Sonos Arc vs Bose 900: which soundbar is better?

Let’s not kid ourselves: You’ve probably already read various reviews of the Sonos Arc or the Bose Soundbar 900 and are still undecided.

I have heard both soundbars in direct comparison and can assure you: Both sound fantastic when used individually, the differences are minimal.

Rather, it depends on the intended use and the system around it. That’s why in this article I’ll try to give a few good arguments beyond the sound.

Sonos Arc or Bose 900: The environment

A soundbar is often the centerpiece of the sound system in your apartment or house.

So first of all: If you really only use the soundbar and neither surround speakers nor subwoofers or speakers in other rooms, then buy the device that appeals to you more in terms of appearance, price and additional functions.

The sound for TV and movies is great with both soundbars.

Rear speakers make the difference

The differences only become audible when you want to combine your soundbar with other devices.

There are corresponding rear speakers for both Sonos Arc and Bose 900, which are usually placed behind the sofa.

This means that the sound effects not only come from the front, but also from the rear.

Sonos offers a more flexible system

Sonos has a decisive advantage here: the normal speakers such as Sonos One or Sonos Five can be connected to the soundbar via the app and thus used as a surround system .

Bose also has rear speakers, but these really only have a purpose for sound effects in movies and sound pretty thin for normal music playback.

With a Sonos system, you are much more flexible: the speakers can be used in the bedroom, kitchen or bathroom – or as rear speakers for the home theater.

Bose 900 vs Sonos Arc: Multiroom functionality

Sonos generally offers a sound system that is controlled throughout the home via a single app.

All speakers are compatible with each other, the choice is huge. Bose does this in a similar way via the MusicApp, but not as seamlessly and elegantly as Sonos.

Subwoofer for more bass

Soundbars are also often supplemented by a subwoofer. This makes the low tones significantly stronger. You don’t just hear the bass, you feel it too.

Both manufacturers offer corresponding subwoofers for the soundbars, which also make a clear difference when playing music.

Sonos offers a choice of two subwoofer sizes: The large Sub and the Sub Mini.

Dolby Atmos for spatial sound

Incidentally, both soundbars also offer the new Dolby Atmos: there are small speakers in the devices that radiate upwards to the ceiling.

This means that the sound for movies not only comes from the front, back and side , but also from above.

Bose 900 vs Sonos Arc: The sound

Both soundbars are perfect for home cinema and sound clear, precise and full-bodied when watching movies.

The Sonos Arc has eleven individual speakers inside, while the Bose Soundbar 900 has nine.

Room tuning via microphone

However, the sound of a soundbar always depends heavily on the room: A small living room with lots of furniture has different sound characteristics than a large room with high ceilings.

This is why the soundbars can be calibrated using a microphone when they are first set up.

With Sonos, this is done via the Sonos app on the iPhone: While the soundbar is playing test tones, the cell phone microphone listens and then adjusts the sound perfectly.

At Bose, this process is called ADAPTiQ room calibration and works with a supplied microphone that is connected to the soundbar.

The difference after a calibration is considerable and should always be carried out.

Sonos Arc has more volume

If you compare the two soundbars in solo mode, I would give the Sonos Arc a slight advantage: due to the slightly larger housing and the higher number of drivers, it has a slightly fuller and more powerful sound.

However, this advantage is compensated for in combination with a subwoofer. The intelligibility of speech is excellent with both models.

Controlling the soundbars

Both models can be controlled perfectly via the respective smartphone app. As the soundbars are connected to the TV, the TV remote control can also be used for volume and more.

Bose also supplies an additional remote control, but in most cases this is superfluous.

In addition, both Sonos and Bose have touch buttons on the surface with which the volume can be adjusted directly.

Voice control with Alexa & Co

Both soundbars can also be operated via voice control. The Bose 900 has integrated Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant.

The Sonos Arc is equipped with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and the in-house voice control Hey Sonos, which only works locally and does not send any data via the Internet.

Sonos Arc vs Bose 900: Technical data

The dimensions and features of both soundbars are relatively similar, although the Sonos Arc is slightly larger and heavier.

There are major differences in terms of connections and connectivity: while the Sonos Arc, for example, has fewer connections – but is equipped with a network connection for Sonos-Net – the Bose 900 can receive audio sources via Bluetooth.

Material of the soundbars

Both the Bose Soundbar 900 and the Sonos Arc are available in black and white.

The Sonos soundbar is made of matt plastic, while the Bose model is made of metal with an elegant glass surface.

Both appliances can be placed on a sideboard or mounted on the wall. Separate accessories are available for wall mounting.