Bose Revives Lifestyle Sub-Brand with Three New High-End Audio Products
Bose has introduced three new home audio products under its revived Lifestyle sub-brand: the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker, Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar, and Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer. The products are available for pre-order, with delivery scheduled for May 15.
The full 7.1.4 system costs $2,696, positioning Bose against Sonos in the premium home theater market.
Product Overview
Lifestyle Ultra Speaker
- Price: $299 to $349 (depending on color)
- Drivers: Front-firing woofer, tweeter, up-firing driver, and rear bass port
- Features: Capacitive controls on top; supports TrueSpatial audio processing and CleanBass technology; compatible with Alexa Plus
- Connectivity: Wi‑Fi (Apple AirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect), Bluetooth; Auracast capable but not enabled at launch. Can be grouped with non‑Bose speakers via AirPlay and Google Cast
- Setup: Two speakers can be paired for stereo
- Limitations: No room correction at launch — Bose has stated it is considering adding the feature later
Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar
- Price: $1,099
- Dimensions: 43.3 x 2.6 x 4.9 inches; 14.3 pounds
- Colors: Black or White Smoke
- Design: Textured knit fabric grille and glass top; controls on top include play/pause, volume, Bluetooth pairing, and microphone muting; no physical remote (uses HDMI CEC for TV remote)
- Drivers: 9 total — one 1‑inch center tweeter, two 8‑inch PhaseGuide drivers, two upfiring 2.5‑inch drivers, four 3.1‑inch racetrack transducers
- Configuration: 5.0.2 channels; supports Dolby Atmos; no DTS support
- Connectivity: HDMI eARC (one), Ethernet, subwoofer output; no second HDMI input or 3.5mm aux; wireless includes Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, Apple AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect; Tidal Connect support expected in a future update
- App and Setup: Setup via Bose mobile app (Android and iOS); includes CustomTune room calibration (approximately 10 minutes); app features include source switching, EQ (bass, mids, treble), center/height/surround channel volume, subwoofer level, and Alexa+ setup
- Limitations: No support for private listening via Bose headphones (feature present on previous Bose Smart Soundbar)
Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer
- Price: $899
- Function: Designed to complement the soundbar for full‑range sound
Expandability and Pricing
The full system (soundbar, subwoofer, and two Ultra Speakers as rear surrounds) costs $2,696. The soundbar is compatible with the Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer and Lifestyle Ultra Speakers for a 7.1.4 channel configuration. Bose’s president has stated that additional Lifestyle series products are planned.
Price Comparison
- Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar: $1,099
- Sonos Arc Ultra: $1,099
- Sonos Arc Ultra full kit (Arc Ultra, Sub 4, two Era 300): $2,956
Bose’s flagship soundbar matches Sonos on price but trails in raw virtual surround performance without rear speakers.
Sound Performance Observations
In demonstrations, the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker exhibited a broad soundstage and vocal clarity, though it was perceived as overly punchy on some tracks.
The soundbar, when used alone, showed a gap in upper bass frequencies, which was filled by the subwoofer. A full 7.1.4 system demonstrated surround and Atmos height effects, though placement was occasionally indistinct.
Without the subwoofer, the soundbar’s bass lacks sub‑bass extension while mids and highs remain clear. With the subwoofer, bass depth improves. Virtual surround channels are present, but rear channels require optional surround speakers.
In comparison, the Sonos Arc Ultra provides more immersive virtual channels and deeper bass without a subwoofer.