Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker Beats Sonos Era 100 at $299 as Cast and AirPlay Broaden Multiroom Play
Updated
Updated · CNET · Jul 17
Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker Beats Sonos Era 100 at $299 as Cast and AirPlay Broaden Multiroom Play
3 articles · Updated · CNET · Jul 17
Summary
$299 Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker delivers unusually big, refined sound for its compact size, with the reviewer rating it a strong rival to Sonos' Era 100 despite the higher price.
Google Cast, Apple AirPlay, Spotify Connect, Bluetooth and Alexa support give Bose a more open multiroom approach than its older app-centric Wi-Fi speakers, though the new model is not backward-compatible with them.
Two Ultras cost $529 as a stereo pair after a $70 discount, and the review says that setup unlocks a much more impressive presentation than using a single speaker alone.
Limits include no native 24-bit/192kHz playback at launch, 24-bit/48kHz downsampling, a required power cord, and a price about $80 above the standard Sonos Era 100.
The speaker sits in Bose's new Lifestyle line alongside a $1,099 soundbar and $899 subwoofer, signaling a broader push to challenge Sonos in premium home audio.