Sony and Sennheiser are two renowned and well-respected brands in the audio industry that produces high-quality speakers, headphones, soundbars, subwoofers, and amplifiers.
In this article, we will cover a general overview of both brands, looking specifically at the sound quality, durability, price, and so on. Of course, each brand has different devices at different price points. However, we will compare them as closely as we can.
Sony products often offer a wide range of features and good sound quality, while Bose products are known for their excellent sound quality but may be more expensive than some other brands.
Sony vs Bose Comparison Table
| Criteria | Sony | Bose |
|---|---|---|
| Brand Reputation | Sony is a globally recognized brand with a diverse range of electronic products, known for innovation and quality. | Bose is a well-established brand renowned for its audio products, particularly its noise-canceling headphones and premium sound systems. |
| Sound Quality | Sony emphasizes high-quality sound across its audio product range, often with a focus on clarity and precision. | Bose is known for its exceptional sound quality, characterized by balanced audio and advanced noise-canceling technology. |
| Build Quality/Design | Sony products feature solid build quality and innovative designs, often incorporating premium materials. | Bose products are recognized for their sleek and elegant designs, combined with durable build quality and comfort. |
| Product Range | Sony provides a comprehensive lineup of audio products, home entertainment systems, headphones, and more. | Bose offers a variety of audio solutions, including headphones, speakers, home audio systems, and soundbars. |
| Pricing | Sony products span different price ranges, providing options for a wide consumer base. | Bose products are often positioned as premium, reflecting their focus on high-end audio quality and advanced features. |
| Features | Sony products often integrate cutting-edge technologies and features, catering to diverse consumer needs. | Bose products include features such as advanced noise-canceling, immersive audio experiences, and smart technology integration. |
Before we continue, you can check out similar comparisons in the series:
Pros and Cons of Sony:
- Pros: Known for producing a wide range of audio and video products, including speakers, headphones, and home theater systems. Many of their products are well-regarded for their sound quality and value for money.
- Cons: Sony products tend to be expensive and many would describe them as overpriced.
Pros and Cons of Bose:
- Pros: Known for producing high-quality audio products with excellent sound quality and build quality. Many of their products, including headphones and home theater systems, are well-regarded by consumers.
- Cons: Some of their products can be expensive, and some users have reported issues with durability.
Quick History
Sony Quick History
Sony Corporation is a Japanese manufacturer of consumer electronics products incorporated in 1946 by Ibuka Masaru and Morita Akio as Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation.
Before this, Ibuka had used his Japanese Precision Instruments Company to supply electronic devices during World War II. He met Morita while they worked for the Imperial Japanese Army as engineers designing heat-seeking missiles during World War II.
In 1952, Ibuka made efforts to license the transistor from Bell Laboratories in the US before Morita signed a deal with Western Electric there the following year. The agreement led to the production of the Totsuko’s transistor radios, the Sony’s TR-63, in 1955. In 1958, Sony became the official company name.
The name was derived from the Latin word Sonus which stands for “sound.” Its pocket radios were the company’s most significant success and led to its international brand recognition.
In 1960, Sony Corporation of America was created with headquarters in New York City. Sony then introduced the MD-5, the first all-transistor desktop calculator, in 1964 during the New York World’s Fair, followed by the historic shipping of its first Trinitron color television in 1968.
Sony currently focuses on research and development (R&D), planning, designing, manufacturing, and marketing of electronic products for the consumer and professional markets.
Bose Quick History
Bose is an American audio equipment company established by Amar Bose in early 1964. It is well-known for making high-end speakers, headphones, car sound systems, and other professional audio equipment.
Amar Bose started Bose because he was unhappy with the sound quality of a stereo he had bought. He did this to try to make sound systems better than they were at the time. Amar had taken the time to find out how important sound reverberation was to the sound system.
As a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Amar Bose knew how important research was to making excellent products. Therefore, he had made this the driving force for the company’s growth over the past few decades.
Sound Quality
Sony Sound Quality
Sony products generally sound good. Compared to other competitors, Sony is a premium brand that takes a lot of time to research and develop its sound systems, making it one of the best-sounding audio products.
The soundbars are feature loaded, have great surround sound performance, and most of them support Dolby Atmos content. Sony is at the forefront of technology innovation, its sound-loving engineers work tirelessly to maintain the standard of its high-quality Hi-Fi speakers.
Bose Sound Quality
There is a lot of criticism about Bose speakers as it relates to sound quality. Many people believe Bose is an overhyped company that focuses too much on marketing and not enough on R&D to improve the quality of their speakers.
Many audiophiles for example lament the fact that Bose speakers tend to not have clearly defined highs and lows (bass). This is where the phrase – no highs, no lows, must be Bose came from.
While the above may be true, to Bose’s credit, some psychoacoustics has been a primary focus in the development of Bose audio equipment. This focuses on the effect of the reflected sound arriving at the listener’s head and thus tries to mimic a live performance with all their speakers.
This psychoacoustic design began with the Bose model 901, which was manufactured in 1968, and as a result of its success, it is still in production to this day.
But because Bose’s psychoacoustic approach is unusual and most audiophiles criticize it, but that doesn’t make it sound any less impressive. The sound fills the room, making it seem like a live performance without losing any of the high, mid, or low frequencies.
Features
Sony Features
Sony is known to manufacture high-quality products. Some of the key features of Sony speakers include:
- Bluetooth speakers with prolonged battery life
- Compact designs that make them easily fit in every home or office space
- High-quality sound
Key features of Sony TVs include:
- Good picture quality
- New frame tweeter technology with sound-from-picture reality
- Two-position stand
- New Ambient Optimization
- Hands-free capabilities such as remote control systems for easy management of TV programs
- Easy connectivity
- Compatibility with 4K 120fps
Bose Features
Bose has features for expressive audio, intuitive controls, and modern components for better use. It is pretty easy to identify a Bose product when you see one. Some of the most common features of Bose devices are patented and device-specific.
Most Bose speakers support all audio formats, like Flac and Wav. They also have voice support, like Amazon Alexa, built-in music streaming platforms, like Deezer and Spotify, and seamless wireless connectivity for listening to music in multiple rooms through the Sonos set up and SoundTouch.
You can also expect to find a micro USB port and a 3.5mm headphone jack/aux cable on a typical Bose device.
Most Bose headphones also have a background noise canceling feature that blocks out all the surrounding noise and allows you to focus on the sound from the headset. Because of this feature, Bose headsets are a great choice for professional uses like conference calls.
Build Quality
Sony Build Quality
Sony was initially known for good-quality products. In fact, Sony originally maintained a high market price to compensate for the high build quality despite many customers saying they charged so high.
Most people say that Sony manufactures premium audio products with fantastic sound quality and build.
No company can handle a wide array of products like Sony while maintaining high quality. Sony leads in manufacturing cameras, audio, and mobile phones, among many other products. Besides, they offer a fantastic after-sales service.
However, some people note that the build quality they get from Sony is generally bad. This is mainly from customers who buy the Sony cameras who say they have had a problem or two with their Sony cameras, and even after Sony fixed them, the situation became worse.
Therefore, whether Sony products are of good build or not remains an opinion whose outcome mainly depends on the type of product and the experience of individual users.
Bose Build Quality
Bose products are not something you can rely entirely on when it comes to build quality. The build quality can be divided into the internal build and the external structure.
However, for a brand that has been a big player in the audio equipment industry, Bose seems to focus more on the internal build quality at the expense of the structural delivery. Therefore, this leads to a great-sounding device that has a poor structure.
Although, another factor that might be worthy of note is the fact that the build quality varies from device to device. While some Bose products fall short of expectations, others are extremely durable.
For example, while most Bose speakers are usually reviewed to be of below-standard build quality, the headphones have enjoyed excellent reviews. An example of this is the Bose QuietComfort 35 II headphones, which most users have reported to have one of the best build quality.
Ease of Use
Sony Ease Of Use
Some Sony products are not easy to use. For instance, getting Sony KDL-32EX650 to work is not very easy. Besides, setting up a wireless network takes a long time.
Also, setting up the Bravia KDL-40WD650 (Bravia is a Sony brand) is more complicated despite Sony 43XG7005 being the most intuitive and easy-to-use Sony TV with a quick and responsive menu.
The speakers are however easy to use with the Bluetooth ones easily connecting to your devices to provide on-the-go entertainment.
Bose Ease Of Use
A great number of Bose products are easy to use. This means that even without technical know-how, you can operate them without stress.
For example, the QuietComfort 35 II headphone has a design that can be turned 360 degrees, adjusted to an angle, and can be folded easily.
The Soundlink Micro is another Bose portable Bluetooth speaker that is designed with a freestanding mount which makes it ideal for use anywhere including the bedside, bookshelf and other places. This includes poolside too since the Bose Soundlink Micro is waterproof and can stand easily.
Cost
Sony Cost
The cost of some Sony products are listed below:
- Speakers: $40 – $4000
- Receivers: $20 – $1000
- Amplifier: $30 – $500
Bose Cost
One of the most important pieces of information you need to understand before choosing a Bose product is the fact that they are quite expensive. However, most people will unconsciously prefer to buy Bose products. This is basically for two reasons:
- Bose has a brilliant marketing strategy which makes them one of the most popular brands in the world.
- Bose speakers have a sound that makes your brain mimic the feeling of being in a live show. This is because of the tremendous investment by Bose in research and development.
Unfortunately, there are so many brands in the audio equipment industry with less prestige than Bose but which offer similar quality products at a lower price.
Check out the price tags for their most common products:
- Bose earbuds: $180 – $450
- Bose headphones: $100 – $550
- Bose bass module speakers: $400 – $850
- Bose Soundbar: $300 – $850
Space Requirements
Sony Space Requirements
Every person wants to maximize their small spaces. This is why every audio manufacturer puts more effort into researching to use versatile drivers that can deliver high efficiency while reducing the volume of materials used.
Sony products are generally constructed with a compact design and build. They take smaller spaces than other products and will perfectly fit into your small spaces whether you buy a smart TV or home theater system.
Bose Space Requirements
Most Bose products, including the home theater, AV receiver, and speakers, do not require too much space as they aren’t normally large and bulk. They include shelf speakers, minimal home theaters, and AV receivers with pretty sleek designs.
Bose speakers such as SoundLink Color Bluetooth speakers can be used on the bookshelf without disturbing the arrangement of books.
Remote Controls
Sony Remote Controls
Some people report that remotes for Sony KD-55XD8005 TVs, KD49X8309C, KD49XD8077 and KD-55X8508C, among other brands, have occasional problems. The issues are mainly that the remote controls become unresponsive occasionally and have to be troubleshot to continue working.
Sony remote controls are, however, generally excellent and responsive. However, where the remotes show problems, Sony offers quick customer support to ensure you continue using your remote control perfectly to enjoy your TV programs.
Bose Remote Controls
Bose has invested a great deal in ensuring that its users get the best audio experience. The Bose remote control is a sleek gadget that allows you to control your home entertainment without stress. They add this remote to almost all Bose products except for the headphones.
A pretty interesting factor to admire about the Bose remote control is the fewer buttons. The remote control adds usability to its delicate design. It allows you to perform all the desired tasks with a few clicks of the buttons.
Connectivity Options
Sony Connectivity Options
When it comes to connectivity options, Sony is one of the most evolving brands in the market today. For instance, Sony Bravia (Bravia is a Sony brand) comes with a wide range of connectivity options, from USB to wireless connectivity channels.
Some of the connectivity options supported by different Sony products include:
-
- RCA for older products
- USB ports
- HDMI ports for digital connectivity
- Bluetooth
- Composite video inputs
- Wi-Fi for wireless connectivity
Bose Connectivity Options
Here are the main connectivity options compatible with most Bose speakers:
- Bluetooth
- Wi-Fi
- RCA
- HDMI
Power Range
Sony Power Range
Like many audio products in the market, Sony products work perfectly well with the conventional power range of 110 V – 240 V.
They have a shallow standby power consumption, and the TVs are built with a power-saving mode backlight on and off control to help minimize power consumption.
Bose Power Range
The power rating of Bose devices is not shown on most of their devices. But, according to different reviews from their users, the power range depends on the kind of device.
For example, the power range of an average mini home speaker like the Bose SoundLink Mini 2 is around 30 to 50 watts. The wattage of a larger speaker, such as the Bose Soundbar 300, is around 65 watts.
Frequency Response
Sony Frequency Response
Most Sony audio products deliver within the frequency range of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. This frequency range effectively supports a good delivery of audio outputs for both the Sony speakers, subwoofers, and even the Sony TVs.
Bose Frequency Response
Most Bose speakers have a frequency response of around 25Hz to 20kHz. However, for most Bose headphones, the frequency range is between 100 Hz and 10 kHz.
Conclusion
Sony is good for playing jazz sound. The brand is versatile with numerous connectivity options and good build quality. Besides, there are products for all price ranges. For those looking for a sound system that can simulate a live performance, Bose products are the best option. However, most audiophiles feel this is not a natural sound and it is hence heavily criticized amongst audiophiles.