I tried this Amazon best-selling soundbar from Bose, is it really worth buying?

Here’s my verdict after hours of testing

Features By Harry Padoan published 13 December 2025

(Image credit: Future)

Fed up with your TV delivering obscured dialogue, weak bass, and tinny, high-volume sound? Then it may be time for an audio upgrade. That’s right, I’d highly recommend picking up a soundbar – not only for those seeking immersive Dolby Atmos and surround sound, but also for those who want to enjoy generally clear, all-around audio.

If a basic audio upgrade is all you’re after, there are plenty of options around – some great, some not so much. One of the best-selling models on Amazon is the Bose TV Speaker. It’s a soundbar I was familiar with but had never actually tested myself. That was until recently.

Yes, I called in the Bose TV speaker and spent hours upon hours watching movies and listening to music to determine whether it’s actually worth buying. As someone who’s tested dozens of models, including many of the best cheap soundbars, my expectations were pretty high for this one, so without further ado, let’s get into my impressions on Bose’s compact best-seller.

Sound check

First of all, what is the Bose TV speaker? It’s a 2.0 channel standalone soundbar, so there’s no subwoofer or rear speakers included in the box. It’s a small model, which is ideal for smaller-sized TVs, and can connect to your TV via HDMI ARC or digital optical. It can also be linked to another device – like a smartphone – over Bluetooth or AUX.

Setting up the Bose TV speaker was incredibly easy, and it even comes with a mini remote, which is responsive and straightforward to use. Although I will note one thing – there’s no HDMI cable included in the box, just an optical alternative. I was a bit puzzled by this, but luckily I had an HDMI cable on hand for testing.

In terms of sound quality, the Bose TV Speaker is certainly not a bad choice. I started by firing up The Mask on our Panasonic DP-UB820, and there were some clear positives from the off. For instance, during a scene with The Mask and Tina dancing, the music played through with good overall clarity, with the expressive lead sax never sounding tinny or recessed, and the percussion hitting with solid impact.

In more dialogue-heavy scenes, speech was certainly clearer than I’d expect from a small or older TV. In the movie’s more chaotic scenes – of which there are many – dialogue wasn’t expertly separated from the rest of the action, however. There is a speech enhancement setting, which does help in this regard, but it creates a less balanced sound overall, which isn’t ideal for movies – it would certainly be handy for podcasts, though.

Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox

Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors