One of the most immersive soundbars I've tested is refreshingly compact (and $100 off right now)
ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The brand new Bose Good Soundbar is out there for $499
- This soundbar presents premium options like AirPlay, Dolby Atmos, and distinctive integration with Bose earbuds
- Its standout software program options may be hit-or-miss.
extra shopping for decisions
As of late, a soundbar is an important part of your private home TV setup. In case your TV audio system aren’t doing the job, however investing in a sound system is an excessive amount of of an expense or dedication, you are most likely available in the market for a soundbar.
Though soundbars are an alternate for budget-conscious residence theater fanatics, a possible purchaser may assume that the larger the soundbar, the higher the audio expertise. However that is not at all times the case, and Bose proves it. Bose’s newest Good Soundbar debuts with a compact kind issue, loads of high-quality audio options, and one characteristic unique to the Bose Extremely Open earbuds, which I am going to contact on later.
Additionally: I modified these 5 soundbar settings for a greater TV viewing (and audio) expertise
The brand new Good Soundbar is a refreshed model of the Bose Good Soundbar 600. It has the identical dimensions, connectivity, and audio system because the 600. Two software program options distinguish the brand new Good Soundbar from the older Good Soundbar 600.
The primary software program characteristic, AI Dialogue Mode, makes use of machine studying to regulate your audio’s tonal stability. Because of this, the soundbar will improve or decrease lower- or higher-frequency sounds in real-time that can assist you hear dialogue extra clearly.
AI dialogue did not compromise the loudness or depth of explosions or musical stings whereas I watched Twisters. And whereas the loud winds of the tornadoes within the film ripped by way of the city, I may nonetheless hear what Glen Powell was saying by way of his character’s thick nation accent.
Additionally: Bose Extremely Open assessment
Throughout Monday Night time Soccer broadcasts, the AI dialogue characteristic made the broadcasters’ voices sound unusual, compelled, and unnatural until the followers within the stadium had been drowning out their voices. This characteristic is beneficial, however solely once you’re having real hassle listening to the audio system’ voices.
Traditionally, soundbar software program options had been reserved for the TV you related to it, however corporations are searching for new methods to interact customers’ headphones of their residence audio expertise past merely connecting the 2 through Bluetooth.
Earlier this yr, Sonos launched the Sonos Ace headphones, which debuted with a characteristic referred to as TV Audio Swap. This characteristic is appropriate with choose Sonos soundbars and swaps audio from the soundbar to the headphones to produce the wearer with a personal, immersive watching expertise.
Additionally: Sonos simply introduced TV Audio Swap to extra gadgets. This is why it is my all-time favourite headphone characteristic
Bose responded with an identical thought, integrating the Bose Extremely Open headphones into the brand new Good Soundbar’s person expertise. The Extremely Open are open-ear earbuds that present customers with an unobstructed listening expertise, so their integration with the soundbar is exclusive.
Bose’s new Private Encompass Sound characteristic engages the Extremely Open to behave as rear encompass audio system when utilizing the Good Soundbar. You may toggle this characteristic within the Bose app, and I used it when streaming Cannot Get Sufficient by J. Cole on the soundbar through AirPlay.
You may allow Private Encompass Sound with the Bose Good Soundbar and Extremely Open earbuds within the Bose app.
Jada Jones/ZDNET
Not like Sonos’ TV Audio Swap, Bose’s Private Encompass Sound does not mute the soundbar as soon as the earbuds enter the chat. You may nonetheless hear the soundbar clearly, due to the earbuds’ open design, and the earbuds provide a refined enhance to the soundbar’s audio output. And it is vitally refined.
In any other case, the brand new Good Soundbar is provided with AirPlay, Bluetooth, Spotify Join, and built-in Chromecast and Roku TV. Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s voice assistant are appropriate with the soundbar, and Dolby Atmos is out there.
Additionally: What’s spatial audio? This is every little thing you might want to know
In case your TV does not have an eARC port, which encodes audio in Dolby Atmos, Bose’s new soundbar is fitted with Bose TrueSpace processing. This characteristic processes non-Atmos audio and provides extra peak and depth to the audio by way of the upfiring audio system, heightening the immersive expertise. You may plug the included optical audio twine into your TV and obtain the Bose app to tweak the peak of the audio channels.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
The brand new Bose Good Soundbar is an effective way to improve your private home audio setup compactly and extra affordably. Bose’s newest soundbar presents a number of the identical audio options discovered within the Sonos Arc and Sennheiser Ambeo soundbars for a minimum of $400 much less.
In case you have a small house or desire a new, high-quality soundbar for a cheaper price, Bose has you coated. The Good Soundbar is smaller than you’d suppose, and its glossy and unassuming design blends into any residence decor aesthetic.
That stated, you need not buy the Extremely Open earbuds to get essentially the most out of this soundbar. The Private Encompass Sound characteristic is cool if you have already got the Extremely Open and are contemplating this soundbar. Nonetheless, the characteristic provides so little to the general person and listening expertise that it isn’t value spending an additional $300 for the earbuds. For $100 additional, you should purchase a pair of Bose encompass audio system.
