8.3/ 10
Score
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Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker
- Attractively designed compact smart speaker with excellent sound for its size
- Supports Google Cast for multiroom audio, Apple AirPlay and Bluetooth
- Amazon Alexa support
- Touch controls on the speaker
- Can be linked as a stereo pair or used as rear speakers when combined with the Lifestyle Soundbar
Cons
- More expensive than Sonos Era 100
- Not backward compatible with earlier Bose Wi-Fi speakers
- Doesn’t natively support high-res 24-bit/192kHz audio at launch
Over the years, Bose has made various stabs at multiroom wireless audio systems to compete with Sonos’ offerings. Its new Lifestyle Collection, which includes the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker ($299) I’m reviewing here, the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar ($1,099) and the Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer ($899), takes a different approach. Instead of being tethered to the Bose app for setup and use, the speakers use Google Cast or Apple AirPlay, so they can intermingle with other Google Cast-capable wireless speakers you might already have in your home.
Read more: Best Wi-Fi Wireless Speakers of 2026
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Alas, the new Lifestyle Ultra speakers are not backward-compatible with the company’s earlier Wi-Fi speakers, but the shift toward a more open ecosystem is the right move, and the Alexa-enabled Lifestyle Ultra Speaker is an appealing option for those looking for an attractively designed, compact wireless bookshelf speaker that plays big for its small stature. That said, I’d strongly suggest buying two if you can afford it because they sound significantly more impressive as a stereo pair (and you do get $70 off when buying a stereo set).
Multiple use-case scenarios
I tested the Ultra Speaker as a standalone speaker and as part of a stereo pair, though not with the Ultra Subwoofer or Ultra Soundbar. Measuring 7.3 by 4.8 by 6.6 inches and weighing 3.7 pounds, this is a single-channel speaker with a height driver that uses the company’s “direct reflecting” technology to add presence, though it’s not an Atmos height channel on its own. However, if you use the Ultra Speaker as a rear speaker with the Ultra Soundbar, the height driver will act as an Atmos channel.
Along with Wi-Fi, it also supports Bluetooth, but it must be plugged in, so it’s not a portable speaker. It’s also equipped with a 3.5mm input so you can connect it to a
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Easy setup
I initially set up the Ultra as a standalone speaker on my Wi-Fi network and later added a second Ultra to create a stereo pair. This was all done through the Bose app (for iOS and Android) and was straightforward. Initially, you’re asked whether the speaker will be used as part of a multiroom audio system, as a stereo pair or as rear-channel speakers. The only issue I encountered was a fairly long wait time for each speaker to be updated with the latest software. It took about 10 minutes per speaker.
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I set up the speakers in a few different rooms, including a media room, a home office and a larger living room. I placed them 1 to 3 feet from a wall; they sound best if you give them a little breathing room (not right up against a wall). As a single speaker, the Ultra will easily fill a smaller room with sound. It can play quite loudly at its top volume, but I thought it sounded best at about 60% to 65%. The same was true when I had the two speakers linked as a stereo pair
While the speaker has pause/play and volume buttons along with a microphone mute button on top, I generally controlled playback through the Spotify app on my phone (the speaker supports Spotify Connect) or issued voice commands using Alexa after enabling that feature.
You seemingly can’t use your phone’s volume buttons to directly control volume. Rather, a volume slider popped up in Spotify on my phone whenever I hit my phone’s volume buttons. Needless to say, I would have preferred to just use volume buttons on my phone.
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Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker sound quality
A lot of reviewers have been comparing the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker to the Sonos Era 100 SL ($189), a “speechless” version of the standard Era 100 ($219), which has a microphone and supports Amazon’s Alexa assistant like this Bose speaker. Personally, the Ultra sounds a little better than the Era 100. The Era 100 is a little warmer-sounding speaker that serves up a heavier dose of bass at its default setting, while the Bose’s bass is a little tighter, punchier and more defined.
The Bose has a slightly wider and taller soundstage (thanks to the height driver), even though the Era 100 has two angled, side-firing tweeters to create a more expansive “stereo” soundstage. Both speakers have options for tweaking the bass, treble and midrange settings through equalizer controls in the app.
As with a lot of wireless speakers, you’ll get some fluctuation in sound quality, depending on the track you’re listening to (based on the material and how well the track is recorded). There were moments when I thought, “Wow, that sounds really good,” and other moments when I found myself lowering the volume or just moving on from a track. Vocals do sound clear and natural with a nice tonal balance overall (the midrange is neither too forward nor recessed).
You’re not going to get quite the same level of clarity that you’d get with a good wired bookshelf in this price range, and some folks may be a tad disappointed that the Ultra doesn’t natively support Hi-Res 24-bit/192kHz audio like the Wiim Sound speaker (though it does stream 16-bit/44.1kHz CD-quality audio). But Bose wireless speakers and headphones are designed to deliver nicely detailed, well-balanced audio that’s pleasant to listen to across a variety of music genres — and the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker does just that.
I also compared the Bose to the more expensive Sonos Era 300 ($479). As a standalone speaker, the Era 300 is clearly superior, delivering bigger bass, more volume and a more expansive soundstage. While the Era 300 can fill a medium-to-large room with sound, I’d still be tempted to opt for two Lifestyle Ultra Speakers at $529 for true stereo (or two Era 100 speakers), particularly if I’m setting up a sound system for a small living room. It’s hard to beat real stereo separation.
Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker final thoughts
The sound quality of premium compact Wi-Fi smart speakers, whether from Bose, Sonos, Apple, Amazon, Wiim and others, continues to improve with time. The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker is clearly a step up from earlier Bose Wi-Fi speakers, including the Home Speaker 300 and Home Speaker 500, offering richer, more refined sound with punchy, well-defined bass. Yes, you can get better-sounding powered bookshelf speakers for the money with Bluetooth connectivity. (I’ve always liked Edifier, Audioengine and Fluance powered speaker options.) But they aren’t “smart” speakers with voice assistants, and they don’t support a multiroom audio setup.
Compared with the breadth of speaker options that Sonos offers, Bose’s new Lifestyle speaker line is rather limited at launch. Presumably, that will change with time, but the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker is an appealing alternative to the Sonos Era 100, though it is $70 more expensive. (The price gap narrows when you buy a pair of them on Amazon for $530, and we should see some additional sales as we head into the holiday buying season.)
The Bose sounds a little better than the Era 100 and is as attractive, if not more so. Ultimately, however, its competitive advantage may be that it doesn’t have a proprietary control app and instead allows you to use Apple AirPlay, Spotify Connect or Google Cast and group Google Cast-enabled non-Bose speakers in a multiroom setup
The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker is a top model in the compact smart speaker category, but as I’ve already said a few times, get a pair if you can afford it.
