The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 is an upgraded version of the Bose Smart Soundbar 700. Unlike its predecessor, it supports Dolby Atmos content, which is commonly found on both streaming platforms and Blu-rays. This premium soundbar comes with the manufacturer's PhaseGuide technology, which beams sound throughout your room for a more immersive listening experience. You can even upgrade it with a separate subwoofer and satellites as the Bose Smart Soundbar 900 with Speakers + Bass Module.
Our Verdict
The Bose Soundbar 900 is good for mixed usage. This soundbar has a balanced sound right out of the box, with a clear reproduction of dialogue in TV shows and instruments in your favorite tunes. It does well as a standalone bar, but without a dedicated sub, it doesn't bring the deep thump and rumble in the low bass. You'll also need to add on satellites separately for a better surround sound.
- Bass and treble adjustments.
- Gets loud.
- Supports Dolby Atmos content.
- Lacks low-bass.
The Bose Soundbar 900 is good for dialogue-centric TV shows and podcasts. It reproduces voices with clarity and accuracy, and its discrete center channel improves vocal reproduction in the mix. There's even a dialogue enhancement mode to make voices more crisp. Unfortunately, it lacks an auto-volume mode, so you can't balance the volume level across different programs like with other premium bars.
- Dialogue enhancement mode.
- Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Apple AirPlay 2 support.
- No auto-volume mode.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 is very good for music. Its room correction feature, which Bose calls ADAPTiQ, automatically optimizes audio reproduction based on the acoustics of the room you're in. It has a balanced sound that's suitable for many different music genres. You can customize its sound using its bass and treble adjustments, but it lacks a full EQ to customize across the range. You also don't get a very extended low bass on its own, though you can add a subwoofer separately.
- Bass and treble adjustments.
- Gets loud.
- Lacks low-bass.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 is satisfactory for movies. This soundbar supports many audio formats commonly found on both streaming platforms and Blu-rays, like Dolby Digital and Dolby Atmos. Dialogue is clearly reproduced, though you don't get a deep rumble in the bass during action-packed scenes. The lack of satellites means you don't get the same all-around feel as with other premium bars, either.
- Bass and treble adjustments.
- Supports Dolby Atmos content.
- Lacks low-bass.
- Mediocre surrounds performance.
Changelog
- Updated May 10, 2024: Updated Stereo Dynamics and Stereo Frequency Response results with new methodology from TBU 1.3. Added text to Audio Latency: ARC, and Audio Latency: Optical boxes.
- Updated May 09, 2024: We've converted this review to Test Bench Update 1.3. If applicable, we've retested stereo sound based on the manufacturer's recommendations. Additionally, we've expanded our audio latency tests to the following boxes: Audio Latency: ARC, Audio Latency: HDMI In, and Audio Latency: Optical. You can see the full changelog here.
- Updated Jan 22, 2024: Updated the bar's channels from 5.0.2 to 5.1.2 since it has an integrated subwoofer. Updated the setup pictures in the Center Surround 5.1 and Height (Atmos) boxes to reflect the integrated subwoofer. Added more information about Phaseguide to the Stereo Frequency Response box and updated the setup picture.
- Updated Nov 15, 2023: We've added a comparison between this soundbar and the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar in Sound Enhancement Features.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The bar comes in two different colors: 'Black' and 'White'. We tested the 'Black' variant, and you can see the label for the model we tested here. If you come across another version of this bar, please let us know in the forums, and we'll update our review.
You can also check out the review for the Bose Smart Soundbar 900 with Speakers + Bass Module if you want to see how the bar performs with satellites and a subwoofer attached.
Popular Soundbar Comparisons
The Bose Soundbar 900 is a 5.1.2 setup with built-in voice assistant support. Unlike the Bose Smart Soundbar 700, it supports Dolby Atmos content. While it struggles to reproduce a thumpy low-bass, you can always upgrade it to the Bose Smart Soundbar 900 with Speakers + Bass Module for better bass reproduction and improved surround sound.
See also our recommendations for the best soundbars, the best Dolby Atmos soundbars, and the best soundbars with subwoofer.
The Sonos Arc and the Bose Smart Soundbar 900 are both premium standalone setups supporting Dolby Atmos content. Their performances are similar overall. The Sonos supports DTS content, unlike the Bose, and it has a few more sound enhancement features like auto-volume mode. The Bose is better built, with more wireless playback options.
The standalone Bose Smart Soundbar 900 is marginally better for mixed usage than the Sonos Beam (Gen 2). The Bose is a 5.1.2 setup that's bigger and can get louder. It also has a better Atmos performance and supports more wireless playback options like Bluetooth. If you want a standalone bar that takes up less space, the Sonos is still a solid choice.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 is better than the Sony HT-A5000. The Bose is a better-built setup with better soundstage, center, surround, and Atmos performances. However, only the Sony has DTS support and a Full HDMI In port for high-quality passthrough.
The JBL Bar 9.1 is better than the standalone Bose Smart Soundbar 900. The JBL comes with a dedicated sub and satellites. It has a better surrounds performance and reproduces a more extended low-bass. That said, the Bose is better built, with built-in voice assistant capabilities. You can also upgrade it with a Bose Bass Module and Surround Speakers for better performance.
Test Results
