If you want a soundbar to enjoy movies and video games, then go with the Sonos Arc soundbar because of its surround-sound feature.
The Sonos Arc and the Bose 700 are the two most premiere soundbars out in the market. A soundbar is an audio gadget used in the living room or the theater space. The soundbar is especially useful for individuals or families who love watching movies or playing video games as it gives a near-cinematic audio experience.
In summary, if you want a soundbar to enjoy movies and video games, then go with the Sonos Arc because of its surround-sound feature. However, if you're an audiophile and are quite particular about the technical aspects, such as the bass sounds and the audio performance, then you're probably better off with the Bose 700 with its attention to detail in terms of these aspects.
Now let’s take a closer look at them.
Features and Specifications
One of the most important parts of a soundbar is its audio features, such as surround sound capabilities. The Sonos Arc is the clear winner because certain features in the Sonos Arc are not even available with the Bose 700 soundbar. This gives Sonos Arc a huge advantage over the Bose 700 in terms of available audio features.
The Sonos Arc has a total power of over 540W and weighs around 25 pounds. The main feature that Sonos Arc boasts of is its surround sound capabilities. This is perfect for individuals or families who love watching on Netflix as it offers an audio experience akin to watching a movie in the cinema.
The Bose 700 soundbar has 770W power and is slightly lighter at a little over 10 pounds. It falls short in the audio features because it only comes with a stereo system.
Check out the User Guide for Sonos Arc on sonos.com.
Sound Quality and Performance
Let me tell you something right off the bat.
Room acoustics, particularly room dimensions and speaker positioning, will have an immense effect on sound quality.
The impact of the combination of these two is actually so strong that in most cases, it doesn't even make sense to utter a single word on sound quality without speaking of them.
This is why I'd hiiiiiiighly recommend you to check out this simple, 2D, online speaker placement calculator.
It's GOOOOLLLDDDDD. I've had an Acoustics & Audio PhD build this tool specifically for this purpose:
Default values:
- Ceiling height: 106 inches or 8 feet 10 inches or 2.70 meters
- Most standard ceiling height
- Listener's height: 32 inches or 2 feet 8 inches or 0.80 meters
- Average height of a sitting person
Central heights of speakers (measured from the ground) and examples to them:
- Soundbars: 30 inches or 2 feet 6 inches or 0.75 meters
- 8", 10" or 12" Subwoofers: 8 inches or 0.20 meters
- 360 degree speakers: 32 inches or 2 feet 8 inches or 0.80 meters
- Horizontal speakers: 32 inches or 2 feet 8 inches or 0.80 meters
- Floor standing speakers: 20 inches or 1 feet 8 inches or 0.50 meters
- Bookshelf speakers: 32 inches or 2 feet 8 inches or 0.80 meters
- Center speakers: 32 inches or 2 feet 8 inches or 0.80 meters
Side note: This tool can and will return inaccurate results for small, portable Bluetooth speakers such as JBL's Go Series. It will, however, deliver just fine for more powerful, packed bluetooth speakers such as this one.
ASAP Science made a video on the loudest and quietest rooms in the world. A mind blowing example of the importance of acoustics (time adjusted video).
Other parameters such as the age/materials of the building, the furniture & carpets in place, etc can and will, of course, have an effect on room acoustics, too. But much less.
Also...
Did you know you could also virtually hear any speaker online?
Crutchfield had recently created a tool that virtually simulates the sounds of many different speakers; such as those of SVS, Klipsch, KEF and B&W. Nothing will, of course, beat hearing the speakers in reality. But I'd still recommend you to give it a shot.
While you're at it, blast my Hidden Electronic Gems list to test them:
Anyways...
With sound quality and performance, the Sonos Arc and the Bose 700 go neck-and-neck in this aspect. It is quite difficult to determine the clear winner between the two regarding sound quality and performance, so we will break it down even further.
Suppose you are buying a soundbar solely because you want to enhance your audio experience when watching movies or playing video games. In that case, the Sonos Arc is the choice for you because of its surround sound capability.
If you buy a soundbar because you want to hear the crispness of tunes for your favorite music, go for the Bose 700. It gives you excellent stereo quality balance and provides clarity. So, if you are into music more than movies, then Bose 700 should be your choice.
When it comes to bass and volume performance, we will call it a tie between the Sonos Arc and Bose 700, as both soundbars perform well in these aspects.
The Bose 700 soundbar has 770W power and is slightly lighter at a little over 10 pounds. It falls short in the audio features because it only comes with a stereo system.
Connectivity
Bose 700 comes out victorious in Bluetooth connectivity compared to Sonos Arc simply because Sonos Arc does not have a built-in Bluetooth connection. However, you can still use both of them wirelessly via certain apps and smart assistants.
Both support Alexa and Google Assistant so that you can rely on both of them. Do note that Sonos Arc is not compatible with Android apps which can limit its user coverage.
Here is a User's Guide for Bose Smart Soundbar 700.
Aesthetics
There is no clear winner when it comes to aesthetics because the choice depends entirely on you. If you want a futuristic techno aesthetic, then go for Sonos Arc. If you want a soundbar that has all the classic and sleek finishing, then the Bose 700 is the one for you.
Price
As of writing these lines, the Sonos Arc is priced at $899, while the Bose 700 costs $799. Sonos Arc is priced slightly higher than Bose 700, but we want to emphasize that this is not a deal-breaker because both soundbars are reasonably priced. And truth to be told, you get value for your money for both soundbars, so the price should not be a deal-breaker.
You might also want to check out Sonos Upgrade, an exclusive program that makes it easier for our long-time listeners to get the latest Sonos experience.
Conclusion
In choosing the perfect soundbar for you, you can base it on your needs. If you purchase a soundbar because you want to enhance your audio experience, go for Sonos Arc. But if you want to experience music with crisp tones and clear bass, then go for Bose 700.