Bose home speakers 300 vs 500 - What are the differences?

The Bose Home Speaker 300 and Bose Home Speaker 500 are two models of smart speakers. Not only the number but also the prices are different. This leads to the question about the differences. And, of course, it leads to the question of which speaker is better for you. Let's take a look at the devices in comparison.

Comparison table

Differences between Bose Homer Speaker 300 and 500

For starters, you should know that the Bose Home Speaker 300* is the newer of the two. The speaker is from 2019 and the Bose Home Speaker 500* is the larger but older device from 2018.

Size and weight

Overall, the Bose Home Speaker 500 is the larger model of the two. The speaker measures 20.3 x 17.0 x 10.9 cm. The Bose home speaker 300 measures only 16.1 x 14.2 x 10.2 cm.

This also affects the weight. The small version weighs only 900 grams. The large Home Speaker 500 weighs 2.15 kilograms. A clear difference.

Bose-Home-Lautsprecher - Mono vs Stereo

One difference between the two speakers is the type of speaker:
 

• Bose Home Speaker 300*: Mono
• Bose Home Speaker 500*: Stereo

The stereo playback sounds much better at first sight. However, this is not necessarily the case. The small Home Speaker 300 manages the same via software. Many manufacturers go this way with new loudspeakers.

Display

A big difference between the speakers is the display. You only have the display on the Home Speaker 500.

However, the display has no touch and therefore cannot be used for control. For this purpose, both devices have buttons on the upper side.

The display shows current information about the music or even the time. Videos cannot be played on the Bose Home Speaker 500 display.

From my point of view, the display is not really an argument for the purchase and rather unnecessary.

Music playback, connections and voice control

The music playback is identical for both devices:
 

• Air Play 2
• Bluetooth
• WiFi
• Jack connection

The music can be played via Bose's own app, or other apps. Additionally, both devices support voice control. These include Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant.

Streaming services from Bose Home Speaker 300 and 500

The two devices do not differ in terms of streaming services. The list of streaming services is identical:
 

• Amazon Musik
• Deezer
• iHeardRadio
• Spotify
• TuneIn

Which Bose home speaker is better?

The Bose Home Speaker 300 is the newer of the two. It was used as competition for the Sonos One on the market. However, as you can see in the comparison of Sonos One and the Bose Home Speaker 300, it didn't quite succeed.

When deciding between the Bose Home Speaker 300* or 500* I recommend the smaller and also cheaper Bose Home Speaker 300*. The larger model offers you primarily the display as added value. There you can see information about music or time. From my point of view not really relevant.