The Bose Soundbar 500 is an okay soundbar when used by itself without the separate sub and back satellites. It doesn’t get as loud as other soundbars but its sound profile is fairly well-balanced and neutral sounding. However, some may feel like this bar lacks sub-bass. On top of not being able to get very loud, it has trouble performing at max volume, and compresses a lot, especially in the bass range. On the upside, the L/R drivers of this 3.0 setup are on the side of the bar, which helps to widen the soundstage a bit, but nothing quite like the Bose Smart Soundbar 700.
Our Verdict
Okay for mixed usage. Without its sub and satellites, the Bose 500 isn’t a great option for movies as it doesn’t support Atmos and lacks quite a bit of sub-bass. The sound profile is still fairly good as it's neutral and well-balanced. This bar is a decent option for voice-oriented content like audiobooks and podcasts and will be versatile for a wide variety of music, but won’t be ideal for bass-heavy genres. It also doesn't get as loud as other bars, but should still be loud enough for most uses.
- Very well-built design.
- Well-balanced sound profile.
- Great center channel performance for dialogue in movies.
- Easily upgradable setup.
- Doesn’t get as loud as other soundbars.
- Lacks sub-bass.
- No DTS support.
- No Full HDMI In ports.
Decent for dialogue and TV shows. The Bose Soundbar 500 has a well-balanced stereo frequency response which will result in an accurate reproduction of voices, which is great for dialogue, audiobooks, and podcasts. However, the bar doesn’t get very loud at max volume, but should be loud enough for casual listening. Also, it has a dialogue enhancement feature to help make voices clearer and it's easy to stream content wirelessly to the bar.
Decent for music. The sound profile of the Bose Soundbar 500 is fairly flat and well-balanced, although some may feel like it lacks sub-bass without the optional subwoofer. On the upside, it has room correction so it sounds better in your room. On the downside, it doesn’t get very loud and there’s noticeable compression at max volume, especially in the bass range, meaning it might not be the best option for bass-heavy genres.
Mediocre for movies. It lacks a good thumpy bass for action movies and the bar doesn’t get as loud as other soundbars, which is disappointing. On the upside, it is good for hearing dialogue in movies. On the downside, it doesn’t support Atmos for an immersive listening experience, but the fact the stereo speakers are on the side of the bar helps to make the soundstage sound a bit wider.
Changelog
- Updated Nov 16, 2022: Added market comparison with the Bose Smart Soundbar 600 to the Height (Atmos) box.
- Updated Mar 15, 2022: Firmware update adds Chromecast built-in support.
- Updated Mar 16, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Oct 01, 2020: We have updated our text regarding whether this soundbar supports 5.1 PCM content via its HDMI ARC port.
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Popular Soundbar Comparisons
The Bose Soundbar 500 can easily be upgraded with a separate subwoofer and satellites, but we only tested the bar. By itself, the bar has an okay performance but lacks bass without the sub. On the upside, it still has a very neutral and accurate sound profile.
See our recommendations for the best soundbars, the best budget soundbars if you're looking for something more affordable, and the best soundbars with a subwoofer.
The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is a better standalone bar than the Bose Soundbar 500. The Sonos is a 5.0 setup that's better built. Unlike the Bose, it supports Dolby Atmos content. It also has better soundstage and surround performances. That said, the Bose supports more wireless playback options.
The Bose TV Speaker and the Bose Soundbar 500 are two well-built soundbars with different setups. The Bose TV Speaker is a 2.0 setup that's smaller and more compact, which some users may prefer. It has a better-balanced sound profile with a decent amount of bass. The 500, on the other hand, is a 3.0 setup with a better-performing discrete center channel. It also has a better surround performance, EQ presets, and an ethernet port if you want to listen to audio from a flash drive. It even supports eARC, and although it re-encodes these formats into Dolby Digital, it has a companion app, and you can stream audio to it via Wi-Fi, Apple AirPlay, and Bluetooth.
The Sonos Arc is a better soundbar than the Bose Soundbar 500. The Sonos supports Dolby Atmos content, and it offers better soundstage and surround performances. It also reproduces a more extended low-bass. You can even upgrade it to the Sonos Arc with Sub + One SL Speakers for better performance. However, the Bose supports more wireless playback options.
While the Bose Soundbar 500 and the Bose Smart Soundbar 600 offer similar performances, the 600 is the more versatile pick. Unlike the 500, the 600 supports Dolby Atmos content, meaning you can enjoy an immersive sound with content often found on streaming platforms and Blu-rays.
Test Results
