Bose Home Speaker 500 Review

Name: Bose Home Speaker 500
Brand: Bose

Kenn Muguna

October 12, 2023

True Score Methodology v1.0

TRUE SCORE

72^%

Mixed Reviews

#

45

/

152

Where does this product score?

The Bose Home Speaker 500 was praised by top testers for how receptive it was to voice commands. They liked that they could adjust bass and treble levels through the Bose Music app and that it could connect to devices in different ways. Still, it didn’t have that thumpy bass response, a speakerphone functionality, and it’s not very portable.

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Score Card

E

Expert Score

80

*.75

We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores

C

Customer Score

NR

*.25

We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores

True Score

72^%

Any product with a True Score below 60 is a Total Dud

Table of Contents

Expert Score Breakdown_

Publications with higher Trust Scores are given more weight

F
Cat Trust Score
80
The Bose Home Speaker 500 is satisfactory for music. This… read more
?
Cat Trust Score
80
A Bose WiFi and Bluetooth wireless smart speaker system with… read more
?
Cat Trust Score
81
“No bottom line found for this product” read more
?
Cat Trust Score
86
“No bottom line found for this product” read more

Customer Score Breakdown_

NR
(
NR
)
Ratings

Product Snapshot

Expert Rankings

Overview_

The Bose Home Speaker 500 is a top-end Bluetooth speaker that was first announced in late 2021. Most of the best speakers in the industry have a particular wow factor, and for the Bose 500, it is its color LED screen. The screen displays data such as volume adjustments and pairing info. The speaker also has WiFi support and excellent Bluetooth connectivity, with a range of up to 195 ft and a latency of 57 to 88ms on Android and iOS devices, respectively. This makes it possible to watch movies and listen to music without lag. Similar to the highest-rated Bluetooth speakers around, the Bose 500 has built-in support for both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, but since it is not battery-powered, it is designed for indoor use. Check out our Bose Portable Smart Speaker review for a battery-powered alternative.

Best For

Consensus_

Reason to Buy

Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity
Works great with voice assistants
Wide soundstage
Loud max volume
Colored LED screen

Reason to Avoid

Not battery powered
No speakerphone functionality
Mediocre bass levels

Key Specs_

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Product Comparison_

	Bose Home Speaker 500 Review
True Score	72^%	NR	NR	NR
Ranking	# 45 / 152	# /	# /	# /
Market Context	The Bose Home Speaker 500 is a top-end Bluetooth speaker that was first announced in late 2021. Most of the best speakers in the industry… The Bose Home Speaker 500 is a top-end Bluetooth speaker that was first announced in late 2021. Most of the best speakers in the industry have a particular wow factor, and for the Bose 500, it is its color LED screen. The screen displays data such as volume adjustments and pairing info. The speaker also has WiFi support and excellent Bluetooth connectivity, with a range of up to 195 ft and a latency of 57 to 88ms on Android and iOS devices, respectively. This makes it possible to watch movies and listen to music without lag. Similar to the highest-rated Bluetooth speakers around, the Bose 500 has built-in support for both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, but since it is not battery-powered, it is designed for indoor use. Check out our Bose Portable Smart Speaker review for a battery-powered alternative.	While their design blueprint is almost similar, the Bose Home Speaker 500 and the Bose Home Speaker 300 have differences that buyers might want to… While their design blueprint is almost similar, the Bose Home Speaker 500 and the Bose Home Speaker 300 have differences that buyers might want to consider. The Bose 500 supports stereo content while the Bose 300 does not, but the Bose 300 is half as heavy as the Bose 500. Learn more about the Bose 300 through our Bose Home Speaker 300 review.	The Bose Home Speaker 500 is wired while the Sonos Move is battery powered, but the Sonos Move is waterproof and dust resistant, while the… The Bose Home Speaker 500 is wired while the Sonos Move is battery powered, but the Sonos Move is waterproof and dust resistant, while the Bose 500 is not. Still, the Bose 500 has a stereo output while the Sonos Move does not, but the Bose 500 has an AUX input while the Sonos Move does not.	The Bose Home Speaker 500 supports Bluetooth connectivity while the Sonos One Gen 2 does not, and it is also capable of a stereo output… The Bose Home Speaker 500 supports Bluetooth connectivity while the Sonos One Gen 2 does not, and it is also capable of a stereo output while the Sonos One Gen 2 is not. However, the Gen 2 has a stereo pair mode while the Bose 500 does not.
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Price History_

Score Card

E

Expert Score

80

*.75

We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores

C

Customer Score

NR

*.25

We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores

True Score

72^%

Any product with a True Score below 60 is a Total Dud

Expert Score Breakdown_

Publications with higher Trust Scores are given more weight

F
Trust Score
F
Cat Trust Score
80
The Bose Home Speaker 500 is satisfactory for music. This speaker has a fairly neutral… read more
?
Trust Score
?
Cat Trust Score
80
A Bose WiFi and Bluetooth wireless smart speaker system with the Alexa digital assistant. read more
?
Trust Score
?
Cat Trust Score
81
“No bottom line found for this product” read more
?
Trust Score
?
Cat Trust Score
86
“No bottom line found for this product” read more
?
Trust Score
?
Cat Trust Score
70
The Bose Home Speaker 500 is more expensive than other smart speakers like Apple HomePod… read more
?
Trust Score
?
Cat Trust Score
85
The Bose Home Speaker 500 delivers wireless audio via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, along with Amazon… read more