Bose
Bose may be more known for its noise-canceling headphones, but the company also has an expansive lineup of speakers. Today, the company announced the Lifestyle Collection, a new set of home audio devices that includes a speaker, soundbar and subwoofer. The Lifestyle Ultra Speaker, Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar and Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer all support Google Cast and AirPlay, and the new lineup can be used together as a single, robust setup or in multiple rooms.
The Lifestyle Ultra Speaker is a compact unit with three drivers: two front-facing and one up-firing. The basic design includes a knit fabric grill and touch controls up top. There’s even a radial slider for volume. The Lifestyle Ultra Speaker can be used as a stand alone smart speaker that’s compatible with Alexa+ or you can use two of them in a stereo pair. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity are onboard, plus there’s a 3.5mm aux jack for wired use. In terms of audio, TrueSpatial audio processing optimizes content to make the best use of that up-firing driver and CleanBass utilizes QuietPort acoustics for ample low-end tone with no distortion.
For the living room, Bose developed the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar and Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer. The 5.2-channel soundbar houses six full-range drivers — two of which are up-firing — along with a dedicated center tweeter for dialogue and two PhaseGuide drivers for directional audio. You can upgrade the Ultra Soundbar to a 7.1.4-channel configuration when you add two Lifestyle Ultra Speakers and the new sub. The soundbar has a seamless construction with a glass top and touch controls for a refined look. CustomTune calibration optimizes the sound for your space while SpeechClarity provides adjustable, AI-powered dialogue enhancement. There’s also TrueSpatial audio processing and CleanBass acoustics here.
All three Lifestyle Ultra products will be available on May 15, but they’re up for preorder starting today. The Lifestyle Ultra Speaker in black or white is $299 while a limited-edition tan variant is $349. The Lifestyle Ultra soundbar is $1,099 and the Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer is $899.
