Bose Smart Soundbar Deal: Get $150 Off Our Favorite Compact Soundbar
There are tons of soundbars on the market, but few models can match the Bose Smart Soundbar’s ability to pack so much power and value into such a compact design. It’s not only my team’s favorite Bose soundbar, but also one of our picks for the best Dolby Atmos soundbars available.
The Bose Smart Soundbar carries a full retail price of $549, but it’s on sale now for $399 at Amazon. That matches the lowest price it’s dropped to all year. This single-unit bar measures 27.34 inches wide, making it an ideal fit for smaller rooms and apartments. But despite its compact stature, it still packs an immersive punch with up-firing audio drivers that bounce sound effects off your ceiling.
Under $400 for such a compact soundbar with up-firing drivers is an excellent value, offering a perfect entry point for anyone who wants to elevate their TV’s audio setup without taking up too much space.
You can learn more about Bose’s full soundbar lineup in our guide to the best Bose soundbars.
Bose Smart Soundbar
The Bose Smart Soundbar packs excellent Dolby Atmos audio performance, AI-enhanced dialogue, and Alexa smarts into a compact design perfect for smaller spaces.
Why we love the Bose Smart Soundbar
Ryan Waniata/Business Insider
The Bose Smart Soundbar is my go-to recommendation for anyone who wants a meaningful upgrade to their TV’s speakers without taking up a ton of space. At just 27.3 inches wide, it fits neatly on a typical media console and is especially well-suited to apartments, bedrooms, and smaller living rooms. But despite its compact footprint, it produces a surprisingly broad, engaging soundstage for movies, shows, and music.
One of the bar’s key features that sets it apart from many rivals is its two up-firing drivers for Dolby Atmos audio. These drivers bounce sound off your ceiling, helping effects like rain, soaring planes, and falling debris sound like they’re coming from above your head. A lot of similar bars lack up-firing drivers, and instead rely on virtual processing to create height effects, which is a lot less convincing. Check out our Dolby Atmos guide for more details on how the technology works.
Bose’s TrueSpace processing also gives regular non-Atmos content a little more scale and immersion. And its AI Dialogue Mode is a genuinely useful feature, making voices easier to follow when a soundtrack gets loud or cluttered without making the rest of the track sound compressed.
The bar also offers plenty of flexibility beyond TV viewing, with WiFi, Bluetooth, AirPlay, Chromecast, and Spotify Connect for music streaming, plus Alexa/Alexa+ built-in for voice control.
Bass is understandably limited compared to what you’d get with a larger soundbar or one that includes a subwoofer, but considering its size and price, you still get decent kick. You can also add a wireless subwoofer, like the Bose Bass Module 500, if you crave more oomph, and rear speakers to enable genuine surround sound. You can even pair Bose’s Ultra Open Earbuds and use them as rear speakers to create a personal surround sound setup.
But just note that Bose’s new Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer and Lifestyle Ultra Speaker are not compatible with this soundbar.
Looking for more recommendations? Check out our guides to the best soundbars and best budget soundbars.
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