A week of testing found Bose's new Lifestyle Ultra Speaker outperformed the Sonos Era 100 in several areas, especially for users mixing Apple and Android devices.
Google Cast, AirPlay, Bluetooth, Alexa and a 3.5mm aux input give the speaker broader compatibility than more closed rivals, and the reviewer successfully grouped it with a Sonos speaker for multi-room audio.
Its three-speaker setup delivered deep bass and clear highs and mids, though bass turned muddy at high volume and Bose's TrueSpatial upmixing fell short of true Atmos-style immersion.
The trade-off is price: the Lifestyle Ultra costs $50 to $100 more than comparable Apple, Sonos and Amazon speakers, but the review argues the flexibility helps justify the premium.
Could the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar's bass performance improve with different setups, or is a subwoofer truly essential for immersive movies?
With Bose ending support for its old ecosystem, will future updates or accessories fix the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar's bass and compatibility issues?
Does Bose's focus on smart speaker features signal a permanent shift away from home theater excellence, and how might this impact loyal customers?