A Home Speaker With Google Support Arrives From Bose

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PHOENIX — In early May, Sonos One and Beam speakers introduced Google Assistant capabilities, generating excitement for the “not Alexa” variety of speak-and-enjoy Smart Speakers.


Now, a big home speaker from Bose has audio enthusiasts talking.

Introducing the Home Speaker 300 from the venerable audio brand. It looks large, but weighs just two pounds.

It’s similar to the Home Speaker 500, which was released in August 2018, but to a limited extent: It does not display album artwork while music is playing.

But, what it does do is offer multi-room listening, act as a Bluetooth speaker and support AirPlay 2.

The Home Speaker 300 boasts the tag line “Big Sound. Slim Soundbar.”

It’s price isn’t exactly slim: It has a MSRP of $700, but is now being offered at $500 via Bose’s website.

“Many people view soundbars as a common solution to space-saving home theater. But we don’t aim for ‘common,’” Bose says. “The SoundTouch 300 soundbar offers the best performance, spaciousness and bass of any one-piece soundbar its size. Every cubic inch of it is packed with technologies that bring out the best in everything you listen to or watch. Custom drivers, proprietary QuietPort and PhaseGuide technology … and the feeling of hearing sounds where there are no speakers. It all adds up to a premium audio experience for all your entertainment.”

And, it also sends a signal to radio broadcasting companies that access — and telling the consumer how to listen to their stations over this device — is necessary.

Bose says users can “experience your favorite music” from a SoundTouch speaker with the SoundTouch app. “SoundTouch lets you take total control of your listening experience, right from your smartphone or tablet,” Bose notes.

But, it suggests that consumers browse popular music services like Spotify and Deezer, Internet radio stations through TuneIn, or your stored music library.

Use of iHeartRadio, Radio.com or any other radio station streaming provider is not stated in its marketing materials.