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.
Check Price
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 Portable Smart Speaker is a slightly better speaker than the Bose Home speaker 300. The Smart Speaker is battery-powered, making it much more portable than the Home Speaker 300. It can get louder, and offers a wider-sounding soundstage, so your audio sounds clearer from most angles. That said, the Home Speaker 300 has less compression present at max volume, resulting in cleaner audio at louder volumes.
The Bose Home Speaker 500 is a better speaker than the Bose Home Speaker 300. The 500 is better-built, and it supports stereo content. Its LED screen displays the time and information about the track you're listening to. Also, it gets louder, though both speakers have some compression when you play them at max volume. However, some users may prefer the 300's slightly smaller size.
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.
Test Results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
