TechStage | Bose Smart Soundbar 600 in the test: compact, Dolby Atmos & great sound

Lots of volume, big sound: for a long time there was no getting around this simple formula. In the meantime, however, more and more manufacturers are daring to use comparatively small housings and are trying to overturn the laws of physics with the help of engineering skills and sophisticated electronics.

With its Smart Soundbar 600, which is super flat and not even 70 centimeters wide, Bose would like to breathe new acoustic life into even full-fledged flat screen TVs and realize a “rousing experience with realistic height effects”. Megalomania or audiophile revolution in miniature format?

The Smart Soundbar 600 is a very compact sound enhancer that is hardly noticeable in the living room. At just 69.4 centimeters wide, the Bose is one of the smaller soundbars on the market. With a height of 5.6 centimeters and a depth of 10.4 centimetres, the Soundbar 600 can also be stowed on less lavishly dimensioned sideboards. Added to this is the low weight of 3.1 kilograms. This predestines the speaker to be used in different rooms if necessary. The soundbar is only available in black, but that fits just about anywhere, anytime.

The top is made of plastic, which fortunately is of the high-quality variety and looks good. The matt look ensures that fingerprints hardly stick to the surface. The cover grille on the front is made of metal, like the one on top, and fitted with a precise fit. The corners of the soundbar are rounded, the hand flattering effect is high. Large rubberized feet ensure a secure footing and protect sensitive surfaces. The entire body appears very stable and torsion-resistant.

In addition to Dolby Atmos, the Smart Soundbar 600 also supports Dolby Digital, Dolby True HD and Dolby Digital Plus and can play stereo and 5.1 sound. DTS signals are not processed. One speaker is positioned on each side, with two additional ones in the middle at the top. These height speakers work on the principle that the sound emitted here is reflected from the ceiling down to the listening position.

An HDMI connection with eARC (audio return channel) is located on the back of the housing, and the Bose can also be connected to the flat screen TV via an optical audio cable. An external subwoofer can be docked. The USB port is only suitable for services. Great: HDMI and optical cables are included.

The equipment also includes Bluetooth 4.2, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and Chromecast. You can also control it by voice using Amazon Alexa, more on that later. Instead of a display, Bose has installed a light bar, which sometimes confuses more than helps.

In most cases, the Bose Smart Soundbar is probably operated via HDMI on a television. Then it is sufficient to activate the external sound output or HDMI ARC on the flat screen TV. Only HDMI needs to be selected as the source on the soundbar itself. Nothing stands in the way of film and music playback.

Bose has included a small credit card-sized remote control for easy operation. Eight buttons on the pleasantly rubberized user interface offer a high level of operating convenience. You can switch the soundbar on and off, change the volume, select the desired source and pause songs.

If you always have your smartphone in your hand anyway, you should download the “Bose Music” app, which is available for iOS and Android. You can control the soundbar, adjust the volume, change sources and make various sound adjustments using the equalizer. Bass and treble can also be modified via the app, and sound delays can also be compensated.

Of course, the app also serves as a streaming center – music can be played via Spotify, Amazon Music or Tunein, for example. For faster access, radio stations or playlists can be saved in presets. If you have several Bose loudspeakers in use, they can be grouped together in order to play the same song in different rooms at the same time.

On the other hand, it is helpful to be able to control the Bose soundbar by voice using Alexa. Whether it’s louder or quieter, switching to other songs, pausing a track or setting a timer – the language assistant proves to be a useful feature. The microphones integrated in the soundbar can be deactivated by pressing a button on the top of the speaker.

One mistake shouldn’t be made: comparing the small Smart Soundbar 600 with a complete home cinema system or a much more voluminous soundbar with a separate subwoofer. Ultimately, the Bose sound bar is just a tiny speaker with very manageable dimensions. For these compact dimensions, the speaker plays pleasantly airy with a beautiful sound stage and excellent speech intelligibility. Heights are not crystal clear, but are clearly accentuated.

With orchestral music, the Bose separates individual instruments precisely and sets them apart from each other. Even those who sit to the side of the soundbar and not directly in front of the speaker will be acoustically fogged. The sound cocoon is not quite as full as in a full-fledged sound system, but you still have the feeling of being there tonally in the action.

With Dolby Atmos films, you can also feel an increase in acoustic presence. However, one should lower one’s expectations a little here – separate height channels or sound effects standing in the room are at best hinted at, bulkier and more expensive audio systems and of course separate height loudspeakers operate on a completely different level here.

This also applies to the bass. The bass carpet is not centimeter thick in the room, its pressure is manageable. But compared to pure film playback on the flat screen TV, the Smart Soundbar 600 enables a more intensive sound immersion in the action, because the spatial representation is noticeably more present, a pistol shot or the thunder of a fighter jet are brought to life with more presence and dynamics.

All in all, we are very satisfied with the sound performance of the Bose soundbar. The acoustic brilliance of music, speech and effects are effectively polished up without much effort and visual intervention in the living room.

At the time of testing, Bose had reduced the price for the Smart Soundbar 600 from 550 euros to 500 euros. The TV speaker is not much cheaper to get from the large electronics chains and online providers. Even after intensive browsing on the Internet, no platform can be found where the Bose soundbar is available for less than 480 euros.

The Smart Soundbar 600 does not trigger a tonal revolution in the living room, but it does an excellent job with compact dimensions and is suitable for both appealing film acoustics and successful concert evenings. Ease of use and workmanship are top, only the light bar on the front is still in need of improvement.

The app concept is convincing, and in most living rooms the Smart Soundbar should easily be sufficient to raise the TV sound to a higher level. Bose proves: small can be so big!