Bose Solo review

A single speaker unit can’t compete with a dedicated surround-sound system, so the Solo showed its weakness when watching films. Even speaker bars with virtual surround sound are more immersive than the single unit, so if you’re looking for something compact to use for movie nights, you should probably look elsewhere.

We tried using the Solo in unison with our TV’s speakers, but annoyingly there’s a half-second delay between the TV and Solo’s sound output, meaning you have to choose between one or the other, or get stuck with a perpetual echo. Some TVs will let you set up an audio delay, but not all. If yours doesn’t, you have no choice but to mute the TV.

Considering it isn’t particularly suited to larger TVs, you’ll most likely be putting the Solo underneath a second set in a bedroom rather than a living room. It does boost sound quality compared to the speakers built into your TV, but no better than any other £350 speaker system might. Also, you could buy a 5.1 Blu-ray system from the likes of Panasonic or Sony for the same price, or a soundbar with an HDMI input so you can use it with set-top boxes or Blu-ray players without having to run a cable from your TV.

CONCLUSION

Bose’s solo is (by Bose standards) an entry-level speaker system, but an important one; it is the first speaker base, a speaker designed to sit underneath your TV rather than in front of it like a sound bar, replacing the internal speakers with something a little more powerful but without potentially blocking the IR sensor and stopping you from changing channels.

Back when we first reviewed the Solo, there weren’t any other sound base products on the market, but the form factor has grown in popularity in the last two years and now there’s plenty of choice. LG and Panasonic have models with built-in Bluetooth, while the Orbitsound SB60 airSound base costs £100 less than the Bose, so don’t feel like the Solo is your only option for speakers that sit underneath your TV.

Have a read of our guide to the best soundbars for more alternatives.