The Bose Home Speaker 500 was praised by top testers for how receptive it was to voice commands. They liked that they could adjust bass and treble levels through the Bose Music app and that it could connect to devices in different ways. Still, it didn’t have that thumpy bass response, a speakerphone functionality, and it’s not very portable.
The Bose Home Speaker 500 is a top-end Bluetooth speaker that was first announced in late 2021. Most of the best speakers in the industry have a particular wow factor, and for the Bose 500, it is its color LED screen.
The screen displays data such as volume adjustments and pairing info. The speaker also has WiFi support and excellent Bluetooth connectivity, with a range of up to 195 ft and a latency of 57 to 88ms on Android and iOS devices, respectively.
This makes it possible to watch movies and listen to music without lag. Similar to the highest-rated Bluetooth speakers around, the Bose 500 has built-in support for both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, but since it is not battery-powered, it is designed for indoor use.
Product testers were delighted with how well the Bose Home Speaker 500 could pick up on voice commands even from a distance, and they were also pleased that it could produce a wide soundstage.
Expert reviewers from Rtings praised it for its compatibility with both Alexa and Google Assistant and liked that they could make bass and treble adjustments through its Bose Music app.
Specialists from Digital Trends liked that the speaker could connect to other devices through WiFi, Bluetooth, or an AUX input. They also liked its room-filling sound (which is great for both movies and music) and that it had a stereo output. It also got pretty loud during their tests.
However, testers agreed it struggled to produce a low, thumpy bass response. This is a problem that a 12-inch subwoofer can deal with, but if you’d rather have a bass-capable speaker, consider our Denon Home 350 review.
They also didn’t like that it didn’t have a speakerphone functionality, and since it is wired, it is also not very portable.
Reason to Buy
Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity
Works great with voice assistants
Wide soundstage
Loud max volume
Colored LED screen
Reason to Avoid
Not battery powered
No speakerphone functionality
Mediocre bass levels
Bose Home Speaker 500 Specs
Battery Charge Time
Wired
Battery Life
Wired
Built In Microphone
Yes
Charge Time
n/a
Depth
4.3"
Height
8"
IPX Rating
n/a
Smart App
Amazon Alexa app, Apple AirPlay 2, Bose Music, Google Assistant
Speaker Pairing
Yes
Water Resistant
No
Wattage
120W
Width
6.7"
Wireless Range
30 ft
All Specs
Test Results
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The Bose Home Speaker 500 is a top-end Bluetooth speaker that was first announced in late 2021. Most of the best speakers in the industry…
The Bose Home Speaker 500 is a top-end Bluetooth speaker that was first announced in late 2021. Most of the best speakers in the industry have a particular wow factor, and for the Bose 500, it is its color LED screen.
The screen displays data such as volume adjustments and pairing info. The speaker also has WiFi support and excellent Bluetooth connectivity, with a range of up to 195 ft and a latency of 57 to 88ms on Android and iOS devices, respectively.
This makes it possible to watch movies and listen to music without lag. Similar to the highest-rated Bluetooth speakers around, the Bose 500 has built-in support for both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, but since it is not battery-powered, it is designed for indoor use.
The Bose Home Speaker 500 is wired while the Sonos Move is battery powered, but the Sonos Move is waterproof and dust resistant, while the…
The Bose Home Speaker 500 is wired while the Sonos Move is battery powered, but the Sonos Move is waterproof and dust resistant, while the Bose 500 is not. Still, the Bose 500 has a stereo output while the Sonos Move does not, but the Bose 500 has an AUX input while the Sonos Move does not.
The Bose Home Speaker 500 supports Bluetooth connectivity while the Sonos One Gen 2 does not, and it is also capable of a stereo output…
The Bose Home Speaker 500 supports Bluetooth connectivity while the Sonos One Gen 2 does not, and it is also capable of a stereo output while the Sonos One Gen 2 is not. However, the Gen 2 has a stereo pair mode while the Bose 500 does not.
While their design blueprint is almost similar, the Bose Home Speaker 500 and the Bose Home Speaker 300 have differences that buyers might want to…
While their design blueprint is almost similar, the Bose Home Speaker 500 and the Bose Home Speaker 300 have differences that buyers might want to consider. The Bose 500 supports stereo content while the Bose 300 does not, but the Bose 300 is half as heavy as the Bose 500. Learn more about the Bose 300 through our Bose Home Speaker 300 review.
Battery Charge Time
Wired
3 hrs
–
–
Battery Life
Wired
11 hrs
–
–
Built In Microphone
Yes
Yes
–
–
Charge Time
n/a
2 hrs
–
–
Depth
4.3"
6.24"
–
–
Height
8"
9.44"
–
–
IPX Rating
n/a
IP56
–
–
Smart App
Amazon Alexa app, Apple AirPlay 2, Bose Music, Google Assistant
