Bose Home Speaker 500: Smart Bluetooth Speaker with Alexa Voice Control Built-in, Silver

For the past few years, I've been listening to music on Amazon Echo speakers, which I had synced in various rooms throughout my house. Because I had been listening to music more and more, when my family and I decided to move, I wanted to upgrade my speakers. I originally was set on getting a pair of the KEF LSX. Though I've never heard them, after all my research, I am sure they are amazing speakers. I also wanted to get some other less expensive speakers (at least compared to the LSX) for other parts of the house that I could sync to (using Air Play 2). I tested out a lot of options in this price range (and even a bit more expensive, like the Sonos Play 5). When we were in the process of moving, I decided on and ordered a Home Speaker 500. After using it for a day, I was so impressed by this speaker that I decided to forego the KEF LSX and just use the Bose throughout the house, so I ordered two more. So, for about the price of on set of LSX, I now have awesome speakers throughout my house. I'm sure I sacrificed sound quality by not getting the LSX (and I definitely sacrificed getting stereo sound on a wide soundstage), but, honestly, I love the sound of the Home Speaker 500, so I don't think I need anything that is 'audiophile' grade. What I Love Most: -The sound is full and rich. I don't know how to describe it otherwise, but everything I listen to sounds fantastic. -The speakers can also get really loud without any discernible distortion. I haven't pushed them to their full volume as they are quite loud enough even at 50% or 60%, and the sound really does fill the room (and the next room!). -The look & overall build quality. They are really handsome speakers with a substantial size without being too bulky. I also appreciate the aluminum finish much more than I expected I would. The aluminum also gives the speaker a really nice heft to it. Nothing about this speaker feels or looks cheap to me (which is partly why it's not a cheap speaker, obviously). -The screen. I have read reviews that criticize the screen as not useful and not in line with the current aesthetic for speakers. But, honestly, I listen to a lot of playlists on Spotify, and it's nice to be able to see what's playing. And, even when I'm playing stuff I know, I like seeing the album art. -EQ adjustments in the Bose app. You can change treble and bass on a pretty wide range (-100 to 100, with 0 being default). When we first moved in, we didn't have any rugs down, so the sound was way too bright. A small adjustment in the EQ made a huge difference. Now that we have some rugs down, I've adjusted the EQ again back towards the default, and they continue to sound great. Even though these speakers don't self-tune like some of the other speakers in this class (Sonos, Apple, and Google all do to some extent), the tuning you can do as a user I think will make these speakers work for you in any space. And, the speaker does have a host of microphones, so self-tuning is always something Bose could add in the future. (Minor) Complaints -The way groups work is a little different than with Amazon's Echo ecosystem. Instead of creating groups ahead of time, you have to go into the Bose app to create groups ad hoc. So, you can't ask Alexa to play music on a particular group of these Bose speakers. Instead, you have to get music started on one speaker and then create the group you want in the Bose app. Once it's set up and is playing continuously, any music command given to Alexa continues to play on that group. If you stop playing music, the group eventually dissolves. The positive to this is that you can also edit groups (add and remove speakers) on the fly without really interrupting the music. With the Echo ecosystem, I don't think this was possible (except possibly if you were using Spotify Connect with your Echo groups). -The app and software can be a bit buggy. It always does what I want it to -- eventually. And it doesn't take long to do what I want it to do. But it also doesn't always work the first time (such as creating or editing a group). Also, album art sometimes disappears, replaced by a generic, white musical note. I will say that the more I have used my speakers, the less buggy the system tends to be. Maybe I'm just becoming more proficient at navigating the software's quirks, or maybe Bose is making some updates to the speakers that I am not aware of. -Bose used two side-firing drivers in this speaker, which is supposed to give a wider soundstage for stereo sound. I don't really hear much stereo in these speakers, even with songs that have a lot of it (such as "Such Great Heights" by The Postal Service). That said, the side-firing speakers do create a more room-filling sound as Bose claims. And, really, similar to the Echo, the sound quality doesn't change a lot no matter where you are in relationship to the speaker (though the little stereo you might get straight on gets lost completely if you are not more or less straight on to the front or back of the speaker). All in all, I absolutely recommend this speaker. It's a bit on the pricier side compared to some of the other speakers it gets compared to (but not all), but, for what I was looking for, I'm really quite satisfied.

The Bose Home Speaker 500 delivers rich sound, sleek design, and smart features that elevate any comfort zone. It’s a premium speaker that blends audio quality with voice control and visual flair. This speaker earns its place in my comfort ritual lineup. The audio quality is outstanding—crisp highs, full mids, and deep bass that fills the room without distortion. Whether I’m playing ambient noise for sleep, jazz for breakfast, or podcasts during cleanup, the sound stays balanced and immersive. Alexa integration works smoothly, letting me control music, check the weather, or manage smart home routines hands-free. The built-in display adds a nice visual touch, showing album art and track info without needing to check my phone. It’s not flashy, but it’s functional and elegant. Setup through the Bose Music app takes a few steps, but once connected, it’s easy to manage sources and preferences. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi streaming are reliable, and the speaker handles Spotify, Amazon Music, and other services without hiccups. Design-wise, it’s a sleek, modern unit that fits well on a shelf, nightstand, or kitchen counter. The build feels premium, and the touch controls are intuitive. It’s not waterproof, so it’s best kept indoors, but it’s a solid anchor for any smart audio setup. The Bose Home Speaker 500 isn’t just a speaker—it’s a sound companion. It anchors my morning rituals, enhances my sleep routines, and responds to voice commands with ease. If you’re building a comfort-focused smart home, this speaker brings warmth, clarity, and control in one polished package.

I bit the bullet at this major price for this speaker. I wanted a Bluetooth speaker that could fill the room with good sound. My only complaint about this speaker is the price. As others have said the sound is full, has depth & while not stereo, if in front of it almost seems like it. Contrary to the instructions I did not start with their app. I already have it for my Soundbar 700, and just wanted to use as an ordinary Bluetooth speaker. No problem there, press the Bluetooth button on it and saw it on my Samsung Galaxy Bluetooth list. Hit Pair and it connected immediately. When I played my Apple music it identified the song and artist. This plugs in, no battery to charge, yay! Also just a plug, no bulky transformer to try and find a place to plug in. And no on/off switch surprised me. Guess since ac powered don't need one. Then I opened the Bose app and of course it wanted to add it in with my soundbar. Didn't work until the 3rd try. Then about a15 minute download to the latest ware. Then you had to click on the app in your Bluetooth list to make it work. It has a few features like adjust the tone etc. Not of interest to me as fine as it is for my environment. In order to just do it as a regular Bluetooth speaker had to close the app and re-pair it to my phone directly. I will listen to my Apple music and some streaming online music sources all directly without needing the Bose app. Once you get over the sticker shock likely you will love it. I have a few other somewhat expensive Bluetooth speakers and this one blows them all away. Have had some issues with my Bose soundbar, hopefully this won't have any.

Me super encantó el producto estoy fascinado, no creía que algo tan pequeño diero un sonido super es de ver para creersela por que los bajos son realmente profundos, el ecualizador de la app funciona a la perfección, la integración de Alexa o del Google son geniales nada que pedir pero en referencia al producto estoy muy complacido con mi compra, eso si si el volumen sube mas del 70% pareciera que no da mas volumen no se nota mucho la diferencia pero eso si la calidad de la musica no se percibe ningun tipo de distorsión y lo mejor el sonido totalmente estereo lo hace un producto excepcional, la pantalla me encanta que me de la hora las caratulas y para conectarlo al miBox S3 o a la nintendo switch por bluethoo funciona de maravilla sin problemas al audio no le e detectado algun tipo de delay puedeo usarlo sin rpblemas como altavoz de estos equipos y quede maravillado por su tamaño, pero mas por su sonido. Tenia que ser un muy buen equipo por lo que vale.

El sonido es muy bueno, disfrutarás los bajos en grande, bastante elegante y potente. El único inconveniente es la parte de Alexa, por alguna razón a veces no reconoce la voz como se espera, si hay más Alexas al rededor parece que está toma la más baja prioridad y no responde, lo que hace que la música se reproduzca en otra Alexa, opuesto a lo que esperarías, otro inconveniente es la reproducción de canciones, cuando le pides a una Alexa de Amazon tocar canción, la canción empieza después de que confirma que la tocará, es esta bocina la reproducción empieza antes de confirmar, lo que hace que Alexa esté hablando a la par que la canción está de fondo, es extraño y no disfrutas el inicio de la canción, espero se corrija con alguna actualización de software, a parte de eso disfrutarás en grande esta bocina.

Excelente 👌

Great sound, but the speakers will not reliably connect to wifi as a group. As this is the primary purpose of these expensive speakers, I'm very disappointed. My Sonos system never had these issues. Bluetooth connectivity works just fine, but I can only use one speaker at a time with bluetooth. Just to clarify, the speakers connect as a group, but they play the same song out of sync with a very noticeable (and annoying) delay in the sound.

I hesitated a long time before purchasing this product especially due to pricing and Bose reputation of being overpriced ! After reading reviews from reputable sources, comparing other brands at comparable pricing, the Bose 500 got my attention and decided to purchase it saying that it would be easy to return if I didn’t like the performance. Well !!! I am surprised first at the sound which I find well balanced and powerful enough for our family room of 14 x 22 ! The set up with the Bose app, Google assist and Spotify was very easy. The mic’s are sensitive and the Bose app does a good job to set the tone required. So yes I recommend this product !