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CNET's best high-end soundbar and Wirecutter's style pick: very clear speech, a glass-topped design and easy room calibration on iPhone or Android. The bar alone is light on deep bass (the matching sub is $899 extra), it has no remote and only one HDMI port, and its app trails Sonos'.
Top complaints
- Needs the pricey sub for deep bass
CNET found dinosaur and King Kong roars underwhelming until it added the $899 Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer. PCMag says bass response could be better. Wirecutter says the bar alone isn't as enveloping as its Vizio and Samsung picks unless you add the optional surrounds.
- No remote and few inputs
Wirecutter and PCMag note there's no physical remote. Wirecutter says the only TV connection is HDMI eARC, with no optical or analog input, and there's no DTS support. PCMag lists no aux input.
Source: Wirecutter (NYT), PCMag best soundbars - App and multiroom behind Sonos
CNET says the Bose app isn't as slick or sophisticated as Sonos', there's no native Apple Music in the app, and its multiroom is 'more of an appetizer than an entree' next to Sonos'.
Source: CNET review
What owners love
- Crystal-clear speech
CNET says speech clarity is its real superpower, especially for people who have trouble hearing dialogue. Wirecutter found voices easy to understand and never harsh or muffled.
Source: CNET review, Wirecutter (NYT) - Elegant design
Wirecutter calls it the most elegant-looking soundbar it has seen, with a glass top and an iPod-like control disc. PCMag lists its stylish, premium design.
Source: Wirecutter (NYT), PCMag best soundbars - Easy room calibration and wide streaming
CNET says calibration works on Android and iOS and only needs your phone held still at three seats. Wirecutter says the roughly 10-minute tuning got the sound near perfect. It supports AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Bluetooth and Alexa.
Source: CNET review, Wirecutter (NYT)
- You want deep bass without buying the sub
- You need optical or analog inputs, or DTS
- You want Sonos-level multiroom
- People who struggle to hear dialogue
- Design-conscious living rooms
- Bose and AirPlay or Google Cast households
Scores (tap for why)
What experts say
- CNET: Best high-end soundbar, 8.2 in the roundup (added September 2026) and 8.3 in its review. Excellent speech and music, but the app and ecosystem trail Sonos.
- Wirecutter (NYT): Best for the style-minded shopper (bar plus subwoofer). Great clarity and one of the strongest subs it has measured, but expensive, with no remote and limited inputs.
- PCMag: Best Sonos alternative, 4.0/5. Well tuned and stylish, but bass could be better and there's no remote or aux input.