I think this is one of the best reviews I’ve seen. Well articulated, precise, and I really appreciate the fact that you have used a professional mic to record the sound which gives the listener a clear sound profile of the device. Well done and keep up. Hope sound touch 30 will make an appearance. Cheers
Wow, that is indeed very kind of you to say.. This is a new channel and comments like yours , likes and subscriptions really help. So thank you very much :))
Very good, and thoughtful review. I really appreciate the time and effort to being this relevant information to light for whomever wants to seek it out.
great review. thank you for breaking it up into chapters as I was able to bounce back and forth between the different audio tests to understand the differences.
yep, definitely the best review, stayed til the very end... high quality recording equipment is always appreciated, you can really tell the difference!! thank you for sharing ! keep up !
I've been looking at the Bose Home Speaker 300, so your review was helpful. You did a very good joy with the review, it was very thorough. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for leaving a comment Ron. I am so glad that you found it to be thorough helpful :) If you get a chance, please free to have a look at my other videos and subscribe if you like the general theme and approach of my channel to keep an eye on the future videos :)
A lot has happened during covid.... Most of my household belongings are now in storage (including my full stereo system) as we now share a home with others. As such, I picked up the Home 500 as a mobile/portable/compact unit & have been pleasantly surprised. The Bluetooth system is what I use (full library of tracks stored), the app I use for this has it's own treble/base controller & I'm able to customise to my hearing & the situation & level of volume. All in all, quite happy with it.
Damn. Hats off to you man. I'm a new Bose user. So far I have purchased NC700, QC Earbuds and NC neckband. I'm listening through my NC700 and I'm impressed with Sound touch20 that makes me want to get that nstead of the 500. I'm here because I was comparing 500 vs 300 but i'm with Soundtouch, it reminds me of my sound editing days inside/outside the booth while we produce music xx Thanks heaps!
Sorry me again, i guess sound touch 20 is no longer available. Would you have any recommendation? Or is it all Bose now diving into the more base fad??
Hey!! Thanks a lot for such kind words! It always helps to know that people find my videos helpful :) To be honest, i was in similar place at the time when I wanted to buy a speaker for myself, which is what made me create this video as there wasn't and proper review on these speakers. Anyhow, I also struggled to make the choice between HS-500 and ST-20. I definitely had a preference for ST-20's sound signature being a long-ish term Bose user. But inspite I went ahead with HS-500 and true it took a bit of adjusting to the new sound signature but I got there :D. Another reason for opting for HS-500 was that it is more technologically updated so no lag when u start playing music, has a display so fits better in a living room, smaller in size than ST-20 and looks better.. Because speakers like these are not only all about sound but also about 'do they fit my house'. Anyhow that was my thinking / process when it came down to selecting between the speakers. Between 500 and 300, I would definitely recommend 500 as it is more fuller sounding than 300. If you are based in the UK then Bose offers 90 days no questions asked return policy. I am yet to get my hands on a Sonos, I have one at my workplace and I know it sounds good, but until i have tested it myself, I can't recommend it. Though Sonos also offer a similar 90 days return policy. "Or is it all Bose now diving into the more base fad??" unfortunately Yes. Not going 'all-in' but definitely seems to be leaning a bit in that direction. PS: ST-20s are available on Bose online outlet store, if u really like it PPS: Considering you are a NC-700 user and have a bit of a history with Bose products, I would also recommend watching this video review of the Bose NC 700 Headphones. Would love to hear your thoughts :) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-e2wdpApvP20.html Hope this helps. Thanks
I really like your reviews, but the best part is your voice. It's so relaxing and soothing that you should do ASMR videos. You definitely have an awesome radio or speaking/narrator voice. You should go for that in addition to your regular tech videos. Anything you do voice work for will be great.
Thanks!! That's really kind of you to say and very flattering!! I am so glad that you enjoy my reviews and to be honest with you I never thought that someone would find my voice to be awesome. I didn't know about ASMR up until I saw this message and noticed that some of my videos have been added to a few asmr playlists on RU-vid. I will look in to ASMR and explore it. Thanks again for watching, leaving a comment and the compliment :)
Ok, so I was not the only one to like your voice. Not everyone really understands ASMR, because only some of the entire population can actually respond to it. Many might get a response, but they try and ignore it and they don't get the full benefit because they don't lean into it. I find it hard to believe that so many people aren't pleased by the relaxing nature of someone speaking in a calming and relaxing tone or pitch. I know we all have trouble properly hearing our own voices, so it's probably hard for you to hear it yourself. LOL
This is by the best detailed review on youtube. My only critique is to do a sound test with different genres of music to get the full range of the speakers quality. Thanks for review.
Thanks Kamikaze Oda, so glad you liked it and thanks a lot for the feedback. Very helpful. I will tty and incorporate more genres in the upcoming reviews 🙂❤️
It is one of the best reviews I have ever come across. Hats off to you man. I have a Soundtouch 20. I like it a lot because of its rich bass and warm sound signature. Hs 500 is punchier I guess but st 20 wins in bass appeal.
Hi Patricia, thanks for leaving a comment. I personally preferred 500 over st20 as it newer and hence is a bit more responsive than ST20. I also own NC 700 and both the 500 and NC700 can then run using the same app. Overall in terms of sound quality, both are great just have different sound signatures. So in the end it boils down to which sound signature you prefers between the two. Hope this helps :)
Great video ..i have Soundtouch & a 500 ..i use them in different roons for different applications..i have found the Soundtouch best for listening to an 86 year radio show (Australian -"Yes What" )..originally recored on cassette ..then t/ferred to Sony minidics ...now onto DVD ...gives clear vocals..... separation & picks up the studio sound effects well ..😅😅😅
I'm looking for a new Bose compact speaker to replace my cinemate 15 and checked the small soundflex and the Revolve link. But probably go for the 500 which will be the best compromise I think ;) Thank you for the exhausted review
Hi Treed, thank for your comment. That's actually on my list. Unfortunately here in UK Bose has paused sending out review units due to covid. But this freeze should end in a month or two. I will definitely try and do a comparison then 🙂
@@ToThePointReviewsComparisons have just sold my bose range which consisted of Acoustimass 6 series V and Bose 301 series V speakers I'm sick of wires even though system was perfect every other way... I can't afford the bose 700 sound bar but am thinking of a wave IV I've kept x2 speakers from the acoustimass surround.. 🤔 Dyou have any suggestions it's just for my flat the bose sound touch 300 I'm going to avoid also because as you confirmed a fear of mine of sound lag... I think I may need to wire something for being able to watch it with TV 🤔🤔any suggestions of what to look at i will be grateful, and also thanks for getting to crucial functional points in your reviews no waffling and singing for your dinner like the rest of the reviewers
Hi, sorry for the late reply but I had been awaiting some information from Bose in order to answer your question properly. My understanding is that you are looking for somewhat of an 'all-in-one' speaker which allows you to wireless listen to music and also potentially connect it to your TV. I looked at a few options but depending on your budget you can choose one. Please feel free to get back to me should you need anything else, always happy to help :) -- OPTION 01 -- Bose Soundbar 300 or 500 or 700: I know you mentioned that 700 is a bit out of your range, but in that case Bose also has 300 and 500 soundbars which have similar functionality to the 700 but are smaller in size. Another difference is that 300 and 500 support Dolby Digital and PCM whereas 700 supports DD, PCM and DTS. All of them support Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay and can connect to Spotify for playing music and have HDMI port for connecting them to TV. Soundbar 300 is about £400 which is £100 cheaper than Wave. The good thing is that it will give you much better stereo for TV in comparison to Wave. Plus will be easier to fit in front of the TV, making things look neat as well. More importantly you can build this out with time where in you can add a woofer and rear speakers as and when you are ready for it. -- OPTION 02 -- Sonos Beam: Costs the same as Bose Soundbar 300 with similar functionalities and audio codec support (DD and PCM). One thing i really don't like about Sonos is lack of Bluetooth support. (I mean come on Sonos!). It also allows you to pair Sonos One SL and wireless woofer enabling flexible building of the whole system with time. -- OPTION 03 -- Apart from the above two, if you are still not sure and want something compact, then you could potentially look in to Bose 300 or 500. I currently only have the Bose Home Speaker 500 and it doesn't lag as much anymore (latest firmware) for Bluetooth audio playback from tablets, mobiles and desktops. AirPlay also works fine mostly but is a little laggy in comparison to the Bluetooth connections. I would suggest 500 over 300 has it has 2 speakers, so will be better for TV audio playback and you can always use the headphone jack on the TV to connect it to the home speaker 500 Aux Port. That way you can swtich between sources (Aux, Bluetooth or Spotify) as needed. Wired connection will also remove the lag. I have personally not tested the AUX port to check but I don't see any issue. Of course, Home Speaker 500's primary purpose isn't for TV use so it won't be take advantage of surround audio formats like DD, DTS and so on. -- PRODUCT LINKS -- Bose Home Speaker 500: amzn.to/2VZukBV Bose Soundbar 300: amzn.to/37JQg6k Bose Soundbar 500: amzn.to/3g7vLF7 Bose Soundbar 700: amzn.to/37OMqZA Bose Bass Module 500: amzn.to/2Ulagcm Bose Bass Module 700: amzn.to/3k1xM6W Bose Surround Speakers: amzn.to/3yT4f5R Sonos Beam: amzn.to/3AOYNBh Sonos One SL: amzn.to/3xLaqaE Sonos Woofer: amzn.to/2VXFO8C -- OUTLET STORE WEBSITES -- Both Bose and Sonos have outlet stores where you might be able to find these products for a bit less. For e.g. Soundbar 300 on Bose Outlet website is for £300 instead of £400. Outlet speakers are refurbs which look and work like brand new speakers and even have the same 2 years warranty (in the UK) Bose: www.bose.co.uk/en_gb/products/outlet.html Sonos: www.sonos.com/en-gb/shop/certified-refurbished-2 -- RELATED VIDEO / ALSO WATCH -- Bose Home Speaker 500 Detailed Review: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-JB9M91u2ci4.html Hope this helps :))
Hi Micheal, thanks for your comment. So glad that you found it helpful. The good thing about Sonos is (please double check) that they can be paired to produce stereo, which in my opinion doesn't make a huge difference because music seldom requires 2 distinct channels. Overall Sonos also produce great bass and mids lack a tiny bit when it comes to highs. Music can be so subjective so let me ask you this: what's the conflicting thought you have between these two speakers or why would you choose one over the other?
@@ToThePointReviewsComparisons Appreciate your input and greetings from Manhattan. My main worry about the Bose 500 are that many who have issues with the software, dropped WiFi, sudden loudness etc. Seems like 25% have these issues but the others are pretty happy. Overall I prefer the Bose sound but haven’t yet heard 2 X Sonos and unlikely to unless I buy and return them. Tough decision?
Ooh!! hello! Manhattan! What a place! On my list. Hello from London! :) Makes sense.. so I have personally sampled both.. 500 I own and Sonos at workplace. In my opinion both sound amaze balls. 500 is a tiny bit brighter. Sonos has a bit more thumpy bass for its size. My 500 is placed in my study which is miles (not literally of course) away from the router and I personally have faced any issues thus far. It just sits there in its place looking pretty and works when I want it to. Here in UK Bose allows you to buy and return for 90 days in case you don't like their products. So maybe try that. Sobos offers exactly the same. Not sure if that's the case in US though. Another thing I love about Bose is its customer service. They have never made me jump though hoops or let me down. The standard of interaction overall is very good (even during covid times where in many other companies has slipped sooo bad!)
Thank you so much for the review! I would only suggest for the sound comparison, play the same song on in each speaker but in a intercalated fashion and going back in loop to the first, just to make easier distinguishing the sound characteristics on each. Thank you again. Could you compare Sonos with Bose?
Hi, thanks a lot for leaving a comment :) Not 100% sure if I understand. When you say 'intercalated' do you mean play the same song on the but alternate between the speakers through the lengthnof the speakers so that the listener can listen to difference between the three speakers as the sound alternates between the speakers? If so, yes definitely happy to take this as a feedback for future videos. This was my first ever RU-vid review so I had limited experience in editing at the time. As for Bose Vs Sonos is something on my list and I am aiming to do that early next year :)
Thanks for your review. I recently bought the Home Speaker 500. It sounds amazing, though some of the functionality I do not like, but overall I l'm happy with my purchase.
Awesome! I hope you enjoy your purchase and thanks a lot for leaving me a comment. I always love to hear from my audience 🙂. That being said, please check out my channel and subscribe if you want to keep an eye out on my upcoming videos : )
I tend to keep them at default else I end up adjusting it constantly coz I can be very picky about settings.. If I leave it at default then I just get a consistent performance no matter the song. Though i feel that there are some music genres where in you might want bass to be much more dominant in which case I would pump the lows to 6 and treble to 2. Though the speaker is quite bright out of the box so I seldom need to up the treble :)
Hi, yes you should be able to group speakers if they are Bose, have bluetooths and are listed in the compatibility list. This is achieved via Bose SimpleSync. See link below: www.bose.co.uk/en_gb/better_with_bose/simplesync.html Compatibility list for SimpleSync www.bose.co.uk/en_gb/support/article/using-groups.html Hope this helps :)
Hello, I had a question regarding the Home Speaker 500. I recently purchased the Portable Home Speaker but had to return it soon after as I was having multiple issues with Alexa not responding properly. I was looking to replace it with either the Home Speaker 500 or even 300 but have since seen a couple of things regarding the 500 that has threw me off a little. From a couple videos I’ve watched here on RU-vid and a review I seen online, apparently the Home Speaker 500 can run into what appears to sound like rattling/ distortion problems when playing more bass focused tracks at higher volume levels. Have you ran into this problem at all? I know for definite that some others have experienced these problems as again, there’s videos on here showing this issue in full effect but I’m just wondering if it’s more of a fault on their units specifically or actually a fault with the 500 model in general. Thank you in advance!
Hi Lewis, thanks for reaching out. Regarding the rattling issue, I personally haven’t had this issue whatsoever. I believe rattling can be caused at times due to the placement of the speaker. For this reason mine sits on a solid surface by the window. The surface is made of wood and has no moving parts. Placement is very important as slight imbalances can cause the speaker to rattle. I think I have covered this topic in this or the dedicated video for the 500 video: m.ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-JB9M91u2ci4.html Hope this helps. Please feel free to reach out should you have more questions 🙂🙂
Wow, Thanks for the quick response! Really appreciate it. Thanks for the insight also, that’s some solid advice so I’ll definitely take that into consideration. I’m glad to know you haven’t experienced any of those problems with your unit, definitely makes me a little more inclined to actually pick the 500 up. One more question if you don’t mind me asking, would you recommend picking up two 300 models over a single 500? I only ask as I was thinking that if I did decide to go down that route, I could place one on each nightstand at either side of my bed. (I intend to use either option as the main audio setup for my bedroom)
Thanks Lewis. I would have replied earlier but I was sleeping :D Though jokes apart, I tend to reply as soon as I see a message :) Between 300 and 500, I prefer 500 because it’s stereo. 300 isn’t. If you were to purchase 2x 300 for each side of the bed, they won’t act like stereo. For that I would suggest looking in to Sonos. Buying 2x 300s will also be costlier without a clear return for that money. The only time I would suggest 300 is if the room you are gonna place them is quite small. Thanks again for reaching out. I love engaging with my audience (doesn’t matter if one subscribes or not) so please also feel free to reach out 🙂🙂
Hah! I’ll be completely honest, it’s nearly 9am here in the UK and I haven’t slept a wink all night so I can’t say I’m not at least a little jealous. 🤣 It really is great that you do take the time out of your day to engage with your audience. Considering this video is a year old, I was pleasantly surprised I received a response from you to begin with! You’ve definitely earned a new subscriber for that alone! Regarding the speakers, overall I did expect the 500 to pack significantly more punch than the 300 on its own. In your opinion, do you really think the 500 alone packs more raw power than a pair of 300s? If so that must be a pretty significant amount of sound the 500 is putting out especially for its relatively small form factor. I’ll be completely honest, because it’s just for a bedroom setup and not part of a full living room setup around a TV for example, I’m not overly fussed with it being stereo sound or mono for this specific scenario, just looking for best overall output. (I’m sure that statement alone would have many audiophiles shaking in their boots) I actually do already own a Sonos One and so could easily go down the Sonos ecosystem route if I really wanted to. The thing is though, recently I’ve been sort of put off the company in general. I noticed they started hiking up the prices for some of their existing products from what appeared to be out of no where which I just thought overall was a little shady. I could understand coming out with new and improved products and pricing them a little higher than past models but for me the fact that they just randomly decided to slap an extra 50/ 100 onto some of the existing products in their lineup without anything in particular to make it justifiable was just a bit shady in my eyes.
I have purchased bose home speaker 300 and my speaker responds very slow while giving alexa command and bluetooth connectivity does drops for a fraction of sec every now and then
Hi Shalin, thanks for your comment. I would suggest that you try factory reset. See instructions here: www.bose.co.uk/en_gb/support/articles/HC2563/productCodes/bose_home_speaker_300/article.html if you have the same problem after, then I would suggest contacting the customer support. Hope this helps. thanks.
Hi Anita, thanks for the comment. I personally own the Home Speaker 500 now. I decided to keep this one thinking that it supports AirPlay and has a full screen display. The 500 also makes sense if it’s going to the ur first Bose brand home speaker. The soundtouch 20 is legacy and 300 is too small for my room and usage. Though if you are a purist, don’t care about the new fancy features and / or own bose’a legacy speakers I would recommend going for soundtouch 20. All three sound good so you can’t go wrong with any so it will ultimately boil down to what fits ur room, budget and general technological preferences. Hope this helps. Feel free to reach out should you have more questions :)
Also check out this review if you are leaning towards the 500 😊 Bose Home Speaker 500: A Detailed Review Feb 2021 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-JB9M91u2ci4.html
The audio signature changed in the new line I have the soundtouch 20 and also the home speaker 500 in my case I heard a bass with a better punch in the soundtouch and I felt that the 500 lacked a little more definition in the bass as very weak I had to adjust them in the application and I really like it better that everything comes well adjusted from the factory, the old Bose sound is for me the best. good the option of the sub in Spanish
I agree.. Soundtouch has a more well rounded audio profile which makes the bass more natural sounding. home speaker 500 sound more thumpy rather than well rounded. I think this was the compromise made in order to reduce the overall footprint. Glad that you found the Spanish subs helpful.. and thanks for leaving a comment :))
Thanks for your question Ishika. When you say connect to 500 and Soundtouch 20 at the same time, do you mean if you can play the same audio on 500 and 20 using one device?
@@ToThePointReviewsComparisons yes I have a sound touch 20 already, and I am thinking of buying home 500, but only if I can sync and play the audio at the same time
Hi, i never faced any issues with the operation range of the remote. I used it in my living room at an average distance of 3-ish meters. Not sure it would perform in rooms bigger than that. Hope this helps
I have two sound touch 30’s and three 20’s, obviously I’m in for a lot of Money but now the internet radio app isn’t compatible anymore (due to licensing issues I believe)for foreign stations, this makes the speakers pretty useless to me, Bose don’t seem interested in sorting out an alternative platform, this makes it just a Bluetooth speaker now and a very expensive one at that, so I wouldn’t buy if I were you
Hi Shahrass.. In my personal opinion I find Harmon Kardon products tend to produce less well-rounded sound in comparison to Bose and Sonos. Even though HK has been pricing it's poducts similar to these brands and that HK products also tend to focus on asthetics and design unfortunately they don't deliver that well in audio reproduction. But again this can change based on who's listening and the preference for sound signature. HK deliver good bass and highs but the mids end up being quite muddy and somewhat unsynced with the rest of the spectrum. Also its worth noting that these are not portable speakers whereas Go Play is a portable speaker. So these speakers might not be direct comparison. I hope this helps. Please feel free to reach out should you have more questions. I love engaging with my audience 🙂
Hi carlcat. Thanks for your question. Both Home Speaker 500 and 300 have voice assistants built-in including Alexa and Google. Soundtouch series doesn't have any voice assistant built in. Some topline differences between 500 and 300 are - Size, - Audio driver setup (2.0 vs mono) - In-built LCD Hope this helps 🙂
I switched back and forward to a particular part of the song between the soundtouch and the 500 and I found the soundtouch had a better sound ! The 500 had this sound as if had a blanket over it or a filter,odd ? I love Bose,I have 3 sound plates at all TVs, 2 soundtouch 10 both paired and Bose noise cancelling headphones. I find no lag whatsoever with spottily and who uses these speakers to watch a movie ! I wish you used a SOUNDTOUCH 30 !!! This would have kicked the 500;s ass ! This was a great unit, bassy great treble and heavy due to the big speaker inside ! I don't need a screen,this is for young people who love anything with a screen :) I just use the app or remote ,so simple. I can't stand these voice activated devices, they open the wrong request and then your constantly telling it to stop !!! In Australia the Bose 500 is a unbelievable expensive $599 ! So forget that,I'm chasing down a good used Bose soundtouch 30 :)
I couldn't agree more. When i was reading your comment, it felt like you had read exactly what I had in my mind when I was in the process of evaluating these units. I personally was also aiming for 30 but couldn't find it whatsoever!! To your point.. 'Who cares about the screen'! Thanks for leaving a comment : )
Hi, none of them are powered by battery. The home speaker range is geared towards home use. Though Bose doesnoffer anportable range as well. Hope this helps :)
@@ToThePointReviewsComparisons I have been confused for 2-3 days straight, after asking you the Q I got confused between Bose Portable Home Speaker & Apple HomePod, dropped ST 30 (mostly as it was not on discount), finally went ahead with the Bose one cos of versatility and multiple connectivity options! Hope I made the right choice, would like to invest a more substantial amount when I can physically check the sound signature and look n feel. Thanks a ton though for being kind enough to take out time to reply, it helped a lot and I really appreciate it, you earned a perma sub 😊👍🏻
@@ToThePointReviewsComparisons very good satisfying answer. I think HS 300 would suit me.One more question,is soundtouch 20 better than Hs 300 in terms of quality sound?
@@ToThePointReviewsComparisons sir I am using t bose hs 500 and have heard t soundtouch 20 as well.i feel t hs 500 has more bass and a better sound signature compared to t 20 which I think sounds flat.pls.give ur thoughts
Poor quality LCD Display with light bleed and washed out look is what you should expect from a BOSE Product, BOSE is NOT High Quality audio and Not Audiophile quality. JBL Link View 500 is a much better speaker and it costs less and has a Full Color Display that can play videos.
Good for you bud! As an “audiophile” you must understand that what’s sound good to your ears doesn’t mean it sounds good to others! If JBL is the shit for you the shut the fxck up and keep it pushing bud don’t be a female and make it all about you!