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On May 5, Bose announced its new Lifestyle Collection, which consists of the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker ($299), the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar ($1,099), and the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer ($899). The line is designed to work together or separately to deliver exceptional sound throughout the home. All three products are packed with proprietary Bose technology to deliver high-quality sound across different environments.
I was invited to experience the Lifestyle Collection ahead of its release, and I was thoroughly impressed by what I heard and saw. Music on the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker sounded booming and full without muddying vocals, and a clip from Dune literally shook the floors with audio playing from the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar. The soundbar, speaker, and subwoofer, when paired, created room-filling sound sure to wow anyone who takes their Letterboxd account very seriously. And on top of that, the Lifestyle Collection looks sleek and doesn’t scream “tech product.”
Shop the Bose Lifestyle Collection
So, let’s dive into each of these new Bose audio devices.
Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker
The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker is available in white smoke, driftwood sand, and black.
Credit: Miller Kern / Mashable
The Lifestyle Ultra Speaker is decently compact while still packing huge sound. It features three drivers — two front-facing and one up-firing — that allow the audio to truly fill a space, so you get powerful, clear sound no matter where you are in the room. It also features CleanBass technology, supported by a proprietary QuietPort acoustic opening, that delivers bass that doesn’t sound echoey or blown-out.
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Two Lifestyle Ultra speakers can be paired for a surround-sound stereo setup. And you can play music to as many Lifestyle speakers as you have directly from your preferred music app — no need to connect via Bluetooth. The Lifestyle Ultra Speaker is compatible with Google Cast, Apple AirPlay, and Spotify Connect, and can be grouped with other compatible smart speakers on your network. Additionally, it features a 3.5mm aux port, which is awesome for connecting a turntable. It’s also the first to market speaker outside of Amazon’s own devices to offer full Alexa+ capabilities.
Price and specs
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Price: $299
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Available speaker configurations: 1.0, 2.0, 7.0.4, 7.1.4
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Connectivity: WiFi, Bluetooth 5.3, AUX 3.5mm
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Dimensions: 4.8 inches W x 7.3 inches H x 6.6 inches D
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Colors: Black, white smoke, driftwood sand (limited edition)
Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar
The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar comes in white smoke or black and has a sleek, low profile.
Credit: Miller Kern / Mashable
This marks the first major soundbar redesign from Bose in over a decade. The Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar features a new acoustic architecture with six full-range drivers (four front-facing and two up-firing), a center tweeter, and two Bose proprietary PhaseGuide drivers. It can play Dolby Atmos content and has SpeechClarity technology that ensures dialogue stands out at any volume, with three adjustable dialogue levels. CustomTune uses your phone’s microphone to analyze the acoustics of your room to optimize audio output performance. Like the speaker, the soundbar features CleanBass technology.
While showing off the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar, a Bose rep toggled on and off the SpeechClarity setting, and I was instantly sold. I sometimes struggle to hear dialogue, but I hate using subtitles, and this technology feels like it was made for me specifically. It pushed the dialogue of a noisy scene without distorting any of the background sound.
The Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar also looks incredibly sleek and sports a tactile dial that allows users to control volume levels without picking up their TV remote or phone.
Price and specs
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Price: $1,099
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Available speaker configurations: 5.0.2, 5.1.2, 7.0.4, 7.1.4
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Connectivity: HDMI Arc and eARC, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3
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Dimensions: 43.54 inches W x 2.64 inches H x 4.96 inches D
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Weight: 14.8 pounds
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Colors: Black, white smoke
Bose Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer
When paired with the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker and Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar, the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer pushes the collection into full home theater mode by producing deep, controlled bass and reproducing the lowest frequencies for clearer overall audio. It also features the proprietary CleanBass technology, so you’ll get cinematic bass without distortion.
Price and specs
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Price: $899
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Available speaker configurations: 5.1.2, 7.1.4
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Connectivity: WiFi, 3.5mm wired connection
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Dimensions: 11.63 inches W × 12.88 inches H × 11.63 inches D
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Weight: 33.7 pounds
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Colors: Black, white smoke
