Bose
Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar
$299Cheaper
Released 2023
Best Soundbars · head-to-head
Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar vs Denon DHT-S517
A sourced, side-by-side comparison. Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar is cheaper at $299. Every spec and price links to its source.
Denon
Denon DHT-S517
$499
Released 2022
Which is better: the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar or Denon DHT-S517?
On the specs we track, they're closely matched. The Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar is the cheaper at $299.
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Full spec sheet
✓ marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.
| Spec | Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar | Denon DHT-S517 |
|---|---|---|
| US price | $299 | $499 |
| Brand | Bose | Denon |
| Released | 2023 | 2022 |
| Channels | 3.1.1 | 3.1.2 |
| Total watts | — | — |
| Dolby atmos | Yes | Yes |
| Dts x | No | No |
| Wireless sub | No | Yes |
| Rear speakers | No | No |
| HDMI earc | Yes | Yes |
| Voice assistant | Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant | none |
| Release | 2023 | 2022 |
Sources — Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar: bose.com (verified 2026-06-15). Denon DHT-S517: denon.com (verified 2026-06-15).
What's the difference between the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar and Denon DHT-S517?
Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (3 of 8). Matching specs are omitted.
- Channels: Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar 3.1.1 vs Denon DHT-S517 3.1.2
- Wireless sub: Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar false vs Denon DHT-S517 true
- Voice assistant: Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant vs Denon DHT-S517 none
What reviewers say
Sourced tester consensus for each — the "what people who used it think" layer, not just specs.
Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar
Two whitelisted hands-on testers (Tom's Guide, What Hi-Fi?) reviewed this exact model; neither published lab bench measurements. Both praise the wide, immersive Dolby Atmos soundstage and solid build, but flag a congested/harsh midrange that undermines music and dialogue, and note the AI Dialogue mode can over-compensate. (2 sourced reviews, 2 lab-tested.)
Praised: Wide, immersive soundstage with good sense of height and width from Dolby Atmos; Solid, well-built design with useful, responsive Bose Music app controls.
Flagged: Weak/overstretched bass that muddles or distorts on demanding action content; Congested, harsh midrange and highs; underwhelming for music; AI Dialogue mode can over-compensate and sound hard/forced, upsetting tonal balance.
Denon DHT-S517
No sourced tester review yet.