Customer Ratings & Reviews

THE GOOD - Small size can fit almost anywhere - Broad, clear sound range despite size - Wide volume range - Bluetooth connectivity - Includes high-quality TOSLINK cable THE BAD - Very expensive - Lack of punch without subwoofer - No DTS support over fiber optic - Uninformative "display" - Limited sound curve adjustment - No wall mounting hardware THE DETAILS A big part of Bose's claim to fame is being able to pack a lot of sound into small speakers, which carries over the their new TV speaker. The smaller speaker is a welcome option for those with smaller TV stands, or who don't want a massive beam under their TV, but still want full sound from their TV and movies. Setup is very simple as the back has only a single HDMI, fiber optic TOSLINK, and 3.5mm stereo jack. The HDMI port supports both audio return channel ( ARC ) and CEC, reducing the need for extra cables or remotes. A good quality fiber optic cable is included in the box ( with tethered end covers ) but no HDMI cable. Sound quality is very impressive for such a small speaker with no subwoofer. It does a great job creating stereo spacial separation far wider than the speaker itself, but not so much with virtual surround effects. Audio is crisp, clean, and very well defined. Even better, it does this even at very low volume levels. This makes a dedicated night mode unnecessary. However, someone could come at this from a very different angle. Prices of course fluctuate over time, but Bose products are never cheap. It's fair to consider all the things you DON'T get for the hefty asking price. First, and most obvious, is the lack of a subwoofer. You can get a very good 2.1 soundbar from competing brands for half the price of the Bose. The speaker does pretty well on the bass side without a sub in most general scenarios, but watch an action movie with lots of explosions ( the Master and Commander naval combat scenes are great for testing speakers ) and that lack of bass punch becomes apparent. Bose offers two compatible add-on subwoofer units ( as of this writing ), but they cost almost 2-3 times more than the TV Speaker itself. Buying the sub alone is not enough, you also have to separately buy a connection cable. Why Bose can't include a simple cable with a subwoofer costing hundreds of dollars is beyond me, but that's Bose pricing for you. Second, while it may be nice to say the speaker is easy and simple to setup, others will complain it can't act as any sort of receiver. It only has one audio input ( all three input jacks are treated as the same input source ). Sound curve and equalizer settings are limited to a +/- 2 step boost to the bass. The speaker does have a voice boost setting, but it makes the speaker sound far too thin and tinny for anything other than dedicated talk programs. The fiber optic input doesn't support DTS 5.1 signals either. I'm not sure if the HDMI works with DTS because my TV might have been doing the decoding before passing the audio to the soundbar. The manual doesn't specify which codecs the speaker supports, or if it can do any high-fidelity Bluetooth modes like aptX. Finally, it lacks small things that add up. The "display" on the front is nothing more than two lights. There is nothing to indicate current volume level and the current speaker operation mode ( whether Bluetooth, vocal clarity, or normal ) is indicated by combinations of blinks and colors. Again, you can see this as a simple and non-distracting design, or it's a frustrating lack of information. No wall mounting hardware is included in the box either; you have to buy that separate from Bose. If you want to spend a premium on a great sounding, very compact soundbar with no frills, and you specifically don't want a subwoofer, the Bose TV Speaker is a great option, possibly your only one. However, there are a LOT of very good 2.1 soundbar systems from competing companies that cost less than the Bose TV Speaker that would likely be a better option for most people.

Not as good as I thought. Not enough base and set up was difficult. Recommend getting a Sony or Samsung sound bar for the price.

The overall clarity & surround sound is like no other that we decided to purchase another our 2nd

Not functioning for us. Cuts out frequently. Returning to manufacturer for replacement product. Hope it is better or we made a bad choice.

DO NOT BUY OPEN ITEM FROM BESTBUY!!! I bought an "excellent" open box item from MILPITAS CA, and came home with no power plug inside the box. Came back to the branch store and was offered to buy the parts that is missing. Staff did not show sign of concern and makes you feel its your fault you did not check the box before leaving the store when i initially purchased it. Not my first bad experience from this branch "MILPITAS CA".....will try to lay low on buying staff from best buy and get it from amazon instead!!!

I’ve always enjoyed Bose products they are extraordinarily great products without a doubt!

It only worked for 2 months Sound level was low and it stopped workin

I had high hopes for this sound bar being made by Bose but once I got it home it was too quite to use for even the smallest room in my home. I immediately returned it the same day as I knew it would not be worth the money spent. I ended up buying a sound bar from a different brand that has been great and came with a sub for only $20 more. I am happy that I returned this product

Sound quality and volume not great, expected better from Bose

Routinely change the sound on it's own up and down volume will mute

Gotta be the weakest sound Bose has produced just yet. The other thing is the return policy. I did not like it, packed it back but did not have a chance to return it and now they won't accept it. Still just in the box.

was not very good at helping with sound quality...

I expected a lot more out of it Bose went down the drain. I thought it would compare to my Sonos beam but the sound quality is bad there's no comparison.

Didn’t make sounds any better. There was no difference in the sound from the TV and the sound bar. Returned.

Item was defective and had to be returned, didn't work

Value for money, excellent product and it was available on Black Friday.

Not satisfied with sound quality. Doesn’t feel like a Bose product.

Horrible had to return two of them now. Second went out after so I’m stuck with it garbage

I expected a lot more . Sounded almost the same as my TV speakers. I wanted to like it but couldn’t like it for the price.

Bought this Feb 11 2024 it quiet March 31 2024 i have 2 other bose over 10 years old now the new stuff gone bad not a good sign