Bose Enters the Smart Speaker Arena with Lifestyle Ultra Collection

Hey tech enthusiasts! Get ready, because Bose is stepping up its game and directly challenging rivals like Sonos with its brand new Lifestyle Collection. This exciting new lineup includes the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker, the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar, and the Ultra Subwoofer, all of which are now available for purchase from Bose's official channels and major retailers like Amazon and Best Buy.

Let's dive into the details. The $299 Lifestyle Ultra Speaker is positioned as Bose's answer to the popular Sonos Era 100. Available in sleek black or white from Amazon, Best Buy, and Bose, it also comes in a stylish $349 beige version exclusively on Bose's online store. Early impressions from our colleague John Higgins suggest this smart speaker is quite the performer. It boasts a front-firing woofer and tweeter, plus an up-firing driver – a feature not found on the Era 100. During his hands-on time, Higgins was reportedly surprised by the speaker's robust sound for its compact size and its impressive vocal clarity.

Connectivity is also a strong suit for the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker. It supports Apple AirPlay and Spotify Connect, and for even more flexibility, it includes Google Cast. This means you can easily stream audio from your favorite apps. Want music throughout your home? You can group it with compatible non-Bose speakers via AirPlay and Google Cast. And here's a neat trick: it's the first third-party speaker to integrate with Amazon's generative AI-powered Alexa Plus, bringing advanced voice control capabilities.

For those looking to elevate their home theater experience, Bose has unveiled the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar. This soundbar supports Dolby Atmos and is ready to impress. While dialogue comes through crisp and the soundstage is wide, the low-end might feel a bit wanting on its own. That's where the new $899 Ultra Subwoofer comes in. Available in black and white, this subwoofer is designed to complement the soundbar perfectly. When paired, it significantly boosts the bass, delivering a fuller, more balanced, and immersive audio experience. The Ultra Subwoofer can be found at Amazon, Best Buy, and Bose.

Bose seems to be pulling out all the stops with this collection, aiming to offer a premium audio experience that competes directly with the best in the market. We're excited to see how these new devices perform in real-world setups!