Bose Home Speaker 500 Review – Solid Performer for any House

Bose Home Speaker 500

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Current testing methodology is v1.2

Release Date
September 20, 2018
Price
$415.98
Model:
‎795345-1100
Weight
‎4.65 lb
Size
‎4.31 x 6.68 x 8.01 in

Finding the right home speaker to listen to your favorite music is not always easy as there are so many great models. We found the Bose 500 home speaker with many great features added to make it a popular choice.

We will take an in-depth look at how it can help the music lovers out there for a good listening experience. Read on and find out the hype about this speaker and what makes it stand out.

Contender

Bose Home Speaker 500

A great speaker with impressive bottom end

4/5
Price Range: $$$
Brand: Bose
Bose Home Speaker 500 Front Top View

TL:DR;

While the addition of the screen on the Bose Home Speaker 500 might feel redundant at times the point of this speaker is that it’s a great addition to any room in your house. Full, rich sound and deep bass will keep Bose fans happy. Don’t like the Bose sound signature? Check out the Sonos.

The Specs

  • Speaker Type:  Soundbar
  • Special Feature:  Wireless
  • Connectivity Technology:  Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
  • Power Source:  Integrated power supply

What’s in the Box?

  • Bose Smart Speaker 500
  • Power cord
  • Owner’s guide
  • Quick start guide

Stuff I like

  • The speaker has a strong and durable construction and look
  • It is available in black and silver colors
  • Good volume and clear sound output
  • Dual connectivity options with Bluetooth and WiFi

Stuff I like less

  • It isn’t easy to set it up with home WiFi
  • The case rattles a bit with high bass volumes
  • It is a bit on the expensive side

Product Files

Comparable products to consider

Sonos One
Sonos One (Gen 2)

With dual connection options with an easy Bluetooth connectivity option for a smart home system.

This home speaker is also available in white and black if you need some versatility in the choice of color. With built-in voice control, it will be easy to activate it whenever you want to listen to your favorite music.

It is also compatible with Alexa and Apple Airplay 2 and comes with an easy-to-use app for better control and improved experience. This smart home speaker from Sonos is available at a much lower price tag for those working with a tight budget.

Bose Home Speaker 500 Review

The Bose 500 Home speaker comes with above-average sound quality, as this brand expects. Setting it up with your home WiFi might take some time, but you will have a home speaker for a long time when that is done.

With the small form factor, you will be surprised at the high output volume and clear sound you get from it. This makes you realize that there is much more to this speaker from Bose than meets the eye.

Who Is It For?

If you are looking for a speaker connected to your smart home setup, this one will go far. It is also a great option for those who love to listen to music while at home.

This is an ideal option for those people who want to turn the music on the moment they walk into your home. The fact that you can easily conceal it makes it ideal for those people who want music going in the background.

Anyone who wants to have an easy listening option in their home will benefit from this home speaker from Bose. But, before you decide whether this speaker is for you, let’s look at the great features included with it. So, read on and see for yourself!

What Is Included

Included in the package is this nice all-around speaker with everything needed for good music listening built into the one enclosure. You also get the power cord included in the package for a quick and easy power connection to get your speaker started.

Bose Home Speaker 500 on table
Display screen of the Bose Home Speaker 500 | Make Life Click

Then there is the very clear and easy-to-understand user’s manual with all the information you need about your device. Last is the quick setup guide to save you time with important safety information for your convenience.

Bose’s free app for this home speaker can be downloaded from their website for a quick and easy setup.

Overview Of Features

Let’s take a closer look at some of the great features that come with the Bose home speaker 500.

You will find the touch-sensitive controls at the top of the speaker to give you easy access to all the nice features. These also include six presets, which can easily be accessed for a quick and better listening experience.

Front-side you will find a clear and easy-to-read “now playing information” on a full-color LED screen. You have three different ways to manage your music with this speaker including the app or voice control.

The Bluetooth connectivity uses version 4.2 with an easy connectivity range of up to 30 feet to keep you connected. You can also connect to your home WiFi while options for Apple Airplay 2 and Spotify Connect are at your disposal.

Impressive wall-to-wall stereo sound is achieved with a single speaker with clear audio output for a nice listening experience. You also have an array of sound pickup microphones built-in at the top of the speaker to make calls from your speaker.

With the overall durable design of the speaker, you have 360 degrees of sound at your disposal all the time. What is also great is that it comes with the SimpleSync feature to easily pair with any other Bose device you want to add.

Setting it up with your home WiFi might prove more difficult than expected, so there is a steep learning curve there. It also comes with quite a high price tag attached to it and might be a problem for some people.

Bose Home Speaker Buttons from the top
The Bose Home Speaker 500 buttons | Make Life Click

The Bose home speaker has this problem that it will start rattling as soon as you play a deep bass sound. This will be a problem and, depending on the speaker’s location, might be a bit distracting while listening to music.

Main Features:

  • Easy sensitive touch controls at the top
  • Up to 6 easy accessible presets
  • Clear full, color LED display
  • Three ways to manage your music: easy touch controls, voice control, Bose music app
  • Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity options
  • Clear and high-quality sound output at 360 degrees
  • SimpleSync feature for easy pairing with other devices
  • Make your calls from this speaker

How To Use It

Setting this home speaker up will be easier if you have someone showing you how to do it. The following are step-by-step instructions for initial setup and setting up the Bose home speaker 500 for home use.

  • The first step is to take everything carefully out of the box and get it ready for setup
  • Make sure everything the list says is included in the package
  • The next step is to plug the power cord into the speaker at the bottom and then plug the other side into a power outlet
  • The speaker will automatically power up so you can set it up with your smart home system
  • Before you can set it up, you need to download the Bose Music app from Google Play or the Apple App Store
  • After installation of the app, follow the on-screen instruction to connect your Bose speaker with your WiFi
  • While you are busy with that, also set up the privacy settings
  • Next, you can also add all compatible voice assistants such as Alexa
  • When that is done, your speaker is ready to be used in your smart home setup

To learn more about the Bose music app, go here, and for complete instructions on using your Bose speaker, see this Youtube video.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS ONE?
Bose Home Speaker 500: Smart Bluetooth Speaker with Alexa Voice Control Built-In, Black
Bose Home Speaker 500

Conclusion

As you can see, there are several reasons why this home speaker from Bose is a great addition to the smart home. For music lovers, there are great options to manage their music delivered to them with high-quality sound.

All the great features added to it makes the Bose home speaker 500 a good option to choose for your home.

Bose Home Speaker 500 Front Top View
Sound quality
Build Quality
Value for money
4.4

A passion for writing and ongoing research projects gives Catherine an incredibly broad knowledge of all things. She has authored an incredible number of articles and can be found in the wilderness when not attached to technology or listening to podcasts.

This post was last updated on 2024-12-09 / Some images from Amazon Product API & some links may be affiliate links which may earn us a commission from purchases.


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