The Bose Home Speaker 300 is a wired speaker for your home. It has both Alexa and Google Assistant built-in, which offers fantastic overall performance. The speaker can understand you even if you're far away or in a noisy environment. There's even a switch to turn off the mic if you don't want it to be constantly listening to you. While it struggles to get loud and it lacks low-bass, it has bass and treble sliders so you can adjust its sound. It also supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, with low latency via iOS, Android, and Apple AirPlay.
Update 02/24/2021: We've changed the Speakerphone results from 'Yes' to 'No'. Even though it has a built-in mic, this feature is only accessible when using Alexa, so we don't consider it to have a speakerphone feature. Also, both the speaker and your phone must be set up and connected via Wi-Fi for this feature to work.
Our Verdict
The Bose 300 Speaker is alright for music. Its default sound profile is slightly boomy but it lacks low-bass, so genres like EDM and hip-hop lose out on thump and rumble. The speaker also doesn't get very loud, and it has to downmix stereo content into mono to play it, which doesn't sound very immersive. On the upside, it has bass and treble sliders to help customize its sound profile.
- Bass and treble sliders.
- Has an AUX port.
- Doesn't get very loud.
- Downmixes stereo content into mono.
The Bose Home Speaker 300 is fair for videos and movies. While it has a fairly neutral mid-range and can reproduce vocals and lead instruments clearly, it struggles to reproduce low-bass, so sound effects lack thump and rumble. It also has to downmix stereo content to mono to play it, which doesn't sound as immersive, and it doesn't get very loud. On the upside, it has low latency via iOS and Android.
- Bass and treble sliders.
- Low latency via iOS, Android, and Apple AirPlay.
- Doesn't get very loud.
- Downmixes stereo content into mono.
The Bose Home Speaker 300 is okay for podcasts. It has a fairly neutral mid-range, so vocal-centric content should be clear and accurate. Thanks to its 360-degree design, your audio should also sound clear from all angles. However, it isn't very portable since it has to be plugged into a wall socket to work, and you can't pair it with more than one device at a time.
- Bass and treble sliders.
- Doesn't get very loud.
The Bose Home Speaker 300 is outstanding for voice assistant support. It has both Alexa and Google Assistant built-in. It can easily register your commands, even if you're far away or in a noisy environment. There's even a switch to turn the mic off if you don't want the speaker to be constantly listening to you. However, it doesn't get very loud.
- Bass and treble sliders.
- Fantastic voice assistant performance.
- Doesn't get very loud.
The Bose Home Speaker 300 is a wired speaker and isn't recommended for outdoor use.
Changelog
- Updated Jun 14, 2022: Updated review and test results to include Google Chromecast following firmware update.
- Updated Feb 24, 2021: We've updated the Speakerphone and Multi-room test results. The scoring of the App box has changed.
- Updated Feb 18, 2021: Review published.
- Updated Feb 16, 2021: Early access published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Bose Home Speaker 300 comes in two color variants: 'Triple Black' and 'Luxe Silver'. We tested the Luxe Silver variant, and you can see its label here. We expect the Triple Black variant to perform similarly to our model. If you come across another variant, please let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Popular Speaker Comparisons
The Bose 300 Speaker is a wired home speaker. Like the Sonos One Gen 2/One SL, it has both Alexa and Google Assistant built-in, and the speaker can understand you even if you're far away or in a noisy environment. The speaker also supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, with low latency via iOS, Android, and Apple AirPlay. However, like most small speakers, it struggles to reproduce low-bass, and it doesn't get very loud.
Check out our recommendations for the best home speakers, the best Bluetooth speakers, and the best Bluetooth speakers for bass.
The Bose Home Speaker 300 is a better home speaker than the Sonos One Gen 2/One SL. The Bose has a more spacious soundstage, supports Bluetooth, and has fewer compression artifacts at max volume. Its built-in voice assistant performance is better. However, the Sonos is better built and is slightly more neutral-sounding out-of-the-box.
The Bose Home Speaker 300 and the Amazon Echo Studio (1st generation) have different strengths, and depending on your usage, you may prefer one over the other. The Amazon can get louder and play stereo content. Its companion app also offers more features. However, the Bose supports Apple AirPlay, has a lower Bluetooth latency on iOS and Android, and has an outstanding voice assistant performance.
The Bose SoundLink Revolve and the Bose Home Speaker 300 have different strengths and depending on your usage, you may prefer one over the other. The SoundLink is more portable since it's battery-powered, and has a better build quality. It also supports multi-device pairing. However, the Home Speaker 300 is better-suited for home use as it supports Wi-Fi, and has an outstanding built-in voice assistant performance. It can also get louder, and you can tweak its sound profile using its bass and treble sliders.
The Bose Home Speaker 300 is a better speaker for most uses than the Apple HomePod (1st generation). The Bose has better controls, supports Bluetooth, and has bass and treble sliders, meaning you can customize its sound profile to your liking. It also has a better voice assistant performance. However, the Apple speaker has a better Wi-Fi performance, though the speaker has been discontinued and may be harder to find in a new condition.
Test Results
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