Bose tries to drown out Apple’s HomePod with its first smart speaker

The Bose name carries a lot of weight in the high-end audio world, but can it thrive in an increasingly crowded smart speaker market? That’s what Bose aims to find out with the Home Speaker 500, an Alexa-powered device that promises the “widest soundstage” of any smart speaker today, thanks to two custom drivers that point in opposite directions. It even has a little screen on the front to display album art and will bring in additional voice assistant options and Apple AirPlay 2 support in the future – but it had better sound spectacular at a HomePod-topping £399. Bose also has a pair of Alexa-packing soundbars, the Soundbar 700 (shown) and the smaller 500, that likewise claim to deliver sterling output. They’ll sell for £799 and £499, respectively, and all three devices drop on 20 September.

Andrew Hayward Freelance Writer

About

Andrew writes features, news stories, reviews, and other pieces, often when the UK home team is off-duty or asleep. I'm based in Chicago with my lovely wife, amazing son, and silly cats, and my writing about games, gadgets, esports, apps, and plenty more has appeared in more than 75 publications since 2006.

Areas of expertise

Video games, gadgets, apps, smart home