The Bose Solo 5 is a small, compact soundbar that doesn't take up a lot of space in your existing setup. Its sound profile is pretty balanced and neutral, especially in the mid-range, so voices and lead instruments are reproduced clearly. However, its integrated subwoofer struggles to reproduce low bass, and this small soundbar doesn't get very loud. That said, it's Bluetooth-compatible, so you can easily stream audio from your phone or tablet to the bar wirelessly.
Our Verdict
The Bose Solo 5 is mediocre for mixed usage. Its balanced mid-range can reproduce dialogue-heavy content like podcasts and TV shows clearly. However, its integrated subwoofer struggles to create a low bass, which can be disappointing for some music fans. It doesn't support Dolby Atmos content, and it downmixes surround sound into stereo.
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Good build quality.
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Bluetooth-compatible.
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Doesn't support Dolby Atmos.
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Lacking low-bass.
The Bose Solo 5 is good for dialogue-heavy content like TV shows. Though it has a phantom center channel, it can still reproduce voices clearly thanks to its balanced mid-range. It's also Bluetooth-compatible, so you can easily stream podcasts to the bar from your phone wirelessly. You can even use the dialogue enhancement feature to make voices sound more clear and crisp. Unfortunately, it doesn't get very loud.
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Good build quality.
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Bluetooth-compatible.
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Dialogue enhancement feature.
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Not very loud.
The Bose Solo 5 is passable for music. Its sound profile is decently well-balanced, especially in the mid-range where vocals and lead instruments are reproduced. However, its integrated subwoofer doesn't create a very extended low-bass, which may be disappointing for fans of bass-heavy music genres. Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of sound customization features available.
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Good build quality.
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Lacking low-bass.
The Bose Solo 5 is poor for movies. It doesn't support Dolby Atmos content, and it has to downmix surround sound into stereo, which doesn't sound as immersive. Its sound profile is lacking a bit of low-bass, so action-packed scenes lack deep thumps and rumbles. Also, it doesn't get very loud.
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Good build quality.
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Not very loud.
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Doesn't support Dolby Atmos.
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Lacking low-bass.
- 6.2 Mixed Usage
- 6.8 Dialogue/TV Shows
- 6.7 Music
- 5.5 Movies
- Updated Jun 19, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 1.2. Updated the results for audio format support via ARC/eARC, HDMI In, and Optical. Added Video Passthrough to TV results as well.
- Updated Mar 27, 2023: Added cable lengths to In The Box.
- Updated Mar 22, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 1.1. With this update, we've added a Mounting test and added information aboutSubwoofer Output, Spotify Connect, and Microphone Mute.
- Updated Sep 27, 2021: Changed RCA In from 'Yes' to 'No'.
- Updated Feb 09, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Feb 08, 2021: Updated Sound Enhancement Features to reflect that the bar has dialogue enhancement and bass adjustment features.
- Updated Nov 20, 2020: Updated review for accuracy and clarity.
- Updated Sep 27, 2019: Review published.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Bose Solo 5 TV Sound System only comes in one color variant: 'Black'. If you come across another variant of this soundbar, let us know in the discussions.
Compared To Other Soundbars
The Bose Solo 5 is one of the smallest soundbars we've tested. It has a decently neutral sound profile, so it's suitable for lots of audio content. It won't get as loud as other soundbars and lacks bass as it doesn't have an external subwoofer. See our recommendations for the best budget soundbars, the best small soundbars, and the best soundbars under $200.
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 Sony HT-S100F is a better 2.0 soundbar than the Bose Solo 5. The Sony can get louder with fewer compression artifacts, which is handy if you have a large room, and it has some EQ presets so you can adjust its sound. It also has an ARC port, which supports Dolby Digital, a format common to streaming platforms and Blu-rays. That said, the Bose has a better build quality and a more balanced and neutral sound.
The Bose Soundbar 500 is slightly better than the Bose Solo 5. The Soundbar 500 is a 3.0 setup with a dedicated center channel, which makes dialogue in movies clearer and easier to understand. It also has more sound enhancement features like room correction. The Solo 5 has a slightly better stereo frequency response but overall, the Soundbar 500 will sound more natural due to the larger soundstage. The Soundbar 500 also has more inputs and supports DTS, on top of supporting eARC, although it has to reencode eARC formats into Dolby Digital.
The Sonos Playbar is a better option than the Bose Solo 5. The Sonos can get noticeably louder and is better built. The Sonos also has a room correction feature to optimize its audio reproduction. The soundstage of the Sonos is also wider. On the other hand, the Bose supports Bluetooth, while the Sonos soundbar is only Wi-Fi compatible.
The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is better than the Bose Solo 5. The Sonos is a better-built 5.0 setup with better soundstage, center, and surround performances. Unlike the Bose, it supports Atmos content, has built-in voice assistant capabilities, and offers HDMI ports for connectivity. There are even more sound enhancement features available, including room correction.
The Sonos Beam is a better soundbar than the Bose Solo 5. The Sonos has a 3.0 configuration with a dedicated center channel, which makes voices even clearer. It's better built, and it gets louder than the Bose. Also, its soundstage is wider and has more sound enhancement features. However, only the Bose supports Bluetooth.
The Bose Solo 5 and the Yamaha YAS-108/ATS-1080 are very similar-sounding soundbars, but the Yamaha is slightly better. The Yamaha gets louder and doesn't compress as much as the Bose. It also has two built-in subwoofers and more connection options. On the other hand, the Bose is better-built and has a slightly better stereo frequency response, but most people won't notice the difference.
The Bose TV Speaker is a better 2.0 setup for dialogue and TV shows than the Bose Solo 5. The TV Speaker feels better built, and its sound profile is more neutral. The TV Speaker also has an HDMI ARC port. However, while the Solo 5 doesn't get as loud as the TV Speaker, it can reach max volume with less thumping and compression artifacts.
The Sonos Arc is better than the Bose Solo 5. The Sonos supports Dolby Atmos content and has better center, surround, and soundstage performances. Unlike the Bose, it has a room correction feature and built-in voice assistant support. However, some users may prefer the Bose's more compact design.
The Bose Solo Soundbar Series II and the Bose Solo 5 are almost identical soundbars. Both have 2.0 setups, and their frequency responses are very similar, so you don't hear much difference in their sound. They offer the same sound enhancement features, too. Their design is slightly different, and the Series II's remote looks sleeker.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 700 is better than the Bose Solo 5. The Bose is a better-built 3.0 setup that gets louder with less compression at max volume. It has better soundstage, center, and surround performances, as well as built-in voice assistant support. There are even more sound enhancement features and an ARC input.
The JBL Bar 5.0 MultiBeam is a better soundbar than the Bose Solo 5. The JBL is better built, and it's a 5.0 soundbar with a discrete center channel that supports Dolby Atmos. It also has better soundstage and surround performances, and it gets louder. Also, it comes with a room correction feature, more physical inputs, and more wireless playback support.
The Sony HT-S200F is slightly better than the Bose Solo 5. The Sony bar has a built-in subwoofer, but it doesn't give you that much more bass, unfortunately. The Sony can also get a bit louder and performs well at max volume, while the Bose compresses a bit in the bass range. The Sony offers a few more sound enhancement features, too.
The Samsung HW-Q60R is a better soundbar system than the Bose Solo 5. The Samsung has a wireless subwoofer, a dedicated center channel, and side-firing speakers, while the Bose is a simple 2.0 system. The Samsung gets loud, has more features, and overall sounds better. It also has tons of connection options the Bose doesn't have and supports more audio formats. Other than price, there's no real reason to get the Bose over the better performing Samsung.
The Denon Home Sound Bar 550 is a better soundbar than the Bose Solo 5. The Denon is better built and supports Dolby Atmos content. It offers more sound enhancement features like EQ presets and comes with a Full HDMI In port. Also, it has a better soundstage performance.
The Samsung HW-A650 is better than the Bose Solo 5. The Samsung is a 3.1 setup with a dedicated sub that can reproduce a more extended low-bass. It's better built, and it has better soundstage and center channel performances. It can get louder with less compression at max volume. There are more sound enhancement features to choose from, like a graphic EQ, and some HDMI inputs. That said, some listeners may prefer the Bose's small, standalone design.
The Polk Audio Signa S2 is a better soundbar than the Bose Solo 5. The Polk has a better overall sound, and its dedicated wireless subwoofer provides more bass. It can get noticeably louder and supports audio formats over ARC. However, the Bose feels more premium and is shorter, which makes it a better option if you're looking for a compact soundbar.
The Bose Solo 5 is a better overall soundbar than the LG SK1. The Bose has a decent sound profile that lacks bass, but it still gets more bass than the LG. As a result, it does a slightly better job reproducing the low thumps and rumbles in bass-heavy music and movies. Both bars don't support Atmos or DTS. However, the LG has slightly more customization options than the Bose, thanks to its two EQ presets.
The Bose Solo 5 and the Vmai 2.1 Channel Sound Bar are both entry-level, budget soundbars, and you may prefer one over the other depending on your listening habits. Overall, the Bose is better for watching movies, as it has a center channel and it supports surround content. That being said, the Vmai is better for dialogue-heavy content like TV shows. The Vmai also comes with EQ presets and treble adjustments, unlike the Bose, and it has an HDMI ARC port, though it can only be used to play PCM content.
The Roku Smart Soundbar and the Bose Solo 5 are very similar 2.0 setups. Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer one over the other. The Bose has a better build quality and a better-balanced sound profile for its center channel. On the other hand, the Roku can get louder, but it has more compression artifacts at max volume. The Roku comes with a companion app and more features, like built-in voice assistant capabilities, auto volume mode, and several EQ presets, so it's a bit more flexible. Unlike the Bose, the Roku also has an HDMI ARC port.
The JBL Link is a better soundbar than the Bose Solo 5. The Bose is rather straightforward, doesn't have many features, and is more of a plug-and-play type of soundbar. The JBL is also an Android TV Box and a Google Home speaker. Its stereo soundstage is also wider, and it has more inputs like full HDMI In ports and an HDMI ARC. It also supports wireless playback via Wi-Fi, on top of Bluetooth.
The Bose Solo 5 and the Yamaha YAS-109 have different strengths and depending on your preferences, you may prefer one over the other. The Bose is smaller, better-built, and has a more neutral sound profile. However, the Yahama can get a bit louder, it has EQ presets, and its surround performance is better. It also has a Full HDMI In port, and it supports Wi-Fi.
The Samsung HW-Q800A is better than the Bose Solo 5. The Samsung is a better built 3.1.2 setup with a dedicated sub that can reproduce a more extended low-bass. It has better soundstage, center, and surround performances. Unlike the Bose, it even supports Dolby Atmos content. Also, there are more sound enhancement features, like a graphic EQ. That said, some users may prefer the Bose's smaller, more compact standalone design.
The Samsung HW-Q600A is better than the Bose Solo 5. The Samsung is a 3.1.2 setup that's better-built and comes with a dedicated sub to reproduce a more extended low-bass. It has better soundstage, center, and surround performances, and it gets louder with less compression at max volume. Unlike the Bose, it supports Atmos content and has ARC and Full HDMI In ports. There are even more sound enhancement features, such as a graphic EQ and presets. However, some users may prefer the Bose's more compact design.
The Bose Solo 5 and the TCL Alto 5 perform quite similarly, but the Bose has a bit more bass and is easier to fit in most setups due to its smaller size. On the other hand, the TCL has a few EQ presets, unlike the Bose.
The Bose Solo 5 and Vizio SB2020n-G6 are both similarly small soundbars, but the Bose Solo 5 has a better overall performance. The Bose has a better-balanced sound profile, and it supports Dolby Digital content by downmixing it via its optical connection. While it doesn't have a dedicated center channel, the Bose can also create a phantom center that still has a decent performance. However, even though the Vizio has limited sound enhancement features such as only two EQ presets, the Bose doesn't have any at all.
The Bose Solo 5 is a better 2.0 soundbar than the Insignia NS-HSB318 2.0. The Bose feels much better-built, has a more balanced, neutral sound profile, and supports Dolby Digital content over optical. However, the Insignia can get much louder and compresses less at max volume too. It also has a few more sound enhancement features, like EQ presets and a bass boost mode, too.
The Bose Solo 5 and the Samsung HW-Q950A are two very different soundbar setups. The Bose is a small, standalone soundbar with a simple design. However, the Samsung is a premium 11.1.4 setup with a dedicated sub and satellites. Unlike the Bose, it supports Atmos content, and it has HDMI inputs. It has better soundstage, center, and surround performances. There are also lots more sound enhancement features, including room correction.
The Bose Solo 5 is a much better soundbar than the TaoTronics TT-SK023. The Bose has a much more neutral, balanced sound with better bass for music. It also supports Dolby Digital content over optical, feels better-built, and has a power-saving mode. The TaoTronics, however, has a couple of EQ presets, which the Bose is lacking, as well as a display to show you which settings you're on.
The Vizio SB3220n-F6 is a better soundbar than the Bose Solo 5 if you can go for something a little bigger. While the Bose feels better-built and gets a bit more bass thanks to the integrated subwoofer, the Vizio's soundstage is significantly better. You'll prefer the Bose if simplicity is your main goal, but the Vizio provides a more well-rounded experience.
Test Results
The Bose Solo 5 is a very simple, all-black soundbar. It's mostly made of plastic, and there's a metal grille that covers the front and the sides of the bar. The subwoofer is also embedded in the bar, and the port is visible on the back. Overall, it looks similar to the Bose Solo Soundbar Series II, but its logo is in a different location.
There's no external subwoofer with this soundbar setup. The subwoofer is embedded in the soundbar. For a stereo 2.1 system with an external subwoofer, check out the Polk Audio Signa S2.
The Bose Solo 5 is a fairly compact bar. It's smaller than other 2.0 soundbars like the Yamaha YAS-109/ATS-1090 and should easily fit between the legs of a 55" TV stand. Also, it's not very tall, so it shouldn't obstruct your view of the screen unless your TV screen sits flush on your table.
This setup doesn't have an external subwoofer.
This setup doesn't have any satellites.
The Bose Solo 5 has a good build quality. It's made from solid plastic, aside from the metal grille that surrounds the bar on the sides and at the front. The grille helps protect the drivers, which is nice. The subwoofer is embedded in the bar and its port is at the back. The entire build feels solid, although not too premium.
- Remote
- Power cable (4.9 ft / 1.5m)
- Power adapter (cable length 4.9 ft / 1.5m)
- 2x batteries
- Optical cable (4.9 ft / 1.5m)
- Manuals
The Bose Solo 5 has a decent stereo frequency response, especially for its size, but it noticeably lacks bass. Its low-frequency extension is fairly high, which means it has a hard time producing deep thump and rumbles, but it still reproduces more low-bass than the Vizio SB3220n-F6 and the LG SK1. On the upside, the rest of the response is well-balanced and vocals and instruments are reproduced accurately. It has a fairly neutral sound profile, but unfortunately, it doesn’t have a lot of features that let you modify the sound profile to your liking.
The Bose Solo 5 has a mediocre stereo soundstage. The bar is very small and although the drivers are angled outwards, the soundstage size is about the width of the bar. On the upside, it's well-focused and sound isn't diffused, which is good because objects seem to be coming from a more accurate pinpoint location rather than from a general area.
The Bose Solo 5 has decent stereo dynamics. It doesn't get very loud, likely due to its small size, so it may not be ideal to use in a large room or at a crowded party. There's a bit of compression when you play it at max volume, too.
This soundbar has a satisfactory stereo THD performance. At normal listening volumes, there isn't a lot of distortion, resulting in clean and pure audio reproduction. There's a bit more distortion when you play it at max volume, but this may not be noticeable with real-life content. However, the bass port does produce some audible noise.
The Bose Solo 5 has a decent center performance. This 2.0 setup has a phantom center, so it uses its left and right speakers to simulate a center channel. However, this doesn't sound quite as immersive as a dedicated center channel. That said, its mid-range is very balanced, so vocal-centric content is clearly and accurately reproduced.
The Bose Solo 5 performs poorly when sending surround content to the soundbar. Everything is downmixed to a stereo signal since this soundbar is a 2.0 setup and it uses the left and right speakers, which won’t create an accurate and clear representation of surround objects. This means the result won't be very immersive and the objects are perceived as coming from the front of you instead of coming from your sides or behind you. The overall sound profile is hyped with excess in bass and treble, but the bar isn't able to get very loud.
This soundbar doesn’t have height channels and doesn’t support Atmos.
Update 02/08/2021: We updated our results to reflect that this soundbar has a dialogue enhancement feature and a bass adjustment feature.
The Bose Solo 5 has a poor selection of sound enhancement features. There's a dialogue enhancement feature that can help make voices sound more clear and crisp, and a bass adjustment to help you customize its sound. However, it lacks a full graphic EQ.
Update 09/27/2021: We previously reported that this soundbar comes with an RCA In port. However, after reviewing the bar, we concluded that its Coaxial port isn't the same as an RCA In port.
The Bose Solo 5 has a limited number of inputs so you must follow a very specific setup when connecting it to the rest of your devices. There's an Optical Audio In, which can be used for surround sound, and a Coaxial which can connect to older devices. There are no HDMI ports, but there's an Analog 3.5mm input where you can connect a mobile device or any other device that doesn't support Bluetooth. For a 2.0 system with more input options, check out the JBL Link Bar or the Roku Smart Soundbar.
There's no HDMI ARC support on this soundbar. If you're looking for a small soundbar with an ARC port to play Dolby Digital content, check out the Bose TV Speaker.
There's no HDMI Input on this soundbar.
The Bose Solo 5 can decode Dolby Digital via its optical port but it downmixes it to 2.0. Dolby Digital 5.1 surround content is very common in most streaming platforms and Blu-rays. It also doesn't support DTS, but this format isn't widely common on its own. Instead, it's the fallback for the higher quality DTS-HD MA found on many Blu-ray discs.
Unfortunately, due to the lack of Full HDMI In, you can't use this soundbar as a hub for your other devices.
The Bose Solo 5 allows you to play content wirelessly, but only through Bluetooth. You can easily connect your smartphone or tablet to stream audio to the bar wirelessly, but you can’t connect to the network or cast to the soundbar from Chromecast built-in or Apple AirPlay.
The interface of the soundbar is very simple. There are only two discrete LEDs behind the grille. One serves as a status light that shows that the soundbar is working, and the other one is for Bluetooth. The lights flash when there's a change in settings. There are no controls on the soundbar.
There are no controls on the bar. You can only control the soundbar through the remote.
The Bose Solo 5 comes with a very versatile, and very large remote control that can also act as a universal remote. You can only control the soundbar with the remote as there are no controls on the bar. Once you change the settings, a small LED light behind the grille will flash to indicate that you've registered a command.