I had a chance to test and compare two models: Bose TV Speaker vs LG SK1 and this review should help people who are looking for a good soundbar. The Bose TV Speaker was rated 5, while the LG SK1 has a rating 4.5.
Each of the models under consideration has active amplification type. A noticeable difference is the number of channels that TV Speaker has 3.0 and SK1 has 2.0. The built-in subwoofer is not implemented in any of these models. Audio features and specs of considered models we rated 5 out of 10 in our ranking.
Soundbars do not have AirPlay support. The units in this comparison do not support Spotify.
Both models do not have a wireless Wi-Fi interface. Soundbars from this comparison have Bluetooth support. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) is implemented only in the TV Speaker. Connecting devices via USB is possible in both models. We rated the connectivity of the TV Speaker at 7 out of 10, while the SK1 was rated 6/10.
None of these soundbars can be controlled using the app. Soundbars in this review are not equipped with a microphone. The models under consideration cannot become part of a multiroom system.
Dolby Atmos audio decoder support is not implemented in either the TV Speaker or SK1. Devices from this comparison cannot process surround sound due to lack of DTS:X. The same score of 4/10 was put to the soundbars for multichannel surround support.