94

Bose Smart Soundbar 300 Review

True Score

74
71
5

Experts

87
3,123

Consumers

Product Awards

GR Certified

Customer Favorite

Expert Rankings

Pristine vocals and a loud max volume make the Bose 300 a good soundbar, ideal for music listening in small spaces but not for movies. While it picks up voice commands really well, overall, it remains a basic soundbar at a mid-range price.

$349.00

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Product Snapshot

Overview

The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 is a 3-channel mid-tier speaker that was first announced in late 2020. The speaker is capable of both Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, supports both Chromecast and Apple Air Play, and it ships with a remote for added convenience. It supports both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa built-in, and like many of the top speakers in the industry, it boasts a loud max volume.

The speaker has a HDMI ARC port, a BASS port, an Optical in port, and an IR emitter. Also, its latency performance is onat par with that of the best soundbars in the industry. The soundbar comes with two touch-sensitive buttons on its top left, but it doesn’t have a display just like the Sonos Roam, which we’ve covered in our Sonos Roam review. Check out our Bomaker Odine II review if you’d prefer a soundbar that has an LCD screen.

Rankings (recommended in)

Best For

  • Bose

Consensus

our Verdict

The Bose 300 delivers crisp movie and TV show dialogue while being loud, and its sound profile is well-adjusted for pop or rock genres However, the low bass is not great for movie effects. It delivers an immersive surround sound experience courtesy of its wide soundstage, but only in a small space. Check out our Bose Soundlink Revolve+ II review if you have a large room.

The soundbar has excellent wireless connectivity for streaming through Bluetooth, WiFi, Spotify Connect, and Apple AirPlay 2, but the port selection is poor, with only one Optical Audio In port. Its ultra-low latency of 47ms (ARC) and 45ms (Optical) ensures in-sync content, but the lack of punch in its bass is disappointing, as is the lack of an EQ setting and support for Atmos.

Reason to Buy

  • Average sound quality
    • Vocals and instrumentals are well reproduced on the Bose 300, making it ideal for music listening or watching TV shows, especially where there is a lot of dialogue.

  • Smart Features & Connectivity
    • You can use voice control for managing music playback since the soundbar has built-in support for both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. You can also control it through the user-intuitive Bose Music app, and in terms of connectivity, owners can opt to stream music through WiFi, Bluetooth, Spotify Connect, or Apple AirPlay 2.

  • Low latency
    • The Bose 300’s 45-47ms latency ensures that its audio and visuals stay completely in sync. However, its latency is pretty average compared to other higher-end alternatives.

  • Loud max volume
    • The Bose 300 gets pretty loud, averaging 93 dB at max volume, making it one of the loudest alternatives in the category. This makes it great for music listening, especially in small spaces.

Reason to Avoid

  • No EQ for sound customization
    • The lack of an EQ means that sound cannot be fully customized on the Bose 300.

  • Poor bass output
    • The Bose 300 doesn’t have a satisfying bass output, making it lose out on the deep, exciting rumble that bass heads would appreciate when listening to bass-heavy music or watching immersive action scenes.

Bose Smart Soundbar 300 Specs

Bluetooth EnabledBluetooth EnabledYes
DepthDepth4.25"
Dialogue Enhancement FeatureDialogue Enhancement FeatureYes
Energy Star CertifiedEnergy Star CertifiedNo
HDMI ARCHDMI ARCYes
HeightHeight2.25"
Number of Audio ChannelsNumber of Audio Channels3
SubwooferSubwooferOptional (sold separately)
Surround Sound SupportedSurround Sound SupportedDolby Digital, DTS
Voice AssistantVoice AssistantAmazon Alexa, Google Assistant
Wall MountableWall MountableYes
WeightWeight10.4 lbs
WidthWidth38.5"
Wireless ConnectivityWireless ConnectivityBluetooth, Wi-Fi
Wireless Subwoofer ConnectivityWireless Subwoofer ConnectivityYes
Works WithWorks WithAmazon Alexa, Bluetooth, Google Assistant, SmartThings, Wi-Fi

All Specs

Test Results

Low End Roll Off (Hz)63.496
High End Roll Off (Hz)15,565.829
Max Volume Test (db)93.1
Latency (ms)47
THD @ 80dB0.36

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Product Comparison

Bose Smart Soundbar 300 Review

True Score

74
77
83
82

Ranking

#

94

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151

#

63

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151

#

15

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151

#

21

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151

Market Context

The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 is a 3-channel mid-tier speaker that was first announced in late 2020. The speaker is capable of both Bluetooth and…

The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 is a 3-channel mid-tier speaker that was first announced in late 2020. The speaker is capable of both Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, supports both Chromecast and Apple Air Play, and it ships with a remote for added convenience. It supports both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa built-in, and like many of the top speakers in the industry, it boasts a loud max volume.

The speaker has a HDMI ARC port, a BASS port, an Optical in port, and an IR emitter. Also, its latency performance is onat par with that of the best soundbars in the industry. The soundbar comes with two touch-sensitive buttons on its top left, but it doesn’t have a display just like the Sonos Roam, which we’ve covered in our Sonos Roam review. Check out our Bomaker Odine II review if you’d prefer a soundbar that has an LCD screen.

The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 is liked by many customers thanks to its impressive design and varied connectivity options. However, the Bose Smart Soundbar 700…

The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 is liked by many customers thanks to its impressive design and varied connectivity options. However, the Bose Smart Soundbar 700 gets much louder than it and ships with an HDMI cable while the Soundbar 300 does not. The Bose 700 also has a room correction feature while the Bose 300 does not. Feel free to learn more about it through our Bose Smart Soundbar 700 review.

The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 is a 3.0-channel soundbar while the Bose Smart Soundbar 900 is a 5.0.2-channel soundbar. However, the Bose 900 supports Dolby…

The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 is a 3.0-channel soundbar while the Bose Smart Soundbar 900 is a 5.0.2-channel soundbar. However, the Bose 900 supports Dolby Atmos content while the Bose 300 does not, and it has a room correction feature while the Bose 300 does not.

The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 comes with built-in support for Chromecast while the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) does not, and it can go into a…

The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 comes with built-in support for Chromecast while the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) does not, and it can go into a low power state when idle while the Sonos Beam cannot. However, the Sonos Beam has a room correction feature that’s missing on the Soundbar 300, and it can render both Dolby Atmos, DTS, and Doby Digital Plus audio formats while the Bose 300 cannot.

Bluetooth Enabled

Yes

Yes

Yes

Depth

4.25"

13.38"

4.21"

3.9"

Dialogue Enhancement Feature

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Energy Star Certified

No

No

No

HDMI ARC

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Height

2.25"

7.13"

2.29"

2.7"

Number of Audio Channels

3

5.1.2

3

Subwoofer

Optional (sold separately)

Optional (sold separately)

Optional (sold separately)

na

Dig Deeper

Bose Smart Soundbar 700 Review →

Bose Smart Soundbar 900 With Speakers + Bass Module Review →

Sonos Beam Gen 2 Review →

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Score Card

E

Expert Score

71

*.75

We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores

C

Customer Score

87

*.25

We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores

True Score

74

Any product with a True Score below 60 is a Total Dud

Expert Score Breakdown

  • Rtings
    103

    Category Trust Score

    68
    The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 is a fair choice for mixed usage. It’s a simple… read more

    By:

  • Which?
    58.66

    Category Trust Score

    NR
    The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 soundbar is on the pricey side for a model without… read more

    By:

  • Business Insider
    38.51

    Category Trust Score

    NR
    For the money, the Bose Smart Soundbar 300 gets you a robust TV soundbar with… read more

    By:

  • Digital Trends
    75.48

    Category Trust Score

    80
    No bottom line found for this product read more

    By:

  • Consumer Reports
    40.86

    Category Trust Score

    NR
    The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 is part of the Soundbars test program at Consumer Reports…. read more

    By:

Customer Score Breakdown

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