Bose Soundbar 900 or Sonos Arc

The question we are most often asked is which is better, the Bose Soundbar 900 or Sonos Arc?

Bose and Sonos are both enormously popular brands and offer many apparently similar products at almost identical prices. 

The Bose Soundbar 900 was introduced in late 2021 and is currently Bose’s top of the range soundbar. This product replaced the very successful Soundbar 700 and adds upward firing speakers with Dolby Atmos support. There is Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and eArc connectivity with Amazon Alexa / Google Assistant built in.

The Sonos Arc was launched in mid 2020 and offers all of the above - except Bluetooth, so what exactly are the differences which would entice you to choose one over the other?

Sound quality

Whether one speaker sounds better than another is often down to personal taste. Bose have an audio engineering pedigree stretching back many years, so it could be argued their products ought to sound better. However, even though Sonos are very much an IT company, in the recent past they have recruited some very talented audio engineers. Our verdict here is to listen to both and decide for yourself.

Upgrade options

Soundbars are attractive to many people because of their compact size and lack of cables. Their performance can be enhanced with the addition of a subwoofer (to add extra bass) and / or rear speakers, for an immersive surround sound. Bose currently offer a choice of 2 subwoofers and 2 rear speaker types. Sonos offer 1 sub, 1 set of rear speakers or an amplifier which can power your own choice of speaker. The Bose accessory speakers are perhaps better than the Sonos offerings, being dedicated rear speakers which are smaller and a much newer design than the Sonos equivalents.

Support for music streaming services

Sonos were one of the first brands on the scene when the music streaming revolution was at its earliest stages and were also one of the first to see the potential. Sonos supports just about every online music service you can think of, which is a big plus. Bose support Spotify, Amazon Music and Deezer, which are 3 of the biggest but if you get your music via Apple, Tidal or Google, you might want to factor this into your decision.

App

Both Bose and Sonos offer an app for controlling their products. This is where the experience Sonos have in software engineering comes to the fore - their app is very well sorted, simple to use and has some great features. The Bose app lacks a few useful features you will find on the Sonos app but some like the simplicity and functional appearance.

Multi-room expansion

If you are interested in expanding your system beyond one room, Bose and Sonos provide compatible products which can be situated in other areas of your home and conveniently controlled via their app. Sonos primary purpose since its launch has always been a multi-zone music system. There is a solid range of 9 products which you can use to create a comprehensive, tailored system for your home. Bose currently offer just 4 speakers, so there is a bit less flexibility, especially for larger systems.

So, Bose or Sonos?

The pros and cons of each product have been outlined above and there is no definitive answer. It really depends on your own personal needs and preferences. The Bose Soundbar 900 and Sonos

Arc are both high quality products and both have many thousands of satisfied customers. If you need any guidance on which one would be right for you, let us know and we’ll be happy to help.