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The new Smart Soundbar is a refreshed version of the Bose Smart Soundbar 600. It has the same dimensions, connectivity, and speakers as the 600. Two software features distinguish the new Smart Soundbar from the older Smart Soundbar 600.
The first software feature, AI Dialogue Mode, uses machine learning to adjust your audio’s tonal balance. As a result, the soundbar will enhance or minimize lower- or higher-frequency sounds in real-time to help you hear dialogue more clearly.
AI dialogue didn’t compromise the loudness or intensity of explosions or musical stings while I watched Twisters. And while the loud winds of the tornadoes in the movie ripped through the town, I could still hear what Glen Powell was saying through his character’s thick country accent.
Also: Bose Ultra Open review
During Monday Night Football broadcasts, the AI dialogue feature made the broadcasters’ voices sound strange, forced, and unnatural unless the fans in the stadium were drowning out their voices. This feature is useful, but only when you’re having genuine trouble hearing the speakers’ voices.
You can enable Personal Surround Sound with the Bose Smart Soundbar and Ultra Open earbuds in the Bose app.
Jada Jones/ZDNET
Unlike Sonos’ TV Audio Swap, Bose’s Personal Surround Sound doesn’t mute the soundbar once the earbuds enter the chat. You can still hear the soundbar clearly, thanks to the earbuds’ open design, and the earbuds supply a subtle boost to the soundbar’s audio output. And it is very subtle.
Otherwise, the new Smart Soundbar is equipped with AirPlay, Bluetooth, Spotify Connect, and built-in Chromecast and Roku TV. Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s voice assistant are compatible with the soundbar, and Dolby Atmos is available.
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If your TV doesn’t have an eARC port, which encodes audio in Dolby Atmos, Bose’s new soundbar is fitted with Bose TrueSpace processing. This feature processes non-Atmos audio and adds more height and depth to the audio through the upfiring speakers, heightening the immersive experience. You can plug the included optical audio cord into your TV and download the Bose app to tweak the height of the audio channels.
ZDNET’s buying advice
The new Bose Smart Soundbar to get the most out of this soundbar. The Personal Surround Sound feature is cool if you already have the Ultra Open and are considering this soundbar. However, the feature adds so little to the overall user and listening experience that it’s not worth spending an extra $300 for the earbuds. For $100 extra, you can buy a pair of Bose surround speakers