The personal and home audio industry is heating up this year, with innovations from Sonos that allow listeners to switch audio from their headphones to their soundbar seamlessly.
Now Bose, another heavy hitter in the home audio industry, has countered with a new soundbar and an innovative listening experience.
Today, Bose announced the updated Bose Smart Soundbar, a refresh to its compact soundbar, the Bose Smart Soundbar 600. The new Smart Soundbar has its predecessor's exact dimensions, audio components, and capabilities but debuts with two new features: AI Dialogue Mode and Personal Surround Sound.
AI Dialogue Mode, which first debuted in the premium Smart Ultra Soundbar, uses machine learning to enhance audio clarity when streaming movies and TV shows. When movies are mixed for theater audio, the theater's sound system is advanced enough to make special effects sound loud while keeping dialogue audio just as loud.
At home, it's more difficult for your TV speakers or all-in-one soundbar to make dialogue as loud as explosions, fights, or gunfire. However, more home audio companies -- including Bose -- are implementing AI-powered algorithms to boost dialogue clarity without compromising sound effects.
When the Bose Smart Soundbar is paired with the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, the earbuds turn into a pair of rear surround speakers. Instead of purchasing rear speakers, users can wear the Ultra Open and experience more immersive audio. This feature is especially handy for people who buy the compact Smart Soundbar, as they likely don't have room for extra surround speakers.
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Bose's feature takes a different approach to Sonos' TV Audio Swap, which allows users to turn their Sonos Ace headphones into a personal theater. In contrast, Bose's Personal Surround Sound -- rather than swapping audio from the Smart Soundbar to the Ultra Open -- uses the Ultra Open to enhance the soundbar's audio.
Thanks to their open-ear design, the Ultra Open Earbuds are being marketed as an audio companion for athletes and outdoor enthusiasts. Interestingly, Bose believes a pair of active earbuds can double as rear speakers for leisurely use. I'm interested in exploring just how convenient and practical this soundbar feature is when paired with these specific earbuds.
The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are available for $299, and the Bose Smart Soundbar is available for $499. Keep an eye out for our review, as we'll be testing this feature.