Short answer: the Sonos Arc Ultra. It ranks #1 of 27 all-in-one soundbars by sound quality, rated 4.1/5, at $1,099. The Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar ranks #12, rated 3.5/5, at $669, $430 cheaper, which does not close the gap in sound quality.
The Sonos Arc Ultra is the better-sounding option. The Arc Ultra fills a living room with clear, well-placed sound from a single bar, and dialogue stays easy to follow with adjustable speech enhancement. Watch for: It cannot decode DTS:X, so Blu-ray discs with DTS tracks fall back to a simpler mix.
Why pick the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar: The Smart Ultra keeps voices front and center, and its AI Dialogue mode helps with mumbled lines. Watch for: Bass is thin for a bar this size until you add a Bose bass module.
Buy the Sonos Arc Ultra. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $430 saving on the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar is not enough to make up the difference.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete TV Soundbars rankings.
The Arc Ultra fills a living room with clear, well-placed sound from a single bar, and dialogue stays easy to follow with adjustable speech enhancement.
The Smart Ultra keeps voices front and center, and its AI Dialogue mode helps with mumbled lines.
Prices on this page were last checked October 28, 2026 at 1:06 AM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Sonos Arc Ultra | Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,099.00 | $669.00 |
| Ranked | #1 of 27 in All-in-One Soundbars | #12 of 27 in All-in-One Soundbars |
| App | Yes (Sonos) | Yes (Bose) |
| Aux Input | No | - |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.0 |
| Channels | 9.1.4 | 5.0.2 |
| DTS:X | No | No |
| Dimensions | 3”H x 46.4”W x 4.4”D (75 x 1178 x 111 mm) | 2.3”H x 41.1”W x 4.2”D (58 x 1045 x 107 mm) |
| Dolby Atmos | Yes (up-firing drivers) | Yes (up-firing drivers) |
| Drivers | Bar: 16 drivers (9 tweeters incl. 2 up-firing, 6 midwoofers, 1 Sound Motion woofer) | Bar: 9 drivers (2 up-firing dipole transducers, 1 center tweeter, 6 racetrack transducers) |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| HDMI eARC | Yes | Yes |
| Included Subwoofer | Built-in | None (optional Bose Bass Module 500 or 700) |
| Optical Input | Yes | Yes |
| Rear Speakers | Optional (Sonos Era 100 / Era 300 or Era 100 SL) | Optional (Bose Surround Speakers or Surround Speakers 700) |
| Room Correction | Yes (Trueplay) | Yes (ADAPTiQ) |
| Voice Assistants | Alexa, Sonos Voice Control | Alexa |
| Weight | 13 lbs (5.9 kg) | 12.8 lbs (5.8 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Sonos app streaming) | Yes (AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Spotify Connect) |
Watch Them Compared
Videos and reviews that test both speakers side by side.
- Smart Home Sounds: The ULTIMATE Dolby Atmos Soundbar Comparison 2025
- Smart Home Sounds: The ULTIMATE Dolby Atmos Soundbar Comparison 2026
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