Bose Home Theatre System vs Bose Lifestyle 650

These are two different Bose systems, not two versions of one. The Home Theatre System is a soundbar-and-subwoofer setup: one bar, one wireless bass module, 300 W, and room-calibrating sound from a compact box. The Lifestyle 650 is a true 5.1 system with four satellite speakers, a center channel, a wireless subwoofer, 650 W, 4K HDR pass-through and ADAPTiQ calibration. Buy the soundbar for a simple, tidy living room; buy the Lifestyle 650 for a dedicated room where rear speakers can be placed. Owners of the 650 praise movie sound and easy setup but report reliability problems and weak music and console performance.

• Choose the Bose Home Theatre System if you want one bar and a wireless subwoofer, minimal cabling and a room-calibrating sound that suits a normal living room.
• Choose the Bose Lifestyle 650 if you have a room where four satellites and a center speaker can sit properly and you want real 5.1 surround with 4K HDR pass-through.