Bose® - Soundbar 500 Featuring Built-In Amazon Alexa Voice Control - Black

The Bose 500 is a nice smart speaker and I would definitely recommend if you plan on using as such the majority of the time. But if you are looking for something to be used mostly as a TV soundbar – I believe there may be better options out there, especially if wanting to upgrade the sound on an older TV with multiple inputs and no ARC. My review includes the optional 500 wireless subwoofer. In the 500 soundbar box; Soundbar and power cord (nice that the “block” is in the middle of the AC cord so doesn’t block any other outlets on my power strip or running thru a wall). Basic remote control and batteries HDMI cable ADAPTiQ headset to “tune” your sound field VERY basic “setup” manual In the optional 500 sub-woofer speaker box; Subwoofer and power cord (which has no “block” so easily plugs into AC outlet, nice if running thru a wall too). Very basic “setup” manual Pros; Nice flat black design and it feels “hefty” (7 lbs.) for its size. At 1 ¾ inches height it probably wont block your TV’s IR. Width of 31.5 inches and 4 inches deep means it should fit nicely in front of any TV too. After downloading the Bose Music app to my android smartphone, it was easy enough to setup. It steps you through wireless setup, music apps, amazon sign in, attaching/synching optional Bose speakers, naming device, etc. Also during setup you are asked you to create a Bose account – which registers your product- which I did. Later I received a welcome email from Bose with several links on how to learn and enjoy your speaker. I found it very telling that none of it mentioned using as a TV soundbar – all the info focused on using as a smart speaker and how to maximize music apps/options. But do yourself a favor and download the full manual if you really want to know what everything does/operates If your TV has ARC (Audio Return Channel) and HDMI-CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) you are pretty much set to go. I am using this connected to a FireTV which has ARC and HDMI-CEC connectivity so turning on blu-ray disc player automatically turns on the soundbar and TV. This also allows any remote you may have setup for your TV to control the soundbar volume. However turning off the blu-ray player doesn’t turn off the TV or soundbar – which is standard but odd to me. Bluetooth is built in and easily synched Alexa is built into the soundbar – which is very nice - but make sure you have the soundbar “listening speaker” turned on if you plan on using it. It seems to default to off during setup but was easily turned on thru Bose Music App. Even with the volume up and a cold that made my voice sound like I had been smoking all night – Alexa recognized and understood me. Whether playing music or TV the units sound fills the room but, to me, lacks a little midrange causing it to a tad “tinny” sounding – and that is with the subwoofer optional speaker. There are basic bass, treble and center speaker adjustments within Bose Music app but I didn’t seem to hear much difference no matter how I had the settings. I did try using Alexa to try to tune the sound but was “told” it could not change EQ settings for this device. That would be a nice update to have in the future, I think! I did run the sound setup using the ADAPTiQ headset. You sit in 5 different seats/areas and it runs a series of sounds supposedly to setup for optimal sound. I really didn’t notice any discernable difference between before and after using it. I found it to be more gimmick than science. The sub-woofer is a pleasant enough shape with the same flat black finish as the soundbar. It’s also relatively small at 9.5 inches tall, 10 inches tall and wide and weighs about 11 lbs. It defiantly provides needed bass/oomph. Since its wireless you can pretty much place anywhere, you’d like within a reasonable distance. Now for the Cons – mostly related to TV soundbar usage You need a smartphone to setup the speaker to have access to your internet, amazon account, adding optional subwoofer and/or rear wireless speakers, speaker tone adjustments (limited as they are), etc. Most people probably have one but wanted to mention. I have looked everywhere and could not really find where the soundbar or subwoofer response specs or output are spelled out. It seems it does support Dolby Digital and DTS, but I could not find anywhere on the speaker that indicates which it is processing. No ATMOS. Bluetooth is input only so you cant use it as output if you want to listen silently thru headphones – as some soundbars allow you to do. There are no video inputs/outputs, only audio inputs. So the 1 HDMI connection is sound input only. If your TV doesn’t support ARC you wont be able to use this HDMI connection. This leaves the optical sound connection which, as long as your TV has optical output, you can use it to listen to anything else connected to your TV thru soundbar. Even if your TV doesn’t have optical output and doesn’t support ARC all is not lost. If any of your other components such as cable box or blu-ray player have optical out you could connect them to the soundbar – just not both at the same time. Not an optimal situation which could have been avoided if soundbar had HDMI input/output/passthru functionality. Remote is not illuminated and makes it hard to find or use in dark room. Its pretty basic as far as functions. You cant use it to change bass, treble, center speaker, etc. – must use app. You don’t get a lot of discernable info from the soundbar. Cant really tell if on, what it is processing, etc. Final Ramblings; Bose has stated they plan on making continual firmware updates, indicating they will be adding Google and Apple Airplay functionality in the future. Ambitious as I believe no one has been able to do this in one package – SONOS comes to mind. IF they can get that accomplished that would be a big plus…. I would also consider adding the optional rear wireless speakers to get 5.1 sound. Looking at website they run around $300.

I think I have too many Sound Bars. Good problem to have. I have one connected to every TV and used the Bose to replace a 4 year Polk Sound Bar. The difference is night and day. I paired this with the coordinating bass module and will review that separately. I will break this review down to 4 categories; setup, Alexa, TV sound and music. First, the setup was easy. The included paper instructions are pretty useless, just download the Bose app and set it up through that, very easy. I used the included HDMI cable to connect to the ARC input on my Hisense TV and plugged it in and then set the TV to the new speaker...done. The whole setup took under 10 minutes. Next I started using the Alexa functions. The mic's on this speaker are fantastic. They pick up my voice very well while playing music or the TV. There is also no annoying sound effect every time I say "Alexa" (looking at you Sonos). Like all non Amazon Alexa devices, you cannot change the wake word. This would be a game changer for me. I have way too many Alexa and changing the wake words would be very helpful. I can however, tell my Sonos one to turn on my Bose or adjust the volume so it works perfectly. For now I have disabled the mic on the Bose and use other devices to control it via Alexa. The other reason for this is that I have found that the Bose volume moves around on it's own. I can set the volume to one but then if i start watching TV then fall asleep, the alarm will wake up the neighborhood in the morning. I also love that because this connects via the ARC connection on my TV, I can tell Alexa to turn on Bose and it will turn on the tv as well. Fantastic. Sound for watching TV is fantastic. It is easy to make sound adjustments on the Bose app to get it right where you want it. It fills the room with clear sound at all volumes. For such a slim speaker, I was really impressed by the sound, but I guess I should expect that from a Bose product. Sound for music is great as well. My old sound bar sounded terrible when playing music on it, not the case with the Bose. The Airplay 2 update that is coming in 2019 will be a great addition as well. Since you cannot do multiroom audio with Alexa devices of different brands, Airplay fixes that issue. My only gripe is a small one. I wanted to mount the speaker but it does not have built in mounting holes nor an included bracket. I had to spend $40 on the Bose bracket which is about $20 more than it should be. No biggie, it's mounted now and I love it!

The Bose Soundbar 500 is a well-built, compact soundbar with average sound. For reference, I use a full 7.2.4 setup comprised of Martin Logan and Rythmik speakers in my living room and a Sony HTST-5000 soundbar in my bedroom. While I don't expect the Bose Soundbar 500 with Bass Module to compete directly against either system at nearly $1k I do expect above average performance. Let's start with setup. The Soundbar 500 comes well packed and is a very straightforward installation. The soundbar is very thin and fairly short so it will fit better with smaller TVs. It comes with an external power brick and the Adaptiq mic for basic room correction. It also comes with a small remote that provides necessary control for volume and source selection. The important thing to note about this soundbar is that it has a single HDMI input (eARC capable). It has no switching capability whatsoever and is meant to be fed from the ARC input on your TV. It also comes with an optical input if you are connecting to a TV without ARC capability. For my installation I simply connected an HDMI cable from the ARC input on my TV to the HDMI input on the Soundbar 500 and plugged in the power. I then installed the Bose Music app on my iPhone and followed the setup steps. This brings me to the Adaptiq step. I have used a lot of different room corrections (Audyssey, YPAO, RoomPerfect, Anthem ARC), but this was the first one that had the mic installed in a headband and required me to sit in different positions around the room. In fact, the app requires you to sit in at least 5 different locations before you can continue so you may find yourself sitting in places you would never sit, but without the ability to skip additional locations that is the situation. Once that was done it was time to see what this system could do. I decided to start my audition with music. My immediate impression was a tad underwhelming. The soundbar has nice highs and the bass module helped to fill in the lower registers, but the mid-range was muddy. It just kinda gets lost and quickly overpowered. This problem only gets worse with more volume so that wasn't exactly the experience I was hoping for out of the gate. I then decided to try movies. Here the experience changed a bit. First, the soundbar has a great soundfield. It is very enveloping and definitely gives the impression of a larger 5.1 discrete package. Just like music though voices tend to get lost at higher volumes as they are quickly overpowered by the highs and lows. At this price I really expected better. Also of note, this soundbar only supports Dolby Digital 5.1. This was probably the point that struck me as the oddest. Why offer eARC (which is designed to handle Dolby Atmos and DTS:X) and then only offer Dolby Digital 5.1 support? The Soundbar 500 also throws in Alexa support, as well as, several music services such as Spotify, Deezer and Amazon Music. Nothing exactly groundbreaking, but are nice to have. Overall, the Bose Soundbar 500 is a tough recommend. While it provides an adequate experience it is simply too expensive for the performance delivered. I would be more inclined to seek out the Sony HTST5000 on sale as it supports Dolby Atmos/DTS:X (including built-in upfiring speakers) and eARC. It also has HDMI switching and a more capable wireless subwoofer. At close to $1K for the Soundbar 500 and Bass Module 500 I feel like you might be paying more for the name than the performance.

The first thing that catches your eye on the Bose soundbar 500, is the low profile and how sleek it is. It has a very classy look to it that screams, high quality. The construction of the unit is also very good, it’s constructed of premium material and the design is flawless. A nice thing about this sound bar, is the low profile. It’s not as bulky and wide, like a lot of sound bars on the market. This is especially useful if you’re limited with space. Then there’s the wireless subwoofer, this is a remarkable product on it’s own. Together, they both look really amazing. The main sound bar unit comes packed with an HDMI cord, remote control, sound calibrator headset and power cord. The set up is very simple, it guides you through with very thorough directions. All you need is a smart phone with either Google play store, or the Apple app store - to download the app. Through this app, you will be able to adjust the settings of the sound bar, as well as select your music. My only disappointment with this, is the streaming serves that are offered in the Bose Music app. While Airplay 2 is scheduled to come out sometime in 2019, that still leaves other services out, like Google music and Tidal. You can still connect through bluetooth, to play those, you just won’t be able to select music through the Bose app. The Soundbar 500 comes equipped with Amazon’s Alexa built in. The voice control works great, and I had no problem getting her to understanding me. With the built-in wireless internet, you can ask Alexa for simple things, like weather, sports updates etc… The sounder actually has 3 ways to connect to your devices; HDMI, optical, or bluetooth. Now for the main part, the sound and performance. The first thing I tested out, was music streaming. I tried both streaming from the Bose app with Amazon music, as well as bluetooth connection with iTunes. The sound quality is amazing, to say the least. The vocals come through crystal clear, and with the added wireless subwoofer, the bass is smooth and deep. The next source I tried, was watching a movie and TV. Again, the sound is incredible! Very clear, no distortion and very loud. Bose really seemed to master the way the acoustics are angled. The way the sound bounces off the wall and beam forms behind you, really gives you a sense of true surround sound. Overall, this soundbar is fantastic, with both build quality and sound. While the Bose music app lacks a few features, you can still use them through bluetooth. So, this does not hinder the overall performance of the soundbar. With the added feature of Alexa, this soundbar is a home run, and I would definitely recommend this to anyone.

First thing I noticed after unboxing the soundbar was that its very well made. The front that wraps around is all metal and the finish of the top and bottom is matte which I think is easier to clean and dust. I would consider it a mid sized soundbar. Its not overly sized but not super small either. Its a tad smaller and thinner overall than your typical soundbar. It does come with instructions but all they say is to plug in everything, install the Bose music app, and then follow the instructions in the app. Pretty straight forward I guess. I like that they included a hdmi cable. Make sure you use the arc hdmi port on your tv so the tv can turn off the soundbar or in the case of alexa she can turn off your tv when shutting down the soundbar. You have to use the Bose app for initial setup. Its steps you though everything, wifi setup, naming, amazon setup, etc. Once your done you can also fine tune sound and use it to stream audio. Takes a little bit of time to get use to the layout and what not but the app works pretty well. Ive always gone under the impression that bigger speakers mean better sound. Well thats not always true as I found out here. The soundbar has five speakers in it. Three facing forward, and one on each side. You can opt for the bass module and two side speakers as well which are all sold separately so in the end it really is a modular system. I did paired the matching Bass Module 500 Subwoofer with it but this review is for the 500 soundbar only. The sound that comes out of this thing is very full and deep. It has way more bass than I expected for its size. The highs come out very well too. It really does sound fantastic, but I wasn't blown away by its sound. I then ran a comparison with my older but bigger sound bar and it does sound quite a bit better. My family also agreed that this one sounded better overall. With most soundbars out of the box I have to change the profile or adjust the settings to get it so I can hear dialog during tv/movies. Although it does have a dialog setting in the app I didn't need to adjust it at all. The default settings worked really well and I have yet to need to adjust anything. Everything comes out very clear. It comes with a ADAPTiQ audio room calibration headset to fine-tune the system's sound specifically to your room if you want to use it. I noticed it doesn't have some of the fancy features other expensive soundbars have such as hdmi 4k/hdr pass though and some of the newer audio format support. But if you by a Bose sound system your not buying it for that purpose. Your typically buying it for the sound quality and ease of use. For the price I wish they would include the bass module with it which most companies do but at least you have the option. The alexa integration is a really nice added feature. You get all the typical Amazon AI which I'm not going to get to much into here. One thing I really like is that you can even ask her to turn off the soundbar which then also turns off the tv as well. Having this integrated really makes this a next level soundbar and justifies the price. You can also turn off the mic if you don't want it listening all the time. If your looking for a mid sized soundbar with great sound or one you can add onto to make it even better look no further.

I knew I was getting a Bose system but I did not realize how much booze has upgrading their system since I last used ones. This sound bar is only about an inch tall and maybe 3 feet long. This set up while at first was slightly difficult once I realized what was wrong it was a breeze. The trick to this specific type of system is that you need an HDMIARC poured in your television in order for it to work the way it supposed to. The first television and I attempted to use it with did not have that port I ended up having to use an optical cable, that is not provided I just happen to have one, but since you do not allow this sound like you access the Internet through an optical cable when you try to use the app to control the sound bar it does not work correctly. On the other hand, once I set it up in my room with a new TV with the rate HDM I port it was a whole new machine. Like I said I was initially frustrated with the set up but once I got the right port it was a matter of plugging in the power plugging the sound bar into the right HDMI port and then turning on the television my television and eyes there was an audio system attached and I did not have to use the remote control supplied by Bose. Although it does have useful features. One thing I didn’t do use as much as I would’ve liked to was the Alexa voice actived feature. Don’t get me wrong, I totally used it, and when I did, wow, even when playing music loudly Alexa still hears you, it was also able to automatically sync with smart devices in the house. I really like being able to adjust the Bass, Treble, Channel Centering and Volume all from the app. Another amazing feature is it’s AdaptiQ technology, which basically has you put on a pair of headphone type things with microphones in it, then the app asks you it sit in your 5 favorite places in the room. It calibrates to you exactly! The last neat feature I want to discuss it Dialogue Mode, in the app you have the choice to switch to Dialogue Moda when watching things that require voices to be clearer.

Title pretty much sum's it up. I mean, it's OK but not what I was expecting. Please note, all of this review is the Bose Sounbar 500 matched with the Bose Bass Module 500. Any mentione of bass will include that Bass Module and may not be reflective of Soundbar 500 as a stand-alone. The Good: +Music sound is very good. Rich, accurate mids and highs and warm bass that is there but not overwhelming. +Overall quality is good. +Aesthetically pleasing. +The technology is there with Bluetooth, WiFi streaming, Alexa (this is my first experience with Alexa so still learning that platform). +The microphones are very good, even at loud volume at listening for Alexa commands. +Tech support was quite good (see later in review, but the fact that I had to contact tech support was a bummer). Th "Mmehh" =TV and movie listening, the sounds are good but not quite as rich and full as I am used to. Was hoping for a little more from Bose legacy reputation. =TV and movie sound is not quite as "real" as I would expect. Don't get me wrong, its not bad per se, but it's not quite "there". I know, saying "real" and "there" are subjective and beyond reasonable measure, but I hope you can understand my intent. =The remote is simple, elegant and functional but the light grey offset in button identifiers is not necessarily conducive with watching movie in a dark room and easily being able to identify what buttons are where. =The exercise to calibrate the ADAPtiQ felt a little gimmicky. =Alexa replies are LOUD. They are out of sync with the fluctuating volume of the speaker. I wish the Alexa reply volumes were either in step with the soundbar volume or were adjustable. The kinda' bummers: -Set-up required a call to Bose tech support because the unit was not broadcasting a beacon for the App to see it. (as previously mentioned and worth noting again, the wait, knowledge and professionalism of the tech support was quite good). -The time-out to shut off power strikes me as pretty short. I paused Live PD for around 20 minutes to write this review and the unit went into sleep mode. Seems kinda' short. -As mentioned, the sound for music is great, but it does not seem to carry the ground-shaking thunder of other soundbar and bass-modules I have experienced. In all, its a decent unit, especially if music is your deal, and it's utilitarian and does its job adequately well. I would recommend it, but with defined caveats. Disclaimer: This product was provided free, or at reduced cost, for the purpose of reviewing the product. Nevertheless, the above review, be it positive, negative, or anywhere in-between, is a 100% honest review, and the price paid played absolutely no part in my review.

Unboxing the Bose Soundbar 500 with Alexa reveals the soundbar, remote, power adapter, an HDMI cable, and the ADAPTiQ sound configuration tool. I appreciate the free HDMI cable in the box! The Soundbar itself is smaller than I would have expected based on the size of its box. It measures about 32 inches long and weighs in at 7 pounds. Bose makes nice products so I expected a quality looking device and the Soundbar 500 doesn’t disappoint. It’s nicely designed and is looks well made. I referenced the manual for setup. You are instructed to connect the power and connect the Soundbar to your tv via hdmi. The manual then simply directs you to download the Bose Music app to complete setup. The app then prompts you to sign up for a Bose account. You connect the Soundbar to your WiFi network, and link your Amazon account to use Alexa. You are also prompted to configure the sound with the ADAPTiQ tool which is a wired device which you plug into the rear of the Soundbar and wear on your head. The Bose app then walks you through the calibration process by making you sit in five different spots in your room. The Soundbar makes various sound signal which the ADAPTiQ device hears via its microphone. This whole process struck me as somewhat gimmicky and frustrating as the cord on the ADAPTiQ quickly tangled into a huge mess. I wish I had skipped this setup initially so I could determine if the ADAPTiQ calibration was truly effective. There is also a step where you select which music streaming service you want to link to the Soundbar. Services supported here are Pandora, Spotify, Deezer Premium, Amazon Music, TuneIn, SiriusXM, and iHeartRadio. I selected Amazon music since I have an account. After that you’re basically ready to use the Soundbar. I did have some issues getting ARC setup on my TV but finally got it figured out. Bluetooth of course is supported. AirPlay support is apparently going to be added via an upcoming firmware update. Let’s not forget that Alexa is onboard as well, making the Soundbar 500 one special sounding Alexa device. I started testing the Bose Soundbar 500 for music playback via my Amazon music account. I really love the integration of Amazon music control in the Bose app. Here you can select various stations. Once playing you can also add a favorite station as a preset to your Bose remote control. You can then simply press the numbered button on the remote and be instantly streaming your favorite station. There are six buttons available. I love this brilliant option from Bose. As I explore stations I am impressed by the sound quality emanating from a fairly small device. The sound is rich and vibrant. I expected no less from Bose. As I switch to TV as my source via the remote I am somewhat less impressed. It’s certainly better then my TV speakers but it’s somehow lacking in quality but then again it’s just broadcast television. As I switch to a Blu-ray for a source I’m again blown away by the sound quality. The Soundbar 500 is also expendable with add on surround speakers and there’s also an add on subwoofer. I’m sure these would only make this Soundbar even more spectacular. Dolby Digital is supported but unfortunately there is no Atmos support. Overall I really love this product. Sound quality is great. Alexa integration makes it even better. The remote is well designed with audio station presets. The Bose app is intuitive and packed with settings. Great for music and movies. I would recommend this product.