Customer Ratings & Reviews

The Bose 500 set up and Alexa activation was simple and quick. Had the system up and running in less than 10 minutes. The true stereo fills the room with incredible clear and crisp sound. The base and tone is perfectly balanced which delivers the music at its best listening performance. As far as volume, this unit will knock your socks off. The display is a nice addition to see the track and album covers as it streams the music from either your phone or streaming service. Amazon Music is simply amazing. Alexa picks up your local commands from across the room without issue, even is whisper mode. The local controls on top of the unit are easy to use and understand. Hats off to the Bose engineers, good job, magical engineering!

This is a great speaker for anywhere in the home. It has outstanding sound and bass, and it can get quite loud for its smaller size. We have it set up in our kitchen for our open space second floor and sound fills all areas very nice for that 360 feel. The Bose app has been very easy to use along with using my Spotify account, or my iPod for Bluetooth with no issues. It is not a portable speaker and requires a plug in for usage so you must be okay with that, otherwise I highly recommend this speaker as I'm already looking at getting another for home!

I've been wanting an Alexa capable device for some time now in a speaker. I have quite a library on Amazon Music so, other than my laptop/cell, I don't really have a way to play it. This speaker is the best of both worlds for me and sound quality is great. This is Bose and I'm always impressed with their products and this is no different. Size-wise, this is just taller than your average book and a tad on the heavy side. No issue with size really however, the sound that comes out of it, is superb. The touch controls on top of the speaker make for quick access. There are 6 preset buttons which you can program to play a specific playlist, track or radio station which is nice. Appearance wise, it looks pretty tame however I like the sleek, all black look. The sound is typical Bose quality. I used this speaker in my bedroom and the sound is quick rich. I previously used a Bose color Soundlink in my bedroom however it's getting replaced by this speaker. The Soundlink is no slouch when it comes to sound quality in a small package however this speaker makes the Soundlink almost cheap by comparison. Really rich sound with just the right amount of punchy bass. Great speaker and made even better with the Alexa built in.

Bought this speaker with the intention of using it for audio books and it has blown my mind away in terms of sound. But one caveat that is just purely a Bose software issue is the app you have to use for this speaker at times the app doesn't work and thus you wont be able to use Alexa or voice controls. But when on Bluetooth their is no issues and the sound can get extremely loud, the bass is nice for a speaker of this size.

I purchased this speaker to add to my Bose Soundbar 500 and Bass Module 500 system which I purchased late last year. I was surprised how easy it was to connect and integrate with my other Bose Smart Home speakers using the Bose Music app. The sound quality is as expected from a Bose product as I have owned over the years Bose home audio products including the old school 901 and 501 series of speakers. It is amazing how well this little speaker reproduces music with clarity and plenty of bass. With the Bose app I am able to adjust the bass and treble of this wonderful speaker. And yes... you can crank it up with very little distortion. With it's voice assistant (Alexa), I am able to control this speaker and my Bose Soundbar 500. With a simple command I am able raise and lower the volume of my Home Speaker 500 and also my soundbar. Set alarms on either speaker, weather, etc. Connecting via Bluetooth and Apple Airplay was not a problem and played music from my computer and cell phone. Syncing music with the soundbar has been excellent after I upgrade from my old Linksys E4200 to the AC2200 wireless router. The E4200 was not designed for the bandwidth and speed needed in today's wireless home networks..

I switched from an original Apple HomePod to the Bose Smart Speaker 500 and it's been a huge improvement. I was always losing connection to the HomePod or unable to connect at all. With the Bose it's been flawless using AirPlay through WiFi or with Bluetooth. The sound quality is incredible and I'm hearing things in songs that I didn't with the HomePod. The clarity, bass, and volume are exactly what I was looking for. The Bose Music app is a great addition with all of it's features. I especially like the treble and bass adjustment, the custom radio presets and misc. settings. I sometimes pair the 500 with my Bose Portable Smart Speaker and together they can really fill a room and sound amazing. Overall the Bose 500 was well worth the money for me.

But dang it's worth it sometimes. When I was in the market for a new Bluetooth speaker, naturally I looked up Bluetooth speakers on the internet. I originally had a JBL Charge 4 but was looking for something a tad better. I had a 10 year old Bose Bluetooth speaker that out-performed this brand new JBL. So I sold the JBL and went to my local Best Buy to pick up the Bose Smart Speaker 500. When I got home, I had expected a fully wireless experience given that's usually what pops up when you search for Bluetooth speakers. I was very disappointed when I found out it had to be plugged in if you wanted to use it. I'm willing to admit that it's my fault I didn't research it more in depth. But that's not why I'm giving it 4 stars, I'll get to that in a bit. So I thought, "what the heck? I'll give it a shot anyways." So I plugged it up and gave it a whirl. Initially, I was very very disappointed. Maybe I was still disappointed from it not being wireless, but who knows? Setting it up, you need to have the Bose App, which for me wasn't a problem, as I already have their QC earbuds. It did take a good bit to actually get set up enough to play music, maybe about 10 minutes. After hooking it up to the internet, I pair my phone via Bluetooth and give it a go. The first thing I noticed was that the screen that displayed the album artwork (which is the whole reason I chose it over the 300) doesn't work for Bluetooth alone. I was very let down because I had just bought a relatively expensive speaker and it didn't do what I thought it would do. The next thing I noticed was that the trebles (what is usually associated with clarity of voices) were noticeably louder at the back of the speaker. This was almost a deal breaker for me because it made it sound like I was behind the singer rather than in front of them like I was backstage instead of in the audience. As much as I may wish for this to be, it's not something I want from a top-notch speaker. I convinced myself to still give the speaker a shot, after all I just paid almost $400 (after taxes of course) for it. I took it from my kitchen table into my bedroom, set it on a table, and fired it back up. I played the same song to really hear the difference and see if location could play a factor in sound; and it absolutely does. At first it wasn't significantly better but then I moved it further against the wall and the difference felt like night and day; that was the deciding factor in keeping it. I then messed with the speaker settings in the app and set the bass and treble a bit higher and *chef's kiss*. This speaker performs best against a wall and boy does it perform. Everything about this speaker has the Bose stamp of quality that sets them head and shoulders above everyone else. For not releasing actual specs about this speaker (hertz range for example), or any speaker of theirs for that matter, one can't help but to worry about sound quality. But c'mon, it's Bose we're talking about here. The sound is crisp and clear with thumping bass if you want it. What's that? You live in an apartment with paper thin walls and don't want the cops called on you for a noise complaint? You can go to the app and turn down the bass to fit your needs. It's honestly an amazing speaker IF it's in the right setting. However I've given this 4 stars for 4 reasons. The first is, there's no way for me to give it 4.5 stars but I can't give it a perfect score. The second is because it's best against a wall. I don't feel like I can move my speaker more than 1 foot, maybe 2 away from my wall before we go back to the backstage problem. Third, and this is rather minor, there's no feel marks for the buttons. What I mean by this is there's no indentations or little raised dots to indicate where each button is. In the dark, this can be very problematic as you will most likely hit the wrong button. Finally, I can't help but feel like I'm paying for a brand name. Don't get me wrong, I love Bose but how much better is this over a $60 home system? The answer is good enough for me to keep coming back and buying their products. Bose is built upon a fan base that doesn't just listen to music, but loves to enjoy it. They add that extra clarity or extra crispness that you've come to expect from them and this does not fail to deliver that level of quality.

Bose Home Speaker 500 Review Perhaps the best way to start this review is to let you know that I returned the speaker after owning it for only 3 days. That’s right 3 days! Let me be clear the Bose Home Speaker 500 does have some great points, but it was severely lacking in two important areas. Below you will find my positives and negatives for this speaker. Positives: + The build quality is fantastic, it looks and feels like a well-designed device. + The buttons on top of the speaker are very convenient, especially the presets (I do wish they were raised up a little bit to make them easier to press). + The speaker is WiFi and Bluetooth enabled with an aux input. + Bose has made this speaker “smart” as it Alexa enabled. Interestingly, after saying the keyword, the speaker never provided any audible chime to let you know that it was listening. + A small screen is on the front of the device that provides song information and a clock when the speaker is not in use. Frankly, this really isn’t a positive for me, but it could be for some people. Negatives: - At $400, this is a pretty expensive speaker. - A limited number of music streaming services are accessible. While Spotify and Amazon Music is available, for roughly half the price you could buy a Sonos One and have access to a lot more services. - I found the sound quality to be extremely disappointing. I repositioned the speaker, I let it play for hours to break it in, I used different music services, but nothing worked. I wanted the Bose Home Speaker 500 to sound good, I was hoping it would live up to the hype, but sadly it did not. It should be noted that this speaker is not the first one I have ever tested. I own a number of speakers including Sonos, Polk, Klipsch, Elac, Pioneer, Bose, Sony, Apple HomePod, Echo and Google Home. In the end, the poor sound quality is ultimately what led me to return the speaker. I am not to the point of never using Bose again, but this purchase has certainly left a bad sound in my ears.

I know Bose creates great products but I didn’t expect this speaker to sound as good as it does. It has a very rich deep sound. It must be loaded with speakers because it’s a pretty heavy speaker for the size. It was a snap to set up with the Bose app and it connects super fast to my phone. No waiting or searching for the connection. It’s connected in a second! It’s perfect for any room in the house and moving it from one location to another is easy and really sounds amazing. I didn’t expect that it would sound so good. I kind of thought it was a, “Hey! Apple just put out a home speaker and we need to grab our share of the matket!” Product decision. But overall I like it so far. It has presets for all your favorite pandora or Spotify stations and Alexa makes it easy to get the weather or to find a new artist or song. She picks up quite fast compared to some other “assistants” I’ve used in the past. My only issue with it is the cost. I would expect something like this speaker to cost in the 299 range instead of the 400 dollar range but other than that it’s hard to beat.

Bose does it again with such a great product. The speaker 500 has great Bose sound. It fills our living room and dining room with great sound with such a small footprint. We have hosted many parties and family and friends are always impressed with the sound that it produces. The Speaker 500 was super easy to configure with Amazon Alexa, Wi-Fi, Spotify, Pandora and Amazon Music. I love the presets that I was able to configure to Pandora stations and Spotify Playlists. With a press of a button, it automatically connects to the music service and streams high quality sounds. Thank you Bose.

Let me start by saying I was given the awesome opportunity to test out this product from Review Club and Bose, but all opinions are honest and are my own. That said, I was blown away by this product. Now, I have Bose computer speakers, but they are mid-grade and weak in comparison to this bad boy. The lack of what I THOUGHT was base is astounding. I also have Alexa Shows and Alexa dots, and this thing knocks the sound quality out of the park. This little guy can literally knock things off of shelves and walls, and it's smaller than my purse. It packs quite the punch, all things considered. Deep, crisp sound. I also love that it shows the album cover, the band name, the album name AND number the song name. My only complaint is the volume buttons are a but hard to find, even though they glow, Because they are even with the surface and are touchscreen. Otherwise, I feel it's worth every penny.

Bought for my wife and she loves it. We had a Sound Touch 20 in the kitchen previously hooked to an Amazon Echo Show ver. 2. Nice but some issues in implementation. Would lose connection with network and between the Echo and the Bose. This seemed to be an answer to that problem and it was. Works perfectly with Amazon Music, phone, AirPlay 2. We both think the sound is actually superior to the Sound Touch 20. Bass is much tighter and the volume is absolutely deafening when I am able to listen to it at those levels! My only gripe (and it did not cause me to lower the review rating a star) is that it is noot possible to change the wake word. In a discussion on a Bose forum it stated that not possible to do so on third party speakers. Had to rename a device of two in the general area. The pickup by the closest device only helps, but I really would like that ability. I have written Bose directly but think that is accurate. The option to change the wake word shows up for Amazon devices in the Alexa app but not for this device either in the Alexa App or the Bos Music app. But in no way a deal killer. Great product, especially at $299.00. Highly recommended.

My first bose device and it won’t be my last. I’m beyond pleased with this. It’s sleek and stylish, takes up very little room and the sound is crystal clear. Even at the highest volume the sound is great. Setting up is easy if you have some tech knowledge and can follow directions. I look forward to walking in the door after work and telling Alexa what to play.

Speaker sound is amazing. I would say, this is the hybrid between portable charging speaker and sound bars. Bass is amazing. Sound is amazing. Love the tiny display. bass and treble are configurable through app. Overall a great speaker and I would definitely recommend it. CONS: 1. Learning curve is bit high with connectivity and all (you would have to connect to speaker wiki navigate to a website https://192.xxx on your dive etc.,). 2. display on the speaker shows thumbnails only when using Airplay. It does not work when you cast using other ways. 2. !WARNING! I am not sure if the unit i got is defective but one day after playing for an hour, it started smelling burnt plastic from the speaker but no smoke or anything. BOSE repaired it for free of cost but never mentioned what was the issue and what did they fix during service.

This is a great little speaker for a home office. It looks great and sounds wonderful. Easy to program and works well with Android phones. I didn't think that I needed it, but my husband really liked it alot so we kept in in his office. Planning to purchase 1 more and sync the two.

I was looking for an upgrade from the Bose Soundtouch 10, which is a great speaker by the way. This Bose Smart Speaker has a great sound and is ideal for size to mid-size room. It is Bluetooth (also WI-fi capabilities) and it is equipped Alexa. It works nicely. This speaker can be paired with other such speakers meaning you can listen to the same thing for speakers in other rooms. I have yet to try that though. The display is nice as it tells what is playing and you can have a clock displayed. Setup was a bit tricky, but you can find instructions online if needed. You will have to use the app, Bose Music. It may be a bit pricey, but it is a good investment.

Another amazing product from Bose. I could not be happier with the sound and it looks absolutely amazing also. I have been able to stream music from my iPhone, Amazon Music, other music apps, and others phones successfully. I have not created a "pairing" with my Bose 700 Soundbar as of yet as I have not had a excuse to, but I am looking forward to it. The only issue I have found was that there are times I have to give the "Alexa command" more then once every now and then. For me, this is NOT a deal breaker. I cannot say this enough, I absolutely love my Bose - Home Speaker 500 and have intentions on purchasing another one.

Sounds great and pairs easily with other bose products. App is easy to use and voice commands are good. Price is a little high in comparison to other products.

Still loving this speaker. Use it for Music. But also use bluetooth connection for my TV. Was thinking about a sound bar at one point. But this does this the job more than I will ever need. Sounds great on all levels. Only downfall for me when I 1st purchased was I thought it would be portable via battery just based on size. My bad for assuming. Glad I ended up keeping it. Value: It is pricey in all honesty. Had a Samsung $140 Soundbar with woofer and I felt that was plenty loud. I think most people will never put this at max volume in the house. End of the day, great if willing to pay premium price for the Bose name.

This is a great speaker don’t get me wrong. It would get a five star review if it weren’t so dang expensive. It just seems to be a little overpriced for what you get. That being said, the sound quality is pretty good for a single speaker like this. I use it to play music and to supplement my televisions horrible sound. Does great on most mid range base, but heavy bass it’s not designed to handle (obviously it’s a single speaker). Overall it’s a great speaker it’s just a little on the expensive side