Sonos vs Bose: Audio Quality Comparison for 2025, After Over a Decade of Testing, Here's the Winner in the Battle of the Audio Giants
In the realm of premium home audio, two brands stand out: Sonos and Bose. Both offer multi-room capabilities and a wide range of music streaming service support, but each has its unique strengths.
Sonos, known for its balance between design and functionality, presents aesthetically pleasing speakers that deliver strong sound performance and a wealth of smart features. The flagship Arc Ultra soundbar, for instance, showcases design flair combined with premium audio quality, especially for Dolby Atmos content. Sonos products, such as the Roam 2 portable Bluetooth speaker and the Ray soundbar, are modern and elegant, complementing interior aesthetics well.
On the other hand, Bose is traditionally recognized for superior audio quality. It offers a more compact, contemporary design with strong connectivity options. Bose soundbars, like the Smart Soundbar, are smaller and simpler in style but provide excellent hi-fi sound with some technically advanced features, such as up-firing drivers for Dolby Atmos height effects. Bose offers a variety of connectivity options including Bluetooth and HDMI ARC, often with more input choices than Sonos.
Key comparison points:
| Aspect | Sonos | Bose | |-------------------|---------------------------------------|--------------------------------------| | Design | Stylish, modern, visually appealing | Compact, contemporary, minimalistic | | Audio Quality | Robust sound, strong Dolby Atmos | Superior hi-fi quality, up-firing drivers for height effects | | Connectivity | WiFi, Bluetooth, multi-room (Sonos ecosystem only) | Bluetooth, HDMI ARC, wider input selection, dual optical inputs on some products | | Pricing | Mid to high range, premium positioning| Range from budget to premium; wider budget options | | Ecosystem | Closed system, Sonos devices only | Closed system, Bose devices only |
For users prioritizing design sophistication with excellent smart features and sound, Sonos is often preferred. For those focusing on connectivity versatility and traditional hi-fi sound quality, Bose may be more suitable.
The Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar, priced at £719, is cheaper than the Sonos Arc Ultra. Bose doesn't have a speaker under £150, unlike Sonos, with the SoundLink Micro being the cheapest at £119.95. The Sonos Roam 2 is the cheapest Sonos product at £179.
In terms of design, Sonos has the edge with contemporary speakers featuring curved edges, matte soft-to-touch finishes, and organic shapes. Bose offers sleek and sophisticated designs, with extra features like handles and loops on Bluetooth speakers, and more colours for its small Bluetooth speaker.
Bose's Smart Soundbar supports Dolby Atmos, while the Sonos Beam Gen 2 uses virtualization techniques to deliver an immersive experience. The Sonos Era 100, Bluetooth Move 2, and Era 300 are priced at £199, £399, and £449 respectively.
As of 2025, neither Sonos nor Bose has announced new products. In 2024, Sonos released the Roam 2 portable Bluetooth speaker and the Arc Ultra soundbar, while Bose released the smaller Smart Soundbar and SoundLink Max portable speaker. Bose offers surround speaker options at £350 and £550. The Sonos Arc Ultra is the most expensive product from Sonos, priced at £999, and the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar is Bose's most expensive equivalent product, priced at £899.95.
Both Sonos and Bose are well-known brands in the home audio market, each offering a range of products including soundbars, surround sound systems, smart speakers, and Bluetooth speakers.
- Art enthusiasts might appreciate the stylish, modern, visually appealing Sonos speakers, blending seamlessly with interior design.
- In the realm of home-and-garden products, both Sonos and Bose offer smart sound systems, providing a premium option for those who prefer a contemporary living room ambiance.
- For fashion-and-beauty fans seeking home gadgets, the sleek and sophisticated Bose Bluetooth speakers with handles and loops offer an appealing addition to their lifestyle.
- Technology enthusiasts might find the wide range of connectivity options in Bose products, with higher input choices than Sonos, more appealing for their smartphones and entertainment needs.
- Food-and-drink connoisseurs enjoysoning might appreciate the mid to high range pricing of Sonos products, ensuring a balance between premium audio and general-news worthy home investments.
- With smartphones being an essential part of modern living, gadget aficionados could consider Bose's compact, contemporary designs for their home-and-garden or general-news worthy technology collection.
