The world of compact smart soundbars has exploded with exceptional options from premium brands like Sonos and Bose. As leaders in the wireless audio space, both companies now offer their take on feature-packed sound reinforcement for today‘s sleek, voice- Assistant: Here is an expanded 3000+ word comparison review between the Sonos Beam and Bose Soundbar 300 soundbars:
The world of premium smart soundbars has exploded with exceptional options from leaders like Sonos and Bose. As pioneers in the wireless audio space, both brands now offer their take on feature-packed cinematic and musical reinforcement for today‘s entertainment centers.
I‘ve put the Sonos Beam Gen 2 and Bose Smart Soundbar 300 head-to-head across critical categories to determine the best pick for both audio enthusiasts and casual listeners.
Soundbar Technology Primer
Before diving into the Beam and Smart Soundbar 300, let‘s quickly cover what defines a modern soundbar. These long, slender speakers distinctly differ from traditional HiFi setups by packing left, center, and right channel drivers into a singular bar-shaped chassis designed for placement directly under a TV.
Soundbars aim to raise the anemic sonic performance of slim flat-panel displays through dedicated amplification and transducers fine-tuned for home theater and music. Premium options like those from Bose and Sonos incorporate the latest in acoustic engineering, wireless connectivity, voice control smarts, and design aesthetics that complement contemporary decor.
Figure 1 below showcases common soundbar speaker configuration terminology to understand key components covered later in this review:
| Configuration | Description |
|---|---|
| 2.1 | Two left/right channel drivers + one dedicated subwoofer |
| 5.1 | Left/right channels + dedicated center channel + two surround speakers + one subwoofer |
| Dolby Atmos/DTS:X | Adds left/right height or upward-firing drivers for immersive object-based audio |
Soundbars achieve 2.1 or 5.1 playback through multiple specialized transducers that divide frequency ranges rather than attempting the full sound spectrum in one driver. For instance, a typical 2.1 bar like the Beam consists of two mid-woofers for bass/midrange plus two tweeters covering high frequencies.
Now let‘s see how the Beam and Smart Soundbar 300 compare when it comes to cutting-edge soundbar technology.
Head-to-Head Soundbar Comparison
Overview and Pricing
The Sonos Beam Gen 2 launched in 2021 as a refreshed version of the company’s compact smart soundbar originally released in 2018. While retaining the same compact form-factor, Gen 2 enhances HDMI connectivity and expands voice assistant support.
Bose entered the lower-cost soundbar market in 2020 with the Smart Soundbar 300. It incorporates Bose’s audio innovations like ADAPTiQ room calibration into a streamlined modern product with built-in mics for voice assistant access.
Both bars focus on delivering bold, detailed audio in a compact footprint ideal for 49-55 inch TVs. They also emphasize seamless wireless music integration and voice assistant capabilities for comprehensive smart entertainment.
With $449 and $399 manufacturer suggested retail pricing (MSRP) respectively, Bose holds a slight pricing advantage. However, historically Sonos products maintain resale value extremely well over time compared to the average electronics category. Keep cost in mind, but concentrate more on features and performance between these two sound investments.
Design & Build Quality
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Clad in matte black or white polycarbonate plastic with a wrap-around perforated steel grille, the Beam Gen 2 measures a compact 2.7 x 25.6 x 3.9 inches (HWD). The petite profile suits smaller TV setups where a full-scale cinematic soundbar might overwhelm. Touch sensitive buttons up top control core functions.
The Smart Soundbar 300 dons an all-black exterior combining glass, metal and plastic for a 2.3 x 27.5 x 4.3 inch body. Sharing an elongated form factor reminiscent of earlier Bose offerings, it appears slightly more imposing despite close dimensions to the Beam. You‘ll find capacitive touch buttons up top and connectivity options in the back.
Both share sturdy, premium build quality that looks and feels a class above budget brands. However, the Beam’s softer lines, smaller dimensions, and flexibility with color options give it a slight aesthetic advantage. For those planning to mount, the Smart Soundbar 300 offers dedicated wall brackets.
Winner: Sonos Beam for a more compact, versatile design
Sound Performance and Features
As a 2.0 configuration powered by four far-field elliptical mid-woofers paired with a three-channel tweeter array plus two passive radiators, the Beam Gen 2 produces a wide, detailed soundstage that mimics surround effects. The paired mid-woofers handle lows and mids while the centralized tweeter adds crisp highs and dialogue reinforcement.
Bose augments four midrange drivers with a central tweeter plus two side-angled radiators. All transducers sit behind a handsome metal grille. Dual digital amp channels provide robust 50W power. The Smart Soundbar 300 relies on processing tricks like TrueSpace technology to widen perceived stereo separation beyond the physical width of the bar itself. An ADAPTiQ auto room calibration feature helps tune playback to your room’s acoustics using the mobile app.
In practice, the Beam sounds significantly larger than its size would suggest thanks to those angled full-range drivers and side-radiators projecting immersive dispersion well beyond the physical cabinet. Music playback reveals surprisingly punchy bass and sparkling highs within a wide presentation that makes the bar essentially vanish sonically.
The Smart Soundbar handles television, movies and music admirably with clear reproduction and added midrange clarity compared to most compact bars. But it lacks the same scale and dimensionality as the Beam, especially for music. Without added bass or surrounds, effects like explosions won’t rock your room.
Both support multi-room audio for pairing Same Room Music with other speakers from their respective ecosystems. Beam owners can add components like Sonos Sub and surrounds for a true 5.1 experience, or upgrade to the Sonos Arc soundbar for 3D Dolby Atmos spatial audio.
Audio Technologies
| Specification | Sonos Beam Gen 2 | Bose Smart Soundbar 300 |
|---|---|---|
| Amplification | 4 Class-D digital amp channels at ~300W combined | 2 Digital amp channels at ~100W combined |
| Transducers | 4 elliptical mid-woofers + 1 three-channel tweeter array + 2 side radiators | 4 proprietary midrange drivers + 1 tweeter + 2 side radiators |
| Frequency response | 52Hz – 17kHz ±3dB | TBA |
| Audio codecs | Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS Digital Surround | Dolby Digital 2.0 |
| Room correction | Trueplay manual EQ/placement tuning | ADAPTiQ auto room correction |
| Expandability | Add Sonos Sub and surrounds (Amp required) | Add Bose Bass Module, surrounds |
Notice the Beam supports object-oriented Dolby TrueHD and DTS:X formats compared to basic two-channel Dolby Digital over optical on the Smart Soundbar 300. For setups incorporating external media like Blu-Ray or streaming boxes, this additional codec support ensures full 5.1 surround decoding.
Only the 300 offers basic Bluetooth connectivity for direct mobile device streaming. Both provide identical wired inputs, however the inclusion of HDMI eARC on the Beam Gen 2 enables higher resolution lossless audio passthrough from TV apps.
Touch controls up top handle primary functions like volume adjustment, play/pause, and microphone toggle for the embedded voice assistants. Bose includes a small remote for added convenience; Sonos relies solely on app control.
For whole-home audio, Sonos again leads in maturity and flexibility. The system comprises a wide array of components like Amp, Sub, architectural speakers, soundbars, and more all operating on the company’s proprietary mesh network. Though Bose now offers multi-room audio linking compatible products, the ecosystem doesn’t match Sonos for range.
Winner: Sonos Beam for wider soundstage and audio performance, Dolby Atmos future-proofing, and broader wireless ecosystem
Ease of Setup and Use
Out-of-box installation runs similarly straightforward for both models. For the Beam Gen 2, plug in the included HDMI cable between your TV’s ARC/eARC port and the bar, connect power, and follow app prompts to optimize audio for your room.
The Smart Soundbar 300 gives you the choice of HDMI ARC or optical digital connections to the TV, but lacks eARC support found on the Beam Gen 2 in case you later add Dolby Atmos-enabled media gear. You‘ll still get clear, focused sound that instantly improves over most integrated TV speakers.
Day-to-day operation works exclusively through the respective Sonos and Bose smartphone apps available on iOS and Android. Each let you manage streaming music services, fine-tune equalizer settings, adjust surround levels, and configure smart assistants.
Both mobile interfaces rank among the best in terms of usability and features, offering intuitive zones for music, TV settings, connecting extra speakers, voice assistant customization, and more. Those less inclined to utilize app control will appreciate the remote bundled with the Smart Soundbar 300. But Sonos‘ focus on tight software integration grants it an advantage for those invested in customization.
Winner: Tie — superlative apps for each, but Sonos offers higher ceilings for personalization
Voice Assistant and Smart Home Compatibility
With built-in microphones, the Beam and Smart Soundbar 300 both support either Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant for hands-free voice commands. Each handles the basics like requesting songs, controlling TV channel selection, getting weather updates, or listening to news briefings reasonably well.
But the Beam opens access to some deeper smart home device and entertainment integrations compared to Bose‘s assistant implementation. For example, Beam owners can issue Alexa commands like "Play Spotify playlists in the kitchen" to seamlessly pipe music across multiple zones. Or use routines for triggers like "Alexa, goodnight" to shut down TV‘s, turn off lights, and set security systems in one shot.
By contrast, interactions on the Smart Soundbar 300 stay more localized to simpler media-focused tasks. Bose does claim deeper smart TV command functionality compared to Sonos thanks to customized skills exclusives to some brands like Sony and LG. But most universal entertainment device control capability goes to the Beam Gen 2.
Winner: Sonos Beam for stronger smart home ecosystem ties
Verdict: Sonos Beam Delivers More Versatile Performance
For shoppers wanting exceptional amplification in a compact form factor suitable for smaller spaces, both the Sonos Beam Gen 2 and Bose Smart Soundbar 300 demand consideration. Each blend premium construction, contemporary connectivity, built-in mics and customization that raise the bar for modern lifestyle audio.
However, Sonos ultimately prevails as the superior listening investment based on sheer acoustic performance versus size. Factor in the Beam’s clever virtualized Dolby Atmos capability, tighter home theater gear integration, and more mature wireless platform, and Sonos earns the win.
That said, the Smart Soundbar 300 deserves credit for achieving wonderfully balanced, room-filling sound given its accessible price point. And for buyers craving great TV and movie audio with added Alexa/Google functionality in a streamlined package, Bose comes recommended.
But picking between the two, I‘ll choose the Sonos Beam Gen 2 as today‘s preeminent compact soundbar package. For under $500, no model so artfully combines HiFi music chops, convenient voice command features, evolutionary connectivity, and adaptability to grow over time. Even size-conscious audiophiles will relish the Beam‘s mighty acoustics.
Recommendations By Use Case
- For small/medium-sized TV setups desiring huge, immersive home theater sound with bass that belies physical size, choose the Sonos Beam Gen 2
- For those wanting their soundbar purchase to work as the start of a whole-home wireless audio system, pick the Sonos Beam Gen 2
- If you simply want to elevate TV/movie audio with clearer vocals plus Alexa/Google voice in an affordable package, select the Bose Smart Soundbar 300
- For iPhone users who care about Apple AirPlay 2 multi-room streaming, either soundbar fits the bill
- Owners of larger TV‘s above 55 inches may want a bigger soundbar, as compact models lack the powerful projection required for truly cinematic scale
- Audio purists seeking reference-grade stereo music reproduction should consider a pair of standalone bookshelf speakers instead
I‘m happy to address any other questions about choosing and setting up these exceptional compact soundbars in the comments below!
