As our televisions keep getting slimmer and our video quality keeps getting clearer, the factory speakers that come with our TV’s seem to fall by the wayside. Video and esthetically pleasing aspects of the television models will keep improving but manufacturers pay almost no attention to sound and speaker quality. Those who take pride in their living room setups will seek a formidable sound companion for their TV’s.

Ever the consumer demand pleaser, Bose has got you covered. Besides manufacturing countless models to suit every dynamic need of its customer base, Bose also takes pride in improving upon older popular models. With their sleek, slim designs, balanced sound, and multiple listening room display/mounting options, it’s no wonder Bose is such a revered and trusted brand by professionals and novices alike.

In this article, we will explore the ever-popular Bose Solo vs Solo 5. We will get a better understanding of how Bose improves its products and keeps itself at the top of the best-known speaker brands. We will also compare it to a few other popular competitors so we can see how Bose holds up.

What is the Bose Solo / Bose Solo 5?

The Bose Solo series is a television sound system that hooks up directly to the TV to improve its sound and range. This Bose sound system takes the form of a sound bar that can be positioned below their television or can be mounted on a wall. The Bose Solo 5 is a step up from the Bose Solo because manufacturers tweaked it with comfortability and convenience in mind.

The well-received and carefully created Bose Solo speaker system has become the Bose Solo 5 with the ingenious addition of a universal remote and a wall bracket. Since the remote is universal, it can also control most video sources connected to your TV for added convenience, and the added brackets give the sound bar additional versatility in that it can now be mounted to the wall.

What is the Benefit of Using a Sound Bar?

When making consumer products such as televisions, manufacturers focus on the quality of the image and the looks and design of the model itself. Since TV’s are becoming increasingly slimmer, this leaves little room for the factory speakers. Manufacturers rarely give the speakers that come with televisions priority and these speakers end up failing to meet the quality standards of the video quality they are producing.

Since TV’s are so slim nowadays, the internal speakers need to maintain a certain level of flatness to fit. The lack of dynamics in a speaker take away from its ability to perform at top quality and range. A top quality television is much more admirable with a sound to complement it.

Any high-quality speaker will improve the sound in your listening area, but sound bars specifically are a top choice because they are an all-in-one. In one bar, these speakers contain the tweeters, sub woofers, and bass, treble, and mid balance with desirable clarity. Most sound bars come with two or more internal speakers offering surround sound from a single unit. Music aside, sound bars can vastly improve the sound of regular TV and movies with an added dialog mode. This mode amplifies voices for crisper clarity. It’s a lot similar to having a movie theater right in your living room!

Bose Solo Series Specs

As far as Bose Solo vs Solo 5, the speakers themselves are the same. The real difference between the two models is in the accessories that come with the Bose Solo 5. The Solo 5 comes with a bracket for wall mounting capabilities and the universal remote for added peace of mind.

The Bose Solo vs Solo 5 comes jam-packed with features, including a dialog mode, Bluetooth capabilities for syncing your smartphone or other audio device to the speaker wirelessly, and a single-cord television connector to make setup a snap. The remote offers additional bass adjustment settings to further enhance dramatic and suspenseful scenes in your favorite shows and movies. Manufacturers engineer the sound quality itself to reproduce the dialog, all ranges of tones, and every detail the way it was meant to be heard.

The sound bar itself weighs only 3.73 pounds and is 2.6 x 21.6 x 3.4 inches. This is on the smaller side for most sound bars, and, far from letting its size hinder its performance, the lightness of the bar only adds to the versatility. You can mount it anywhere, including under your television, on a shelf, or even on the wall.

The manufacturers offer a one-year warranty on the Bose Solo product as well as a free 60-day technical support policy.

Pricing

Though the Bose brand is so trusted and revered, it has a price to match its quality. One can purchase the Bose Solo 5 speaker system online for around $250. The price is on the higher side, but consumers generally agree the price is worth it for the product. It is listed as Amazon’s Choice, and one can also purchase it for the same price directly from the Bose manufacturer website.

How it Compares

We picked a couple of similar products available on the market to see how they compare.

​Bose Solo 5

Price
Ease of Use
Assembly Time
Design Quality
Warranty

Pros

• Small, sleek, versatile design allows the listener to mount it anywhere
• Superior Bose technology ensures a balanced and formidable sound
• Single cord installation makes setup stress-free
• Dialog mode to enhance voices

Cons

• Lack of subwoofer
• Higher price range
• Small design limits overall power; highs are not as clear; lows are not as booming
• Bass, volume, and dialog mode have no on-screen indicators; you must look at the LED indicators on the soundbar itself

Samsung HW-F355

The long, thin design of the Samsung HW-F355 soundbar is the perfect fit for televisions of 40 inches or above. The sound bar can sit directly beneath the television blocking no receivers, can fit on any open-ended shelf, and one can even mount it on the wall with the included wall mount brackets. The bar comes along with a wired subwoofer, completely in charge of handling the bass frequencies and it includes a remote. This sound bar comes equipped with Bluetooth connectivity for playing music from your streaming device with the click of a button.

This sound system has an impedance of 8 ohms, and a crossover frequency of 25kHz, meaning the speaker can flawlessly represent the full sound spectrum by splitting frequency bands to the appropriate drivers specifically for those bands. The warranty on this product offers a free 60-day technical support. One can purchase this item from Amazon for around $180.

Price
Ease of Use
Assembly Time
Design Quality
Warranty

Pros

• Separate subwoofer ensures high-quality bass capabilities with an extra punch capable of handling the lowest frequencies
• The thin lengthened design works with TVs 40 inches or above; slim enough model to put right below a TV without covering receivers
• Crossover technology splits sound to specialized drivers to maximize the full range of sound and help with surround sound effects
• Included remote allows the listener to adjust the bass as well as volume and Bluetooth controls
• Advanced listening presets such as sports, drama, gaming, and news adjust the speakers to enhance listening experience no matter what genre you are listening to
• The built-in equalizer adjusts the volume of different media files to avoid severe jumps in volume

Cons

• Smaller TVs will not work with this model
• thumbs-o-down The soundbar only has one optical, one USB, and one audio jack and some consumers may be off-put by the limited connectivity options
• thumbs-o-down The LED display on the front of the bar is too small for the relative size and length of the bar itself
• thumbs-o-down Bulky subwoofer and wired connection can look unsightly and hinder the possibilities of where to display the bar in the listening room
• thumbs-o-down Bass at 2 or 3 can lose balance and become muddled/overpowering

Yamaha YAS-203

The Yamaha YAS-203 sound system is perhaps the most robust and high-end sound bar on this list. Heavier and bulkier than some other sound bars we’ve seen, the YAS-203 is the perfect addition to any television measuring 40 inches or more. The pride and joy of this soundbar is its wireless subwoofer that one can place anywhere for a true surround sound effect and amplified bass. The subwoofer itself features a large magnet, a linear port for producing smooth bass, and a front-firing configuration. All the subwoofer needs to function is a quick plug-in to an outlet.

This sound bar also comes with a remote and a bracket for wall mounting, but the soundbar itself features a learning function that allows the user to train the bar to respond to the same signals as the television remote. The remote control that comes with this soundbar also has additional bass and volume functions. A free smartphone app is compatible with the sound bar, and it offers even more customization options and surround modes. The sound bar comes equipped with a TV remote repeater just in case it blocks the receiver, and the bar will signal the TV on its own.

The Clear Voice setting equalizes the volume of dialog and narratives so one can hear better it, and UniVolume ensures that different media files will play at around the same volume. The Yamaha-exclusive AIR SURROUND XTREME technology reproduces a virtual 7.1 surround sound experience and gives out a realistic and impressive sound. Bluetooth capabilities further increase the versatility of this soundbar. One can purchase the Yamaha YAS-203 sound bar on Amazon for around $450, and the warranty includes a free 60-day technical support.

Price
Ease of Use
Assembly Time
Design Quality
Warranty

Pros

• Wireless subwoofer adds versatility and additional options for setup 
• Learning function will program the soundbar to your remote for ease of use
• Advanced audio profile settings offer maximum customization to get desired sound
• Convex shape of the model centers the sound to create a surround sound experience

Cons

• No HDMI controller
• thumbs-o-down Speaker cord is short which limits where one can place it
• thumbs-o-down No display for the volume on-screen, LED light indicators only
• thumbs-o-down The manufacturers do not label indicators and looking at the manual is required to learn how they function

VIZIO S3851w-D4B

​

The VIZIO S3851w-D4B sound system offers perhaps the most unique setup on this list. The soundbar comes with a wireless subwoofer and two satellite rear speakers. This is a true 5.1 system for a real home theater experience with left, right, and center channels on the bar itself as well as the wireless subwoofer and the rear speakers.

This speaker has by far the most room-filling capabilities with 100 dB of sound and less than 1% total harmonic distortion to match. Even when the television is off, this sound bar offers Bluetooth capabilities that can connect to any streaming audio device. The VIZIO S3851w-D4B is jam-packed with superior audio technology, such as Dolby Digital and DTS Digital Surround decoding, DTS Studio Sound, DTS True Volume, and DTS Circle Surround Audio post processing.Manufacturers have designed this sound bar to be compatible with any medium-to-large sized television, and it is 38 inches of sleek design will look good with any TV. One can place the wireless subwoofer and rear speakers anywhere in the listening room for desired surrounding effects. This sound system is available on Amazon for around $220, and the warranty is a full year with 60 days of free technical support. Because of the additional parts, the setup can be tricky: an expert setup option is available upon purchase for an additional $90.

Price
Ease of Use
Assembly Time
Design Quality
Warranty

Pros

• Crisp audio makes ambient sounds and small details like paper crinkling and shoes on gravel more noticeable
• 100 dB of sound and multiple units offer the best surround sound experience on this list
• TV remote compatibility option available for free setup to avoid the hassle of two separate remotes
• Excellent value for the price
• thumbs-o-up The soundbar itself is big enough to pack a decent punch but is light enough and can still look good mounted on the wall
• thumbs-o-up Five inputs for variety include two analog stereos, one digital, one optical, and the Bluetooth

Cons

• LED lights rather than visual screen show different functions of this bar and can be difficult to understand without a manual
• thumbs-o-down No on-screen displays of volume or settings, the LED lights are the only indicators
• thumbs-o-down The bass can underwhelm on its own and may not be what some audiophiles are looking for
• thumbs-o-down Many consumers report that this product is not built to last and can cease functioning after only a few months of use

Conclusion – Bose Solo vs Solo 5

There are endless possibilities when it comes to choosing the correct sound system to enhance one’s factory television speakers. Any choice can be the right choice depending on the specificities of the user’s needs and desires.

If you are someone who is looking for a true surround sound experience with rear speakers and a subwoofer to put you in the center of a symphony of balanced tone ranges, the Vizio S3851w-D4B sound system is an optimal choice for you. Someone who is looking to get equalized audio and a deeper bass who is also wary of how much they spend should like to go with the Samsung HW-F355 sound bar and subwoofer.

An audiophile who is willing to make an investment to get a top of the line product carefully designed with room-filling sound, superior technology, and maximized customization options will most likely make the robust, long-lasting model that is the Yamaha YAS-203 their top choice.

If you ask us, however, we believe the Bose brand offers all you could desire and more at a good price for such a revered and trusted brand. It has the same remote functions/capabilities and wall mounting options that the Yamaha has at half the price, and it also boasts Bluetooth capabilities, additional bass adjustment settings, and a single cord installation to make setup user-friendly. The impressive sound the Bose Solo 5 can produce is comparable to the Yamaha, and its light, single-unit system doubles the convenience, especially for those who do not desire bulky hardware such as a separate subwoofer.

When choosing your next sound system, we hope you’ll think of the Bose Solo vs Solo 5 scenario and remember that the Bose brand offers not only a wide range of speakers and sound systems to suit every need, but it constantly improves upon popular models. Bose will keep manufacturing products with comfortability, compatibility, convenience, and, most importantly, professional audio in mind. When it comes to Bose Solo vs Solo 5, I give both products five stars and highly recommend them both for audiophiles and casual listeners alike.