Customer Ratings & Reviews

Although the sound is wonderful, the Bluetooth on this device can be touchy.

I love it. Shipping was very difficult so I ended up having to get black.

Does not work with my Bose speaker bar. Will be returning. Did have the remote or owners manual.

It was great the handful of times it was used. Purchased 12/23, not even at a year today 7/23 it stopped working. Speaker is too expensive for it just to stop working less than a yr.

At first, I was not sure what to make of the Bose Home speaker, it has a smallish color LCD screen, about 3” (measured diagonally). I thought maybe this was to use for video chats like the Amazon Echo Show. But there isn’t a camera on this device, it’s used to display the station and song information. This is an Alexa enabled smart speaker that has to be plugged into the wall (vs. portable Bluetooth speakers that are common). To sum it up, I see this as Bose ’s version of the Apple HomePod. Unboxing: The speaker is packaged 2 pieces of Styrofoam, simple but nicely, as one would expect from Bose. It includes the speaker and power cord. The speaker measures 8” tall, 7” wide, and 4.5” thick (at it’s widest point). The design of the Bose home speaker is very clean and seems well constructed. The weight is almost 5 lbs, it looks and feels like a quality product. I find the design a bit on the boring side though. Setup: Setup is simple using the “Bose Music” app. Currently, these are the supported music services: iHeartRadio, Pandora, Amazon Music, Deezer, Sirius XM, Spotify, TuneIn, Bluetooth, and AUX input. To play music using any other services, you need to connect to it via Bluetooth to stream to the speaker. The speaker has 6 preset “buttons” on top that you can set to certain preset stations, such as Z100 on iHeart Radio or your favorite Pandora station. You can program these using the Bose Music app. Sound Quality: I’ve always associated Bose with premium sound and have come to expect their speakers to have very strong mid and low bass levels. These speakers did not disappoint. From classical, to Imagine Dragons, everything I played on it, from various apps, sounded excellent! Accurate high levels and very good deep bass levels Music from this fills the room effortlessly. I also connected it to my TV to use as an external speaker and it worked nicely. However it would involve turning on the speaker, turning on the TV and selecting the speaker source, something the non-tech savvy occupants in my household wouldn’t do often. Alexa functionality: One of the main features of this speaker is the Alexa functionality built in. It handles many of the functions my Amazon Echo and Dots does, such as turn on and off lights that are connected to smart switches or control the thermostat. What it doesn’t do, and this is a big disappointment to me, is the drop in feature. We’ve gotten used to the “drop in feature” and find it very convenient. This may not be a Bose issue though, as I’ve used another 3rd party Alexa devices (wall switch) which did not support drop in. It really limits the usefulness for us. Conclusion: Overall, I love this Bose speaker for the sound quality and the simple design. I hope they update it to support all the Alexa functions. It would also be nice if AirPlay was supported. If I don’t connect the speaker to my phone via Bluetooth, the little triangle with a box around it (in a music app to output to AirPort devices) does not show the Bose speaker as a selection to output to.

This is the perfect pool side speaker with Alexa, it never gets wet.

Well, this has been a rather difficult review for me. I was looking to see if the Bose® - Home Speaker 500 Wireless with Built-In Amazon Alexa Voice Control would replace my (first gen) Alexa smart speaker. While there are many good points, there are also some features that missed the mark in my opinion, but I will get into that in a bit. First things first: I appreciated that the speaker was packaged in a rather minimalistic fashion. Perhaps it is because only the speaker, papers and power cord come in the box and nothing else. The speaker is rather pleasing to the eye and feels like a luxury item. It is heavy coming in over 4.5 lbs. Although setting up requires downloading an app on your smartphone, this was a simple task. From this Bose Music App, you can set up the Wi-Fi, activate Alexa as well as other music/sound platforms. You can also use this speaker with the usual Bluetooth connectivity and even through an auxiliary input. I tried Bluetooth first. It was easy to pair. I will talk about the sound quality in a bit. Then I tried the AUX with my PC and it worked just as expected. Then, I tried the main feature: Alexa. The speaker does pick up my voice from over 15 ft. and I do not have to repeat myself too much. The “smart” Alexa capabilities were there such as weather, traffic, trivia, alarms, etc. However, one thing that really disappointed me was that Alexa does not play any other sound platform except Amazon Prime Music by command, as with the original, which limits this feature tremendously. In order to access Spotify, iHeart, Pandora and other sound platforms, I had to go to the app. Even more disappointing was that, in order to listen to my podcasts and even audiobooks through Audible (an Amazon platform!), I had to listen via Bluetooth or AUX; defeating the voice commands capability completely. The LCD screen, while being neat, is small with a low resolution and blurry making it useless at a few feet. The speaker has hepatic buttons on top that let you control volume, microphone, tracks, Bluetooth and custom presets (that can only be set through the app). Now let’s talk about sound. This speaker is many times better than the original speaker I had. While it will not satisfy some audiophiles out there, the sound is rather rich and clear. Now, instead of having a 360° speaker system, BOSE went with a stereo system (left/right speakers) which gives a nice separation from left to right channels and gives the sound much more depth. The volume can get rather high quickly, although going over 60% the sound became a bit distorted at times, with certain music. I ended up enjoying it immensely at about 20%. The sound alone may be the reason why someone would choose this product. However, I do have to say that I have a Bluetooth speaker box from another company that sounds much better in comparison and that is half the price with a Dot hooked up to it. So, taking in consideration its value and at this range, it makes it very difficult for me to truly reconcile between the price tag, the great sound and what feels like features and software that are a “work in progress”. At this point, the BOSE 500 might as well be a very expensive Bluetooth speaker with some Alexa capabilities -not exactly a “smart” device. All I am saying is that there may be options out there that give the same or better sound quality through Bluetooth (or with a Dot). I really do hope that the features get updated and expanded in the future (Airplay may be coming soon) to make this a truly compelling “smart” device. I'd still recommend it if you love Bose's quality, have Amazon Prime Music and do not mind using your phone for other options/features (3.5 stars).

After having my Bose Home Speaker 500 for a little over two weeks now, it has truly become a staple in our home. My wife and I are avid music listeners, and admittedly audiophiles, and we have nothing but positive things to say about this speaker. Immediately out of the box, we were impressed by the sheer rugged design of the speaker and how sturdy the construction felt. Set-up was a breeze and pairing it to Spotify was simply and effortless. Listening to music through this speaker is exactly what I have come to expect from Bose, and that is nothing short of incredible. We were both 'wowed' at the frequency response of the audio and how loud it can truly get. When having people over, this speaker is an amazing luxury, and Alexa compatibility is just an added bonus. Many have stated that it is 'too expensive' for what it is, and while it is quite pricey, you certainly get what you pay for. This is, no doubt, the best speaker that our family has ever owned, it is WELL worth the price tag. I could not recommend this speaker any higher!

This is the perfect speaker for someone wanting big sound in a small package. The sound is absolutely amazing no matter the content being played. In true Bose fashion it offers crystal clear sound with the right amount of bass. I purchased this for my kitchen, but have since switched out my Echo and moved this one to the living room. It has since become my main source for music. Set-up was super easy and simple, connecting the first time. The app is also super easy to manage and very well set-up to make use of the speaker a breeze. The built in Alexa functionality is an added plus. The display is large enough to read easily. At the time it only displays content information but that is enough for me in my use. The overall presentation of the device is great as well. It is not too bulky and fits just about anywhere. The only flaw to the speaker is that there is no Spotify integration, as it is my main source of content. Presently you have to use the app to get playback. Hopefully this will be addressed in a firmware update later on.

This speaker is a huge upgrade over any Alexa speaker I have seen or used. It has a nice size and super high quality build. The speaker sound is fantastic. It has booming sound with a nice rich bass. We use this speaker in our kitchen, which has an open plan to a back porch and our living room. The sound from this speaker reaches all 3 rooms and it is crystal clear. So far we love the sound. The built in Alexa was a big selling point for me. We have several smart home devices and use Alexa every day. The only issue is that for some reason this version of Alexa has a hard time performing tasks. Not sure why. This Bose is replacing a 2nd generation Echo and there are noticeable differences. She sometimes says that "there are multiple devices with that name" when I ask her to shut of lamps for example. When I go into the Alexa app, I verified that there were not multiple devices under the same name. It is simply a glitch. The Echo never had that issue. Hopefully the bugs get worked out, until then it is a moderate annoyance. Overall this is a very high quality Alexa speaker that should serve any room in the house very well. I do recommend it.

One of my top 3 Favorite's when it comes to home speakers. I had been looking for a nice home speaker to pair with my cell phone and to pair with my TV and this one pairs with both! The packaging the speaker came in was very nice and supportive great for keeping it from busting or breaking in the process of delivery. This is a SMART speaker (Alexa is build in the speaker). Wall to wall stereo Sound which was one of my favorite features. Comes in 2 colors silver and black i myself have the black speaker. Speaker comes with a power cord that connects to the speaker. Great LED display in the front. Build quality sounds aluminum which is nice. Easy to use. The Port Power is in the back. Not to Heavy then what I expected. The build quality is amazing I must say. MAKE sure you download the right app for the speaker (there are 3). You can name your speaker, set it up (with wifi) You can connect through any music server like pandora, amazon music, ect. Also has different presets which i love to. The sound quality is AWESOME. Packs a punch! The bass and treble turned up just sounds amazing.

This speaker sounds amazing and lives up to the high quality I've come to know with the Bose brand. I have a smaller apartment and you can easily fill the entire place with this speaker. I had no issues setting up and connecting. You will need both the Bose app and the Alexa app but I already had those downloaded so wasn't an issue. I currently have two smaller speakers and this one blows those two out of the water on sound. The only downside is this one isn't portable but the sound easily makes up for it. It looks great sitting on my work desk and doesn't take up too much room. The Alexa feature is a great add on as you can do so many things through "her". I've owned dozens of Bose products over the years and continue to be a lifelong Bose fan with their tremendous sounding products and customer service. This speaker falls right in line. If you can afford this speaker, this is a must buy!!!

Sounds terrible! I was surprised by the lack of bass! I returned it and got a Sonos Era 300.

Starting with the arrival of the unit, top end packaging. The unit arrived safe and sound; Bose looks at the quality in all aspects to include shipping. I Set up the unit utilizing the Bose Music App on my iPhone. It is my understanding they also have an Android version, but this I cannot confirm. Getting back to the basics of the set-up, once you take the unit out-of-the-box, you literally have a single plug that you need to plug into the box and then into an outlet and that's pretty much the extent of the setup. Once the unit is turned on you will utilize the iPhone application to establish a connection to your home Wi-Fi as well as select the various stations that it currently supports. They include Pandora, Spotify and Tunein. It is my understanding that others may come online but those the current default applications. The set-up is easy and quick. So ultimately, what is it sound like? It's important to note that I acquired this speaker to replace my original Amazon Alexa speaker. Al in all that unit works flawlessly with my Wi-Fi and all the features work as expected but the sound is somewhat lacking. I suppose it's okay for the size and cost of the unit so really can't complain about it but I was looking for something a little richer sound. What I've come the fine is the Bose unit provides far greater depth when listening to the music. This is especially true of the lower end of the range. Here you can anticipate you will get crisp yet bold base response. The speaker does equally well in the midrange and high-end, as a matter of fact, it provides a really nice mid-range the high-end without sounding tinny. The unit also provides true stereo separation which the Amazon unit could not. Depending upon your listening vantage point, you'll get a greater sense of separation but ultimately looking directly at the unit will give you the most. However even if you're listening to the far left or far right the overall quality unit far exceeds the standard Amazon unit. Some of the other reviews I read noted that if you turn the unit all the way up it starts to distort, for my particularly listening taste this is not an issue because I do not play the music at max volume so I did not experience any degradation the sound in any of the normal volume ranges to which I was listening. Overall, I expect anyone who replaces an Amazon device with this 1 would greatly appreciate the improvement in overall tonal quality and sound. The LCD display on the front provides the pertinent information as well as providing a nice graphic of the album cover for a station you're listening to. However, I can say that the quality of the LCD is okay, but nothing that I was say was particularly spectacular. For the most part it's somewhat washed out and is colors and really does not at all that much to the unit. As for other controls they are all located on the top of the unit. You have 5 presets that allow you to select different musical selections. For example, if you tend to listen to Neil diamond on Pandora and you select number 1, when you come back at a later time in select number 1 it brings you directly to the Neil diamond radio station on Pandora. And course you can do the same thing with a Spotify selection or any other music you listen to. You also have the ability to turn the microphone off as well as adjust your volume. Lastly, you'll see a ring of dots around the top of the device. These are the locations of the microphone to pick up your speech. This I can attest works very well. No matter what volume I was playing the speaker at, the unit responded well to my voice commands. There is drawback, and that would be the quirky response I have gotten through the Wi-Fi connection. Unfortunately, I have had to reset the device a number of times in a single day because it would continually disconnect from its Wi-Fi connection. It is in the exact location I had the Amazon unit in this work flawlessly for the last 2 years. I am confident there is a very strong Wi-Fi signal here and that is not the cause of the problem. I have gone so far as to totally uninstall the application from my iPhone and reset the entire unit to see if this might correct the problem. Unfortunately, it worked well for a while and then went back into the same motive lost communications. Recommendation, overall, I could recommend the unit to someone is generally tech savvy and is willing to work through some of the technical issues because ultimately the sound of the unit far exceeds anything that you get in the base Amazon speaker. However, if you don't want to fiddle around with it and you really want something is gonna work out-of-the-box without issue on a Wi-Fi system I would not make the recommendation to go with this unit until Bose fine tunes whatever the problem is.

This box does not work good at all it in the garbage bout 8 months now

Bose did not meet the sound qaulity i expected, it is not portable w/rechargeable battery

At just 8” high and 6” wide, this speaker is awesome! The Bose Home Speaker 500 emits dynamic sounds, wide range, and excellent volume. The setup takes all of 2 minutes from box to table. Operated via Touch & Bluetooth, once paired with your devices, the system programs itself, and when activated turns on automatically. Compatible with most music apps, Amazon-Alexa is built-in, so it’s also voice controlled. Features: all controls are on the top, including 6 Preset options, with a forward-facing screen on the front that displays: Wi-Fi information, device identification, App and music titles. This speaker has all the qualities one expects from Bose - is compact, durable, attractive, and except for the dynamic Bose sound, barely noticeable. This system is impressive - very impressive!!

An excellent option for folks not intimidated by tech. For the refurbished unit that I got for a cool $150 discount, setting up required careful sequence of steps - factory reset using physical buttons, connection to the internal wifi provided "by" the unit (early Chromecasts needed this, causing much frustration), and then proceed in the Bose app from there - firmware upgrade, setting up accounts etc. Once set up, its a pleasure to see the album art on the unit (you didn't add ID3 tags to thousands of songs for nothing!). It's also invaluable to know what's playing if you're doing stream services. A minor gripe that you have to decide in the app whether you want Alexa or Google - they can be switched back and forth in the app, but not used simultaneously. Sound quality is great, and sound at 50% volume adequate for a medium size room. If you're an audiophile then none of all review matters to you anyway, but for the rest of us who listen to music because it reminds us of the uncomplicated choices offered by the 20th century, this is an excellent choice.

This has been one of the most frustrating smart home devices I have ever owned (and I have many). This speaker is not cheap compared to other Alexa devices, other wifi/Bluetooth speakers, and many smart home devices. So you would expect premium everything, after all it is a Bose. First, setup was a nightmare and took over a few hours including two tech support chats to get Pandora and iHeart to work. It was fairly simple to connect to my WiFi network, but all downhill after that. After my first attempt at setting up the speaker and apps (more on BOTH of them later), nothing was working right and the speaker kept loosing contact with the WiFi network even though it was less than 15 feet from my router. I reset the speaker to factory settings, deleted both apps and reinstalled them and started over. This time slightly more success, but still no iHeart, Pandora, limited Tunein and no control over Hue lights. Setup to FireTV, Wemo, and Amazon music worked as they should and have caused no problems. Amazon music worked fine throughout. You have to download TWO apps to set this up if you don’t already have the Alexa app. To connect devices and add streaming services you have to add them to both apps which is just bizarre. For example there is no way to add Pandora to the just the Bose app. You have to add it to the Bose app and actually add your Pandora account in the Alexa app. Same with iheart and other smart home devices. After all this the speaker and Bose app refused to play either Pandora or iHeart. My first tech chat was a joke and I got the impression that the tech support rep knew less about the speaker than I did. On the second one, still trying to get Pandora and iHeart to work, after trying many differ things the tech support person left me with instructions to reboot my modem/router and promised it would fix it. I did this and it did fix the issue with the two services. But really, reboot my whole WiFi network to add one overpriced speaker? Again bizarre, but it did work. After being unsuccessful getting the speaker to control any of my Hues lighting, a Google search told me that the Hues Bridge 1 was not supported. I don’t remember if this was Alexa or Bose that did not support it, but bottom line is I have to buy a new Hues bridge if I want control my Hues with the speaker. The Tunein service will not let you setup your own personal account. Therefore your favorite stations are not there. Adding to my disappointment, while I can see my two favorite stations that I listen to through Tunein on the Alexa app, the Alexa app will not play them on the speaker and the Bose app and speaker cannot even find the stations. Does not appear there is any possibility of playing them on the speaker except via Bluetooth. The Bose app itself is horrible. Usefulness is very limited, it frequently looses contact with the speaker and really not sure why this app is needed when everything seems to be controlled from the Alexa app. For some reason the Alexa app continually adds additional speakers to the list of devices even though I only have one and only one appears to be valid. Not sure where the others are coming from or why. The Bluetooth works and the speaker does have great sound as I fully expected from a Bose product. However I already had a Bluetooth Bose speaker and didn’t buy it for that. I would not recommend this speaker. Instead you can get much cheaper Bluetooth speakers (even Bose) and Alexa devices. This was a nice try by Bose but they got it very wrong.

Cinematic sound quality is the best description of this new bluetooth speaker. It’s quite noticeable the minute you start it. Has great projectable sound. Clear and crisp. Love the display on the front of the speaker that tells me which device it’s paired to and the song that’s playing. Fairly compact in size for flexibility where it can be set up. Bose engineers seem to be skilled in getting a lot out of a small package. Used the Android Bose Connect app but it’s not really needed. Bose has a real hit in it’s line of success stories. This new speaker does not disappoint.