You would usually expect a sound system to be huge and clunky, but Bose has prioritized size and design with the Soundbar 300. But be prepared to pay $1,700 to get the sound you want.Out of the box, the device looks beautiful. Furthermore, as far as "bass without a sub" is concerned, the $400-$500 Zvox SB500 runs subsonic rings around the Bose.Īs we said with the Sonos Playbar before it: This sound bar is really for people who already have (Bose) products and want to extend multiroom listening to the living room. Yamaha's YSP-1600 can also do room-filling effects, but it costs less and includes a sub. That said, it doesn't break sonic ground in the way that others have done before it. The SoundTouch is a likable product with a huge sound and attractive design, and it offers a degree of insight into material that the Playbar can't. Again not hi-fi but immersive in a fresh way. We had to check that the surrounds had been turned off and indeed they were. Where on the Sonos the sound was one-dimensional the Bose made effects come from everywhere - mariachi horns out of the left wall, waves from above us and on the right. The Bose wasn't as overwhelming in the bass department, but MF Doom's turn at the microphone was a little more discernible than the Playbar had made it. Although the tuba's bom-bom bassline sounded deep and full, and Chris Brown's wilfully obnoxious rapping came through clearly. Sticking with the Sonos, " Frankie Sinatra" by The Avalanches sounded almost mono in comparison. Most material, however, isn't as extreme with its use of hard left/right effects. When we moved to a sensible 8 feet away - or in the same seated position as the Bose - they almost disappeared. With the Sonos, we also got wall-bouncing effects but had to be very close to the unit - about 4 feet - and the effects lacked the same presence and didn't stick to the walls when you turned to look at them. While the Zvox doesn't do wide effects - though it has a fake surround mode - it wasn't even missed in this comparison. The Zvox's bass had slam where the others didn't, but even so dialog was perfectly elevated from the sonic background. It may also lack a sub but it subsequently destroyed both the Bose and Sonos with an incredibly visceral performance. In order to see what a single (subwoofer-free) sound bar was capable of, we then connected the rival Zvox SB500. ![]() But as the scene progressed, neither sound bar generated enough bass to be convincing once the beastie attacked. Compared to the Playbar, the Bose was able to better communicate dialog while also generating a better sense of the ambience of this alien world. As Sam Worthington wanders through the underbrush of Pandora's jungle we hear flies buzz about him as the scientists he's sworn to protect bicker in the background. We popped "Avatar" in the disc tray and pressed the Go button on the Thanator Chase. We started things rolling with just the sound bar by itself. Music and movies sound suitably immersive, especially if you add surrounds and a sub. While you wouldn't expect this to be compatible with music replay, it sounds just as good with indie rock as it does with a revisionist western. The Bose is capable of very good sound quality, and its standout characteristic is a superwide sound stage. ![]() But if you really want a speaker that performs well without a subwoofer then you could save yourself a few hundred bucks and get the Zvox SB500 instead. Like the Playbar, the SoundTouch is essentially is a full system that comes in "two easy payments of $699." It may sound fine on its own, but you'll miss the deep hurty notes that the optional Acoustimass 300 sub can bring - for an extra $699.Īt this price level there are plenty of options, including the excellent Sony HT-NT5, which comes with a sub. If you have no intention of buying a subwoofer, though, don't buy this sound bar. Compared to its closest competition, the Sonos Playbar, the Bose pulls ahead in terms of both sound stage and "you are there" detail. ![]() It has one of the widest sound stages we've ever heard and yet is still capable of reproducing the finest of details. With its "larger than life" sound, the Bose SoundTouch 300 isn't a traditional hi-fi component, but given the right room conditions the sound it's capable of is gorgeously enveloping.
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