In 2022, we were obsessed with the Sonos Move. Two years later, we dubbed the (then new) Sonos Arc Ultra the best soundbar of the year. For a moment, Sonos was king for a day with voice-activated smart speakers, multi-room sound setups, and systems that look good. There was competition, but it was really a one horse race. Now, Bose has paired its world-class audio with a more handsome design. The race is getting tighter.
The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Collection includes a bold, brand-new stab at a soundbar and an accompanying subwoofer. The Lifestyle Ultra sounds great without the sub. It costs $1,099, the same price the Sonos Arc Ultra started at. But forget all that and instead look to the new $300 wireless home speaker. I don’t know if you’ve seen the price of anything lately, but $300 for a good speaker with all the modern bells and whistles is what I call a great value, maybe even a bargain. In a larger home, a pair of these make great bookshelf speakers for streaming tracks off Tidal or Apple Music. And in a real-deal audio setup, they pair with the Lifestyle Ultra soundbar and subwoofer for a killer home theater setup.
So, it looks good, works well alone, but really stands out when modular parts are paired together. Can you see why I’m making Sonos comparisons?
Of the Lifestyle Ultra lineup, the speaker is the most versatile. It does all the smart Bluetooth and AirPlay stuff, but it also has a control panel for quick, tactile playback and volume adjustment. The speaker comes in black or white, but for a cool $50 extra, if you buy from Bose, you can get it in the exclusive (limited stock!) wood-accented Driftwood Sand color.
I spent more than an hour listening to the whole collection in all possible configurations and can say that, when keeping the regular consumer in mind, the dual Ultra speakers were the most impressive. Of course, the full system is movie-theater quality, but when you consider budget and space considerations, it’s a lot for the average buyer. The home speakers sound fantastic, are easy to move about and reconfigure. Plus, they improve drastically when working in tandem.
The Lifestyle Ultra’s up-firing drivers give the sound more height. When you pair it with another to add the width, you create a sound field close enough to true surround sound that most of us don’t know the difference. On its own, it’s a high-quality, room-filling Bluetooth smart speaker. With two, you get a stereo experience that can upgrade your TV speaker setup and become your turntable’s new bookshelf speakers all-in-one. Or you can sync them so you can have the sound follow you from room to room as you do chores or clean up after your kids.
So, who should spend $600 on a pair of Lifestyle Ultra speakers? In my opinion, it’s someone who just prefers the look of these to Sonos. Here, there’s more textures and more paired colors. Sonos is truly monochrome; it’s white or black. In terms of sound, the two brands will punch at just about the same power; only real audiophiles will have an opinion on who wins, and they can go either way. For example, I like Bose, my editor likes Sonos; we each might steer you in a different direction based on aesthetics alone. But, if you’re just now looking to start your home audio journey, or are ready for a clean start, I strongly recommend Bose. At the very least, it has given you a second option.
