Bose Smart Soundbar vs Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6: which Dolby Atmos soundbar is right for you?

Date:
Sat, 06 Dec 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Description:
The Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6 and the Bose Smart Soundbar are great Dolby Atmos soundbars, but for very different reasons.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Bose Smart Soundbar



The Bose Smart Soundbar adds Alexa integration to an already feature-packed Dolby Atmos soundbar. One of those features is the ability to use the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (purchased separately) as surround sound speakers. Pros Good quality sound Personal surround sound feature Alexa voice assistant support Cons A bit pricey Light bass compared to the Sony system Narrow soundstage Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6



The Sony Bravia is not only a fantastic Dolby Atmos soundbar, but its one
with a wireless subwoofer. Its loaded in the features department as well, especially if you have a Bravia TV. Pros Fuller sound than the Bose Easy
setup App allows fine-tuning Cons Somewhat narrow soundstage Control delay when using app No Alexa, AirPlay or Chromecast support

Theres a good chance that your TV needs a soundbar (most do), and if so, you should be considering a Dolby Atmos model. The Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6 and the Bose Smart Soundbar are just two of the many soundbars with Atmos compatibility, and theyre both among the more capable and feature-packed ones available.

Sony and Bose each earned a 4.5-star overall rating from me when I reviewed them, though there are crucial differences. The Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6 has a fuller sound thanks to a wireless subwoofer and it also has some Sony
Bravia TV-specific features. The Bose Smart Soundbar adds in Alexa
integration as well as a unique wireless surround feature when used with Bose Ultra Open earbuds.

Both have more similarities than differences. They sound good and deliver impressive spatial audio, including the ability to upscale a stereo mix (like music) into a virtual Dolby Atmos experience. Both have a narrow soundstage, however, and could be considered pricey for whats on offer.

When it comes to finding the best soundbar for a smaller room, the Sony
Bravia Theater Bar 6 and Bose Smart Soundbar are both great options. But one is likely to fit your specific needs better than the other. Bose Smart Soundbar vs Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6: price

In terms of pricing, the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6 is the more expensive
model at $649.00 / 449.00 / AU$899. However, its currently discounted to $498 on Amazon and has dropped to that price or lower three times over the last year.

The Bose Smart Soundbar is not as heavy on the wallet, though its $499.00 / 499.95 / AU$799.95 price isnt exactly low. Since its release, it seems to
have dropped to $399 at many retailers, making it the seemingly cheaper model of the two.

The Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6 does come with a subwoofer, a factor that makes it look like the better value, even with its higher price. The Bose can be paired with one of the companys wireless subwoofers (sold separately), though the cheapest suggested option is the Bose Bass Module 500, which retails for $549 / 449.95 / AU$699.95. That still adds up to a pretty pricey package.
Bose Smart Soundbar vs Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6: specs

Bose Smart Soundbar

Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6

Dimensions

27.34 x 2.21 x 4.01 inches (694 x 56 x 102mm)

Bar: 37.5 x 2.63 x 4.38 inch / 950 x 64 x 110 mm, (Sub) 8.27 x 15.28 x 15.28 inch / 210 x 388 x 388 mm

Speaker channels

3.0.2

3.1.2

Connections

1x HDMI (w/eARC), optical, Bluetooth, USB, sub out, IR

1x HDMI (with eARC), optical, Bluetooth, USB, IR

Dolby Atmos/DTS:X

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Sub included

No

Yes

Features

Airplay 2, Spotify Connect, Chromecast built-in, A.I. Dialog Mode, Personal Surround Sound via Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, Bose TrueSpace, app support

Bravia Sync, DSEE, app support Bose Smart Soundbar vs Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6: Features

Both models have Dolby Atmos support (and also DTS:X on the Sony), dialog and night sound modes, spatial audio upscaling, and Bluetooth connectivity, but each also has distinctly unique features.

For the Sony, its the features that integrate with select Bravia TVs, such as an AI-powered dialog booster and the ability to use the TV remote to control soundbar functions beyond just volume level. Of course, you have to own one
of those specific TVs to access those features. The Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6 comes with a substantial wireless subwoofer (Image credit: Future)

The Bose Smart Soundbar can pair with the Bose Ultra Open earbuds for use as rear speakers in a surround sound setup with the soundbar, an exciting
feature that also requires an additional purchase. You can also use these to listen to audio beamed wirelessly from the soundbar while the soundbar itself is muted.

The Bose Smart Soundbar has Alexa and Chromecast support, allowing for
further integration with other devices. When testing this soundbar, it was
the only Alexa device in my room, and I would talk to it like I would to an Amazon Echo speaker.

Winner: Bose Smart Soundbar The Bose Smart Soundbar has a boxier design than the Sony (Image credit: Future) Bose Smart Soundbar vs Sony Bravia Theater
Bar 6: Design

The Bose Smart Soundbar may have the more impressive feature set, but it
comes up short of the Sony when it comes to design. Its a bit boxier looking, and doesnt have any bass-only drivers or an external subwoofer like the Sony, though it does at least come with a subwoofer output

The Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6 is wider than the Bose by about ten inches and looks a little more interesting with its curved corners. And not only does it come with a subwoofer, but the sub connects wirelessly. The Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6 is wider than the Bose bar by about 10 inches and it has rounded corners (Image credit: Future)

Its also worth noting that despite both soundbars being Dolby Atmos models, the upward-firing speakers are situated slightly differently. Bose has the
two drivers sitting next to each other in the center of the unit, while Sonys are situated on opposite ends. I didnt notice much of a difference in the width of the spatial audio presentation when I reviewed them, but its worth mentioning. Also worth mentioning is that the upward-firing speakers on the Sony are angled forward a little bit so that the sound bounces off the
ceiling towards the listeners ears more directly.

Winner: Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6 The Bose Smart Soundbar provides basic controls on its top surface (Image credit: Future) Bose Smart Soundbar vs
Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6: Performance

For sound, the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6 and the Bose Smart Soundbar share a lot of positives but also some negatives. Whether you go with the Sony or the Bose, youll get a well-balanced mid-range as well as crisp highs. But when I tested these soundbars, I found the soundstage to be fairly narrow on both.

Where the two differ most is in the low-end. Ive already mentioned the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6s subwoofer (many times), and it makes a huge difference. While both soundbars are meant for smaller setups or slightly smaller rooms, the Sonys subwoofer provides a higher impact home theater experience. The
Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6's included subwoofer gives the system a fuller,
more powerful sound than the Bose bar (Image credit: Future)

With the Bose Smart Soundbar, the low-end doesnt go very low, so it doesnt have that same rumble the Sony brings during big action scenes in movies.
When I was testing and would boost the bass level, it would bleed into the mid-range, creating a somewhat unbalanced, bottom-heavy sound.

Winner: Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6 The Bose Smart Soundbar's center-mounted upward-firing speakers (Image credit: Future) Bose Smart Soundbar vs Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6: Verdict

I really like both the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6 and the Bose Smart Soundbar. But they work better for different situations. Though both are solid choices for a smaller setup, the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6 gives a more home theater-like experience thanks to the included subwoofer. It has a solid feature set, but a portion of those features requires a connection to a specific Sony Bravia TV to unlock.

The Bose Smart Soundbar, on the other hand, adds in Alexa and Google smart home support that some will find more useful. If youre willing to spend more, you can add a subwoofer or the Bose Ultra Open earbuds for use as surround speakers. That last one is a really cool feature, though one that unfortunately requires an extra $200 / 200.

Winner: Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6 for sound and Bose Smart Soundbar for features

Do you own either of these soundbars? If so, let's hear your take on them in the comments!



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/televisions/soundbars/bose-smart-soundbar-vs-sony-br avia-theater-bar-6-which-dolby-atmos-soundbar-is-right-for-you


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