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Bose Home Speaker 500 vs Apple HomePod (2nd generation)

Side-by-Side Comparison

    Top
    Main Differences
    Design
      PicturesStylePortabilityBuild QualityControlsIn The Box
    Sound
      Frequency Response AccuracyRaw Frequency ResponseSoundstageDynamics
    Active Features
      BatteryVoice AssistantApp
    Connectivity
      WiredBluetoothWi-Fi
    Comments

Products

Bose Home Speaker 500
Apple HomePod (2nd generation)

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Nov 28, 2024 07:50 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Feb 03, 2025 02:19 PM

SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
Bose Home Speaker 500 Picture
Apple HomePod (2nd generation) Picture
Bluetooth
Yes
Wi-Fi
Yes
Speakerphone
No
Voice Assistant
Yes
Battery Powered
No
Bluetooth
No
Wi-Fi
Yes
Speakerphone
Yes
Voice Assistant
Yes
Battery Powered
No
  1. Recommended in 3 articles:
  2. Brands
  3. iPhone
  4. Apple

Our Verdict

Bose Home Speaker 500

Apple HomePod (2nd generation)

The Bose Home Speaker 500 and the Apple HomePod (2nd generation) are both wired smart speakers designed for home use. Only the Bose supports Bluetooth audio playback, and its bass and treble adjustments make it more customizable than the Apple. However, its low-bass isn't as extended as the Apple's, so you don't hear as much rumble in bass-heavy music. The Apple speaker is well-suited to users who already own products in their ecosystem.

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Variants

  • Home Speaker 500 (Luxe Silver)
  • Home Speaker 500 (Triple Black)
  • HomePod (2nd generation) (Midnight)
  • HomePod (2nd generation) (White)

Review

See Bose Home Speaker 500 Review
See Apple HomePod (2nd generation) Review
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Check Price

Luxe Silver
Home Speaker 500
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Finding store
Midnight
HomePod (2nd generation)
Searching
Finding store
Triple Black
Home Speaker 500
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White
HomePod (2nd generation)
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Main Differences for
Music

Threshold 

0.10

Music 

7.3
7.2

Frequency Response Accuracy 
 

6.9
7.8

Dynamics 
 

7.2
5.7

Soundstage 
 

8.7
7.6

EQ 
 

Bass/Treble
No

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Style Photo  

Bose Home Speaker 500 Style Photo
Apple HomePod (2nd generation) Style Photo

RGB Lights  

No
No
Show Text 

Portability 
 

4.3
4.3

Dimensions Photo  

Bose Home Speaker 500 Dimensions Photo
Apple HomePod (2nd generation) Dimensions Photo

Volume 
 

226 in³ (3,702 cm³)
205 in³ (3,367 cm³)

Weight 
 

4.9 lbs (2.2 kg)
5.1 lbs (2.3 kg)

Power Source 
 

AC Only
AC Only

One-Hand Carry 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

6.7
6.4

Build Quality Photo  

Bose Home Speaker 500 Build Quality Photo
Apple HomePod (2nd generation) Build Quality Photo

Material Quality 
 

Great
Good

Water Resistance 
 

No
No

Dust Resistance 
 

Unspecified
Unspecified

Impact Resistance 
 

Unspecified
No

Floats In Water 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Controls 
 

8.0
8.0

Controls Photo  

Bose Home Speaker 500 Controls Photo
Apple HomePod (2nd generation) Controls Photo

Controls Photo 2  

Bose Home Speaker 500 Controls Photo 2
Apple HomePod (2nd generation) Controls Photo 2

Ease Of Use 
 

Great
Great

Feedback 
 

Great
Great

Music Play/Pause 
 

Yes (Tactile)
Yes (Tactile)

Call Answer/End 
 

No
Yes (Tactile)

Volume Up/Down 
 

Yes (Tactile)
Yes (Tactile)

Track Next/Previous 
 

Yes
Yes (Tactile)

Microphone On/Off 
 

Yes (Tactile)
No

Additional Controls 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

In The Box 
 

In The Box Photo  

Bose Home Speaker 500 In The Box Photo
Apple HomePod (2nd generation) In The Box Photo
Show Text 
Sound

Frequency Response Accuracy 
 

6.9
7.8

Frequency Response Graph  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

Slope 
 

-0.62
0.87

Std. Err. 
 

3.50 dB
3.68 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

55.0 Hz
32.7 Hz

High-Frequency Extension 
 

17.0 kHz
19.3 kHz
Show Text 

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw Frequency Response Graph  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

Binaural Recording @ 1m 
 

Binaural Recording @ 2m 
 

Soundstage 
 

8.7
7.6

Directivity Graph  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

Directivity Index 
 

2.41 dB
0.90 dB

Stereo 
 

Yes
No (mono)
Show Text 

Dynamics 
 

7.2
5.7

Dynamic Range Compression  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

90.5 dB SPL
85.2 dB SPL

DRC @ Max Volume 
 

2.19 dB
3.78 dB
Show Text 
Active Features

Battery 
 

0.0
0.0

Battery Life 
 

N/A
N/A

Charge Time 
 

N/A
N/A

Power Saving 
 

No
No

Charging Port 
 

No Battery
No Battery

Battery Powered 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Voice Assistant 
 

10
10

Alexa 
 

Built-in (Wi-Fi Only)
No

Google Assistant 
 

Built-in (Wi-Fi Only)
No

Speakerphone 
 

No
Yes

Siri 
 

No
Built-in

Voice Assistant 
 

Yes
Yes

Voice Activation 
 

Yes
Yes

Microphone Mute 
 

Yes
Yes

Far-Field Performance 
 

Excellent
Excellent

Ambient Noise Performance 
 

Excellent
Excellent
Show Text 

App 
 

7.7
6.6

App Picture  

Bose Home Speaker 500 App Picture
Apple HomePod (2nd generation) App Picture

App Name 
 

Bose Music
Apple Home

iOS 
 

Yes
Yes

Android 
 

Yes
No

EQ 
 

Bass/Treble
No

Stereo Pair Mode 
 

No
Yes

Party Mode 
 

Yes
Yes

Multi-Room 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 
Connectivity

Wired 
 

Aux Input 
 

Yes
No

USB Audio 
 

No
No

Other Ports 
 

Yes
No
Show Text 

Bluetooth 
 

8.2
0.0

Bluetooth 
 

Yes
No

Bluetooth Version 
 

4.2
No Bluetooth

Bluetooth iOS Latency 
 

57 ms
N/A

Bluetooth Android Latency 
 

88 ms
N/A

Bluetooth Range 
 

195.2 ft (59.5 m)
N/A

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Wi-Fi 
 

8.1
7.7

Wi-Fi Version 
 

Unspecified
Wi-Fi 4

Wi-Fi Frequency Band 
 

2.4GHz & 5GHz
2.4GHz & 5GHz

Wi-Fi 
 

Yes
Yes

Apple AirPlay 
 

Yes
Yes

AirPlay Latency 
 

45 ms
121 ms

Google Chromecast 
 

Yes
No

Chromecast Latency 
 

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

Check Price

Luxe Silver
Home Speaker 500
Searching
Finding store
Midnight
HomePod (2nd generation)
Searching
Finding store
Triple Black
Home Speaker 500
Searching
Finding store
White
HomePod (2nd generation)
Searching
Finding store
Back to Top

Bose Home Speaker 500

Apple HomePod (2nd generation)

Comments

  1. Comparison
 • Posted 1 year ago

Bose Home Speaker 500 vs Apple HomePod (2nd generation): Main Discussion

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