In This Guide
Sick of poor audio from your TV?
If you’re thinking of getting a soundbar, then we probably don’t need to tell you how disappointing the sound can be from even ‘good brand’ of flatscreen TV.
While screen quality and size has increased and improved in recent years, the same can’t be said about those tinny little things that pass for TV speakers. In this guide we’re looking at the budget(ish) priced Bose Solo 5 soundbar and how it can help bring some quality back to your TV’s audio.
The Bose Solo 5 is a wallet-friendly soundbar, by audio experts Bose. It’s got a compact size and offers a worthwhile upgrade to your current telly box’s underwhelming audio. It’s ideal for small to medium rooms and can also be used as a Bluetooth speaker.
Above: Bose Solo 5 – Amazon UK
Today’s best prices on the Bose 5 Soundbar
What problems will this soundbar solve?
- Quiet, annoying dialogue – Arg! There’s nothing worse than not being able to hear what people on screen are saying, especially in quiet scenes. Ever reached for the remote and constantly had to adjust it to hear the dialogue? Yup, pretty frustrating! A good soundbar will solve this for you once and for all.
- Tinny sound with no BOOM in explosions – We make a lot out of image quality, pixel count and contrast with our TVs (rightly so!) But what about good old fashioned quality audio, eh? After all, your ears deserve some love too. A proper soundbar, like the Bose 5 one, will bring back some more of the audio magic you get at the cinema, and less pew pew from those tiny built in speakers.
- More volume, without distortion – Don’t be scared to turn your TV up a bit more now. It won’t buzz, distort, or sound like something’s going to POP.
Using your soundbar as a bluetooth speaker
If you haven’t already got a Bluetooth speaker in your living room, you’re going to be really pleased when your Bose 5 solo soundbar arrives. As well as boosting your TV’s audio, this soundbar can be used as a standalone speaker that can play tunes from your phone, thanks to Bluetooth. (The TV doesn’t need to be turned on to do this).
What inputs does the Solo 5 Soundbar have?
As well as being able to blast your favourite tunes from your phone using the Bluetooth connection, the Bose soundbar comes with the usual array of handy inputs on the rear.
- Optical in
- AUX in (for connecting pretty much anything)
- RCA
- Coaxial
What does this soundbar sound like, really?
This isn’t the most expensive soundbar on the market but, having said that, it is a Bose. And they don’t make poor quality audio as a device. The audio quality is detailed and loud!
No tweaking necessary
This is a good soundbar if you don’t want to mess around for hours getting the perfect sound. (You can do that, if that’s your thing!) But the sound settings ‘out of the box’ sound pretty good and most people will find it a huge improvement over their existing TV setup.
5 things you’ll love about the Bose Solo 5 Bar
- It’s got a compact size – Not everyone wants to wall-mount their Solo 5 soundbar (although it does look kinda cool!) If you’re looking for a sound bar that isn’t a space-hogging beast then you’ll probably like how compact the Bose one is. It can be slipped onto a shelf, or under the TV without being distracting. It’s also quite light (not that you’ll be waving it around!)
- It’s well designed – Lets be honest, it would be better if we didn’t have to have an extra black box sitting under the TV, and there’s not that much you can do with them. But, as far as black boxes go, it looks pretty good. The mat black looks decent enough and it’s not something you’ll want to hide out of the way. The typical amount of thought has gone into the design that we’d expect from ‘a Bose’.
- It’s easy to wall mount – The Bose 5 soundbar is a lot lighter than it looks. There”s also two standard connections around the back to make it easy to wall mount (you’ll need the ‘proper’ bracket). If you’re planning to go for this option, there’s usually some savings to be had in the form of a bracket and soundbar bundle.
- Good bass and volume for the size – The built in sub woofers do a good job of producing some decent low end sounds. You’re not going to be able to compete with soundbars costing 4x as much, or with having a separate woofer, but the bass here is good and blissfully distortion-free.
- The rest of the sound is clear and detailed – Coming from a regular TV speakers you’ll find the Bose 5 Soundbar is a pretty sharp step up. You’ll appreciate a level of detail in the sound, be it action scenes, or more sedate dramas, to be much more clear and easy to make out. You know – like they’re meant to be.
Impressive reviews on Amazon
The Bose 5 Soundbar has one of the highest number of positive reviews you’ll find. At the time of writing, there’s over 1000 reviews, and the average is around the 4.5 star mark. Not too shabby. One thing that you’ll notice is that Bose are massive on customer service, answering a bewildering number of questions. It’s nice to see manufacturers supporting their devices like this!
What you might not like about the Bose 5 Soundbar
Hey we like to keep it real at AudioPunch. It’s not all magical audio bliss with the Bose Soundbar. Here’s some stuff you might not like!
It comes with a power brick!
Yeah, you can stuff it down the back of the TV, and it’s probably not a deal-break for most people but you’d think there’d be some way to build this thing into the black box that is the actual soundbar. to that end you’ll also need another socket (we know, they’re in short supply!) But that’s something you’ll find with jut about all sound bars.
The remote control is BIG
You’re meant to use this remote to take over the job of your TV. After some re-programming you’ll only need one remote. But, if you’re like me, you might end up with another addition to the remote pile from hell in your living room.
It’s not an ideal choice for really large rooms
This is a compact sound bar and it’s also a lower-priced soundbar. If you’re looking for a massive, loud soundbar to fill a larger room, this might not be the one for you. While the audio will be a lot louder than what’s coming out of your TV now, you might want to stump up some more cash for a more suitably equipped soundbar.
Where’s the best place to buy the Bose Solo 5 Soundbar?
If you’re a fan of Amazon, you can pick your soundbar up there. Or have a look at our handy price compare below and see if you can pick out a bargain!
Compare Bose Solo 5 Soundbar Prices
Bose Solo 5 TV Sound SystemFind out more
That’s all. Thanks for checking out this guide on the Bose 5 Soundbar. Did you pick one up? What do you think of it? Let us know in the comments!
