Bose Solo 5 TV Sound System

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Product Specifications

Single sound bar provides better sound quality compared to your TV.The Solo 5 TV sound system is an easy solution, with advanced technologies that deliver the clear audio your TV can’t.
Dialogue mode to make every word and detail stand out
Bluetooth connectivity to wirelessly stream music from any of your devices
One connection to your TV
Universal remote controls TV, bass, Bluetooth connections and more
Speaker:2.6 H x 21.6 W x 3.4 D (3.73 lbs), Remote control:4.1 H x 1.6 W x 0.4 D (5 oz)

Product Description

The Bose Solo 5 TV sound system is a one-piece soundbar that brings noticeably better sound to all your favorite TV programs. It’s engineered to help clearly reproduce everything from dialogue to details. And for even more clarity, its dialogue mode makes every word easier to hear. This soundbar is so versatile you can place it almost anywhere. And with Bluetooth connectivity, you can play your favorite wireless music through the speaker, too. The sleek design of your flat-screen TV is beautiful to look at. Unfortunately, there’s little room left for speakers. That’s why dialogue and quiet passages can be so hard to hear. The Solo 5 TV sound system is an easy solution, with advanced technologies that deliver the clear audio your TV can’t. And dialogue mode makes every word even easier to understand without having to adjust the volume from scene to scene.

Product Reviews

I was skeptical, but it does improve the clarity of dialogue

I have been having more difficulty understanding the dialogue in TV shows and movies lately… I am getting older and yes, I did listen to loud music in the 70’s. I have tried a couple of different solutions like a bluetooth transmitter & headphones, which worked ok but I don’t like to have the headphones on for long and it has to be kind of loud for me, and with a different sound bar which really didn’t help much over the TV’s own speakers. So I ordered this Bose Solo 5 system since it mentioned improving the clarity of dialogue. Well I have to say that it does. It first turns on in a “standard” mode and sounds pretty “regular” in that mode; really no big difference between it and my prior sound bar. But once you press the “dialogue” button on the remote, you can definitely hear a difference in clarity. I was pretty skeptical, but it really does help me understand much better what people are saying. It is an obvious improvement. I am adding a photo of the button on the remote you need to push to enable the dialogue mode since it wasn’t obvious to me. When the dialogue mode is on, the green status light on the sound bar changes in color to amber, but you will be able to hear the difference, or at least I could. I should mention that some of the bass seems to be reduced when in dialogue mode but it also seems to me the voice frequencies are enhanced and not just pumping up the treble. I gladly give up some of the bass for the clarity. You can always just press the dialogue button a second time to toggle back to the regular sound settings if you prefer. Truthfully, I thought I would send this system back if it did not make a big difference since it is a bit pricey, and I am definitely not sending this back.You know how some people get stuff free to review? Well, I wish I got this for free, but didn’t. I paid the full price. Just thought you might want to know.

Compact soundbar that enhances dialogue and sounds impressive!

I wanted a compact soundbar to enhance the wimpy sound from my Sony Bravia HDTV (model KDL-40W650D), purchased in 2016. Because I live in an apartment and do not want to disturb my neighbors, I did NOT want a booming, surround-sound system with a sub-woofer. I also did NOT want a bunch of messy cables and speakers all over the room. I just wanted a decent soundbar that would enhance dialogue and make movies sound respectable…and this Bose Solo 5 TV Sound System does just that. I watched the 1959 classic movie Ben-Hur last night and the soundtrack sounded impressive! It was simple to connect to my Sony Bravia HDTV with the included optical digital audio cable. I checked the online manual for my TV model to make sure it had the correct output - see my photo of the optical digital audio output on my Sony Bravia HDTV. If your TV does not have an optical digital audio output, there are other setup options, but you will have to buy your own cable. You turn off the speakers on your TV and then control the speaker volume using the included Bose remote. You can also enhance the dialogue by pressing the dialogue button on the included Bose remote. I already owned a Bose Soundlink Mini ii bluetooth speaker for my phone and laptop, which I love. So I thought I would buy another Bose product. Bose is expensive, but excellent sound quality. Just what I wanted!

Great sound and simple to set up

I purchased this for my parents who complained that they couldn’t hear the dialogue on their shows. This was super easy to hook up and we had it all set up in about ten minutes. The sound difference was amazing and for the price point you can’t beat it. Love that it is bluetooth enabled and you can stream your music as well.

Dialog mode function has a known catch

We purchased a TV and needed better sound. We also read all the reviews that said the clarity of people talking is better using this speaker, which is what we were really looking for. Here is the review.Pro:The best clarity occurs when you activate the speaker into the voice enhanced or dialog mode by pressing a special button on the remote. As stated in other reviews, it makes a very positive enhancement in clarity of all voices on all programs. But there is a catch that you should be aware of.Con: The enhanced clarity dialog mode stays active only as long as you are watching at that particular time. Which means that if you turn off the TV, the speaker reverts back to the normal audio mode which is much less enhanced. Additionally, if you set the speaker in auto sense mode, where it comes on by itself when it notices you have turned the TV on, you still need to find the remote for the speaker and activate the enhanced audio mode by pressing the special dialog button every time. If the TV has only been off a short time, then the speaker won’t revert to normal mode. But if its off for any longer than an hour, it will always revert to the standard sound mode. Our hearing is not good so we would much rather have the speaker stay in the enhanced audio function every time.I called Bose customer care at 800-792-7197 ext 54464 and they confirmed the speaker does reset every time. They said most of their other systems stay in the mode you put it in and don’t revert. They said if enough people call and ask them to adjust this, they will consider a firmware update to allow it to stay in dialog mode if you put it there. (there is a usb port on the back of the speaker and the tech said that the speaker could get a firmware update in that manner if they choose to create one)Overall the speaker has very good mid range sound and decent bass as well, but you should be aware that for the enhanced dialog voice mode you will need to have the speaker remote handy to activate it each time or else you will get the standard sound. As a note, I was not able to get my learning remote to “learn” the dialog button frequency and assign it to a button.On the other hand, if you want to call Bose and ask them to consider providing the option to keep the enhanced dialog mode active until you want to shut it off, give them a call on the number above. Hope that helps.

Four Stars

Great sound and it the perfect size for motorhome usage.

Four Stars

Awesome

Good, but steeply priced

I bought this because I had serious difficulty making out speech on a lot of films and television; it sounded like everybody was whispering half the time.

The sound quality it’s good, however I would expected something better and the …

The sound quality it’s good, however I would expected something better and the remote control is too big and heavy. Bose doesn’t surprise me this time.

Five Stars

Makes the sound clear without turning it up so loud

Barely OK

It’s OK. Would not be fair to return it. But not what I had expected from Bose. It is way overpriced for what you get. It should sell for under $100.

Faulty Product and Not Covered after 5 Months

Very disappointed in this product. Purchased this product on April 20, 2017 and as of September 1, 2017, we are unable to operate the volume of the unit with the remote control.

Five Stars

Sounds great in our bedroom, even better that the bluetooth conitevicty is so friendly! Love that feature!

It performs exactly as described “provides better sound quality compared to your TV”

It performs exactly as described “provides better sound quality compared to your TV”. With advanced technologies that deliver the clear audio your TV can’t, and the dialogue mode…