Sonos Vs Bose (Ultimate Sound Quality Showdown)

If you’re reading reviews for home speaker systems, chances are, you’re someone who is concerned with high-quality sound. But with so many different speakers on the market, how do you know which one to buy?

In this article, we’ll compare two of these companies’ most popular stand-alone wireless speakers (the Sonos Play:1 and the Bose SoundTouch 10), as well as two of their soundbar systems (Sonos PLAYBAR and Bose SoundTouch 300) meant for use with your TV and home theater.

Sonos

Sonos 5.1 Theater Bundle with Play:1 Speakers

Multi Room Smart Speakers
High End: Bundle with Sonos Play 5
Jump to Sonos Play:1 Review

SPECS & PRICES: See Here

Bose

Bose SoundTouch 10 Theater Bundle

Rich Warm Sound
High End: Theater Bundle with Bose SoundTouch 30
Jump to Bose SoundTouch 10 Review

SPECS & PRICES: See Here

Two of the most popular brands in the wireless home speaker game are Sonos and Bose. Each offers wireless speaker units designed to play both your own library as well as stream music from major streaming services. Both brands can also be expanded to include speakers throughout your home, playing either the same or different music.

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1. Editors Choice - EU Wonderboom

Key Features - Original Sonos Play:1 Review

Key Features - Bose SoundTouch 10 Wireless Speaker Review

Key Features - Sonos PLAYBAR TV Soundbar Review

Conclusion: Wrapping It Up

Bottom Line Up Front:

If you’re in a rush, here are the main reasons to purchase one product over the other.

Sonos Play 1

You mostly use streaming services and don’t need Bluetooth capability
You plan on having more than one speaker and want stereo sound
You don’t want to fuss with a remote control

Bose SoundTouch 10

You already have other Sonos products and want to connect with them
You want to control your audio with your existing TV remote
You’re connecting to your TV with optical output

Sonos PLAYBAR

You already have other Sonos products and want to connect with them
You want to control your audio with your existing TV remote
You’re connecting to your TV with optical output

Bose SoundTouch 300

You’re connecting to your TV with HDMI ARC
You want to control your audio from a separate remote
Having a wide, dynamic sound field is important to you

Key Features - Original Sonos Play 1 Review

Sonos Play 1

About: The Sonos Play:1 is a compact, sturdily designed wireless speaker designed to play either your library or from streaming services.

Setup for WiFi rather than Bluetooth, and controlled through the Sonos mobile app, the Play:1 is has become one of the most popular wireless speakers on the market.

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Quality

Price

Our Rating

Product Dimension

Detailed Features

Setup

The setup for the Sonos Play:1 could hardly be simpler. Once you’ve got the speaker out of the box and chosen which room you want to set up in, plug your speaker into an electrical outlet, download the Sonos app to a device that’s connected to your home wifi, select “Setup New System,” and follow the on-screen instructions.

Your speaker will be ready for action in under ten minutes.

Design

Like most of Sonos’ products, the design of the Play:1 is simple, yet elegant. Small and sturdy, the Play:1 looks at home in any room of the house and is available in white with a light metallic grille or black with a graphite grille.

As far as controls, the unit is equipped with top-panel pause/play buttons, as well as volume rocker so you can adjust the volume or skip tracks (by hitting the play button twice) right from the unit itself.

Sound Quality

The Sonos:1 is powered by Class-D amplifiers and custom-built drivers, with a 3.5” woofer and a high-end tweeter, giving it ample sound for indoor use.

For a speaker of this size, the Sonos Play:1’s sound quality is higher than you would expect. Each Play:1 has two drivers, one for mid-range/bass, and a smaller one for the tweeter, giving it deep, rich bass as well as round tones in the mid-range. You’ll be happy to find that as the volume increases, the Play:1 holds it together, with little to no distortion.

Mobile App

The Sonos app is well-designed and easy to use, making it easy to scroll through your different streaming services and libraries to choose the music you want to hear. For years, users took issue with the fact that all of their services had to work exclusively through the Sonos App. Sonos seems to have listened though because now you can also play Spotify directly through your Sonos without using the app.

If your music service of choice isn’t Spotify, though, then you’ll be restricted to using the Sonos app.

Connectivity

Because the Sonos Play:1 isn’t equipped with a battery, it must be plugged into a power outlet, which limits mobility throughout the house.

If you decide to add one or more speakers, Sonos has designed their systems to easily convert from mono to stereo, allowing you to designate speakers as left and right. You can also wirelessly add a subwoofer to handle your deeper bass needs.

Unlike some of Sonos’ other models, the Play:1 doesn’t come equipped with Alexa, but can be paired with an Amazon Echo or Dot for Alexa capability. At present, Sonos Play:1 is not compatible with Google Home nor Chromecast.

The Next Level

If you love the look and feel of the Sonos Play:1 but are ready for something with more oomph, be sure to check out the Sonos Play:3 and the Sonos Play:5.

These premium models feature the same connectivity and ease of use as the Play:1, but have more powerful drivers for fuller sound and richer bass.

Pros

Stylish and well-made
Supports Pandora, Spotify, Sirius XM, and other streaming services
Great sound quality with stereo capability
App compatible with iOS, Android, Mac or PC

Cons

No built-in battery; must be plugged in
Incompatible with iTunes radio
No Bluetooth capability
Incompatible with Google Home and Chromecast

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Key Features - Bose SoundTouch 10 Wireless Speaker Review

Bose SoundTouch 10

About: For a veteran in the wireless speaker game, Bose’s speakers are still surprisingly underdeveloped. Their SoundTouch 10 wireless speaker has many of the same features of the Sonos Play:1, but operates only in mono mode and its mobile app is less intuitive and easy-to-use than Sonos’.

SoundTouch 10 is compatible with Spotify, Pandora, iTunes and Sirius XM radio and the SoundTouch is equipped with built-in wifi as well as Bluetooth capability.

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Quality

Price

Our Rating

Product Dimension

Detailed Features

Setup

To begin setup of your Bose SoundTouch, simply plug the unit into a wall socket and install the SoundTouch app on your device. To set up your SoundTouch account, open the app, enter your WiFi password, register with Bose and you’re ready to go.

Users will find the SoundTouch app easy to use. Spotify fans can also play Spotify directly.

Design

This is the smallest of Bose’s wireless speakers, which makes it convenient to place around the house, as long as there is an outlet nearby.

To turn power on and off, pause tracks or skip tracks, users have their choice of controlling SoundTouch within the app, or with the remote control included with the unit. Status LEDs across the front panel will tell you if your speaker is connected to wifi and whether it’s playing music from auxiliary, Bluetooth, or WiFi sources.

Sound Quality

The sound quality of the SoundTouch is good, able to fill a room with sound. The bass is full and deep, but at higher volumes, we noticed that the midrange tightens up a little. The treble can have a bit of coarseness to it but still maintains high fidelity.

One of the most surprising shortcomings of the SoundTouch is that the sound is mono rather than stereo. Incredibly enough, even with multiple speakers, there’s no option to set them as left and right, so a stereo option is not possible, no matter how many speakers you add.

Mobile App

Despite the ease of use, there seem to be a few oversights in the SoundTouch app design, although these are balanced with a few solid features. Two noticeable blind spots are that there is no way to add tracks to a playlist on the fly nor is there a universal search function.

Instead of these, there are six handy pre-set buttons, both within the app and on the unit itself, which, once they’re programmed, give you one-button access to your favorite services and playlists.

Connectivity

Unlike the Sonos Play:1, the Bose SoundTouch has Bluetooth capability as well as WiFi. When you connect your device with Bluetooth, it will bypass the SoundTouch software altogether. This allows you to control it like you would any other Bluetooth speaker.

Bose lets you add as many speakers as you want to your system, and once you’re connected, you can choose to play either the same or different tracks through your multiple speakers.

For those with Amazon echo or dot, SoundTouch can easily be used with Alexa voice control and the same is true for connect with Chromecast. On the other hand, the SoundTouch is not easily compatible with Google Home.

The Next Level

For fans of Bose products who want even higher quality sound with more power, skip the SoundTouch 10 and head right for the SoundTouch 20 or SoundTouch 30.

The trade-off with these is that with increased power and dimension in the sound, the units themselves become larger and less mobile, but also have added design features like the OLED display, which scrolls Artist Name, Track Name, and Album information as you listen.

Pros

Easy to set up
Small size makes it easy to place anywhere throughout your home
Above average sound quality

Cons

Less-than-beautiful design
Mono output
Must be plugged in for power, limiting mobility

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Key Features - Sonos PLAYBAR TV Soundbar Review

Sonos PLAYBAR TV Soundbar

About: For those who are looking to enhance their home TV and movie-watching experiences with superior audio, the Sonos PLAYBAR is an excellent option, especially if you’re already a fan of Sonos products.

The PLAYBAR syncs wirelessly with other Sonos speakers, and if you’re looking for a home theater experience, you can pair PLAYBAR with two Sonos Play:1s and a Subwoofer for a 5.1 surround system.

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Quality

Price

Our Rating

Product Dimension

Detailed Features

Setup

To get set up, PLAYBAR must be connected to your home’s wifi, initially connecting through your router with an Ethernet cable. Once that’s done, you have to download the Sonos app, and if you plan on operating PLAYBAR from your TV remote, programming that as well.

There are a few steps to it, but the installation only needs to happen once, and the benefit is that you’ll be able to operate your PLAYBAR without an extra remote. If you prefer being able just to plug and play, there are other soundbars with simpler setup processes.

Design

Sleek, slim, and elegantly designed, PLAYBAR can be used either lying flat or standing. It is also constructed of aluminum rather than plastic, making it more durable than other soundbars.

The unit has adjustable bass, treble, and loudness controls.

Connectivity

Most users will be connecting PLAYBAR to their television, but it is also designed to be connected to Amazon Alexa through your Echo or Dot. The App is available for either iOS or Android devices. PLAYBAR does not connect to Google Home nor with Chromecast.

Rather than having an HDMI input, PLAYBAR uses your TV’s optical output, so before purchasing, you should make sure your TV or short throw projector has one of these.

PLAYBAR works by streaming from your wifi rather than your Bluetooth, so you don’t have to worry about your experience being interrupted by phone calls, etc.

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Sound Quality

Sonos has been happy to tout the audio features of their PLAYBAR, which has nine speakers in a phased array, giving you “directionality” (explosions on the left side of your screen are heard on your left). The PLAYBAR features nine Class-D digital amplifiers with drivers, three tweeters, and six mid-woofers.

The sound quality is crisp and detailed, whether you’re listening to music or dialogue. That said, the lowest tones do seem to drop off a bit, but the mid-bass tones are quite impressive for this type of unit.

For those who want the full surround sound experience, PLAYBAR is designed to be expanded to either a 3.1 or 5.1 surround system with, of course, other Sonos products, including the Sonos Subwoofer.

Pros

Easy to set up
Small size makes it easy to place anywhere throughout your home
Above average sound quality

Cons

Less-than-beautiful design
Mono output
Must be plugged in for power, limiting mobility

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Key Features - Bose SoundTouch 300 Soundbar Review

Bose SoundTouch 300

About: If you’re looking for a soundbar to enhance your viewing experiences, you can hardly do better than the Bose SoundTouch 300. With a sleek design, wide soundstage, and crisp detail, it’s at the top of its class.

Not only can you connect to your TV for enriched viewing, but you can listen to streaming services including Amazon, Spotify, Pandora or your library. The SoundTouch is equipped with Bluetooth with NFC pairing and wifi connectivity.

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Quality

Price

Our Rating

Product Dimension

Detailed Features

Pros

Expansive soundstage
Discreet, elegant design
Multi-room capability
Intuitive app experience

Cons

Less-than-beautiful design
Mono output
Must be plugged in for power, limiting mobility

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Conclusion: Wrapping It Up

VERDICT: For those looking for an easy-to-use wireless speaker with high-quality sound, no remote to lose and the ability to stream from multiple services, the Sonos Play:1 is the winner in this showdown. Although the Bose SoundTouch 10 has many of the same features, the boxy design, remote control and mono output place it just behind the Sonos in a close race.

For home viewing experiences, we give the trophy to Bose SoundTouch 300 over the Sonos PLAYBAR. With added connectivity, flawless design, and competitive sound quality, the SoundTouch is hard to beat.

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