Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar, Speaker Lets You Control Your Favorite Music Program

Bose has launched its Lifestyle Collection of audio products, which includes a new sound bar, smart speaker and subwoofer that now use Google Cast or Apple AirPlay instead of an official app.

The range includes the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker ($299), the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar ($1,099) and the “super powerful” Bose Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer ($899) and is available for pre-order now.

See also: The best Soundbars of 2026

The range isn’t backwards compatible with the company’s existing systems, although Bose says you can connect a company’s subs (or other class of choice) to the Sub Out port.

The Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar, which replaces the existing Smart Ultra Soundbar, is compatible with Dolby Atmos and the Alexa Plus virtual assistant. The speaker contains two of the company’s PhaseGuides for sound blasting on the wing, in addition to six full-range drivers, two high-firing and four forward-facing, and a center tweeter. It features a glass-and-fabric look reminiscent of previous soundbars.

The Lifestyle Ultra “smart” speaker is a single-channel speaker with a height driver that uses the company’s “direct projection” technology to add presence, although it’s not an Atmos height channel alone. If you’re using the Ultra as a rear speaker, however, the height driver will act as an Atmos channel. The Ultra includes a 3.5mm input so users can connect a source component like a turntable to it. If you have two Ultras, you can pair them as a stereo system.

Unlike previous Bose systems, the Bose Lifestyle system does not have a proprietary control app, and the company expects users to use Apple AirPlay, Spotify Connect or Google Cast to control the speakers. The advantage is that you can now stack non-Bose speakers, and not need to control their music with a powerful Sonos-style app. The Bose app is now used only for setup, while also replacing the wireless headset to calibrate the system with your phone’s internal microphone.

Why did Bose discontinue the music control app? Take a look at the Sonos competitor. Over the past two years, Sonos owners have complained about a number of problems with its all-in-one operating system — after the launch of the Ace headphones — and this led to the departure of its longtime CEO, Patrick Spence. While Sonos and Bose helped create the multi-room speaker systems we know today, the world has moved away from a single app that controls everything, and most people just use the streaming app they’re most comfortable with.

The ears are open

I heard the three speakers play music and home theater content, and while Bose claims the soundbar has the best bass the company has produced, it didn’t compare to my memories of the soundbar. Sonos Arc Ultra — a speaker you can use without a subwoofer. Based on the demos I heard, the sub added some much-needed bass to the movies.

Bose’s Ultra speaker was fine, but I found the height effect to be subtle and will depend on the layout of your room. The Ultra didn’t have the punch I felt in the (cheaper) Sonos Era 100, but I’m looking forward to hearing it against its competition.

Sound quality aside, I think the lack of compatibility with existing Bose speakers will be a big concern for potential buyers. We will see.