If you’re looking for world-class audio at a great price, a soundbar is an excellent buy. These speakers have been engineered to deliver the audio of a home cinema system in a single unit, along with a range of easy-to-use technologies that will enhance your listening experience.
Bose and Klipsch are two of the world’s best audio equipment companies, but which one has the best soundbar? In this article, we’ll take a look at Bose and Klipsch soundbars to figure out the better buy for you.
Let’s get into it!
Bose vs. Klipsch Soundbars: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Bose | Klipsch Audio Technologies | |
|---|---|---|
| Soundbar Model | Bose Solo 5 TV Soundbar Sound System | Klipsch RSB-3 Bluetooth Soundbar |
| Price | Typically cheaper than Klipsch | Typically more expensive than Bose |
| What is it? | All-in-one TV soundbar with wireless and cable connectivity | All-in-one TV soundbar with wireless and cable connectivity |
| Audio Technology | Dialoguemode Videostage® TrueSpace® | Dolby Audio Decoder, Virtual Surround Sound Mode |
| Output Power | 30 watts | 56 watts |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth | Bluetooth |
| TV Input | Optical cable socket, coaxial cable socket, analog cable socket | Optical cable socket, USB cable socket, analog cable socket |
| Remote Control? | Yes | Yes |
| Wall Mounting? | Yes | Yes |
| Size | Typically sleeker and smaller than Klipsch | Usually fairly bulky and thick compared to Bose soundbars |
| Weight | Usually lighter weight | Typically heavier |
- Supports Dolby Digital, DTS
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Apple Airplay 2 compatible
- Control with your voice, the Bose music app, or the included remote
- Built-in Alexa and Google Assistant
- 40” 2.1 Soundbar with 8” wireless subwoofer
- Mounting Type: Wall Mount
- 400W peak power
- HDMI-ARC: Single-cable, single-remote control
- 5.1 decoding for virtualized surround sound
- Class-leading 8” Subwoofer
Bose vs. Klipsch Soundbars: Which are Better?
These television soundbars deliver outstanding value for money, considering they are from two of the world’s best audio equipment brands. Separating these two soundbars is difficult, but can be done with a closer look at the features of each product.
Let’s break down the key differences between these two soundbar manufacturers.
Size and Weight
Bose soundbars tend to be smaller and more compact than Klipsch soundbars, which are usually almost twice as large and heavy. This impacts where you place or mount the soundbar. Both soundbars can be wall-mounted or kept on a counter or shelf without compromising audio quality.
Speaker Power
Klipsch’s soundbars tend to be more powerful than Bose, but that doesn’t mean that Bose soundbars are any slouch. Quite the contrary! For example, though, the Klipsch RSB-3 all-in-one soundbar is more powerful than the Bose Solo 5 TV Soundbar at 56 watts compared to Bose’s 30 watts.
However, input power is not the only factor that determines the quality of your audio output.
- Built-in elevation
- 50 watts
- Includes remote, optical cable, and wall mount template
- Black
Audio Technology
The Bose Solo 5 TV Soundbar features Videostage® and TrueSpace® technologies. These proprietary audio technologies enable you to experience five-speaker home theater audio with just a single soundbar. It delivers a lot of sound for its compact size that will fit easily in front of any TV.
Klipsch’s RSB-3 all-in-one audio is engineered to give you a home theater experience. It also features a Virtual Surround Sound mode and a built-in Dolby Audio decoder to enhance speech so that it remains crisp and clear, even at low volumes.
- With universal remote control
- Black
- Bluetooth
- Control bass, TV, Bluetooth connections, and more
Connectivity
You can connect both soundbars to your television with a single cable. Both Bose and Klipsch provide multiple sockets including an optical connection.
The Bose Solo 5 TV Soundbar is equipped with Bluetooth connectivity that allows you to stream music from other devices in your home. You connect two devices simultaneously and switch between devices. Bose supplies the Solo 5 TV Soundbar with a programmable universal remote that you can use on your TV or streaming box as well as the soundbar.
The Klipsch RSB-3 All-in-One Soundbar also has Bluetooth connectivity for devices like laptops and smartphones. Its remote lets you switch between your TV and other devices to stream audio.
©ronstik/Shutterstock.com
About Bose
Multi-billion dollar specialist audio equipment manufacturer Bose has a global reputation for producing some of the world’s finest speakers. The company was founded by Massachusetts Institute of Technology professional Amar Bose in the 1960s. After his death, MIT became a majority shareholder, and the company continues to be at the forefront of Bose’s audio R&D.
Apart from soundbars, Bose has developed and manufactured the following audio products:
- Wireless earbuds
- Headphones
- Speakers
- Audio sunglasses
- Sleeping aids
- The smallest speakers designed by Bose so the focus can remain on your home entertainment not your speakers
- Designed to bring music movies and TV to life with full immersive surround sound
- Simply plug the adapters into a power source and wirelessly connect the receivers to the sound bar to enjoy your entertainment in minutes
- Compatible with Bose sound bar 500 Bose sound bar 700 and Sound Touch 300 sound bar
- Standing less than 4 inch tall Both bass modules have a wireless range of 30 feet
Proprietary Audio Technology
Amad Bose started his audio company after a poor listening experience with speakers. He developed his first products at MIT after carefully studying how sound is perceived by the human ear and auditory system. His research in psychoacoustics informed the development of Bose speakers.
The audio experience with a Bose speaker is based on the following principles:
- Noise cancellation: Bose refines the audio input you receive from its speakers and will even frequency match and cancel unwanted sounds to enhance the clarity of the audio without requiring a significant rise in volume.
- Maximizing reflected sound: Amad Bose found that the optimal sound for a pleasing listing experience was sound that has been reflected off a surface in an enclosed space. Bose speakers are designed to maximize this phenomenon.
- Waveguide engineering: Bose speakers and soundbars feature carefully designed waveguides that shape emerging soundwaves for an optimal listening experience.
- Miniaturization: Bose is well known for keeping its speakers and soundbars as small as possible. This scaling down of speaker size is compensated by the precision sound engineering used, which is why Bose soundbars are smaller than Klipsch soundbars.
Klipsch: What You Need to Know
Klipsch is another American premium audio equipment manufacturer. The company, founded by the eccentric Paul W. Klipsch has been developing and fabricating loudspeakers, home, and personal audio solutions for over 75 years.
Paul W. Klipsch is the inventor of the famous Klipschorn speaker, which he built by hand to deliver high-quality audio in his home. The Klipschorn is the basis of the company and defines the principles of its approach to audio engineering.
Klipsch is based in Hope, Arkansas, where, until recently, all of its fine speaker cabinets were built in-house. The company is committed to preserving the highest standards of engineering, craftsmanship, and audio fidelity despite being recently sold to Audiovox.
Key Characteristics of Klipsch Audio
Klipsch is a niche brand that is sought after by audio enthusiasts. Original Klipschorn speaker cabinets auction for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Paul W. Klipsch developed his speakers to have specific audio qualities that have been carried forward to the present day:
- High speaker efficiency: This is the sensitivity of the speaker, measured by the amount of sound output you get from just 1 watt of power. Klipsch speakers were designed to maximize this so that they require less power input to deliver amazing sound.
- Minimal modulation distortion: Klipsch speakers have been developed to reduce modulation distortion. This is an audio phenomenon that occurs when there is abnormal and unfavorable mixing of signals with varying frequencies. By reducing the distortion, you get a much better listening experience.
- Controlled directivity: Klipsch speakers control and direct the sound that they project. This ensures that there is an appropriate balance between the bass, mid-range, and treble.
- Maximum dynamic range: Klipsch speakers are engineered to deliver high-quality audio that delivers the entire range of sound, from loudest to softest. This is called the dynamic range of an audio recording.
- Controlled frequency response: Klipsch speakers also reproduce sounds without unnatural imbalances in frequency. This ensures that the audio you listen to on a Klipsch product is faithfully reproduced.
Bose vs. Klipsch Soundbars: 4 Must-Know Facts
- Bose has collaborated with Volkswagen to develop in-car audio for their new electric vehicles.
- You can visit the Klipsch Museum of Audio History which has exhibits related to Klipsch and audio engineering. It is free to visit and located in Hope, Arkansas.
- Bose supplies special noise-canceling, protective headsets for NFL coaches.
- Klipsch refurbishes and resells speakers to reduce the environmental impact of its company.
- 5 full-range drivers
- Built-in Alexa
- Exclusive Bose Voice for Video technology expands Alexa's capabilities
- You can pair your device to the soundbar to stream your music and more via a Bluetooth connection, Wi-Fi network, Apple AirPlay 2, or Spotify Connect
- 45-inch 3.1 soundbar with 10-inch wireless subwoofer
- 600W peak power
- HDMI-ARC
- 5.1 decoding for virtualized surround sound
- Powerful audio performance with deep, theater-like sub-bass and crisp high-end definition
Final Thoughts
These are two great entry-level soundbars that enable you to own audio speakers from a premium company for relatively affordable prices.
Out of the two, the Bose soundbar offers greater utility and smaller size, giving it the edge over Klipsch’s bulkier, but beautifully designed soundbar. Bose’s Solo 5 TV Soundbar sound system also has a higher specification remote and audio technologies that give it the edge over the Klipsch speaker, despite its lower wattage.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©BobrinSKY/Shutterstock.com.
