Bose home speaker 500

Bose Home Speaker 500 Review: Smart, Stylish, Surround Sound

👐Wi-Fi lets you set up and control the Home Speaker 500 from the Bose Music app, and that includes being able to stream music from and Free, , TuneIn, Pandora, SiriusXM, , Deezer, and iHeartRadio. Although the Bose Home Speaker 500 has Alexa built in, you can also play music from non-Alexa sources, such as integrated Wi-Fi music services available through the Bose Music app and the preset buttons on the product. The Bose 500 has fair frequency response accuracy. But with Bluetooth, line-in, a full-color display, and your choice of voice assistants, it delivers more value than both of these products and sounds amazing too. No Chromecast option for Android In the early days of the smart speaker revolution, finding a speaker that was both smart and had great sound was a challenge. Video Series• It supports Apple AirPlay, and it has lower latency when paired with iOS and Android devices over Bluetooth. Also, its voice assistant does a better job understanding you in noisy settings. The Home Speaker 500 is also capable of some downright impressive volume levels. Easy-to-use controls• Just tap the mic-disable button to cut power to all microphones, and continue to access the other features of the speaker. Fortunately, there are bass and treble adjustments in the Bose Music app to help you adjust its sound more to your liking. They all work together, so you can add another whenever you want to enjoy more music in more rooms. And when Alexa is installed, the microphones may be turned off at any time with the microphone off button on the speaker. More• Expensive• All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners For warranty information, see website below and select Location : Celeron, Intel, the Intel logo, Intel Atom, Intel Core, Intel Inside, the Intel Inside logo, Intel vPro, Intel Evo, Intel Optane, Intel Xeon Phi, Iris, Itanium, MAX, Pentium, and Xeon are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries. The Bose is better-built and it has a better soundstage performance. Outlet purchases do not qualify for rewards. And multiple users can personalize their experience and content. Voice commands are recognized effortlessly even in fairly loud environments, and from distances as far as 15 feet without needing to really raise your voice. The display shows the time as well as information about the music you're listening to. The Bose Home Speaker 500 has an exceptional voice assistant performance. It has a very similar design to the , but it's a bit bigger, and it comes with a display screen on the front. It will automatically dim based on the brightness of the room, and will turn off if content is not playing. It does not play video content and is not a touch screen. Platforms• When it does show up, it will be as a subset of the Google Assistant, so those who prefer Alexa — or no assistant at all — will still be stuck with Bluetooth. Who We Are• You can initiate and control content on the Bose Home Speaker 500 using the Bose Music app, the buttons on the speaker, or with your voice via Amazon Alexa, where available. Rewards expire in 90 days except where prohibited by law. However, using multiroom requires a bit of planning. Just under the surface is a custom-designed eight-microphone array, so the speaker still hears you, even when it gets loud. The Bose 500's controls are great. Sleek, attractive design• Categories• There are those who are tempted to hide their speakers even the nice looking ones where they can be heard but not seen, but that would be a mistake with the Home Speaker 500. The Bose Home Speaker 500 is decent for videos and movies. Editors' Recommendations• Deals• Products• You can also use a Bluetooth or auxiliary connection. Bose has positioned the internal drivers in such a way that sound waves are dispersed in a kind of lopsided 360-degree field. The Bose Home Speaker 500 is satisfactory for music. AirPlay 2• More• However, they may also sound a bit dark due to the underemphasized treble range. Taxes and shipping are extra and vary. Some music services not supported• The Bose Home Speaker 500 works in synchronized multi-room groups with any combination of additional Bose Home Speaker 500 units, the Bose Soundbar 500, or the Bose Soundbar 700, but it does not work together in multi-room groups with SoundTouch products. Social• It has an aluminum body with a grille to help protect the drivers, as well as a plastic top with tactile buttons. Offers subject to change, not combinable with all other offers. In countries where Alexa is available on the Bose Home Speaker 500, the option to add Alexa can be declined in setup and revisited at any time. The mic mute button stays red when it's turned on, which is handy. The Bose 500 is a wired-only speaker that's meant to sit vertically. Or skip to your favorite song. However, there are bass and treble adjustment features in the app to help you customize its sound more to your liking. It has a balanced mid-range that reproduces dialogue clearly, though it may also sound a bit dark. Out-of-the-box, it has a fairly neutral sound profile suitable for listening to lots of different types of audio content, and it also has bass and treble adjustment features in its app to help you customize its sound. I tried Simplesync with a JBL Flip 5 speaker I had on hand, and while setup was a snap, there was some split-second latency between the two speakers. The Bose Home Speaker 500 can play in synchronized multi-room groups with additional Bose Home Speaker 500 units or with the Bose Soundbar 500 or Bose Soundbar 700, but cannot do so with non-Bose devices. The LCD display shows information about the content currently playing on the speaker, including album art, track name, artist name, music service information, radio station name, and location, etc. However, it doesn't have any advertised rating for water resistance, so you should be careful if you plan to use it near water. It also supports Bluetooth, while the Apple only supports Wi-Fi. com My Account for your most up-to-date reward balance. So if you want to hear something, just ask. It has a similar design to the , but it's a bit larger and comes with an LED screen on its front. However, the Bose offers bass and treble adjustment features and a mic mute button. However, there are bass and treble adjustments in the Bose Music app to help you tweak its sound. And with Alexa voice control built in, you have millions of songs at the tip of your tongue. While it gets pretty loud, unfortunately, there's some compression present when you play it at max volume. The Bose Home Speaker 500 is a wired-only speaker for home with built-in Google Assistant and Alexa capabilities. Neither is there any way to stream from a personal music collection on your home network. Just how expansive the sound gets is in part affected by placement. Original Series• I especially liked that the glowing white LED strip above the color screen provided instant visual feedback that my commands had been heard. Thanks to its 360-degree design, it has an open soundstage that can immerse you in your audio from all angles. Expansive stereo sound• The Bose Home Speaker 500 is okay for podcasts. Taxes, shipping, and other fees apply. With the Bose Music app, you can easily browse through all your music in one place and seamlessly jump between stations, playlists, and services. While it doesn't support multi-device pairing, it has low latency with both Android and iOS devices, making it suitable for watching videos and movies. Slightly awkward multiroom control• The Bose Home Speaker 500 combines gorgeous design with voice assistant flexibility and an expansive stereo sound that is remarkable for its slender body. Or, you can manage everything from the Bose Music app. The Bose Home Speaker 500 comes in 'Triple Black' and 'Luxe Silver' color variants. Like Sonos, Bose lets you choose between Alexa and Google Assistant on the Home Speaker 500 instead of selling two different versions of the speaker as other home audio companies have done. It comes in two different color variants. We tested the 'Luxe Silver' variant, but we expect the other color variants to perform similarly. It has built-in support for Alexa and Google Assistant, which you can activate using your voice. You can see the label for the model we tested. Expedited Delivery not available on certain monitors, batteries and adapters, and is available in Continental except Alaska U. Its LED screen displays the time and information about the track you're listening to. If privacy is a concern, a dedicated microphone-mute button guarantees an A. Simply download the Bose Music app on your device, plug in the speaker, and open the app to get started. However, the Amazon gets louder with less compression at max volume. Bose builds great products that typically last a long time. However, some apps compensate for latency differently, so your real-world experience may vary. All of these non-Alexa sources are available independent of whether the microphones are turned off or whether Alexa is installed. Dell and the Dell logo are trademarks of Dell Inc. Bose has really nailed the smart speaker experience. Thankfully, those days are long gone. The and the Bose Home Speaker 500 are very similarly-performing speakers, so depending on your listening habits, you may prefer one over the other. However, Bose has opted not to include an ethernet jack, something you might miss if your Wi-Fi network is spotty in places. Add Us To Your Social Channels• The color LED screen also displays volume adjustments, pairing information, and information about the track you're listening to. You can turn off voice access whenever you want, too. Television returns are subject to restocking fees. The Bose Music app is easy and for the most part very intuitive to use, with great instructions and feedback at every step. The app will guide you through setting up your account on the speaker, adding your account information for your favorite music services, and adding Amazon Alexa to the product where available. The Bose Home Speaker 500 is part of a new family of smart speakers and soundbars. You can tweak both bass and treble from within the app, but unless your tastes run really strong in one of those directions, the factory EQ delivers a pleasing balance of both. Exceptions to Dell's standard return policy still apply, and certain products are not eligible for return at any time. It only covers the Home Speaker 500 with a one-year warranty, though this is fairly standard for similar products from other companies. It offers an outstanding voice assistant performance, and it's also compatible with the Bose Music app, which has bass and treble adjustments for sound customization. Free shipping offer valid in Continental U. Bose calls it Simplesync, and it lets you group any Bluetooth audio device, from a portable speaker to a set of wireless headphones, with the Home Speaker 500. There's also a 'Voice Action' button to activate the voice assistant, a Bluetooth pairing button, and six preset buttons that you can program using the app. Upgrade your lifestyle Digital Trends helps readers keep tabs on the fast-paced world of tech with all the latest news, fun product reviews, insightful editorials, and one-of-a-kind sneak peeks. Choice of Alexa or Google Assistant• Not only would that make it hard to use the thoughtfully designed touch controls that adorn its top surface, but it would also prevent you from seeing its front-facing color screen. Dell reserves the right to cancel orders arising from pricing or other errors. The 500 is better-built, and it supports stereo content. This speaker also struggles to reproduce a thumpy low-bass. Must Reads• The color screen is a nice touch too. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and line-in options• The speaker can hear you clearly even if you aren't very close to it, or if you're in a noisy setting. The Bose Home Speaker 500 is a better speaker than the. I can think of several ways to use that screen: Weather forecasts, news feeds, or even just a choice of gently animating screen savers. And future software updates will add new features. residents by WebBank, Member FDIC. Support• Overall, its build feels solid and durable. There is an optional clock setting available in the Bose Music app, which displays the time when the speaker is in standby mode. The display also shows setup and diagnostic information. The Bose Home Speaker 500 uses the new Bose Music app for setup, control, and music browsing, while Bose SoundTouch products use the SoundTouch app. Using the Bose Music app, I got the Home Speaker 500 configured for my home Wi-Fi, connected to my Google account for Google Assistant access, and happily streaming tunes in under five minutes. There's also a color LED screen on the front. The Home Speaker 500 performed admirably, delivering a slightly wider soundstage than the Echo Studio, despite having weaker bass response. Wi-Fi, with its higher bandwidth than Bluetooth, should be your connection method of choice, but this is where things get a bit tricky. You can also use the app to pair it with other Bose Home Speakers to play audio across different rooms in your house or at a crowded party. This speaker has a fairly neutral sound profile out-of-the-box, with a balanced mid-range that reproduces clear vocals and lead instruments, though they can sound a bit dull. But before you settle on a new from one of those companies, you should consider the. The Bose Home Speaker 500 can play in synchronized multi-room groups with additional Bose Home Speaker 500 units, or with the Bose Soundbar 500, or Bose Soundbar 700. The Bose Home Speaker 500 is a wired-only speaker designed for home use. Services• My triple black review unit looked great no matter where I placed it. Setup Sonos has always been my benchmark for speedy and simple setups, but Bose is a close second. Though it doesn't have a full graphic EQ like the , there are bass and treble adjustments to help you customize its sound more to your liking. The Home Speaker 500 can easily be grouped with other Bose Home speakers, like the Home Speaker 300, or the Bose Soundbar 500, via the Bose Music app. With Alexa built in, you have access to things like weather reports and news headlines, too. However, using Alexa only, you can directly make commands to other Bose smart products, Amazon Echo products, or anyone in your contacts list. Unfortunately, it struggles to reproduce a thumpy low-bass, so you don't really feel the deep rumbles in action-packed scenes. You assign them within the Bose Music app, and they can be associated with almost any music source that the app supports. Max this thing out and be prepared for plenty of knocks on the door from irritated neighbors. Financing• However, some users may prefer the 300's slightly smaller size. Solutions• Offers subject to change, not combinable with all other offers. Because you can also create speaker groups using AirPlay 2, you need to decide whether you plan to stream from a music service within the Bose Music app — in which case you would manage your speaker groups there — or, from another app on your phone or tablet — in which case you would manage the groups using the AirPlay 2 interface. It has a fairly neutral sound profile, so vocals and lead instruments are reproduced clearly and accurately. Its balanced mid-range reproduces clear and accurate dialogue, though it may sound a bit dull or veiled due to the underemphasized treble. With an elliptical shape that is much wider than it is deep, its base is small enough that it should easily find a perch on a counter-top, bookshelf, or mantle. Also, while it gets loud, there's some compression when you play it at max volume. Turning the music up at a party? Offer not valid for Resellers. And coming soon: Apple AirPlay 2 compatibility for streaming content like Apple Music from Apple devices. However, between the Bose Home Speaker 500 and native Alexa products from Amazon, you can ask one device to play music on another device individually by name. However, you cannot play synchronized multi-room content across the Bose Home Speaker 500 and either Bose SoundTouch products or products from other manufacturers including Amazon. When the microphones are off, this button will always be backlit with a red LED light. Also, it gets louder, though both speakers have some compression when you play them at max volume. The use of a virtual assistant is optional; you can initiate music from the Bose Music app and other sources without using Alexa. The Apple has a better soundstage performance and a more neutral sound profile out-of-the-box. If you come across another version, let us know in the discussions so we can update our review. This button completely cuts power to the microphones so Alexa will not hear any commands. It has Google Assistant and Alexa voice assistants built-in, and it can hear you clearly even if you aren't close to it or are in a noisy environment. Is there a better alternative? Sonos includes them on all but one of its speakers, but I suspect very few of their customers use them — I certainly have never needed to. Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. With products from , , , and , you can now have your cake and eat it too. Setting up presets with the app is easy, so the music you love is just one touch away. Given that the Home Speaker 500 can also be used a smart speaker, it would be super cool to see the screen used as a secondary display for voice commands, e. In an ideal world, you would give it lots of breathing room, away from walls and preferably not tucked into a bookshelf. Android users should be aware of the lack of Chromecast as a Wi-Fi streaming option, but Apple users should be more than happy with AirPlay 2 as a Bluetooth alternative. AirPlay 2 compatibility for added control from Apple devices is coming soon. Popular Downloads• You can also remove Alexa from the speaker at any time via the settings menu of the Bose Music app. See also our recommendations for the , the , and the. You can also mute the microphone if you don't want it to hear you. The microphones on the Bose Home Speaker 500 may be turned off with a single tap of the microphone off button on the top of the product on the lower left. With an intriguing mix of sleek design, expansive sound, and a choice of digital assistants, it could be just the smart audio device your home has been missing. You can also press the AUX button to activate the input once a device is plugged into the speaker. The Bose Home Speaker 500 has a fair build quality. The Bose Home Speaker 500 has great Bluetooth connectivity. It also lacks a thumpy low-bass, which can be disappointing if you love bass-heavy genres like EDM.。。。