Well, this is kind of wild. Bose's new Smart Soundbar, a refresh of its $499 Smart Soundbar 600, has a couple of intriguing new features. Not only is there a new A.I. Dialogue Mode that Bose says uses a machine learning algorithm to adjust tonal balance in real time when it detects speech in an audio stream for clarity, but you can pair the company's Ultra Open Earbuds with the speaker and turn them into rear surround speakers when watching movies. Bose calls the feature Personal Surround Sound.Â
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For those who aren't familiar with Bose's Ultra Open Earbuds, they're unique looking clip-on earbuds with an open design, which means they're not equipped with ear tips that seal off your ear canal. Bose says that since the buds don't block your ear canal, "you're still able to hear the powerful audio emanating from the soundbar itself. The resulting effect is a deep, rich personal sound -- all achieved without having to invest in the physical space a pair of speakers would take up in a living space."
The Ultra Open Earbuds become your personal surround speakers.
That sounds pretty cool, but the $299 Ultra Open Earbuds certainly aren't cheap. That said, Bose's wireless surround speakers for the Smart Soundbar cost $399, so you are saving $100. However, only you get the surround experience, not others who might be watching with you.Â
Aside from those new features, the Bose Smart Soundbar appears to be the same speaker as the Smart Soundbar 600, which we did think had excellent sound for a single speaker (read our full review). As soon as we get our hands on a review sample of the new Smart Soundbar, I'll have a full report on how the A.I. Dialogue Mode impacts speech clarity when watching movies, and how well those Ultra Open Earbuds work as surround speakers.
Note that the Smart Soundbar wasn't the only product Bose announced today. It also introduced new $179 QuietComfort Earbuds that are more affordable than its flagship QuietComfort Ultra noise-canceling earbuds. Â