In this article, we are doing a Bose Home Speaker 300 vs 500 vs Sonos One specifications comparison to understand the differences between these top-selling soundbars objectively.
Related: Bose Home Speaker 500 vs Soundtouch 20 vs Revolve Plus
Home Speaker 300 vs 500 vs Sonos One:
Bose, one of the prominent players in the realm of audio enhancement, has been leaving no stone unturned to beat other competing devices. We love them for their products, innovative technology that it has always been known for. The recent Bose Home Speaker 300 should be an excellent example in this context. The speaker is the smaller and affordable version of the previous Bose Smart Speaker, Bose Home Speaker 500. How does it compare to Home Speaker 500 and the Sonos One smart speaker? Lets us examine the three intelligent speakers and concisely explore them.
The Bose Smart Speaker 500 – A review
Having been involved in the business of producing the best speakers and audio enhancement technology for long, Bose has now moved into the Smart Speaker genre. The Bose Home Speaker 500 is the first smart speaker from the brand and has received a huge appreciation so far.
The smart speaker is coupled with microphones and comes with support for voice assistants. Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa are supported as of now. The price may be a huge deterrent in some cases, but if you believe in Bose, the smart speaker has been claimed to offer the most comprehensive stereo range ever among all the smart speakers.
Available in black and silver color options, the speaker comes with an oval and rounded shape. That should be something you would fall in love with and assured to go with any décor in your living room. The rubberized bottom is a well-thought addition that keeps the speaker on the ground even with the loudest ever sound. The front has grilles and small screen that shows the album artwork for the title you are playing right now. Given the range of smart speakers like Amazon Alexa Echo, it features a more vibrant display that provides better information. This one may be something you would not rave about.
The speaker has dual drivers pointed at sideways. This ensures the speaker to provide the broadest possible sound. You also have access to a QuietPort technology that has been one of the best from the brand. The top panel has access to a host of touch-sensitive controls. This includes play and pause button along with volume plus and minus buttons. You also have an Action button that can activate Alexa when pressed. That does not mean that you cannot call up Alexa in the usual way through voice command.
The huge plus of the device is the eight array microphone functionality. It is capable of picking up vocal commands even in a noisy environment. The Bose Music app is what you would need for set up and proper management of your Bose Smart Speaker 500. It can stream the music from a wide range of audio streaming services like Amazon, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Pandora, SiriusXM, and Spotify.
Pros
- A powerful audio performance
- Rich bass and precise high performance.
- It comes with seamless integration with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
Cons
- The price tag may be a little expensive
- The screen may not be compelling enough compared to the other smart speakers.
- Deeper bass can sometimes cause a rattling like sound.
Bose Home Speaker 300 – A Concise Review
If the expensive price tag of Bose Home Speaker 500 drives you away from it, the newly launched Bose Home Speaker 300 should be ideal for your budget. The speaker is considerably smaller than its bigger sibling but offers you a great deal of performance.
Of course, the top volume is likely to be an issue in many cases when it comes to low-frequency output, but the overall performance was impressive enough. Looks are impressive with the oval shape and upright design. The speaker is available in black and silver color options. The features like the front screen and the control buttons on the top are similar to the ones found on the Home Speaker 500.
The smart speaker is compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. The default medium for the speaker is WiFi connectivity. You will need the Bose Music app for setting up your speaker and managing it. The app is available on Android and iOS smartphones.
The functionality with your voice commands is impressive. The mic responds to even the murmurs with ease. The speaker comes with a mono driver that down fires. In essence, in spite of being a smaller and compact, the smart speaker, it lives up to the expectations. It provides you access to some of the best features and functions akin to those on the larger model.
Pros
- An excellent and powerful audio output
- Richer bass performance
- Better highs
- Seamless integration with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa
Cons
- Bass can be disturbed to an extent
- Voice commands with Alexa / Google Assistant may take a little slower.
Sonos One (Gen 2) – The Clear Winner
Sonos in general and Sonos One, in particular, has been the huge success when it comes to the Smart Speakers. It goes without saying that the Sonos One has been the hot favorite with the audiophiles who have been looking ahead for the best in a Smart Speaker.
It was the only device when it launched to feature both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. The performance and versatile design have been a few features that have made it a perfect option for the best among the smart speakers.
The speaker comes with a coffee can like structure and should be something you would fall for. The top of the speaker is flat and features touch-sensitive controls. The speaker – just like most of the smart speakers – provides you access to the multi-room audio experience.
Sonos One comes with the companion app for providing you with the best ever experience for setting up and managing your speaker to a greater extent. What makes it a perfect option is it supports over 50 different audio streaming services. That should be a whopping number. Some prominent mentions would include Amazon Music, Apple Music, Google Play Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, and Spotify.
You can play your own music as well from the local storage like smartphone, laptop, or your desktop computer.
Compatibility with both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa is just tremendous and seamless. Apart from playing music, you can indulge with other general queries as well with the voice assistants. It beats most of the speakers currently available when you think of the performance. You can be assured of the loudest musical experience.
Pros
- Multi-room audio performance
- Flexible stereo and surround sound options
- Great audio experience.
Cons
- The sound can be a little distorted with the higher volumes
- No Bluetooth connectivity options
The Comparison Chart: Bose Home Speaker 300 vs 500 vs Sonos One
Having studied the three competing smart speakers, here are the specific features that the three speakers offer in a tabular manner. This will go a long way in letting you competitively find the features.
| Features and Particulars | Bose Home Speaker 300
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Bose Home speaker 500
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Sonos One (Gen 2)
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| Physical Dimensions | 6.3 x 5.6 x 4.0 inches | 6.7 x 4.3 x 8 inches | 4.7 x 4.7 x 6.4 inches |
| Weight | 2.1 pounds | 4.65 pounds | 4.08 pounds |
| Type | Smart speaker | Smart speaker | Smart speaker |
| Internet streaming services supported | Amazon, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Pandora, SiriusXM, and Spotify | Amazon, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Pandora, SiriusXM, and Spotify | AccuRadio, Amazon Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, Anghami, Apple Music, Audiobooks, Bandcamp, Calm Radio, Classical Archives, Concert Vault, CustomChannels, DAR.fm, Deezer, Fit Radio, Focus@Will, Gaana, Google Play Music, Groove Music, Hearts of Space, Hotelradio.fm, Hype Machine, LivePhish, MLB.com Gameday Audio, Mixcloud, Mood:Mix, Murfie, Napster, Pandora, ROCK-BOT, RUSC Old Time Radio, Radionomy, SOUND MACHINE, Saavn, SiriusXM internet radio, Slacker Personal Radio, SoundCloud, Spotify, Spreaker, Stingray, Stitcher, TIDAL, Tribe of Noise, TuneIn, batanga, iHeartRadio, nugs.net, radioPup |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | WiFi |
| Integrated components | 8 microphones array, clock | 8 microphones array, LCD, clock | 6 microphones array |
| Type of amplification | Active | Active | Active |
| Connectivity technology | Wired and wireless | Wired and wireless | Wired and wireless |
| Audio amplifier | Integrated | Integrated | Integrated |
| Speaker channel Type | Mono | Stereo | Mono |
| Driver type | Single driver | full-range driver | mid/woofer driver, tweeter driver |
| Number of drivers | One | Two | One |
| Voice assistants supported | Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa | Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa | Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa |
| Voice control type | Direct | Direct | Direct |
The table above shows that the speakers do not have much of a difference among themselves. Technical parameters of the three competing devices are almost similar, with just a few simple changes.
Which one should you go with?
Well, that would be something quite dependable. It depends upon your exact preferences. Choose the options that perfectly meets your requirements. Even though the Sonos One has been around for a long time and has even received a recent upgrade. The 2019 edition of the smart speaker comes with new and improved feature sets.
It remains the hot favorite for most of us audiophiles.
However, if you are looking for a change and already have a set of smart speakers from Bose, a new set of Home Speakers can provide you a seamless integration for a multi-room experience. In all other circumstances, we would go with Sonos One as an inexpensive option the best experience in a great smart speaker.
That was a fair and complete comparison between the three competing smart speakers. We assume this comparison has helped you arrive at the right choice for the right speaker that perfectly matches the ambiance you are looking for.