Boost your TV's audio quality
Soundbars have become a popular TV accessory, sitting below the front edge of your screen and blurting out more better-quality audio than the built in speakers. This one is particularly compact, and doesn’t come with a separate subwoofer or any other complications. That makes it convenient for a PC as well as a TV. It can be wall mounted, if you prefer, using Bose's £25 WB-120 kit.
What’s unusual about the Solo 5 is that it isn’t really designed for the kind of thumping bass and screaming stereo that put you in the middle of the movies. Instead, it’s accent is on clarity. Film directors these days seem to positively encourage actors to mumble, presumably because it feels more natural. In the same quest for realism, they also tend to let their sound designers emphasise every conceivable background noise.
The result Is that you’re not sure if DCI Luther has just said the victim was named Keaton, had been beaten or was in fact eaten especially if you’re busy hiding behind your fingers. And boomy sound quality doesn't help. That’s the problem Bose wants to solve. With the Solo 5, we found speech instantly more crisp and comprehensible. The effect can be increased with a special Dialogue mode, which boosts vocal frequencies.
The Solo 5 connects to your sound source via 3.5mm stereo jack. SPDIF digital coaxial (the kind that looks like a phono plug) or optical Toslink (the fancy little square one). Alternatively, you can use Bluetooth, which is also handy if you want to play music from your phone or tablet. The sound quality won't be quite as good, because it doesn’t support the higher-quality aptX system, but then nor do any of Apple’s devices.
You also get a remote control with a surprisingly large number of buttons. This can also operate your TV, cable box and other gadgets, but if you’re already used to your existing remote controls you might have preferred a simple clicker with only the Solo 5’s own options.
The Solo 5 is powerful enough to fill a medium-sized room, but doesn’t give you as much sense of stereo or surround as a beefier soundbar such as the Q Acoustics M4. But it’s a more practical size for a desk.
VERDICT
The Bose Solo 5 is reasonably priced for a quality soundbar and a good choice if crystal-clear dialogue is your priority.
SPECIFICATIONS
Stereo soundbar • 3.5mm stereo input • Coaxial digital input (cable included) • Optical digital input (cable included) • Bluetooth • Universal remote control • 70x548x86mm (HxWxD) • 6.35kg • One-year warranty