![]() That's OK, because these are secondary considerations compared to its strengths - vocal clarity and an enveloping soundstage. If you're buying this soundbar it's entirely possible that you won't use the multiroom music features, or even set up the Amazon voice assistant. ![]() Yet it's still able to offer a different spin with a better upgrade path and a more dialog-centric approach. Yes, the Bose Smart Soundbar 600 is eerily similar to the Sonos Beam in size, price and capability. Should you buy it?Įver since Sonos began, competitors have tried to fashion their own versions of the company's speakers. The Sonos was also strong, but Albini's vocal delivery came across as spookier, and less finely imaged. The Bose combo offered better dynamics and better presence with Steve Albini's vocals, plus a bit more cymbals. With music - I tried some rock this time (Shellac's Didn't We Deserve a Look at You the Way You Really Are) - I found that the sub transforms the soundbar into a music dynamo. The Bose sub offered deeper, more resonant bass in this scene, and was more articulate with it. I had been disappointed by the Sonos Beam's blend with the equivalent Sub Mini, and found it was still wanting on this scene, especially in comparison to the Bass Module. Returning briefly to Avatar, I wanted to see how the addition of a sub - in this case the Bose Bass Module $499 - would help the Soundbar 600. Both approaches worked well, though rock fans will more likely like the Sonos for songs with even more punch. ![]() The song is quite dynamic and the Sonos was better able to reveal that, but on the flip side the Bose captured Paddy Mann's emotive voice with even greater clarity. With music I found that both were pleasant performers, especially with the folk of Field of Flowers by Grand Salvo. In addition I found that by boosting the Bose's bass control I was able to gain back some (though not all) of the dynamics that had been missing previously. I found that compared to the Sonos, the Bose offered better steering of the Atmos-enriched voices that open the movie, and dialog was generally a little clearer. When it came to height effects, though, the Bose had the edge, and this was particularly clear during the opening of Mad Max: Fury Road. In this scene, the surround soundtrack at times seemed to come from behind on the Sonos, whereas the Bose was only wide. The soundbar gave a more satisfying wallop with the trees and the feet of the hammerhead titanotheres as they stomp around the forest. For instance, in Avatar when Jake touches the shell trees, they make a procession of deep thunk sounds, like something out of a Blue Man Group skit. When I replaced the Bose with the Sonos Beam Gen 2, I found the Sonos to be a better performer from a home theater perspective. ![]() The Bose swapped boom and bang for a wide image and crisp dialog, so this could be a good contender for improving dialog on your TV. ![]() I found that the Bose struggled a little with the dynamics of this scene, but on the upside it managed a glorious sense of the jungle floor with insects buzzing around my listening room. I started with the Thanator Attacks scene from Avatar (at 26:54), using the eARC output of a Vizio TV. ![]()
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