Bose is bringing back the Lifestyle badge after ages for a new range of speakers meant to grace your living room. With their feature sets and pricing, they’ll go head to head against the latest offerings from Sonos, and the hope is that (mostly) new audio engineering chops for these three models will win you over.
While they support Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for streaming audio via Google Cast, Apple AirPlay, and Spotify Connect, the speakers in this lineup will need to remain tethered to wall outlets. They can pair up with each other, as well as with models from other brands for multi-room audio.
The lineup includes the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker, which is a compact smart speaker that features classic Bose styling in a minimalist cylindrical form. It’s got three drivers, including an up-firing one for a broad soundstage, and its woofer and acoustic opening promise powerful bass that will belie its size. Two Ultras can be paired for stereo output, with increased depth and sound separation.
Bose
At US$300, it comes in at a significantly higher price point than Sonos’ $189 Era 100 SL that arrived earlier this year. $300 can also net you Sonos’ revamped Play portable speaker which launched this March.
Bose
Up next, you’ve got the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar that’s meant to do music and movies well without taking up a lot of space. Having equipped it with six full-range drivers and two additional PhaseGuide drivers, Bose says you can expect it to sound like additional speakers are aimed at you to the right and left of the soundbar.
This one supports Dolby Atmos, and can tune its output based on the dimensions and surfaces of your room, with the help of your phone’s mic.
Bose
For extra low-end oomph, you can tack on the wireless Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer. It’s essentially the same on the inside as Bose’s Bass Module 700, but with updated connectivity. Together, these two can sync with a pair of Ultra Speakers for a proper 7.1.4 channel home theater setup.
Bose
The soundbar and subwoofer are priced exactly the same as Sonos’ Arc Ultra and Sub 4, at $1,099 and $899 respectively.
Bose
The Lifestyle range can be had in black or white finishes, and the Ultra Speaker additionally comes in a limited-edition beige colorway with a classy solid white oak base for $50 more. They all work with Bose’s mobile app for adjusting settings, connecting to streaming services, and grouping speakers for multi-room playback – and you can control them using voice commands, courtesy of Alexa+.
Given the mostly similar price points, this bunch gives you more options if you’re not keen on dealing with Sonos’ troubled app. The trio will be available May 15, and pre-orders are already open on Bose’s site.
Find the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker, Soundbar, and Subwoofer on Bose’s website.
Source: Bose
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