Although my usual recommendation for people looking to buy a new soundbar is to pay less than $500, there are plenty of reasons to spend more. Whether you’re hoping to upgrade an entry-level model, or looking to match a new high-end 4K TV for performance, nicer soundbars from the likes of Vizio, Sonos and Bose have a lot to offer. The new Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar is a great option and includes some key improvements from the previous Smart Soundbar 900.
This Bose soundbar includes all of the features I am looking for, including Dolby Atmos playback, music streaming and voice control. With new additions such as AI Dialogue and Voice4Video, the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar is able to improve both functionality and performance. As a result, the Bose Smart Ultra is the best single soundbar I’ve tested for under $1,000. It sounds great whether you’re listening to music or watching a movie, and it’s not half-bad looking either.Â
That said, the Smart Ultra is not the last word on value. The Vizio Elevate is a much better deal right now — it’s discounted to just $600 — plus it offers dedicated surrounds and a subwoofer. Meanwhile, Bose’s closest rival — the Sonos Arc — is also available at a significant discount at the time of writing ($719). If you want the best sound from a single bar and don’t want to pay for the Sennheiser Ambeo Max, then this Bose is the one to get.
Design and Features
Firstly, a look at those improvements on the original Smart Soundbar 900. Seemingly everything is “AI” these days and the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar has also been painted with the robot brush. The Ultra includes a new AI Dialogue Mode, which uses “machine learning” to bring voices to the forefront. True to the “smart” name, the soundbar also features Amazon Alexa onboard — with the Bose Voice4Video feature, which turns a TV to the channel or input asked for. Sadly the soundbar no longer offers onboard Google Assistant, and this appears to be a Google directive as…
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