When picture and sound drift on the Smart Soundbar 600, Bose's first tool is the Audio Delay setting: in the Bose app tap Audio, scroll to Sync and Delay, choose Audio Delay and try a value from 0 (no delay) to 200 (maximum delay). Bose also says a slight delay over Bluetooth is normal, that pausing and resuming audio can worsen the offset until you turn the soundbar off and on, and that a TV or streaming box may have its own audio delay setting.
Differential
Likely causes of “Bose Smart Soundbar 600 audio is delayed or out of sync”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
Bluetooth's built-in delay
What separates it Sync is off only when watching video over Bluetooth
How to confirm Move the source to HDMI ARC or optical and compare
- 2
Audio delay set wrongly
What separates it Lips move noticeably before or after the voice, consistently across different programs
How to confirm Change Audio Delay in steps of about 20 and test with the same clip
- 3
Pause and resume drift
What separates it The gap between picture and sound grows a little each time playback resumes after pause
How to confirm Turn the soundbar off and on to restart the Bluetooth link
- 4
A range extender in a group
What separates it Grouped speakers play the same song at slightly different times so it echoes
How to confirm Wire the far speaker to the router or reposition so all use the same access point
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Which source shows the delay (HDMI, optical or Bluetooth)
- The current Audio Delay value shown in the Bose app
- Whether one app or all content is affected
Try in this order
0 of 5 completedConfirm the input
ReversibleUse the Bose app to see which source is playing. HDMI ARC and optical normally stay in sync; Bluetooth often adds delay.
Adjust Audio Delay
ReversibleIn the Bose app tap Audio, scroll to Sync and Delay, select Audio Delay and try a value between 0 and 200 while watching a clip with clear speech.
Check the TV and box
ReversibleMany TVs and streaming boxes have their own audio delay option. Adjust one setting at a time and note the result.
Restart the connection
ReversibleIf pausing worsens the offset, turn the soundbar off and back on to restart the Bluetooth connection.
Reset
ReversibleRemove power for 30 seconds, restore it and let the soundbar reboot for about 30 seconds before testing again.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Sync compensation
- Bose builds audio and video sync into its soundbars, but the source device or app must support the same sync technology, so a slight delay over Bluetooth is normal for some sources.
- IR emitters
- The soundbar controls other devices with infrared from emitters in its corners, so a blocked corner or a soundbar pushed back into a cabinet can stop it from switching a TV or a cable box.
- Grouping and saved groups
- Groups are made from the Bose app's Group button; Saved Groups arrived with firmware 10.0.26 and the saved groups can be started from Spotify. If a group cannot be created, Bose lists mismatched firmware, a speaker not on the account, and a need to reset, reboot the phone or reinstall the app.
- App requirements
- The Bose app release of 25 August 2026, version 13.2.7, needs iOS 17 or later or Android 13 or later. Earlier releases supported older systems: 11.1 needed iOS 16 and Android 11, and 10.x supported iOS 15 and Android 10, so an old phone may not find the soundbar.
- Account housekeeping
- To remove the soundbar from your Bose account open My Account, Manage Products, Edit, tick the product and Delete. Do this before selling or factory-restoring it, and remove Alexa first if it was set up, otherwise the old registration can cause voice errors on the next owner's account.
- Alexa limits
- Some Echo features are unavailable on Bose, including Kindle books, Ring doorbell, changing the wake word, setting a music service as an alarm and grouping Bose with non-Bose speakers. Alexa cannot play Bose presets or group Bose speakers by voice, and phone calls are limited to a few regions.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If a delay appears on every source with the setting at 0 and after a reset, request service
- !If a delay only occurs on one streaming app, report it to that app's maker
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
HDMI ARC or optical, Bose app setup, amber light bar, Alexa step.
Discoverable mode, blue light bar, white on connect, TV and Windows cautions.
The 10-second Bluetooth button hold.
Default, Off and Options 2 to 7.
Disable CEC on the TV, try another CEC option, reset the TV.
20-foot range, IR emitters in the corners, alkaline batteries.
Firmware 11.0.40, 10.0.30 and earlier release notes, app OS requirements.
Firmware, account membership, reset and reinstall steps.
Wi-Fi strength readout, bands, extenders, WMM.
Setup, the two Alexa entries, unsupported Alexa features.
Microphone-off button, one Amazon account per Bose account.
30-second power reset and the factory reset on the remote.
Audio delay, TV settings, extender caution.
The 0 to 200 slider under Sync and Delay.
Router and network checks.
Inputs, Bluetooth 4.2, five speakers, Atmos formats.
Exact questions
Common questions
What range does Audio Delay have?+
From 0, meaning no delay, up to 200.
Is a small Bluetooth delay normal?+
Yes, Bose says it is normal with some sources.
Why does pausing worsen sync?+
Some devices resync slightly off each time playback resumes.
Should I change the TV setting too?+
Change only one delay setting at a time, or you cannot tell which helped.
Do extenders affect grouped sync?+
Yes, speakers connected through an extender can receive the stream later and lag.
Where is the setting?+
Bose app, Audio, Sync and Delay.
Does a firmware update help?+
10.0.26 added group and sound improvements, so update.
Can the input change fix it?+
Yes, HDMI or optical avoids Bluetooth delay.