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@@KristiWright I can’t believe, (1) that Sonos won’t send you their gear, and (2) that people keep asking the same question. Sonos owners are getting to be as cult like as Tesla drivers.
I was a BOSE dealer back in the day and the people who buy BOSE just wanted easy set up, reliability and good enough sound. BOSE were and still are NEVER THE BEST VALUE, ever, never but they are a "safe" buy for non audiophiles....the dealer rep I had said "BOSE, looks good, sounds good, shit don't break". BOSE preferred the dealer to display their products separately on a "Bose Wall", they DISCOURAGED A/B comparisons with other speakers.
Never been a Bose fan and was always a Bose hater but I have to admit their more lifestyle oriented soundbar solutions are incredible for what they are. They look sleek and sound great and will be a great experience for MOST people. I am a 7.1.4 dedicated atmos system guy so clearly not the target market but can respect people that want a clean simplified audio solution.
Why are people so against Bose? Not you Andrew.. people in general. Bose is for the consumer who isn’t into all of the intricacies of audio and that’s perfectly fine.
My guess: because at one point they did something dramatically different than traditional audio and well, people hate change...so what better way to keep change from taking place than attacking and discrediting a product/brand.
I bought a 900. It sounded terrible. Like not good at all. There was no definition at all. I couldn’t tell between left/right/center. I ended up getting a Beam Gen 2 and it sounds so much better.
I am very happy with my Bose 500 sound bar and subwoofer. When I watched a movie like Transformer, the sound was perfect in my living room. I love Bose!
Great review Andrew and Kristi! I did upgrade from the 700 to the 900 and I’m very pleased! It’s not a huge jump…but it’s definitely a wider soundstage and it gets louder. The one thing I appreciate about Bose is crystal clear clarity…this has that! I would love to own the Sony a9’s but the Bose fits much better in my space…aesthetically my taste! The 900 works seamlessly with the base module 700, and surrounds 700. I consider the Sennheiser but it’s huge and not only in price but size! IMO it’s not very attractive either…but it does sound amazing!
BOSE all day all night! I traded in my Sony HT-A7000 for the Bose SB900 + 700 bass module and OMG, what a step up from the Sony. The SB900 sounds so more cinematic and I like the compact size and classy stylish design. Also the Bose Music app to do all the adjustments works great. The HT-A7000 is a bulky bar! I can't wait to get the 700 surround speakers and maybe a second 700 subwoofer, that's gonna be heaven!
Great review and I'm in agreement with your thoughts on the soundbar. We purchased the 900 and bass module 700 and really enjoy the setup. While comparing soundbars, we found the sonos Arc sounded fuller and more immersive but it wasn't night and day difference from the 900. Our priorities were sound, aesthetics and ease of use for everyone (big plus when kids want to watch a movie or play games). The Bose checked all of the boxes for us. Other bars sound better...no doubt, but frequency of use is an important metric when determining value. My wife and kids rarely used our prior setup, but they use the 900 a lot. We've had more family movie nights in the last three months than over the prior year.
I was thinking about getting bose sound bar but my wife bought me klipsch sound bar for Christmas 🎄 I am happy to see you bring soo much diversity in sound
I got the top of the line Sony Soundbar and the Bose 900 Soundbar with the bass module 700 and I can tell you from listening, the Bose 900 and bass module 700 out did the top of the line Sony Soundbar in spacious terms, the Bose bass module 700 is freaking powerful and I’m very picky with sound. I would pick the Bose Soundbar over the Sony one any day
Bose took the 300 and 700 put them on steroids and created the 9. The 9 is in a league by itself. The 9 is immensely powerful, deep, and wide. I have been using the 3 for 3 years and love it to death. On the 9 I have the bass set at 50% because any higher setting would have my apartment vibrating. I have dual subs and combined with the bass from the 9 I am in nirvana. The musicality of the 9 is astronomical. It is excellent. I want to sit and listen to it all day. I don't know how Bose is going to top the 9. The 9 is sleek and beautiful and Bose placing their logo on the grill is an excellent touch. I don't hesitate one second putting something on full blast if it is messed up and by the same token I give credit when it is due. The Bose 9 is two thumbs up and 5 stars.
@@chrisveltman1795 It was an happy accident. This unscripted final thoughts are so refreshing. Not only do they make it last longer, but also be more pleasurable (the videos, ofcourse).
Recently bought a 2nd home to spend more time with kids and grandkids. Bought a Sennheiser sound bar to go with the big screen - no basement for theater and a somewhat small living room. I love the Sennheiser, unfortunately my wife hates it- too sensitive ears. I use it when she is out of the room. Again Holy Snikies
Something I’ve been thinking about recently…there is always talk about “marketing hype” when it comes to brands like Bose. Comments like overhyped, expensive, cheap are common and if I had a dollar for every “all highs, no lows, must be Bose” comments, we’d have already bought our dream home in California by now. About that phrase…I’m really curious where it originated from. Who coined it? Because for all of the “marketing hype” Bose seems to be capable of, nobody really talks about the near sabotage type tactics against them that still resonate today. I mean isn’t it time to retire that old trope by now? It would be super interesting to find out just how much has been invested in perpetuating the stereotype that has surrounded Bose for years. Anyway, just food for thought!
It started when I was AVT Manger for Frys Electronics back in the 90s... The Bose Rep would have a meeting with the Store Manager (John Gamut), and would have 'requirements' for the equipment setup in the demo room... Decent amp, decent AVR... best placement... while anything Infinity or Polk got grossly underpowered, and got placed to one side or the other... and they avoided demos with low range or significant rear/surround implementation... because Bose would fall far short of the competition by comparison... I was offered bonuses if I pushed the Bose setups heavy... I refused
Hi Kristi. The "no highs, no lows, it must be Bose" slur came a out because of the design of Bose's iconic 901. This used an array of midrange drivers instead of the woofers and tweeters we're familiar with from a good pair of floorstanders or standmounters with separate subs. Bose used an array of mid range drivers because he could create a mostly phase consistent reflected sound off the wall behind the speakers using these mid range drivers. Bose believed that this would most realistically simulate a live performance. In order to correct phase and get the mid ranges to perform like full range drivers he developed what was a sophisticated frequency band equaliser system. The idea of using small speakers to simulate mid range or woofers has not been abandoned. Just ask US made Tekton design. The Bose design gave a wide soundstage which was very impressive compared to the boxy sound of speakers of the day. There were some problems with Bose's approach. It's very inefficient to simulate a woofer or tweeter with mid range drivers. They don't publish specs but I reckon they're at best 80dB /1W at 1m SPL and perhaps a bit lower. Klipsch speakers are in the mid 90s. It takes a huge amount of power and so Bose 901s needed big amplifiers to get the best sound. A friend who has a well maintained pair swears by 250WPC into 8 ohms monoblocs and his listening room is under 80m^2. Secondly, the diffuse relfected sound doesn't image as well as a good direct speaker which is properly placed in the room. However Bose had another insight that a lot of casual listeners don't actually do much speaker setup so they wouldn't be able to compare his reflected sound speakers with anything else. This led to many coffee houses, restaurants and bars buying Bose speaker systems because they were appropriate for the use case. Audiophiles who could compare the 901s to a well sorted directional system were often disappointed, particularly if the Bose speakers and EQ weren't connected to some serious power. Without the power the mid range drivers simply can't generate enough volume or frequency of air movement to give the impression of deep bass or soaring highs. Hence, "no highs, no lows, it must be Bose" . Bose used the design and technology on other kinds of speakers which used acoustic channels to reflect sound, giving the sense of a live performance using small mid range drivers. This became a house sound and audiophiles attacked it wherever they heard it (or when they just saw the Bose logo) . I don't think the hate Bose gets is justified and Amir Bose was a visionary in many ways. However, they were quite aggressive in dealing with even valid criticism of their products and sold the general public on some claims about their products they were perhaps an overstretch. The idea that the cubes and a woofer generated the sound of a much larger system was true up to a point but there's a nasty gap in the frequency response that other systems don't have. There are sonic compromises with their systems, despite the engineering know how. Home audio retailers have described strict demonstration requirements designed to (unfairly) make the Bose systems sound better than their competition. Yet people wanted those little cubes & the sonic compromises were those that many lifestyle audio customers are OK with. They're not going to setup a complicated system of separates & Bose offers them simplicity. The issue for Bose now is so many other manufacturers do too and, as you've heard, they can even do it better. Take a bow Sony and Samsung /Harman Kardon. Hope this comment sheds some light on the technical reasons for the anti Bose sentiment, some justified some not.
Respectfully, Kristi, I have to object to the idea of "near sabotage type tactics against them" as that implies that other manufacturers have deliberately perpetuated some kind of propaganda to damage Bose's reputation and sales. Bose did all of that to and by themselves, no help needed, thank you. :P James and sdemosi mentioned some of the shady tactics below which doesn't surprise me, but it shows that even Bose themselves knew there were issues and rather than improve their technology they are actually the ones who ironically in fact implemented "near sabotage type tactics" against their competition. As for myself, I didn't need anti-competitive propaganda marketing to propel me to my own anti-Bose bias which should be clear from my initial long post above. When I was a teenager in the 90's, my father was interested in buying the Bose system and we actually took a cross-border shopping trip to check one out. Even my non-audiophile teen self was shocked at how mediocre the sound was and how much the thing cost. I actually helped talk my dad out of it. I've had it in for Bose ever since and as an adult, I have friends who have Bose setups that only remind me that I was so right about them even as a dumb teenager. :D Of course, back then there was no way to know what sdemosi mentioned about the power requirements to make them work properly. I didn't even know that until reading his post! So how is anyone else supposed to know? Especially if Bose doesn't tell anyone? More self-sabotage right there.
@@sdemosi Thanks for this. Very insightful. I never knew about the power requirements for Bose but now that you've posted it and combined with my own budding audiophile knowledge, it makes absolutely perfect sense.
After reading and watching reviews (including yours!), we bought the 900 and bass module. I’m sure there are better sounding bars, but the 900 checked the important boxes for our family. Sounds great for movies, easy to use, well made and looks classy. Not great for most music, but it works well enough for background tunes. The 900 is getting a lot more use in our household than our previous systems did. That’s the most important thing for us.
I have a SoundTouch 300 just upgraded to the sound bar 900. Both are excellent ant the 900 is a substantial improvement overall. I have it paired with the Acoustimass 300 from my SoundTouch 300, which is the same as the current Aucoustimass 700 (note the Sound Bar 900 picks up the sub and it shows as a 700). The Sub sits behind a chair, totally hidden, but adds great punchy lows. One of the great advantages is just how simple and elegant the setup is. Sorry Kristi, I love the size, sleekness, black glass top etc... I think it is a work of art that tastefully slips into the surroundings of my living area and exudes quality. I absolutely dislike most of the other soundbars cheap plastic y grills and / or cloth coverings that instantly downgrade the looks of a nicely appointed living space.
@@bennabulsi6756 For me yes, but, a good overall improvement but the 300 is still very good. If you don't have a Sub woofer then that may make a more noticeable difference than just going up to a 900 without a sub.
I remember last year you asked people to open their mind about the soundbars. With Dolby Atmos and DTS X, it opened a new world of possibilities with the hardware. The more it goes and the more a full dedicated receivers, with 5 speakers and wires all around the appart is making sense now. For the audio, we are seeing the same change we saw, with the TV when we went from the CRT to the LED.
I heard a demo of the A9, and LOVED it. I can’t for the life of me understand why it doesn’t come in black though. Especially when the sync box is black….
So glad I waited and didn’t buy the 700 or the 900. I went with the 600 at a price of £469 gives great Dolby Atmos in movies and music. We have a medium sized living room so the other two bars would be to much for our space. If we had a bigger living room then we would have gone for the 900 love how Bose sounds looks classy and stylish. Great review of the 900 👍🏻
Yes!!! Thanks for this review. I’ve been waiting to pull the trigger on either the Bose 900 and the Sony. I’m definitely going for the Sony A9 now. Thanks.
That's because it is a sound bar. The Sony system is not. I think Andrew is missing the point as to why people purchase sound bars. Form factor and ease of setup. If I wanted a discrete system I would purchase four or five separate powered monitors.
Funny, I haven’t considered Bose speakers in so many years. Not sure what they could do to change my mind, especially now that I own the Sony A9’s which are every bit as good as you said in your review.
@@juandoe7802 I replaced a Sonos Arc 5.1 setup with the A9, and I would say the sound quality is pretty equal, but the soundstage of the A9 is much bigger and more fun to listen to.
@@JeffreyParsons I have the same Sonos ARC setup, and was curious about the comparison to this Sony... Would you say the Sony is that much better to consider selling my Sonos to switch? I love the Sonos Sub, does the Sony Sub sound good too? Does it really sound like a 12ch system, or at least somewhat give you the affect?
@@juandoe7802 I’m still a big fan of the Sonos setup, I have one in a different room. I’d say the subs sound the same as far as quality. As to whether it truly sounds like a 12ch system, who knows? Some of that is marketing, but it’s definitely the best Atmos I’ve heard in my space. That’s why I made the switch, my main room is kind of a funky shape and I couldn’t get the Sonos surrounds evenly spaced. The automatic sound mapping the A9 does was the big draw for me, as was getting the HDMI input back. Also, it’s fun to play with new stuff!
I have owned sony and jbl sound system and last week i got to own my first bose soundbar 600, its so clear and crisp. No more muffled boxy sound from sony or shady dialogue from jbl. I will be picking up a pair of surround speaker tomorrow to enhance my dolby atmos sound and in the future with budget i will get the module 500
Same thing here. Just bought the Sony HT-A3000 a week ago and I'm disappointed. My cheap Mi soundbar sounds better than this Sony when it comes to music. When it comes to movies, its good, but the "sound field" option makes it sound boxy and artificial. Muffled jumbled garbage. So I leave it off and just turn on the Voice enhancement feature. Now this setting, there is no surround experience at all. I can't even return it. Complete waste of money. So I ordered another soundbar, Bose 900. Waiting for it to be delivered.
I bought the Bose 900 here in the UK . I am not blown away at all. My old 5 yr old JBL and sub is better but does not have Atmos. £899 for this Bose and I think i should have got the Samsung q980a.
Agree with you in the dynamics of the bar... Bose has always been making small speakers which produce big sounds, which is what fascinates people(including me) and ultimately lures them into buying their products.. Don't know how they manage to pull that off
subscribed , i got your channel as recommendation , as i searched for reviews of bose 900 for the past few days, but sadly there isn't much reviews on google, but in youtube there are a lot. thanks
Sound bars have definitely improved significantly over the years, but I still haven't heard any that match a competent 5.1 (or higher) traditional speaker surround system. At least going off of in store demos, and other people's soundbar setups that I've heard.
I had BOSE 135 10 years ago. It was the only sounder you can get at that moment. Without setting up the wire and installation, 135 matched me perfectly since I moved all the time. I still using 135 as my only stereo in my living room. Recently, so many new soundbars came out to the market, and I kept asking Bose if they are going to realize new sound bar which support Atmos. However, after watching the review, I decide to go to Sony A9. It seems a whole new products just like I bought 135 10 years ago.
I've come to appreciate the "Kristi segments", she's very knowledgeable and makes great comparisons and intiates a dialogue not found in many reviews. Wonderful review as always by both of you!
I always enjoy these reviews even when im not particularly interested in the subject. Im not in the market for a soundbar. But you never know when a friend may need a suggestion.
Great review always enjoy your straightforwardness. I must say my own opinion/review I’ve had all the Bose series from the 300 SoundTouch to the 500 to the 700 and now the 900. I also have Sonos Arc setup in the living room. I am so impressed with the 900 that it is remarkably clearer and produces enough bass that for my bedroom I totally do not need a subwoofer you get that thump even watching a movie with clarity that fills the room and surrounds you, just a very impressive sound bar you will not be disappointed at all if you get it.
Hey, would you recommend the 900 over the arc? I had the 700 and also the arc, i liked the arc better. Only thing I miss in the arc is the center channel adjustment, Bose has that.
New subscriber, I like and respect your style. I've been researching soundbars and finally took a listen to the Bose 900 w 700 sub. It was in demo mode (of course 😏) however one of the demos was a short clip of House of Dragons. I was floored by the sound, so clean and crisp yet deep and powerful. That said it's a lot of money and after researching I've read a LOT of people complain about the constant unpairing of the bar and people needing to do a hard reset and starting over. Some complained they were never able to get it to sync again and returned it. Curious if that's something you've either come across or experienced post review? I've heard the Sony, haven't heard the Samsung 990 because it's not setup at my local BB. Anyway you guys mentioned last years LG 9, I see it available now for $500! I know you both enjoyed it but again I read people complain about the LG destroying their cable wifi signal to the point of making video unwatchable. Unfortunately I have Tmobile home internet and it kicks ass, 1.2gps, but it sits in my tv cabinet. Did you guys notice and issues streaming w that bar, is that a specific issue only with last year's LG 9. Seems odd, it's the only time I've ever heard that complaint. Anyway, at this point I'm not sure I'd risk $1450 on the Bose w all the dropout complaints. Think I'm going to start around $500 and the JBL Bar 5.1 was high on my list after that review but it's tempting to try that LG 9 for $500. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks and I look forward to your future reviews. Merry Christmas
I sold many Soundbar 700 (and the Soundtouch 300 that came before it, which was basically the same thing), and while they can be quite convincing with movies and the proper AdaptIQ, they usually failed to impress me with music. It sound ok with the demo songs (carefully chosen by Bose), but play most “regular” music (whatever style that is), and it fails to sound anything more than… …a soundbar! Trends made soundbars popular, and it’s amazing to see that the soundbar 700 with the sub and the OmniJewel rear wireless satellites would make the total price not that distant from a Lifestyle, and the overall performance isn’t in the same planet (and the Lifestyle 600 would also come with rear wireless satellites. But trends speak louder, and Bose ended up with one of its most iconic and accomplished line of products, which were unique in the way they combined visual appeal with sound (not following audiophile levels of performance, because physics can’t be changed, and it was a real Lifestyle product). Bose isn’t in a very good shape worldwide (I’d argue that they are in very bad shape), because since Dr. Amar Bose passed away, Bose tried to compete with the hugely bigger brands in the consumer market, instead of keeping the focus on what the founder always said “in order to be better, we have to be different”. Not all Bose products that were “different” were better (some were actually bad, and I sold loads of them for over 20 years), but some of the best and most iconic were definitely different. When we’re talking about soundbars, the Bose is just another design of the same basic concept that almost every brand has been doing for years, and you’ll see things going backwards, just like the remote on the 900 vs 700 soundbars. If you don’t understand why the new soundbar 900 comes with such a simple remote, I can tell you that the main reason is that it is way cheaper (you can see that the list price for the 900 is very similar to the 700, but it has more speakers, amplifier channels and DSP processing). The sub has been around since the Sountouch 300 soundbar (the exact same unit that came with the Lifestyle 650/600/550), so there’s another saving there (although you can’t see it in the price evolution). 😉 The low number of inputs or older protocols has always been a Bose thing (saving). The Bose 321 was an huge success, but they were always behind all manufacturers in that respect. When most of the competition has component video output, Bose was still on the composite. When the competition moved to HDMI, Bose was introducing the component video output. 😁 It was always like that, because in the great scheme of things, Bose was always a small manufacturer (compared to the big ones from Japan and later Corean manufacturers). They didn’t have the scale to make changes that fast, but the often compensated with differentiated products. That time is over, and I hope that Bose can get out of the current hole that it put itself in. Bear in mind that I’m not a Bose hater, as I had a very close relationship with the brand for more than two decades. I was never what you call “a Bose fan”, in the sense that my priorities in sound were almost different. But I could see and respect what Bose achieved on many products, in the perspective of sound solutions for challenging spaces, that wouldn’t let any high-end speaker perform anything close what they could, both for acoustics and placement. Bose professional has already been sold to an investment group called “Transom”, and I’d argue that the Pro business is still better than the consumer for Bose. Dr. Bose would be rolling in its grave if he heard about it, as he was always proud of being a private held company, which meant that it wouldn’t have to please shareholders every year. That was the main reason why he gave most of Bose to MIT. Sadly, Bose gradually lost its track over the last decade, and the results aren’t great. That being said, the Soundbar 900 and the QuietConfort Noise Cancelling headphones are still the most regarded products from Bose today. There are better options for both product lines on other brands, but they’re still the best rated for Bose. I sincerely hope that Bose can reinvent itself, but at the moment, they seem to be stuck with an mostly outdated product line (this soundbar is one of the most recent, interestingly enough). 😉 In a nutshell, I wouldn’t buy one, but in all honesty, I’m not a huge fan of soundbars for anything more than a bedroom sound solution. With a few honorable exceptions, they represent the victory of design/trends over function.
I have tried out so many soundbars it’s not funny. The 700 was too peaky for the bedroom and hurt my ears at normal listening levels. (Because these speakers beam that’s how they project). Same thing when I tried to put the Bose 650 in the bedroom. But works wonderfully in the living room. My solution was the B &E Soundstage for the bedroom. Incredibly smooth and detailed. Never harsh. The perfect solution in my room and no subwoofer needed or missed. The issue I have with the Sony is the speakers can’t be wall mounted. And the power cord is rated for in wall installations. The 650 is just a cleaner solution.
I still don’t understand why people keep comparing a soundbar to the Sony A9 which is a home theater system, not a soundbar. I don’t think it’s fair to compare them.
Just purchased Sony A80J 55 inch and in search of my first sound bar. I want a sound bar that is good listening to music and playing movie sounds. I have narrowed following choices: Sonos Arc: rich and robust sounds. Bose 900: generates clear, crisp sounds. Sony HT-A5000: just released so don’t know how that sounds. Sony HT-A7000: Sounds very powerful but length seems too long for my TV and very expensive. Best Buys don’t give a good space for Bose sound bars demo. However, the more I keep try out the sound of Bose 900, the more I like the sound and design of the bar itself. I think I am leaning toward Bose 900 and plan to purchase Module 700 subroofer which total cost about $1650. If I go with Sony HT soundbars with subroofers, the total cost will be the same cost range of $1600 as well. Best Buy sales agent tend to recommend me stick with Sony eco system to work better. Any opinion on this? I owned a Bose head phone long time ago. I think back then that head phone cost about $100. I felt the sound quality is average but parts broke down quickly- kind over hyped. So I am also kind of concerned with product durability of Bose.
Okay. So here's my question. Given these 4 options, which is the best choice right now? Sony HT-A9 speakers and SA-SW5 300W subwoofer ($2,300) Bose Smart Soundbar 900 + Bose Bass Module 700 + Bose Surround Speakers 700 ($2,250) Sonos 5.1.2 Surround Set with Sonos Arc, Sub, & One SL Speakers ($2,050) Samsung HW-Q950A 11.1.4 channel Soundbar ($1,650) (More details: Large room with 8-foot ceilings, TV and movies are the priority.)
Never clicked on a video so fast! Gotta say new to the Channel and no one can do reviews like you! Keep up the great work and see you in the next video!
I don't get the hate for Bose. I've still got a lifestyle surround system pushing 20 years old and it looks new. When it was my main lounge system people were always blown away by it. They are masters at room correction specific to their speakers, what people don't realise is that a lot of their sound field is designed by using your walls to bounce sound. So my system has 2 speakers at each point which sort of split in different directions, so you'd point one at your position and then one slightly away or at a back wall if surround and you get a really strong surround sound stage.
It's a cultural trope, like hating on Nickelback. Saying Bose is awful makes you part of the "in" crowd; sneering at "the proletariat" is always popular among the tragically hip, and Bose is the 800 pound gorilla of speaker manufacturers.
Haters are haters just to hate. Bose is for a certain niche and I fit into that niche. I wish I had purchased a pair of 901s when I had the chance but went with Definitive Technology instead. The main reason I went with DT is because the configuration of my living room would not allow me to take full advantage of the 901s direct reflecting so it would have been a waste.
Size matters, she said :-) Thanks for the review. Now i am happy to have bought a sony HT-A9 system. Before that I already had 2 different soundbars from Sony and LG, but none of the soundbars that I had up to now can match the HT-A9 system.
@Andrew thanks for your review. What's going on with Sony quality control? Nearly each of the customer reviews (BBY and Amazon) about HTA9 is complaining about connectivity within speakers. I would love to invest, but these are too expensive to go through hassle of return exchanges etc. Did you face any problem? You are making a great recommendation, but I am in doubt about the Sony's quality on this one. I do own Bose for nearly 10 years, and none of the product is broke so far, all sounds like the day I purchased.
Thank you so much, the details you provided about the Bose 900 are exactly what I wanted to know about. I am a bit hard of hearing with clarity so your tip on the center channel really gives me hope the 900 will meet expectations. I have never liked rattling the house with base and don't like speakers all over the room so the sub and extra speakers are not wanted, I really want 1 small footprint soundbar that does a lot. I think the 900 will be exactly what I need.
Update, I bought the Bose 900, this was the perfect soundbar for me. very small footprint, extra speakers and woofer are not wanted and for me the 1 bar is plenty small footprint is important, I don't want to rattle my house. I also don't need all the profile setting trying to figure out a bunch of settings, for me less is more. I am slightly hard of hearing and being able to increase the center voice very easy is nice.
Andrew Robinson I really like bose, but this talk confused me, you seem convinced, but it seems that kristi changes your opinion, is it really worth it or should I buy another? HELP...
I am hearing comments on connectivity issues with the Sony system. It would be nice to predict into the future of these systems if possible. Bose I know works like it is new for decades. Not sure about the Sony. Mostly not. We spend a lot of money on these and reliability is a must.
I totally agree. There seems to be no perfect product no matter the price. There is always one issue or another especially if it is connected to wifi. I think that manufacturers release products that don't have all the bugs worked out of them to meet their release date. Why do you have to update a newly released product? It seems that the product should come already updated. As far as tech support goes they are just about useless. By the time you call them you have already tried everything in your arsenal to solve the problem and all they do is tell you to try what you already have. And so it goes.
As an AV enthusiast, I can't get enough of AV content, so thanks for giving me something to look forward to on Sundays and the work you guys put into the content.
My soundbar 900 has two subs and the 700 rears. My setup SLAMS hard. I had to trick the system when setting it up though. The trick is to move the subs into a nearby room so the system will have to increase its volume. Don’t hate. I dial it back. I don’t just push the subs till they smell like glue or smoke lol. I just think Bose keeps the sound system in the midrange of its capability. Idk why.
I just hooked up the 900 with dual subs and the omnijewels last night. The entire process took less than 2 hrs with not one glitch. Last black Friday I bought the 700 to upgrade from my soundtouch 300 and it was a nightmare. I spent seven and a half hours plus a hour and a half with tech support trying to get it to work. After six hours the soundbar itself would only work and not the additional speakers so I returned it the next day. To tell the truth I can't notice any difference in sound between the 300 and the 900. One problem I am having is the sound goes out when switching inputs so I will have to solve that problem. We all know that dealing with anything connected to wifi is like voodoo and you have continuously problem solve.
Thank you do much for this review and for dialoging with your partner Siri who we can't see over there(LOL). No really, a great review. I checked out the Sonos. Too big( giant log) and sound is not balanced(too many hi's). I ended up going with the Bose 900 and 500 base module(700 too awkward looking). This system is 100% Excellent! Out of the box it is marginal. However, after doing the sound test and adjusting center channel +base, it is hands down better than Sonos when watching ATmos and Dolby Digital movies + Music. The only thing I will do next is mount the rear 700 surround speakers to the ceiling and add a second 500 base module to the other side of my room. One base module is enough for average rectangular rooms, but I lose a little on the left side of the room due to my open floor plan. That 500 kicks tail! All I can say is get this system, tweak it for your room and you will not be disappointed. I think that mounting the 700 surround at earlevel will not properly complete the Atmos dome effect, since they were not designed to have up firing rear channel.
Great review., thanks. I was especially interested in your comments on Dialogue Enhancement settings. This is becoming more and more important as filmmakers eschew enunciation in favor of mumbling and grumbling. Or perhaps I’m just getting older ? Naah!
I have to disagree with the soundbar being bigger. It already won't fit between some people's TV stands. And I think the cube surrounds sound just fine.
I agree with Kristi's comments on the Bose 900 being a little small, at least height wise. I felt the same way when put in place on my mantle, same for bass module. I got the Bose 900 to replace my Nakamichi Shockwafe. The Shockwafe had better bass obviously due to the two included subwoofers, but the Bose is a more refined soundbar with simplicity and room correction. I have heard the HTA9 compared to the Bose 700 at a friend in the same room. Unfortunately, the Bose 700 sounded better, but that could be due to the room itself.
Hey folks, I'm no audio expert but I have to admit if you can find a few extra bucks go for the Sony 7000 over these. I had the Bose for about a week and they are VERY good, but something told me to go to Best Buy and try the Sony, I heard the soundbar in the store and I was intrigued but when I got home they pretty much amazed me. Keep in mind this is without the sub or rear speakers. Well, that's my 2 cents. Hopefully I was able to help someone else out 🤗
I can only dream at this point of having a conversation with a girlfriend/wife who cares about audio. Very very cool that you both enjoy similar things. And even when you may not agree, its not the end of the world. Cheers to Andrew and Kristi! (Spelling? Sorry)
I have to say as a new subscriber your reviews are super detailed and i love the fact that you don't leave anything out. I was wondering why nobody talks about the Yamaha sound projectors? i have a YSP-1600 and love the clarity and detail i get from the soundbar, i am more concerned with clear dialog, decent base, and very detailed sound. I found the YSP-1600 and the YSP-2700 where very good at this. I also like the Bose 700 with the base module and it is very immersive but the midrange isn't as good as the Yamaha. I would love to hear your opinion on this. I know the Yamaha isn't as modern as the newer soundbars but newer isn't always better.
I tried both systems, I prefer the bose in movies and especially in music hands down! That big Heavy Sony sub can't compare to the bose Don't let size fool u
People on here complaining about DTS X, sound quality , size , price etc…. I’m still rocking my BOSE CINEMATE GS SERIES II and don’t plan on changing that 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 #BETHANKFULFORWHATYOUVEGOT
Looks like my old 1-2-3, I'm just chasing it now. That thing sounded incredible, nothing now comes close. I just bought the 900 but nope. And DTS sounded SICK on the 1-2-3
I just ordered the a9 with sw5. I was waiting for a prize drop for a while and now i got it 30%off. So i ordered it. Then i couldnt get bose out of my head. (900+bas+suround)Did i make the right choice? I was wondering. Then this RUclips Chanel episode came to me. I hope i will be satisfied whit it. What do you think? I was allso interrested in sonos (arc, big sub, era 300) tuff desision. Thanks! I will follow.
This playlist would be a great place to start as we've covered just about every soundbar type product out there. ruclips.net/p/PL0M9xqvUDwdwvLTtBMYGRcCVWE-rkEWx_
That’s true when the dialogue mode is on, the sound is rather more tinny compared when it is off… I just boost the center channel level a bit according to my preferred loudness.
Another awesome review Andrew! I was wondering if you could make a video of the best home theater bundle by price range. For example, under $1k, from $1k to $3k, $3k to $5k, $5k to $10k and > 10k. This would help us a lot to make a better decision upon building a good system. Which receivers go better to which speakers and so on. Thanks!!!
Awesome review! Question for you though do you have any plans to review the Sonos beam 2 by chance? I know you guys haven’t been able to get an arc to review sadly. 😞 I was just curious.
Sadly we weren’t included in the release of the new Beam. It would appear that Sonos isn’t interested in having their products reviewed by those of us in the audio community. Their focus seems to be more on the gadget crowd (think phones and laptops) when it comes to RUclips.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Awww man thats a real bummer. 🥺 You guys have done a rather good job of balancing the new tech stuff/esthetically pleasing lifestyle products that a lot of people are interested in. You combine that with the in depth audiophile appreciation to sound quality that obviously there is a market for. Which I feel is a target group that Sonos would do well to market better to on RUclips. I feel this is a loss for everyone in the community and hope they change their approach on this.
Lack of external hdmi ports is a deal breaker. My TV lg cx doesn't support dolby true HD passthrough through earc, a lot of TV's don't support it. So many won't get lossless atmos on the bose. Also lack of dts:X is basically a double whammy of deal breakers, since lg removed support from their newer TVs
I have a CX and have the same issue. It’s why I went for the A6A instead of trying out the A9. I don’t want to use the TV’s HDMI ports and compromise on sound formats.
after watching the video, i really love how you also let another reviewer to review your products, really love it man, this is really different. and most importantly , i would keep comparing the bose with samsung, as my home in india has more samsung products than bose or apple products, and most especially i wanted to buy Q950A coz for the budget i got a total package of many products, but still i was skeptical whether should i spend more on bose , but bose afterall is bose , the price is too high, but after your review i still think its worth it, thank you.
I bought q950a after your review. 30% off and a free Samsung s6 Lite table (Samsung campaign). Very pleased with the performance for the price. Was think about the Sony A9 +sub, but the price in Denmark, is 3 times higher than the q950a.
I bought the a9 after your last a9 review - and I had a 6000 Euro b&w home cinema system with standfloors from the 700 series and what the hell …. The a9 is Sooo much better in movies and Gaming its so incredible !!! The best of it is the phantom center - before the voice always came from the botton where my center was - and now its coming right from the middle it’s so awesome
Interesting tidbit regarding the Sony HTA9, in this review you mentioned it was a similar price to the Bose, but at least where I live the Sony is $1100 more, nearly double the price. Great review as always. I just purchased the 900 soundbar, I would have had a very hard time making this decision without all your amazing sound bar reviews. I wanted the HTA9 but they were out of my price range. I picked the Bose specifically because it does not come with a subwoofer. I live in a smaller apartment, and in the interest of being neighborly… I also think the ability to pair Bose headphones with the sound-bar is an interesting feature. Have you tried this? Thanks again for your top tier reviews/integrity
Both are great! I upgraded from my 700 to the 900 and I’m happy I did. For me in my space, there’s a nice uptick in sound quality! Love it! You don’t have to upgrade I was very pleased with the 700 but even more so with the 900.
I am going to cast my vote in being thoroughly disappointed there's no DTS. I don't know whether I'll need it or not, but with a flagship I definitely expect it to be there if I do.
@@MrReece131 I missed your message but I have a DVD collection that has some DTS if I ever decide to take them out of the box. If I wanted to get a Blu-ray it would have it, Star Wars always has it. Makes a huge difference, I'm not an expert but I'd say most high quality, uncompressed audio will be in DTS or the new DTS-X. Even my Bose 1-2-3 from 2001 had DTS and it sounded sick! 700 has it so I definitely expected it to be on this one. Maybe as internet gets faster and more capable they'll stop just streaming in compressed audio.
Totally valid with someone like you with a dvd collection, but the way everything is streamed online these days then the DTS crowd are perhaps getting smaller every year?
900 is awesome, rear speakers in my opinion completely change the entire enjoyment and sound fills the room, sub is also a fantastic upgrade, but all in all it starts to add up in costs. I have the complete package and now wished I had researched more as the bose does lack some features. After 6 months I find the sound very good and am still making adjustments. It has dropped out a few times via my TV and has had to have a few resets power wise. Music has great depth and clarity, tv is dependent upon broadcast sound delivery, on my bravia I can't listen to certain sound files which is hugely disappointing. It does not cover every sound type which is a let down at this price range
Dear Andrew please take note that for the best sound experience with atmos soundbars you should place them at ear level instead of your current arrangement on a low table top. Try the ear level placement and you will experience better atmos experience as well as more immersive sound bubble.
I’ve watched a lot of your soundbar reviews, and really the only bar that interests me is the AMBEO (not really into setups that use wireless solutions especially with subwoofers, and traditional HT setups require a lot of cable management), and well it’s $2.5K. I honestly haven’t seen anything to replace my Yamaha YSP-1600 but who knows, maybe that solution will come in the next few years at a much more manageable cost. The room I have my YSP-1600 is small enough where the sound stage is pretty full and I’ve had it for a few years and have been satisfied with it overall. Compatibility with more modern codecs is what’s scaring me a bit as I plan on upgrading my TV in the next few months or so.
Your reviews on sound bars ain't complete until SONOS ARC is reviewed. I am pretty surprise you still have yet to review. I have test Bose and Sony that you mentioned and I still think Sonos Arc is a little ahead if I were put them side by side.
I enjoyed your review of the Bose 900 soundbar, your delivery is so smooth and professional I tend to take it as gospel. I would very like to see you review the Sonos ARC which is finally getting a much requested upgrade (before the year's end) to enable DTS playback, if I have missed your Arc review please let me know. Thank you for all you do.
I'm stuck with Samsung q950a for a while because it amazes me almost everyday. Sounds are bouncing off the walls with great ease. Imagine a 22feet wide TV wall.
The Bose 900 is just a recycled sound bar with 2 added drivers for Atmos. The Bose 650 just blows this sound bar away detailed dialogue and surround effects. Too bad they discontinued it. But the price was insane. Most dialogue enhancements just don’t work and screw up the sound. Bose better get to work and produce a better product since they killed their flagship system.
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★ *QOTD: Is the Bose 900 enough of an upgrade over the 700?*
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Hello Mr. Andrew. How would you compare this system with the Sonos Arc System?
@@davoncci We don't make the comparison because we haven't heard it.
@@KristiWright I can’t believe, (1) that Sonos won’t send you their gear, and (2) that people keep asking the same question. Sonos owners are getting to be as cult like as Tesla drivers.
@@SeanVedell Have you heard both systems side by side to compare?
@@davoncci Nope. Have to admit I haven’t. I don’t have the resources to do that. Have you?
I was a BOSE dealer back in the day and the people who buy BOSE just wanted easy set up, reliability and good enough sound. BOSE were and still are NEVER THE BEST VALUE, ever, never but they are a "safe" buy for non audiophiles....the dealer rep I had said "BOSE, looks good, sounds good, shit don't break". BOSE preferred the dealer to display their products separately on a "Bose Wall", they DISCOURAGED A/B comparisons with other speakers.
Never been a Bose fan and was always a Bose hater but I have to admit their more lifestyle oriented soundbar solutions are incredible for what they are. They look sleek and sound great and will be a great experience for MOST people. I am a 7.1.4 dedicated atmos system guy so clearly not the target market but can respect people that want a clean simplified audio solution.
Why are people so against Bose? Not you Andrew.. people in general. Bose is for the consumer who isn’t into all of the intricacies of audio and that’s perfectly fine.
I have no idea, I think they're generally a pretty good company that make great products.
My guess: because at one point they did something dramatically different than traditional audio and well, people hate change...so what better way to keep change from taking place than attacking and discrediting a product/brand.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews me too Andrew! Can’t deny that at all. Especially their more portable audio products with “big sound”
@@KristiWright great point Kristi!
@@andrewrobinsonreviews I’m still waiting on the Sonos Arc review. Been hearing great things about it
Just bought the 900 from Best Buy after listening to the demos and I’m beyond excited for it to come in Wednesday.
Trust its awesome its Been 2-3weeks that i have mine
I bought a 900. It sounded terrible. Like not good at all. There was no definition at all. I couldn’t tell between left/right/center. I ended up getting a Beam Gen 2 and it sounds so much better.
@@KetMalice I personally enjoy it.
@@KetMalice you serious? Beam sounds better?
@@jeanmichellatulippe awe man, I am sure I want to try it!
I am very happy with my Bose 500 sound bar and subwoofer.
When I watched a movie like Transformer, the sound was perfect in my living room.
I love Bose!
Great review Andrew and Kristi! I did upgrade from the 700 to the 900 and I’m very pleased! It’s not a huge jump…but it’s definitely a wider soundstage and it gets louder. The one thing I appreciate about Bose is crystal clear clarity…this has that! I would love to own the Sony a9’s but the Bose fits much better in my space…aesthetically my taste! The 900 works seamlessly with the base module 700, and surrounds 700. I consider the Sennheiser but it’s huge and not only in price but size! IMO it’s not very attractive either…but it does sound amazing!
BOSE all day all night! I traded in my Sony HT-A7000 for the Bose SB900 + 700 bass module and OMG, what a step up from the Sony. The SB900 sounds so more cinematic and I like the compact size and classy stylish design. Also the Bose Music app to do all the adjustments works great. The HT-A7000 is a bulky bar! I can't wait to get the 700 surround speakers and maybe a second 700 subwoofer, that's gonna be heaven!
So I can set up two subs?
@@daviddave8266 yes you can. You can simultaneously connect two subwoofers to the soundbar as long as both subwoofers are of the same model.
Great review and I'm in agreement with your thoughts on the soundbar. We purchased the 900 and bass module 700 and really enjoy the setup. While comparing soundbars, we found the sonos Arc sounded fuller and more immersive but it wasn't night and day difference from the 900. Our priorities were sound, aesthetics and ease of use for everyone (big plus when kids want to watch a movie or play games). The Bose checked all of the boxes for us.
Other bars sound better...no doubt, but frequency of use is an important metric when determining value. My wife and kids rarely used our prior setup, but they use the 900 a lot. We've had more family movie nights in the last three months than over the prior year.
I was thinking about getting bose sound bar but my wife bought me klipsch sound bar for Christmas 🎄 I am happy to see you bring soo much diversity in sound
I got the top of the line Sony Soundbar and the Bose 900 Soundbar with the bass module 700 and I can tell you from listening, the Bose 900 and bass module 700 out did the top of the line Sony Soundbar in spacious terms, the Bose bass module 700 is freaking powerful and I’m very picky with sound. I would pick the Bose Soundbar over the Sony one any day
Hi, thanks for your very professional and detail review, help a lot to make right decision, which connection is better, optical or HDMI…..
@@juangonzales255earc hdmi
Loving It. My Bose 900 and Sub 700 sound fantastic. Great quality
Bose took the 300 and 700 put them on steroids and created the 9. The 9 is in a league by itself. The 9 is immensely powerful, deep, and wide. I have been using the 3 for 3 years and love it to death. On the 9 I have the bass set at 50% because any higher setting would have my apartment vibrating. I have dual subs and combined with the bass from the 9 I am in nirvana. The musicality of the 9 is astronomical. It is excellent. I want to sit and listen to it all day. I don't know how Bose is going to top the 9. The 9 is sleek and beautiful and Bose placing their logo on the grill is an excellent touch. I don't hesitate one second putting something on full blast if it is messed up and by the same token I give credit when it is due. The Bose 9 is two thumbs up and 5 stars.
12:40 ... poor Andrew... but he handled that like a champ.
@@chrisveltman1795 It was an happy accident. This unscripted final thoughts are so refreshing. Not only do they make it last longer, but also be more pleasurable (the videos, ofcourse).
Recently bought a 2nd home to spend more time with kids and grandkids. Bought a Sennheiser sound bar to go with the big screen - no basement for theater and a somewhat small living room. I love the Sennheiser, unfortunately my wife hates it- too sensitive ears. I use it when she is out of the room. Again Holy Snikies
Something I’ve been thinking about recently…there is always talk about “marketing hype” when it comes to brands like Bose. Comments like overhyped, expensive, cheap are common and if I had a dollar for every “all highs, no lows, must be Bose” comments, we’d have already bought our dream home in California by now. About that phrase…I’m really curious where it originated from. Who coined it? Because for all of the “marketing hype” Bose seems to be capable of, nobody really talks about the near sabotage type tactics against them that still resonate today. I mean isn’t it time to retire that old trope by now? It would be super interesting to find out just how much has been invested in perpetuating the stereotype that has surrounded Bose for years. Anyway, just food for thought!
It started when I was AVT Manger for Frys Electronics back in the 90s... The Bose Rep would have a meeting with the Store Manager (John Gamut), and would have 'requirements' for the equipment setup in the demo room... Decent amp, decent AVR... best placement... while anything Infinity or Polk got grossly underpowered, and got placed to one side or the other... and they avoided demos with low range or significant rear/surround implementation... because Bose would fall far short of the competition by comparison... I was offered bonuses if I pushed the Bose setups heavy... I refused
Hi Kristi. The "no highs, no lows, it must be Bose" slur came a out because of the design of Bose's iconic 901. This used an array of midrange drivers instead of the woofers and tweeters we're familiar with from a good pair of floorstanders or standmounters with separate subs. Bose used an array of mid range drivers because he could create a mostly phase consistent reflected sound off the wall behind the speakers using these mid range drivers. Bose believed that this would most realistically simulate a live performance. In order to correct phase and get the mid ranges to perform like full range drivers he developed what was a sophisticated frequency band equaliser system. The idea of using small speakers to simulate mid range or woofers has not been abandoned. Just ask US made Tekton design.
The Bose design gave a wide soundstage which was very impressive compared to the boxy sound of speakers of the day. There were some problems with Bose's approach.
It's very inefficient to simulate a woofer or tweeter with mid range drivers. They don't publish specs but I reckon they're at best 80dB /1W at 1m SPL and perhaps a bit lower. Klipsch speakers are in the mid 90s. It takes a huge amount of power and so Bose 901s needed big amplifiers to get the best sound. A friend who has a well maintained pair swears by 250WPC into 8 ohms monoblocs and his listening room is under 80m^2.
Secondly, the diffuse relfected sound doesn't image as well as a good direct speaker which is properly placed in the room. However Bose had another insight that a lot of casual listeners don't actually do much speaker setup so they wouldn't be able to compare his reflected sound speakers with anything else. This led to many coffee houses, restaurants and bars buying Bose speaker systems because they were appropriate for the use case.
Audiophiles who could compare the 901s to a well sorted directional system were often disappointed, particularly if the Bose speakers and EQ weren't connected to some serious power. Without the power the mid range drivers simply can't generate enough volume or frequency of air movement to give the impression of deep bass or soaring highs. Hence, "no highs, no lows, it must be Bose" .
Bose used the design and technology on other kinds of speakers which used acoustic channels to reflect sound, giving the sense of a live performance using small mid range drivers. This became a house sound and audiophiles attacked it wherever they heard it (or when they just saw the Bose logo) .
I don't think the hate Bose gets is justified and Amir Bose was a visionary in many ways. However, they were quite aggressive in dealing with even valid criticism of their products and sold the general public on some claims about their products they were perhaps an overstretch. The idea that the cubes and a woofer generated the sound of a much larger system was true up to a point but there's a nasty gap in the frequency response that other systems don't have. There are sonic compromises with their systems, despite the engineering know how. Home audio retailers have described strict demonstration requirements designed to (unfairly) make the Bose systems sound better than their competition. Yet people wanted those little cubes & the sonic compromises were those that many lifestyle audio customers are OK with. They're not going to setup a complicated system of separates & Bose offers them simplicity.
The issue for Bose now is so many other manufacturers do too and, as you've heard, they can even do it better. Take a bow Sony and Samsung /Harman Kardon. Hope this comment sheds some light on the technical reasons for the anti Bose sentiment, some justified some not.
All highs no lows? Back here in Singapore people are saying that BOSE stands for "Base Only, Sound Extra" lol
Respectfully, Kristi, I have to object to the idea of "near sabotage type tactics against them" as that implies that other manufacturers have deliberately perpetuated some kind of propaganda to damage Bose's reputation and sales. Bose did all of that to and by themselves, no help needed, thank you. :P James and sdemosi mentioned some of the shady tactics below which doesn't surprise me, but it shows that even Bose themselves knew there were issues and rather than improve their technology they are actually the ones who ironically in fact implemented "near sabotage type tactics" against their competition.
As for myself, I didn't need anti-competitive propaganda marketing to propel me to my own anti-Bose bias which should be clear from my initial long post above. When I was a teenager in the 90's, my father was interested in buying the Bose system and we actually took a cross-border shopping trip to check one out. Even my non-audiophile teen self was shocked at how mediocre the sound was and how much the thing cost. I actually helped talk my dad out of it. I've had it in for Bose ever since and as an adult, I have friends who have Bose setups that only remind me that I was so right about them even as a dumb teenager. :D
Of course, back then there was no way to know what sdemosi mentioned about the power requirements to make them work properly. I didn't even know that until reading his post! So how is anyone else supposed to know? Especially if Bose doesn't tell anyone? More self-sabotage right there.
@@sdemosi Thanks for this. Very insightful. I never knew about the power requirements for Bose but now that you've posted it and combined with my own budding audiophile knowledge, it makes absolutely perfect sense.
After reading and watching reviews (including yours!), we bought the 900 and bass module. I’m sure there are better sounding bars, but the 900 checked the important boxes for our family. Sounds great for movies, easy to use, well made and looks classy.
Not great for most music, but it works well enough for background tunes.
The 900 is getting a lot more use in our household than our previous systems did. That’s the most important thing for us.
I have a SoundTouch 300 just upgraded to the sound bar 900. Both are excellent ant the 900 is a substantial improvement overall. I have it paired with the Acoustimass 300 from my SoundTouch 300, which is the same as the current Aucoustimass 700 (note the Sound Bar 900 picks up the sub and it shows as a 700). The Sub sits behind a chair, totally hidden, but adds great punchy lows. One of the great advantages is just how simple and elegant the setup is. Sorry Kristi, I love the size, sleekness, black glass top etc... I think it is a work of art that tastefully slips into the surroundings of my living area and exudes quality. I absolutely dislike most of the other soundbars cheap plastic y grills and / or cloth coverings that instantly downgrade the looks of a nicely appointed living space.
I have the 300 too, did you find it really worth the upgrade from sound perspective?
@@bennabulsi6756 For me yes, but, a good overall improvement but the 300 is still very good. If you don't have a Sub woofer then that may make a more noticeable difference than just going up to a 900 without a sub.
@@mickslick288 thanks for sharing this, I have the whole set. I've actually ordered the soundbar yesterday and was lucky to get 20% off
exactly, it isn't just a black box as she said. The Bose soundbar 900 is a work of art. Super elegant with that glass top
Thanks! Was wondering if the sub and surround from ST300 works with new 900 and your comment really helped!
I remember last year you asked people to open their mind about the soundbars.
With Dolby Atmos and DTS X, it opened a new world of possibilities with the hardware.
The more it goes and the more a full dedicated receivers, with 5 speakers and wires all around the appart is making sense now.
For the audio, we are seeing the same change we saw, with the TV when we went from the CRT to the LED.
I heard a demo of the A9, and LOVED it. I can’t for the life of me understand why it doesn’t come in black though. Especially when the sync box is black….
So glad I waited and didn’t buy the 700 or the 900. I went with the 600 at a price of £469 gives great Dolby Atmos in movies and music. We have a medium sized living room so the other two bars would be to much for our space. If we had a bigger living room then we would have gone for the 900 love how Bose sounds looks classy and stylish. Great review of the 900 👍🏻
I have the bose sb 900 bm 700 and s700 and it's phenomenal.....don't plan on changing it. Bose bass is unrivaled
Yes!!! Thanks for this review. I’ve been waiting to pull the trigger on either the Bose 900 and the Sony. I’m definitely going for the Sony A9 now. Thanks.
"Compared to the A9, it's _just a soundbar_ "
Ouch...
That's because it is a sound bar. The Sony system is not. I think Andrew is missing the point as to why people purchase sound bars. Form factor and ease of setup. If I wanted a discrete system I would purchase four or five separate powered monitors.
Been waiting for this I bought the 700 on your recommendation and I could not be happier
Funny, I haven’t considered Bose speakers in so many years. Not sure what they could do to change my mind, especially now that I own the Sony A9’s which are every bit as good as you said in your review.
What would you compare that A9 to?
@@juandoe7802 I replaced a Sonos Arc 5.1 setup with the A9, and I would say the sound quality is pretty equal, but the soundstage of the A9 is much bigger and more fun to listen to.
@@JeffreyParsons I have the same Sonos ARC setup, and was curious about the comparison to this Sony... Would you say the Sony is that much better to consider selling my Sonos to switch? I love the Sonos Sub, does the Sony Sub sound good too? Does it really sound like a 12ch system, or at least somewhat give you the affect?
@@juandoe7802 I’m still a big fan of the Sonos setup, I have one in a different room. I’d say the subs sound the same as far as quality. As to whether it truly sounds like a 12ch system, who knows? Some of that is marketing, but it’s definitely the best Atmos I’ve heard in my space. That’s why I made the switch, my main room is kind of a funky shape and I couldn’t get the Sonos surrounds evenly spaced. The automatic sound mapping the A9 does was the big draw for me, as was getting the HDMI input back. Also, it’s fun to play with new stuff!
Aaah. Bosé has changed to where it is supposedto be. Never was a fan, but the 900 with a sub is quality. Got mine yesterday.
I have owned sony and jbl sound system and last week i got to own my first bose soundbar 600, its so clear and crisp. No more muffled boxy sound from sony or shady dialogue from jbl. I will be picking up a pair of surround speaker tomorrow to enhance my dolby atmos sound and in the future with budget i will get the module 500
Did u have sony ht a9
Same thing here. Just bought the Sony HT-A3000 a week ago and I'm disappointed. My cheap Mi soundbar sounds better than this Sony when it comes to music. When it comes to movies, its good, but the "sound field" option makes it sound boxy and artificial. Muffled jumbled garbage. So I leave it off and just turn on the Voice enhancement feature. Now this setting, there is no surround experience at all. I can't even return it. Complete waste of money. So I ordered another soundbar, Bose 900. Waiting for it to be delivered.
@@Roberto-nj5yris it much better?
I bought the Bose 900 here in the UK . I am not blown away at all. My old 5 yr old JBL and sub is better but does not have Atmos. £899 for this Bose and I think i should have got the Samsung q980a.
Agree with you in the dynamics of the bar... Bose has always been making small speakers which produce big sounds, which is what fascinates people(including me) and ultimately lures them into buying their products.. Don't know how they manage to pull that off
Not a Bose fan, but those speakers in the background sure do look nice...........🤭🤔🤭🤔. Thanks for the review. You guys rock as always.
Thanks for watching Ray! Have a good one!
subscribed , i got your channel as recommendation , as i searched for reviews of bose 900 for the past few days, but sadly there isn't much reviews on google, but in youtube there are a lot. thanks
Sound bars have definitely improved significantly over the years, but I still haven't heard any that match a competent 5.1 (or higher) traditional speaker surround system. At least going off of in store demos, and other people's soundbar setups that I've heard.
I had BOSE 135 10 years ago. It was the only sounder you can get at that moment. Without setting up the wire and installation, 135 matched me perfectly since I moved all the time. I still using 135 as my only stereo in my living room. Recently, so many new soundbars came out to the market, and I kept asking Bose if they are going to realize new sound bar which support Atmos. However, after watching the review, I decide to go to Sony A9. It seems a whole new products just like I bought 135 10 years ago.
I've come to appreciate the "Kristi segments", she's very knowledgeable and makes great comparisons and intiates a dialogue not found in many reviews. Wonderful review as always by both of you!
I always enjoy these reviews even when im not particularly interested in the subject. Im not in the market for a soundbar. But you never know when a friend may need a suggestion.
Appreciate you watching all the same!
BOSE SOUNDBAR IS THE BEST ，Without complex adjustment, it is easy to install and use，the sound is Great 👍
Great video. I went with the Bose 900 as it’s the biggest sound bar which fits between my 75” TV triangle shaped legs on my IKEA bench.
Great review always enjoy your straightforwardness. I must say my own opinion/review I’ve had all the Bose series from the 300 SoundTouch to the 500 to the 700 and now the 900. I also have Sonos Arc setup in the living room. I am so impressed with the 900 that it is remarkably clearer and produces enough bass that for my bedroom I totally do not need a subwoofer you get that thump even watching a movie with clarity that fills the room and surrounds you, just a very impressive sound bar you will not be disappointed at all if you get it.
Hey, would you recommend the 900 over the arc? I had the 700 and also the arc, i liked the arc better. Only thing I miss in the arc is the center channel adjustment, Bose has that.
@@rolandgomory9833 I have the arc in my living room set up and I have the Bose 900 in the bedroom it sounds fantastic much better than the others.
New subscriber, I like and respect your style. I've been researching soundbars and finally took a listen to the Bose 900 w 700 sub. It was in demo mode (of course 😏) however one of the demos was a short clip of House of Dragons. I was floored by the sound, so clean and crisp yet deep and powerful. That said it's a lot of money and after researching I've read a LOT of people complain about the constant unpairing of the bar and people needing to do a hard reset and starting over. Some complained they were never able to get it to sync again and returned it. Curious if that's something you've either come across or experienced post review? I've heard the Sony, haven't heard the Samsung 990 because it's not setup at my local BB. Anyway you guys mentioned last years LG 9, I see it available now for $500! I know you both enjoyed it but again I read people complain about the LG destroying their cable wifi signal to the point of making video unwatchable. Unfortunately I have Tmobile home internet and it kicks ass, 1.2gps, but it sits in my tv cabinet. Did you guys notice and issues streaming w that bar, is that a specific issue only with last year's LG 9. Seems odd, it's the only time I've ever heard that complaint.
Anyway, at this point I'm not sure I'd risk $1450 on the Bose w all the dropout complaints. Think I'm going to start around $500 and the JBL Bar 5.1 was high on my list after that review but it's tempting to try that LG 9 for $500. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks and I look forward to your future reviews. Merry Christmas
I sold many Soundbar 700 (and the Soundtouch 300 that came before it, which was basically the same thing), and while they can be quite convincing with movies and the proper AdaptIQ, they usually failed to impress me with music.
It sound ok with the demo songs (carefully chosen by Bose), but play most “regular” music (whatever style that is), and it fails to sound anything more than… …a soundbar!
Trends made soundbars popular, and it’s amazing to see that the soundbar 700 with the sub and the OmniJewel rear wireless satellites would make the total price not that distant from a Lifestyle, and the overall performance isn’t in the same planet (and the Lifestyle 600 would also come with rear wireless satellites.
But trends speak louder, and Bose ended up with one of its most iconic and accomplished line of products, which were unique in the way they combined visual appeal with sound (not following audiophile levels of performance, because physics can’t be changed, and it was a real Lifestyle product).
Bose isn’t in a very good shape worldwide (I’d argue that they are in very bad shape), because since Dr. Amar Bose passed away, Bose tried to compete with the hugely bigger brands in the consumer market, instead of keeping the focus on what the founder always said “in order to be better, we have to be different”.
Not all Bose products that were “different” were better (some were actually bad, and I sold loads of them for over 20 years), but some of the best and most iconic were definitely different.
When we’re talking about soundbars, the Bose is just another design of the same basic concept that almost every brand has been doing for years, and you’ll see things going backwards, just like the remote on the 900 vs 700 soundbars.
If you don’t understand why the new soundbar 900 comes with such a simple remote, I can tell you that the main reason is that it is way cheaper (you can see that the list price for the 900 is very similar to the 700, but it has more speakers, amplifier channels and DSP processing).
The sub has been around since the Sountouch 300 soundbar (the exact same unit that came with the Lifestyle 650/600/550), so there’s another saving there (although you can’t see it in the price evolution). 😉
The low number of inputs or older protocols has always been a Bose thing (saving). The Bose 321 was an huge success, but they were always behind all manufacturers in that respect. When most of the competition has component video output, Bose was still on the composite. When the competition moved to HDMI, Bose was introducing the component video output. 😁
It was always like that, because in the great scheme of things, Bose was always a small manufacturer (compared to the big ones from Japan and later Corean manufacturers).
They didn’t have the scale to make changes that fast, but the often compensated with differentiated products.
That time is over, and I hope that Bose can get out of the current hole that it put itself in.
Bear in mind that I’m not a Bose hater, as I had a very close relationship with the brand for more than two decades.
I was never what you call “a Bose fan”, in the sense that my priorities in sound were almost different.
But I could see and respect what Bose achieved on many products, in the perspective of sound solutions for challenging spaces, that wouldn’t let any high-end speaker perform anything close what they could, both for acoustics and placement.
Bose professional has already been sold to an investment group called “Transom”, and I’d argue that the Pro business is still better than the consumer for Bose.
Dr. Bose would be rolling in its grave if he heard about it, as he was always proud of being a private held company, which meant that it wouldn’t have to please shareholders every year.
That was the main reason why he gave most of Bose to MIT.
Sadly, Bose gradually lost its track over the last decade, and the results aren’t great.
That being said, the Soundbar 900 and the QuietConfort Noise Cancelling headphones are still the most regarded products from Bose today.
There are better options for both product lines on other brands, but they’re still the best rated for Bose.
I sincerely hope that Bose can reinvent itself, but at the moment, they seem to be stuck with an mostly outdated product line (this soundbar is one of the most recent, interestingly enough). 😉
In a nutshell, I wouldn’t buy one, but in all honesty, I’m not a huge fan of soundbars for anything more than a bedroom sound solution.
With a few honorable exceptions, they represent the victory of design/trends over function.
Which one you recommend
My man came in and wrote a novel that you shouldn't buy Bose and left without saying which one you should buy.
I have tried out so many soundbars it’s not funny. The 700 was too peaky for the bedroom and hurt my ears at normal listening levels. (Because these speakers beam that’s how they project). Same thing when I tried to put the Bose 650 in the bedroom. But works wonderfully in the living room. My solution was the B &E Soundstage for the bedroom. Incredibly smooth and detailed. Never harsh. The perfect solution in my room and no subwoofer needed or missed. The issue I have with the Sony is the speakers can’t be wall mounted. And the power cord is rated for in wall installations. The 650 is just a cleaner solution.
I still don’t understand why people keep comparing a soundbar to the Sony A9 which is a home theater system, not a soundbar. I don’t think it’s fair to compare them.
True. I don't even want A9 coz its wired speakers all around. I wanted a soundbar and love my Bose 900.
coz this soundbar can actually push lots of home theatre system..
Just purchased Sony A80J 55 inch and in search of my first sound bar.
I want a sound bar that is good listening to music and playing movie sounds.
I have narrowed following choices:
Sonos Arc: rich and robust sounds.
Bose 900: generates clear, crisp sounds.
Sony HT-A5000: just released so don’t know how that sounds.
Sony HT-A7000: Sounds very powerful but length seems too long for my TV and very expensive.
Best Buys don’t give a good space for Bose sound bars demo. However, the more I keep try out the sound of Bose 900, the more I like the sound and design of the bar itself.
I think I am leaning toward Bose 900 and plan to purchase Module 700 subroofer which total cost about $1650.
If I go with Sony HT soundbars with subroofers, the total cost will be the same cost range of $1600 as well.
Best Buy sales agent tend to recommend me stick with Sony eco system to work better.
Any opinion on this?
I owned a Bose head phone long time ago. I think back then that head phone cost about $100. I felt the sound quality is average but parts broke down quickly- kind over hyped. So I am also kind of concerned with product durability of Bose.
Okay. So here's my question. Given these 4 options, which is the best choice right now?
Sony HT-A9 speakers and SA-SW5 300W subwoofer ($2,300)
Bose Smart Soundbar 900 + Bose Bass Module 700 + Bose Surround Speakers 700 ($2,250)
Sonos 5.1.2 Surround Set with Sonos Arc, Sub, & One SL Speakers ($2,050)
Samsung HW-Q950A 11.1.4 channel Soundbar ($1,650)
(More details: Large room with 8-foot ceilings, TV and movies are the priority.)
Samsung hw q950 without any doubt.
Prolly didn't watch the video if this question still comes up. Obv. The a9 wins over them all
Sonos Arc with Sub and 2 fives delivers the best sound ever
Never clicked on a video so fast! Gotta say new to the Channel and no one can do reviews like you! Keep up the great work and see you in the next video!
Thanks so much! So glad to have you aboard!
You should do a top 5 soundbars video.
I don't get the hate for Bose. I've still got a lifestyle surround system pushing 20 years old and it looks new. When it was my main lounge system people were always blown away by it. They are masters at room correction specific to their speakers, what people don't realise is that a lot of their sound field is designed by using your walls to bounce sound. So my system has 2 speakers at each point which sort of split in different directions, so you'd point one at your position and then one slightly away or at a back wall if surround and you get a really strong surround sound stage.
It's a cultural trope, like hating on Nickelback. Saying Bose is awful makes you part of the "in" crowd; sneering at "the proletariat" is always popular among the tragically hip, and Bose is the 800 pound gorilla of speaker manufacturers.
Haters are haters just to hate. Bose is for a certain niche and I fit into that niche. I wish I had purchased a pair of 901s when I had the chance but went with Definitive Technology instead. The main reason I went with DT is because the configuration of my living room would not allow me to take full advantage of the 901s direct reflecting so it would have been a waste.
Size matters, she said :-)
Thanks for the review. Now i am happy to have bought a sony HT-A9 system. Before that I already had 2 different soundbars from Sony and LG, but none of the soundbars that I had up to now can match the HT-A9 system.
I love my Bose 900 with my Acoustimas 300 and Virtually Invisible 300 surrounds. It's like watching my movies for the first time.
@Andrew thanks for your review. What's going on with Sony quality control? Nearly each of the customer reviews (BBY and Amazon) about HTA9 is complaining about connectivity within speakers. I would love to invest, but these are too expensive to go through hassle of return exchanges etc. Did you face any problem? You are making a great recommendation, but I am in doubt about the Sony's quality on this one. I do own Bose for nearly 10 years, and none of the product is broke so far, all sounds like the day I purchased.
I would like to know too, Andrew has me sold on the A9s... But the connectivity issues I've read about on user reviews has me skeptical about it
We haven't had any connection issues.
Thank you so much, the details you provided about the Bose 900 are exactly what I wanted to know about. I am a bit hard of hearing with clarity so your tip on the center channel really gives me hope the 900 will meet expectations. I have never liked rattling the house with base and don't like speakers all over the room so the sub and extra speakers are not wanted, I really want 1 small footprint soundbar that does a lot. I think the 900 will be exactly what I need.
Update, I bought the Bose 900, this was the perfect soundbar for me. very small footprint, extra speakers and woofer are not wanted and for me the 1 bar is plenty small footprint is important, I don't want to rattle my house. I also don't need all the profile setting trying to figure out a bunch of settings, for me less is more. I am slightly hard of hearing and being able to increase the center voice very easy is nice.
loved the little back and forth at the end... should be done always..
Andrew Robinson I really like bose, but this talk confused me, you seem convinced, but it seems that kristi changes your opinion, is it really worth it or should I buy another? HELP...
I am hearing comments on connectivity issues with the Sony system. It would be nice to predict into the future of these systems if possible. Bose I know works like it is new for decades. Not sure about the Sony. Mostly not. We spend a lot of money on these and reliability is a must.
I totally agree. There seems to be no perfect product no matter the price. There is always one issue or another especially if it is connected to wifi. I think that manufacturers release products that don't have all the bugs worked out of them to meet their release date. Why do you have to update a newly released product? It seems that the product should come already updated. As far as tech support goes they are just about useless. By the time you call them you have already tried everything in your arsenal to solve the problem and all they do is tell you to try what you already have. And so it goes.
As an AV enthusiast, I can't get enough of AV content, so thanks for giving me something to look forward to on Sundays and the work you guys put into the content.
My soundbar 900 has two subs and the 700 rears. My setup SLAMS hard. I had to trick the system when setting it up though. The trick is to move the subs into a nearby room so the system will have to increase its volume. Don’t hate. I dial it back. I don’t just push the subs till they smell like glue or smoke lol. I just think Bose keeps the sound system in the midrange of its capability. Idk why.
I just hooked up the 900 with dual subs and the omnijewels last night. The entire process took less than 2 hrs with not one glitch. Last black Friday I bought the 700 to upgrade from my soundtouch 300 and it was a nightmare. I spent seven and a half hours plus a hour and a half with tech support trying to get it to work. After six hours the soundbar itself would only work and not the additional speakers so I returned it the next day. To tell the truth I can't notice any difference in sound between the 300 and the 900. One problem I am having is the sound goes out when switching inputs so I will have to solve that problem. We all know that dealing with anything connected to wifi is like voodoo and you have continuously problem solve.
Bose is kinda the Apple of the audio world. Well built, easy to use, expensive, and all extras are sold separately.
Sonos is kinda the same too.
I think all consumer electronics are the same because all about $$$.
Thank you do much for this review and for dialoging with your partner Siri who we can't see over there(LOL). No really, a great review. I checked out the Sonos. Too big( giant log) and sound is not balanced(too many hi's). I ended up going with the Bose 900 and 500 base module(700 too awkward looking). This system is 100% Excellent! Out of the box it is marginal. However, after doing the sound test and adjusting center channel +base, it is hands down better than Sonos when watching ATmos and Dolby Digital movies + Music. The only thing I will do next is mount the rear 700 surround speakers to the ceiling and add a second 500 base module to the other side of my room. One base module is enough for average rectangular rooms, but I lose a little on the left side of the room due to my open floor plan. That 500 kicks tail! All I can say is get this system, tweak it for your room and you will not be disappointed. I think that mounting the 700 surround at earlevel will not properly complete the Atmos dome effect, since they were not designed to have up firing rear channel.
Great review., thanks. I was especially interested in your comments on Dialogue Enhancement settings. This is becoming more and more important as filmmakers eschew enunciation in favor of mumbling and grumbling. Or perhaps I’m just getting older ? Naah!
I have to disagree with the soundbar being bigger. It already won't fit between some people's TV stands. And I think the cube surrounds sound just fine.
Love your vids but curious - any reason why you haven’t looked at a full Sonos Arc setup yet? Would love your thoughts.
I think this question gets answered every week. Sonos haven't given them a system to test. Who knows why.. 🤷♂️
I agree with Kristi's comments on the Bose 900 being a little small, at least height wise. I felt the same way when put in place on my mantle, same for bass module. I got the Bose 900 to replace my Nakamichi Shockwafe. The Shockwafe had better bass obviously due to the two included subwoofers, but the Bose is a more refined soundbar with simplicity and room correction. I have heard the HTA9 compared to the Bose 700 at a friend in the same room. Unfortunately, the Bose 700 sounded better, but that could be due to the room itself.
Add the Bosé base module 700. You will crap yourself.
the 7000 with the rears is better than the A9. The A9 lacking a dedicated center kills that system. the phantom center is weak
Hey folks, I'm no audio expert but I have to admit if you can find a few extra bucks go for the Sony 7000 over these. I had the Bose for about a week and they are VERY good, but something told me to go to Best Buy and try the Sony, I heard the soundbar in the store and I was intrigued but when I got home they pretty much amazed me. Keep in mind this is without the sub or rear speakers. Well, that's my 2 cents. Hopefully I was able to help someone else out 🤗
Is the bose 700 bass module worth it?
I can only dream at this point of having a conversation with a girlfriend/wife who cares about audio. Very very cool that you both enjoy similar things. And even when you may not agree, its not the end of the world. Cheers to Andrew and Kristi! (Spelling? Sorry)
Ordered the Sony HT-A9 and not looking back
I have a very nice separates system but damn I'm curious to hear what Sony has done with the A9s. The reviews are very positive.
I have to say as a new subscriber your reviews are super detailed and i love the fact that you don't leave anything out. I was wondering why nobody talks about the Yamaha sound projectors? i have a YSP-1600 and love the clarity and detail i get from the soundbar, i am more concerned with clear dialog, decent base, and very detailed sound. I found the YSP-1600 and the YSP-2700 where very good at this. I also like the Bose 700 with the base module and it is very immersive but the midrange isn't as good as the Yamaha. I would love to hear your opinion on this. I know the Yamaha isn't as modern as the newer soundbars but newer isn't always better.
I tried both systems, I prefer the bose in movies and especially in music hands down! That big Heavy Sony sub can't compare to the bose
Don't let size fool u
People on here complaining about DTS X, sound quality , size , price etc…. I’m still rocking my BOSE CINEMATE GS SERIES II and don’t plan on changing that 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
#BETHANKFULFORWHATYOUVEGOT
youre wright, even any two cheap channel from bose(cinemate) beats any their expensive soundbar
Looks like my old 1-2-3, I'm just chasing it now. That thing sounded incredible, nothing now comes close. I just bought the 900 but nope. And DTS sounded SICK on the 1-2-3
Nice review! Are you going to compare with a sonos arc?
Thanks for watching. We have no plans to review the ARC.
Thanks guys, great review and interaction with each other. Really enjoy watching these.
The Sonos Arc is so huge. Where do you place it? On the floor?
I just ordered the a9 with sw5. I was waiting for a prize drop for a while and now i got it 30%off. So i ordered it.
Then i couldnt get bose out of my head. (900+bas+suround)Did i make the right choice? I was wondering. Then this RUclips Chanel episode came to me. I hope i will be satisfied whit it. What do you think?
I was allso interrested in sonos (arc, big sub, era 300) tuff desision.
Thanks! I will follow.
This playlist would be a great place to start as we've covered just about every soundbar type product out there. ruclips.net/p/PL0M9xqvUDwdwvLTtBMYGRcCVWE-rkEWx_
How the Bose 900 compares with the Bang and Olufsen stage ?
That’s true when the dialogue mode is on, the sound is rather more tinny compared when it is off… I just boost the center channel level a bit according to my preferred loudness.
Another awesome review Andrew! I was wondering if you could make a video of the best home theater bundle by price range. For example, under $1k, from $1k to $3k, $3k to $5k, $5k to $10k and > 10k. This would help us a lot to make a better decision upon building a good system. Which receivers go better to which speakers and so on. Thanks!!!
Very good idea!
I'd love to see that!!
That will surely help me choose which path to take...
Awesome review! Question for you though do you have any plans to review the Sonos beam 2 by chance? I know you guys haven’t been able to get an arc to review sadly. 😞 I was just curious.
Sadly we weren’t included in the release of the new Beam. It would appear that Sonos isn’t interested in having their products reviewed by those of us in the audio community. Their focus seems to be more on the gadget crowd (think phones and laptops) when it comes to RUclips.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Awww man thats a real bummer. 🥺 You guys have done a rather good job of balancing the new tech stuff/esthetically pleasing lifestyle products that a lot of people are interested in. You combine that with the in depth audiophile appreciation to sound quality that obviously there is a market for. Which I feel is a target group that Sonos would do well to market better to on RUclips. I feel this is a loss for everyone in the community and hope they change their approach on this.
Lack of external hdmi ports is a deal breaker. My TV lg cx doesn't support dolby true HD passthrough through earc, a lot of TV's don't support it. So many won't get lossless atmos on the bose. Also lack of dts:X is basically a double whammy of deal breakers, since lg removed support from their newer TVs
All valid points and concerns.
I have a CX and have the same issue. It’s why I went for the A6A instead of trying out the A9. I don’t want to use the TV’s HDMI ports and compromise on sound formats.
The Sonos Arc has the exact same problems!
after watching the video, i really love how you also let another reviewer to review your products, really love it man, this is really different. and most importantly , i would keep comparing the bose with samsung, as my home in india has more samsung products than bose or apple products, and most especially i wanted to buy Q950A coz for the budget i got a total package of many products, but still i was skeptical whether should i spend more on bose , but bose afterall is bose , the price is too high, but after your review i still think its worth it, thank you.
The a9 speakers are bigger than i expected. They are the size of my r-51ms
Does it work?
I bought q950a after your review. 30% off and a free Samsung s6 Lite table (Samsung campaign). Very pleased with the performance for the price. Was think about the Sony A9 +sub, but the price in Denmark, is 3 times higher than the q950a.
But alot better though
"It's just a sound bar." Yes. Sums it up for me, at least.
I bought the a9 after your last a9 review - and I had a 6000 Euro b&w home cinema system with standfloors from the 700 series and what the hell …. The a9 is Sooo much better in movies and Gaming its so incredible !!! The best of it is the phantom center - before the voice always came from the botton where my center was - and now its coming right from the middle it’s so awesome
That’s great! Happy to hear you are enjoying the A9.
Came hear to listen you saying HT A9 is superior and boy I am not disappointed 😉
Interesting tidbit regarding the Sony HTA9, in this review you mentioned it was a similar price to the Bose, but at least where I live the Sony is $1100 more, nearly double the price.
Great review as always. I just purchased the 900 soundbar, I would have had a very hard time making this decision without all your amazing sound bar reviews.
I wanted the HTA9 but they were out of my price range. I picked the Bose specifically because it does not come with a subwoofer. I live in a smaller apartment, and in the interest of being neighborly…
I also think the ability to pair Bose headphones with the sound-bar is an interesting feature. Have you tried this?
Thanks again for your top tier reviews/integrity
I’ve had the 700 for about 6 months now, is the 900 worth purchasing and selling the 700?
Your question is answered in the review.
Both are great! I upgraded from my 700 to the 900 and I’m happy I did. For me in my space, there’s a nice uptick in sound quality! Love it! You don’t have to upgrade I was very pleased with the 700 but even more so with the 900.
Just enjoy it first.save your hard earned money 😊👍
@@madbrawler4398 save your hard work money to collect dust
Nice Andrew. Was going to ask for a review too! Always appreciate your insight.
I am going to cast my vote in being thoroughly disappointed there's no DTS. I don't know whether I'll need it or not, but with a flagship I definitely expect it to be there if I do.
How can you be thoroughly disappointed in something you don’t know if you’ll need or not?… lol
@@MrReece131 I missed your message but I have a DVD collection that has some DTS if I ever decide to take them out of the box. If I wanted to get a Blu-ray it would have it, Star Wars always has it. Makes a huge difference, I'm not an expert but I'd say most high quality, uncompressed audio will be in DTS or the new DTS-X. Even my Bose 1-2-3 from 2001 had DTS and it sounded sick! 700 has it so I definitely expected it to be on this one. Maybe as internet gets faster and more capable they'll stop just streaming in compressed audio.
It upscales. Saving Private Ryan has never sounded so brilliant on Blue Ray
Totally valid with someone like you with a dvd collection, but the way everything is streamed online these days then the DTS crowd are perhaps getting smaller every year?
900 is awesome, rear speakers in my opinion completely change the entire enjoyment and sound fills the room, sub is also a fantastic upgrade, but all in all it starts to add up in costs. I have the complete package and now wished I had researched more as the bose does lack some features. After 6 months I find the sound very good and am still making adjustments. It has dropped out a few times via my TV and has had to have a few resets power wise. Music has great depth and clarity, tv is dependent upon broadcast sound delivery, on my bravia I can't listen to certain sound files which is hugely disappointing. It does not cover every sound type which is a let down at this price range
Why didn't you compare it with sonos arc?
Dear Andrew please take note that for the best sound experience with atmos soundbars you should place them at ear level instead of your current arrangement on a low table top. Try the ear level placement and you will experience better atmos experience as well as more immersive sound bubble.
We try all bars (and speakers) on multiple surfaces. I am commenting based on the sum of my experiences. Thanks for watching!
The problem with the A9 is that it does not exist anywhere.
Sony had to recall them and go back to the drawing board.
I’ve watched a lot of your soundbar reviews, and really the only bar that interests me is the AMBEO (not really into setups that use wireless solutions especially with subwoofers, and traditional HT setups require a lot of cable management), and well it’s $2.5K. I honestly haven’t seen anything to replace my Yamaha YSP-1600 but who knows, maybe that solution will come in the next few years at a much more manageable cost.
The room I have my YSP-1600 is small enough where the sound stage is pretty full and I’ve had it for a few years and have been satisfied with it overall. Compatibility with more modern codecs is what’s scaring me a bit as I plan on upgrading my TV in the next few months or so.
Your reviews on sound bars ain't complete until SONOS ARC is reviewed. I am pretty surprise you still have yet to review. I have test Bose and Sony that you mentioned and I still think Sonos Arc is a little ahead if I were put them side by side.
I enjoyed your review of the Bose 900 soundbar, your delivery is so smooth and professional I tend to take it as gospel. I would very like to see you review the Sonos ARC which is finally getting a much requested upgrade (before the year's end) to enable DTS playback, if I have missed your Arc review please let me know. Thank you for all you do.
I need to know the name of the black market dealer who hooked you up with the Playstation 5
StockX
@@andrewrobinsonreviews I was a joke :-D
I'm stuck with Samsung q950a for a while because it amazes me almost everyday. Sounds are bouncing off the walls with great ease. Imagine a 22feet wide TV wall.
It's great!
The Bose 900 is just a recycled sound bar with 2 added drivers for Atmos. The Bose 650 just blows this sound bar away detailed dialogue and surround effects. Too bad they discontinued it. But the price was insane. Most dialogue enhancements just don’t work and screw up the sound. Bose better get to work and produce a better product since they killed their flagship system.