It makes sense comparing Bose Soundbar 500 vs Sony HT-A5000 because they both are able to give some premium features. Based on our rating, Soundbar 500 has a total rating of 7.4 out of 10 versus 7.8 for HT-A5000.
Both soundbars have active amplification type. A significant difference between the units in the number of channels, the Bose Soundbar 500 has 3.0 versus 5.1.2 for the Sony HT-A5000. Only the Sony HT-A5000 has a built-in subwoofer. The Bose Soundbar 500 got our rating of 6 out of 10, and the Sony HT-A5000 8 for its audio features and specs. Spotify is available on each of the soundbars.
These models have the ability to connect to the Internet via WI-FI. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. The Bose Soundbar 500 has 1/0 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 1/1 of the Sony HT-A5000. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. Both soundbars have a USB connector. For connectivity, the Soundbar 500 received a rating of 8/10 versus 7/10, respectively. App control is available for the Soundbar 500. A built-in microphone is present only on the Soundbar 500. Soundbars do not have Multi-room support.
Both devices have support for Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the HT-A5000. For multichannel surround Bose Soundbar 500 got a rating of 4, and Sony HT-A5000 10 out of 10.