixed Usage
- 7.3 Dialogue/TV Shows
- 7.3 Music
- 6.2 Movies
- Updated Mar 15, 2022: Firmware update adds Chromecast built-in support.
- Updated Oct 04, 2021: Updated review for accuracy and clarity.
- Updated Feb 24, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Jan 13, 2021: Due to a change in our methodology, we updated DTS and DD+ support via ARC to 'No'.
- Updated Oct 23, 2020: Review published.
- Updated Oct 16, 2020: Early access published.
Test Results
The Bose Soundbar 300 is a small model with a black plastic top. It has a metal grille that covers its front and sides to help protect its speakers.
The Bose Smart 300 soundbar doesn't have a subwoofer in this setup. However, you can purchase the Bose Bass Module 500 separately, which is a small subwoofer that connects wirelessly to the bar.
This setup doesn't have any satellites. However, you can purchase Bose Surround Speakers separately, which wirelessly connect to the bar.
While it's not as small as the Bose TV Speaker, this bar can easily fit between the legs of a 55 inch TV. It's not very tall either, so it shouldn't obscure your TV unless the screen sits flush to the table.
The back of this soundbar has one opening for the power cable and inputs. There are also holes so that you can mount it to your wall. However, you need to purchase a Bose Soundbar Wall Bracket to wall-mount it.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 has a great build quality. It's partially made of plastic, which feels sturdy and durable. There's also a metal grille covering its front and sides to protect its speakers.
- Manual
- Optical cable
- Remote with battery
- Power cable
The Bose Soundbar 300 has a decent stereo frequency response. It has a slightly V-shaped sound profile that adds a little extra punch in the bass range while making vocals and lead instruments bright and sparkling. Unfortunately, it lacks some low-bass, so you don't feel the deep thump and rumble in bass-heavy music and action-packed movies. There are also bass and treble adjustments available if you want to customize its sound.
The Bose Soundbar 300 has a satisfactory stereo frequency response with calibration. With its bass set to '-30' and its treble set to '-20', it has a neutral, balanced sound profile that's suitable for listening to lots of different types of audio content. Unfortunately, it still struggles to reproduce a thumpy low-bass, so it isn't ideal for bass-heavy music.
The Bose Soundbar 300 has a good stereo soundstage performance. Its soundstage is perceived to be wider than the bar itself, which is pretty impressive given its small size. Unfortunately, its focus isn't very good, so sound objects like voices seem to come from a more general area rather than a pinpoint location.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 300's stereo dynamics are good. The bar can get loud, making it suitable for a large or crowded room. However, when pushed to max volume, there's a little bit of thumping and compression, particularly in the bass range. It shouldn't be too noticeable to most users, though.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 has a great THD performance. At a normal listening volume, the THD falls within good limits. If you push this bar to its max volume, there's a small jump in THD, particularly in the high-mids, but it can be hard to hear with real-life content.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 has a great center channel performance. Thanks to its 3.0 setup, this soundbar has a discrete center channel that helps to pinpoint voices to an accurate location within the sound image. Its frequency response is also neutral, especially in the mid-range, where most voices are reproduced. As a result, dialogue is clear and detailed.
The Bose Soundbar 300 has a poor surrounds performance. It has to downmix surround content into stereo to play it, which doesn't sound as immersive as a discrete setup. Audio seems like it's coming from in front of you rather than from speakers placed all around you. Its frequency response is also a bit bass-heavy, which some listeners may find overwhelming.
For a standalone bar that supports Atmos content, check out the Sonos Beam (Gen 2).
The Bose Soundbar 300 has a bad selection of sound enhancement features, especially compared to other budget-friendly bars like the Sonos Ray. If you want to customize its sound, there are bass and treble adjustments available, but it lacks an EQ or preset modes. There's an extra feature called Wall EQ advertised to optimize audio quality when the bar is mounted on the wall, but we don't consider this to be an EQ. It lacks room correction, too, so it may sound different depending on the room you're listening in.
The Bose Soundbar 300 has a couple of physical inputs. Unlike the Bowers & Wilkins Formation Bar, there's an HDMI ARC port so that you can connect it to your TV. While there's a micro-USB port, it's only for servicing the bar. This bar also has an IR port so that you can connect an IR emitter as well as a BASS port so that you can add on a Bose Bass module.
Update 01/13/2021: We re-evaluated our methodology for ARC support and concluded that DTS and Dolby Digital+ support should be reported the same over an ARC connection as over an HDMI IN and Optical connection, so we updated our results from "Yes" to "No". Some TVs, like the one we initially used for testing, may convert this content, but other TV brands may not. Ultimately, your experience may vary depending on your TV.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 has mediocre audio format support via its HDMI ARC port. It supports some very common formats, like Dolby Digital, but it has to downmix this content into stereo to play it. It doesn't support eARC or Dolby Atmos.
Unlike the Denon Home Sound Bar 550, the Bose Smart Soundbar 300 doesn't have a Full HDMI In port.
This soundbar only supports Dolby Digital via its Optical In port. This format is commonly found on Blu-ray discs as well as streaming platforms.
The Bose Soundbar 300 has an excellent latency performance. Over its ARC and Optical ports, latency falls within good limits, so you shouldn't notice a delay between the audio you hear and the video you see. As a result, it's suitable for watching videos and movies over these connections. That said, some apps and TVs can compensate for latency differently, so your real-world experience may vary.
Update 03/15/2022: Firmware update adds Chromecast built-in support. You just need to enable Chromecast in the Bose Music app and follow the steps provided by the manufacturer here.
The Bose Soundbar 300 has incredible wireless playback support. You can wirelessly stream audio from your phone or tablet to the bar.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 has a simple interface. There's a small light under the microphone icon to let you know whether the microphone and voice assistant is enabled or disabled. There's another light underneath the 'Active' button. This light changes colors depending on the bar's functions, including whether you're in setup mode, recovery mode, or if there's no internet connection available.
This bar has two touch-sensitive buttons located on the top left of the bar. There's a button to turn the microphone on/off and an 'Action' button that activates voice assistant and stops alarms or timers.
This soundbar has a straightforward remote. You can control most of the bar's features, but if you want to use the dialogue enhancement feature, Wall EQ, or bass adjustment, you need to use its companion app.
The Bose Soundbar 300 has built-in support for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. According to the manual, you can access the voice assistants even when the bar is turned off. You can also mute the microphone if you don't want them to listen to you.
This soundbar is compatible with the Bose Music app. It offers a bit more functionality than the remote, as you can access a few features that aren't found on the remote. You can set up voice assistant, adjust bass, switch sources, and even access a dialogue mode.
This soundbar goes into standby mode after 20 minutes of inactivity. You can turn this feature off by using the app or wake up the bar by sending a sound signal via its Optical In port. You can also use your TV remote to control the basic functions of the bar.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Bose Soundbar 300 comes in one color variant: Black. You can see the label for the model we tested here.
If you come across another version of this soundbar that's different from ours, please let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Compared To Other Soundbars
The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 is a 3.0 setup from this manufacturer's 2020 lineup. You can expand this small soundbar down the line with a separate bass module and satellites. Unfortunately, unlike the Bose Soundbar 500, it doesn't have any EQ presets.
If you're looking for more soundbars, check out our recommendations for the best Bose soundbars, the best small soundbars, and the best soundbars for dialogue.
The Sonos Beam is a better soundbar than the Bose Smart Soundbar 300. The Sonos has a more balanced sound profile and comes with a room correction feature as well as an auto-volume feature. However, the Bose is smaller, it can support more audio formats via its HDMI ARC port, and it has more wireless playback options.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 is better for mixed use than the Bose TV Speaker. The 300 has a better center and surround performance. It also offers treble adjustment, as well as more wireless playback options like Apple AirPlay 2. It also connects to the Bose Music app that gives you a bit more functionality.
The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is better than the Bose Smart Soundbar 300. The Sonos is a better built 5.0 setup. It has better soundstage and surround performances. Unlike the Bose, it supports Dolby Atmos content. Also, there are more sound enhancement features, like room correction. That said, only the 3.0 Bose supports Bluetooth connectivity.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Bose Smart Soundbar 300 or the Yamaha YAS-209. The Bose is a 3.0 setup with better center channel and soundstage performances. It's better-built, with more wireless playback options, and it gets louder. That said, the Yamaha reproduces a more extended low-bass, so you feel more thump and rumble in bass-heavy music and action-packed movies.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 is a better soundbar than the Bose Solo 5. The Smart Soundbar 300 is better-built, and it comes with an ARC port and more wireless playback options. It has better soundstage and surround performances, and it gets louder. Also, it has built-in voice assistant support. That said, some listeners may prefer the Solo 5's more compact design.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 is a better 3.0 setup than the Bose Soundbar 500. The 300 is smaller and able to deliver a better-balanced sound profile. It can get louder with fewer compression artifacts, and it supports more audio formats via its HDMI ARC port. However, the 500's surround performance is better and offers room correction and EQ presets.
The JBL Bar 5.0 MultiBeam is a better soundbar than the Bose Smart Soundbar 300. The JBL is a 5.0 setup with a better surrounds performance and Atmos support. It comes with a room correction feature, EQ presets, and a Full HDMI In port, too. That said, the 3.0 Bose has a better soundstage performance.
The Sony HT-G700 is better than the Bose Smart Soundbar 300. The Sony supports Dolby Atmos content, and it has a better surround performance. Unlike the Bose, it has a Full HDMI In port. However, the Bose is better-built with built-in voice assistant support. It also has a better soundstage and more wireless playback options.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 700 is a better soundbar than the Bose Smart Soundbar 300. The 700 feels better built, it supports eARC, and it has room correction as well as EQ presets. It can also get louder with fewer compression artifacts present at max volume, and it has a better surround performance.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 is better than the Bose Smart Soundbar 300. The 900 is a 5.0.2 setup that's better built. It has better soundstage and surround performances, and unlike the 300, it supports Dolby Atmos content.
The Sonos Arc is a better soundbar than the Bose Smart Soundbar 300. The Sonos is a 5.0.2 setup with a more extended bass and more sound enhancement features. It also has better surround and soundstage performances, and it supports Dolby Atmos content. It can even be upgraded as the Sonos Arc with Sub + One SL Speakers. However, the 3.0 Bose offers more wireless playback support.
The JBL Bar 5.1 Surround is better than the Bose Smart Soundbar 300. The JBL is a 5.1 setup with a dedicated sub that helps reproduce a more extended low-bass. It has a better surrounds performance, and it comes with a room correction feature and EQ presets. Also, it supports Chromecast built-in. That said, the 3.0 Bose has a better soundstage and built-in voice assistant support.
The 5.0 Samsung HW-S60A is a better soundbar than the 3.0 Bose Smart Soundbar 300. The Samsung has two side-firing speakers, so it offers a better surrounds performance. Also, it comes with more sound enhancement features, including a graphic EQ, presets, and an auto-volume mode.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 700 with Speakers + Bass Module is a better soundbar than the Bose Smart Soundbar 300. The Soundbar 700 is better built, and it comes with a dedicated sub and satellite speakers. It reproduces a more extended low-bass, and it has better soundstage and surround performances. Also, it comes with a room correction feature.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 with Speakers + Bass Module is better than the Bose Smart Soundbar 300. The 900 is a full setup with a dedicated subwoofer and satellites, while the 300 is just a standalone bar. The 900 supports Dolby Atmos content, and it has better soundstage and surround performances. It can also reproduce a more extended low-bass. There are even some more sound enhancement features available, like room correction. However, if you're low on space and just want to watch dialogue-centric content like TV shows, the 300 is still a solid choice.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 is a bit better than the Sonos Ray for most uses. The Bose is a 3.0 soundbar, so unlike the 2.0 Sonos, it has a discrete center channel to improve dialogue clarity. It reproduces more low-bass, too, and has HDMI connectivity. However, it doesn't offer as many sound enhancement features as the Sonos.
The Samsung HW-Q700A is better than the Bose Smart Soundbar 300. The Samsung comes with two up-firing drivers that support Dolby Atmos content, and it has a better surround performance. It also reproduces a more extended low-bass, and it comes with a graphic EQ and presets for sound customization. However, the Bose has built-in voice assistant support, whereas the Samsung requires a third-party device to access Amazon Alexa.
The Samsung HW-Q600A is better than the Bose Smart Soundbar 300. The Samsung supports Dolby Atmos content, and it reproduces a more extended low-bass. It also comes with more sound enhancement features like a graphic EQ and auto-volume mode. That said, the Bose has more wireless playback options and built-in voice assistant support. It also has a better stereo soundstage.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 is better than the Bose Solo Soundbar Series II. The 300 is a 3.0 setup, meaning it has a discrete center to improve vocal reproduction. It's better built, with more wireless playback options as well as an HDMI port for CEC support. Unlike the Solo, you can control its basic features with your TV remote as a result.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Bose Smart Soundbar 300 or the Sony HT-X8500. The Bose is a 3.0 setup that's better-built and comes with built-in voice assistant support. It offers better soundstage and center channel performances, and it supports more wireless playback options. However, the Sony supports Dolby Atmos content, unlike the Bose. It also comes with a few more sound enhancement features, including auto-volume mode and EQ presets, and it has a Full HDMI In port.
The Samsung HW-Q800A is better than the Bose Smart Soundbar 300. The Samsung comes with a dedicated sub that helps reproduce a more extended low-bass. It supports Dolby Atmos content, and it has a better surrounds performance. It also comes with more sound enhancement features such as a graphic EQ and presets.
The JBL Bar 9.1 is better than the Bose Smart Soundbar 300. The JBL supports Dolby Atmos content, and it has more sound enhancement features like room correction and EQ presets. Its subwoofer helps reproduce a more extended low-bass, and its satellites help create a better surround performance. It also has a better soundstage. That said, only the Bose has built-in voice assistant capabilities.
The Samsung HW-A650 is better than the Bose Smart Soundbar 300. The Samsung is a 3.1 setup with a dedicated sub. It can reproduce a more extended low-bass, and it has more sound enhancement features like a graphic EQ. It even comes with a Full HDMI In port, unlike the Bose. However, the Bose offers a solid performance for a standalone bar, especially for dialogue-centric content like TV shows. It even has a better soundstage, and built-in voice assistant support.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Bose Smart Soundbar 300 or the Klipsch Cinema 400. The Bose is a better built 3.0 setup with better soundstage and center channel performances. It also gets louder, and it has built-in voice assistant capabilities. However, the Klipsch comes with a dedicated sub that can reproduce a more extended low-bass.
The Sony HT-Z9F is better than the Bose Smart Soundbar 300. The Sony supports Dolby Atmos content, and it comes with more sound enhancement features like auto-volume and EQ presets. That said, the Bose has a better soundstage performance.
The Samsung HW-A450 is a bit better for mixed usage than the Bose Smart Soundbar 300. The Samsung comes with a dedicated sub, so it can reproduce a more extended low-bass. It also comes with more sound enhancement features, like a graphic EQ and presets. That said, the Bose is better built with better soundstage and center performance. It also has built-in voice assistant support, unlike the Samsung.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 is a bit better than the Polk Audio SIGNA S2. The Bose is a 3.0 setup with a standalone design that's ideal if you don't have a lot of space. Despite its smaller size, it has a better soundstage, and it also has a better center channel performance. The Polk does come with a dedicated sub though, so it can reproduce a little more low-bass than the Bose.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Bose Smart Soundbar 300 or the Denon Home Sound Bar 550. The Bose is a 3.0 soundbar with a better soundstage performance and a discrete center channel. It gets louder than the Denon, too. However, the Denon supports Atmos content and comes with more sound enhancement features, including EQ presets and auto-volume mode. Also, it has a Full HDMI In port.
The Sonos Playbar and the Bose Smart Soundbar 300 are both 3.0 setups but the Bose is slightly better performing overall. The Bose has a better-balanced sound profile, more physical inputs including an HDMI ARC port, and it offers more wireless playback options. However, the Sonos has room correction as well as auto-volume/night more. It also has a better surround performance, even though it downmixes this content into stereo to play it.
The Samsung HW-Q70T is better than the Bose Smart Soundbar 300. The Samsung supports Dolby Atmos content, and it comes with a graphic EQ and presets for sound customization. Also, its dedicated sub helps reproduce a more extended low-bass. That said, the Bose has a better soundstage and built-in voice assistant support.
The Samsung HW-Q800T is better than the Bose Smart Soundbar 300. The Samsung reproduces a more extended low-bass, and it supports Dolby Atmos content. It gets louder, has a better soundstage, and comes with a Full HDMI In port. Also, its graphic EQ is handy for sound customization. However, the Bose supports Apple AirPlay connectivity, unlike the Samsung.
The Samsung HW-Q60T is better than the Bose Smart Soundbar 300. The Samsung is a 5.1 setup with a dedicated sub that reproduces a more extended low-bass. It has more sound enhancement features, including a graphic EQ, and a Full HDMI In port for high quality passthrough. However, the 3.0 Bose has a better soundstage, more wireless playback options, and built-in voice assistant support.
The Samsung HW-Q950A and the Bose Smart Soundbar 300 are two very different soundbar setups. The Samsung is a more versatile setup with a dedicated sub and satellites. It supports Dolby Atmos content, unlike the Bose, and it has a better surrounds performance. It gets louder, and there are more sound enhancement features available. However, the standalone Bose is still a decent pick for users who just want a small bar for dialogue-centric content like TV shows.
The Samsung HW-A550 is a bit better than the Bose Smart Soundbar 300. The Samsung is a 2.1 setup with a dedicated sub that can reproduce a more extended low-bass. It supports DTS content, unlike the Bose, and it also has more sound enhancement features such as a graphic EQ. That said, the 3.0 Bose is better-built. It has better soundstage and center performances, and it's still a solid choice for vocal-centric content like TV shows.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 is better than the Bowers & Wilkins Formation Bar. The Bose is better built and offers a better center channel performance. It even comes with some extra sound enhancement features, including dialogue enhancement, as well as an HDMI ARC port.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 is better than the Yamaha YAS-109. The Bose is a 3.0 setup that's better built. It also has better soundstage and center performances. That said, only the 2.0 Yamaha has a Full HDMI In port for high quality passthrough. Some users may also prefer that it has EQ presets for sound customization.
The LG SN8YG is better than the Bose Smart Soundbar 300. The LG is a 3.1.2 setup with a dedicated subwoofer. It can reproduce a more extended low-bass, and it has more sound enhancement features such as room correction. Unlike the Bose, it supports Atmos content and has a Full HDMI In port for high quality passthrough. That said, the standalone Bose is better built and has a better soundstage.