Bose has pulled back the curtain on the Lifestyle Collection. It consists of three new premium audio products, built to work individually or as a unified system: Lifestyle Ultra Speaker ($299), Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer ($899), and Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar ($1,099).
All the products promise high-fidelity sound wrapped in materials that are aesthetic enough to double as home decor. Pre-orders for the products are already open at Bose’s official website, and availability begins May 15.
So, what exactly do the speakers offer?
The entry point to the lineup is the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker ($299), a compact smart speaker that punches well above its weight class. It comes with three drivers: two front-facing and one up-firing.
They’re working alongside TrueSpatial and CleanBass to generate a wide soundstage from a device that’s small enough to stand on your nightstand. You can even pair two speakers for stereo output. A limited-edition Driftwood Sand finish with a solid oak base is also available for $349.
Then there’s the Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer ($899), which pairs directly with the Ultra Speaker or Soundbar and adds deep, controlled bass that stays clear, even at higher volumes. Basically, it’s a deep bass module that can be paired with a Bose sound system for enhancing the low-end frequencies.
The $1,099 soundbar sits at the top of the lineup
The Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar marks the company’s first significant soundbar redesign in over a decade. It features nine drivers, including two up-firing and twin PhaseGuide units, that can deliver Dolby Atmos output and three-dimensional audio, without any optional add-ons.
For those who wish to pair the soundbar with their television and watch movies or YouTube with it, it comes with SpeechClarity and CustomTune, which help keep the vocals sharp and tune the system to your room’s acoustics.
All the products support Google Cast, Apple AirPlay, Spotify Connect, and built-in Alexa+. Lifestyle Collection arrives as the premium home audio market grows increasingly crowded in the United States. However, Bose’s move to support cross-brand multiroom grouping signals a maturity shift, at least according to me.
