Bose has announced the Lifestyle Ultra speaker lineup, a new collection of home audio products positioned to compete directly with Sonos. The announcement, reported by The Verge, introduces a range of hardware including a $299 Ultra Speaker, a $1,099 Ultra soundbar, and an $899 subwoofer.
The $299 Ultra Speaker utilizes a specific hardware configuration consisting of a front-firing woofer and tweeter, a rear bass port, and an upward-firing driver. To manage audio, Bose uses proprietary processing for upward-firing sound during music playback rather than relying on Dolby Atmos.
Physical interaction with the Ultra Speaker is handled via capacitive controls located on the top of the device. These controls allow users to manage power, Bluetooth pairing, microphone muting, and volume. Volume adjustment is specifically handled through a circular depression where users can trace a finger in clockwise or counterclockwise motions.
In terms of connectivity and ecosystem, the Ultra Speaker can be configured as a stereo pair or used as rear channels within a full Atmos setup. Notably, the speaker can group with non-Bose speakers and does not require the use of the Bose app for streaming.
The hardware also supports Alexa Plus integration. According to The Verge, the speaker provides a large sound profile with high vocal clarity, avoiding the harsh high frequencies characteristic of some of Bose's smaller portable models.
The new Lifestyle Ultra collection is available in three finishes: black, white, and beige.
