Bose soundbar 500 VS 700. Overview and comparison of both the soundbars

Soundbars are becoming more of the norm nowadays. And when it comes to buying one, you will come across so many choices out there from well-known brands. Among many of them, Bose soundbar 500 vs. 700 is a widespread debate you will come across.

Well, it comes from the same brand, so there is no easy choice. So, how do you choose between the two? Here, I will go through an overview of both the soundbars and their comparison that will help you select one for sure.

Without wasting further time, let’s get going here.

Let’s check out both the soundbars one by one so you can have an idea of each of them. Later on, we will move into a comparison that will help you differentiate between the two and see which one suits your needs the most.

Overview of Bose 500

First, I will go through the earlier version, which is the Bose 500 soundbar. Let’s take a look at the technical specs before we dive into the details of this one.

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Bose Soundbars 500 Specs

• Number of Channels: 3
• Surround Sound: Stereo
• Audio Processing: Dolby Digital
• Bluetooth: Yes
• Wireless App: Apple Airplay
• Voice Assistant Support: Yes
• Product Dimensions: 4 x 31.5 x 1.75 inches
• Item Weight: 7 pounds

Bose Soundbars 500 Features

Design and build 

There are lots of things you can talk about about the Bose 500. Starting with the design and looks, I can’t say I have any issues with it. It has got a very high-end finish, just as you would expect from a Bose soundbar. It has got a matte black finish which suits most of the home theater setups with ease.

Something to love about the building aspect of this soundbar is its size. It doesn’t have an awkwardly large dimension which makes it great for your home theater setup. Also, with its sleek design, you can hardly notice the soundbar taking up any space in front of your tv.

Sound quality 

The most important factor of a soundbar is, of course, its sound quality. With this one, you don’t need to worry too much. Even if you don’t get those extra satellite speakers or subwoofers, you will get a decent sound quality on this one. The volume control on the soundbar is perfect for small to medium-sized rooms.

You get some sharp and clear sounds that will feel very much accurate in your ears for the quality. You can quickly tell the difference between the mid and high frequencies. As for the bass, it’s not too overwhelming, but you always have the option to go for a subwoofer to boost that part.

Altogether, the sound quality of this soundbar is more than satisfying enough, and you won’t have any issues with it whatsoever.

Related: Soundbar vs Speakers Comparison Guide

Additional features 

Well, it’s not a smart setup if you don’t have an Alexa or Google Assistant integration in your device. On this one, you get built-in amazon Alexa that is supported by eight internal microphones. So, you don’t even need to get up from your couch to get this thing going at times.

Also, it has got a remote so you can control everything anyway. With that, you get intelligent streaming features to stream your favorite music using the soundbar. You can also connect your smartphone with the soundbar to play music from your phone as well.

Overall, it comes with features that you will love to have in your home theater setup. And there is nothing to worry about the quality of this, as it comes from Bose, a well-known brand for audio equipment.

Related: HW-Q800T vs HW-Q900T Soundbar

Overview of Bose 700

Now that you have an idea of Bose 500, let’s go through a bit with the competition you might want to check out. It’s the Bose 700, a later version of the similar Bose 500, so it all comes down to what upgrades you get here.

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Bose Soundbars 700 Specs

• Number of Channels: 3
• Surround Sound: Stereo
• Audio Processing: Dolby Digital, DTS
• Bluetooth: Yes
• Voice Assistant Support: Yes
• Product Dimensions: 4.25 x 38.5 x 2.25 inches
• Item Weight: 10.5 pounds

Bose Soundbars 700 Features

Design and build 

The Bose 700 soundbar comes with unique designs and styles that you would love to have in your setup. It has a sleek rectangular design with a glossy finish that screams out the word premium from it. When you have an expensive high-end tv to pair it up within your living room, this is the very best you can ask in terms of looks.

Well, just having the looks will not do that good if it’s not sturdy, right? But with this one, you don’t have to worry about that either. The build quality is quite good.

However, one challenging aspect of this one is the glass top it has. While it makes the soundbar look gorgeous, it can catch dust and fingerprints very quickly. So, to maintain the looks of your soundbar better throughout the usage, you will have to clean it a lot.

Sound quality 

When you need that balanced sound quality to enjoy music, this is the soundbar you will turn to. It comes with significant control over the volume and the frequencies that don’t have any overwhelming ends. Also, it has got support for both Dolby Atmos and DTS, which can have many impacts when you complete the surround sound setup for your home theater.

This soundbar doesn’t come with any sound enhancement or proper correction. In reality, you don’t need that coming from the soundbar because it just gives you more natural sounds to work with. And when you watch those movies or tv shows with this soundbar, you get the real sounds the way they were meant to be heard.

However, if you are a bass lover, I wouldn’t say this is an excellent pick. At least, with the soundbar the only option, you will not get that much of a decent bass coming from it. You will have to opt for a subwoofer to ensure you get the best possible bass output coming from the soundbar.

Additional features 

There are a lot of things that you can get on the Bose 700 soundbar as a feature. First of all, it has got that advanced audio codec setup for excellent surround sound facilities. Along with that, you get some advanced features as well.

You get built-in Chromecast support from this soundbar along with Alexa, Apple Airplay as well. Aside from that, you also get a universal remote with this soundbar that lets you control all kinds of audio equipment you have alongside this one.

The best thing about this one is that optical cable you get along with the package. You don’t usually get that facility with most soundbars out there. So, altogether it’s a great deal to grasp.

Related: Best Soundbar for Samsung TV

Bose soundbar 500 vs. 700 comparison 

Let’s talk about the comparison and see which one works out for you the best in what aspect.

• Features

In terms of features, I would say Bose 700 has the upper hand over the Bose 500. It comes with support for Dolby Atmos and DTS, whereas you don’t get that on Bose 500. Also, it has got built-in Chromecast support that isn’t available for Bose 500.

Overall, in terms of features, Bose 700 is a better choice than Bose 500 without any questions whatsoever.

• Sound quality

As for the sound quality, there is no clear winner here. If you like to listen to music with more natural tones and sound quality, then Bose 700 is a better pick. But if you want to enjoy music with some effects and decent bass, then Bose 500 should be your choice.

However, you can get a good setup and powerful bass for both the soundbars if you opt for additional speakers and subwoofers. In that case, Bose 700 has a better value with the DTS and Dolby surround features.

• Price

A clear difference you get between these soundbars is in their price. The Bose 500 is cheaper than the Bose 700, which can decide for choosing one of them. However, there are several reasons that Bose 700 costs more than Bose 500.

You get surround sound codec access on Bose 700 along with an optical cable in the package. So, you are getting some value out of the extra cost.

Related: Bose 901 Review

Conclusion 

In short, choosing one between Bose soundbar 500 vs. 700 is going to come down to your budget and how much you want to spend. As for the quality and performance, the difference isn’t that much. But if you fancy some audio codecs for surround sound, then getting the Bose 700 is your clear choice.

And if you don’t want to upgrade too much while having decent bass quality with some sound enhancements, then Bose 500 should be your pick. Overall, both the soundbars are great for quality and performance, and you wouldn’t regret getting any of them.