Bose unveils its first Dolby Atmos speaker, the Smart Soundbar 900
Bose takes on the Sonos Arc with a choice of voice assistants and HDMI connectivity for under a grand.
- Ty was nominated for Best New Journalist at the Australian IT Journalism awards, but he has only ever won one thing. As a youth, he was awarded a free session for the photography studio at a local supermarket.
Bose has unveiled its first Dolby Atmos soundbar, the Smart Soundbar 900, which offers a choice of smart assistants in addition to Wi-Fi music streaming.
The Bose features HDMI connectivity as well as Wi-Fi (Spotify Connect, AirPlay 2) and two-way Bluetooth streaming. Like the 700 it offers a choice of Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa for voice control, and will work with other Bose speakers using the Music app.
The 900 features nine drivers: two PhaseGuide-enabled tweeters, four racetrack transducers, a center tweeter, plus two dipole (up-firing) transducers for Dolby Atmos. The company employs its own PhaseGuide for Atmos content, which it claims offers better audio positioning than competing soundbars.
The Soundbar 900 is 2.3 inches high, 4 inches deep and 41 inches long, and the company says it makes a good match for 50-inch-and-over televisions.
The soundbar will also pair with external peripherals such as the Bass Module 500 and 700, and Bose Surround Speakers.
The leader in the smart soundbar category is currently the $800 Sonos Arc, which offers a robust multiroom application and a bigger selection of compatible speakers, including the Ikea Symfonisk range. I look forward to testing the two models head-to-head in the very near future.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 replaces the existing Soundbar 700 and will be available on Sept. 23 for $900.