Smart Ultra Soundbar

Overview

Bose announced the Smart Ultra Soundbar in September 2023 as the replacement for the Smart Soundbar 900. It is 1045 mm wide, 58.2 mm high and 106.9 mm deep, and Bose lists a weight of 5.75 kg (12.68 lb). It comes in black or Arctic White, with a tempered glass top and a wraparound metal grille, and it can be wall-mounted with the Bose Soundbar Wall Bracket.

Bose lists nine speakers, including two up-firing dipole transducers for height effects. Bose PhaseGuide technology places sound to the left and right, and Bose TrueSpace adds height to content that is not in Dolby Atmos. A.I. Dialogue Mode adjusts the tonal balance so that voices are easier to hear.

The TV connects over HDMI eARC, or optical for TVs without eARC or ARC; both cables are in the box. The bar also has an Ethernet port, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0. It streams with Google Cast (Chromecast built-in), Spotify Connect and Apple AirPlay 2, and it can be grouped with other Bose smart speakers. With Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (sold separately), Personal Surround adds the earbuds to the soundbar's sound.

Amazon Alexa is built in, and with Bose Voice4Video an Alexa command can turn on the TV and switch to a channel or input. Google Assistant works through a separate Google Assistant-enabled device. The top of the bar has an Action button and a Microphone off button. The bar can also be controlled with the included remote, the TV remote, or the Bose app (iOS and Android). The box contains the remote with its battery, an HDMI eARC cable, an optical cable, the ADAPTiQ headset, the power cord and the quick start guide.

What the specs mean

• 5.1.2 speaker setup: five main channels, a ".1" low-frequency channel and two height channels, all from the one bar. The height effects come from the two up-firing transducers; there is no separate subwoofer in the box.
• HDMI eARC: the enhanced Audio Return Channel sends the TV's sound to the soundbar over the HDMI cable, including high-bitrate formats such as Dolby Atmos. Bose recommends the TV's HDMI eARC or ARC port for Dolby Atmos.
• Audio formats: Dolby Atmos. Dolby Atmos places sounds, including overhead effects, around the listener; the TV and the content must both support it.
• No HDMI passthrough: the bar has no HDMI input. Sources such as a console or streaming box connect to the TV, and the TV sends their sound to the soundbar.
• Room correction (ADAPTiQ): a microphone on the included ADAPTiQ headset measures the sound in the room, and the system adjusts its sound to the room. Bose says to run it after wall-mounting the bar.
• Expandable: the Bass Module 500 or Bass Module 700 adds a wireless subwoofer, and the Surround Speakers or Surround Speakers 700 add wireless rear speakers.