Bose's New Home Theater System Is Optimized For Your Various Tv Setups - But Can It Beat Sony?

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Bose debuts its caller Lifestyle Ultra collection.
• The postulation consists of nan Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar, Speaker, and Subwoofer.
• Despite nary backward compatibility, nan built-in Google Cast is simply a plus.

Modular location theatre systems are gaining popularity, encouraging consumers to acquisition products astatine their ain gait alternatively than being tied down to a complete strategy successful a one-time purchase. Bose is nan latest to upgrade its modular location theatre offerings, pinch its caller Lifestyle Ultra lineup comprising a soundbar, a smart speaker, and a subwoofer.

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Though modularity is each nan rage, Bose isn't afloat committing to giving consumers endless options for configuring their location theater. Still, nan caller products debut pinch respective notable upgrades, and nan Lifestyle Ultra Speaker marks caller territory for Bose.

Here's what to cognize astir them.

1. Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar

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The Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar features 9 drivers: 2 upfiring, 4 front-facing, a halfway tweeter, and 2 further horizontal drivers. This speaker array mirrors Bose's older Smart Ultra Soundbar, but nan Lifestyle Ultra debuts pinch much precocious Bose audio technologies.

Bose borrowed respective of its premium headphones' audio technologies and implemented them successful nan Lifestyle Ultra, including CustomTune, which uses your iOS aliases Android device's microphones to automatically set nan soundbar's output based connected room dimensions, furniture, and seating. 

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Previously, Bose utilized its AdaptIQ exertion to execute soundbar room correction. AdaptIQ required users to usage a headset included pinch their soundbar purchase, plug it into nan soundbar, and deterioration it arsenic they moved astir nan room. This headset communicated pinch nan soundbar and could relationship for room correction successful 5 seating locations. It was an outdated method of room correction, truthful I'm gladsome to spot Bose catching up to today's manufacture standard.

The Lifestyle Ultra besides features Bose TrueSpatial, which digitally upmixes stereo contented into spatial audio. Still, nan Lifestyle Ultra soundbar is compatible pinch Dolby Atmos. Finally, SpeechClarity is connected deck, which is Bose's proprietary AI-powered speech enhancement. 

Like nan 2023 Smart Ultra soundbar, nan Lifestyle Ultra features Bose's PhaseGuide technology, which should nonstop audio horizontally to nan farthest points successful a room, simulating nan beingness of speakers that aren't there. Also, Bose updated its QuietPort exertion connected nan Lifestyle Ultra to see a beingness opening, which should let for a much controlled bass response.

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Bose's latest soundbar has wired connections constricted to HDMI for ARC and eARC, while wireless connectivity includes Google Cast, Apple AirPlay, and Spotify Connect.

The Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar will beryllium disposable successful Black and White for $1,099 opening May 15.

2. Lifestyle Ultra Speaker

Bose/ZDNET

The Lifestyle Ultra Speaker is Bose's astir absorbing and versatile merchandise successful nan lineup, arsenic its presence comes soon aft Bose sunsetted its older SoundTouch smart speakers. On its own, nan Lifestyle Ultra Speaker behaves for illustration a accepted smart speaker, delivering audio done its 2 front-facing and 1 upfiring driver. A wired powerfulness root is required, and nan Lifestyle Ultra Speaker supports Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi, and a 3.5mm auxiliary larboard for relationship to your analog devices, specified arsenic a turntable. 

Like Sonos's Era-branded smart speakers, 2 Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speakers tin service arsenic rear speakers erstwhile paired pinch nan Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar. Unlike Sonos, Bose's smart speakers person autochthonal Google Cast support, allowing Android users to watercourse intermezo from their devices to nan speakers.

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The Lifestyle Ultra Speaker besides supports Apple AirPlay, allowing Android and iOS users to bask multiroom audio pinch speakers from abstracted manufacturers. 

The Lifestyle Ultra Speaker will beryllium disposable successful Black, White, and limited-edition Driftwood Sand for $299 opening May 15.

3. Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer

Bose/ZDNET

The Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer is nan past portion of Bose's latest lineup, featuring Bose's CleanBass, QuietPort, and CustomTune technologies recovered successful nan Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar and Speaker. The Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer takes a accepted subwoofer design: a cubic style meant for upright positioning. However, Bose's standout creation touch is simply a solid sheet connected nan cabinet's topside. 

The Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer will beryllium disposable successful Black and White for $899 opening May 15.

Which devices activity pinch nan Lifestyle Ultra?

According to Bose, location is nary backward compatibility betwixt nan caller Lifestyle Ultra products and erstwhile Bose location theatre products. The institution says you tin ligament nan older Bose Bass Module 700 to nan Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar, but that's nan grade of interoperability betwixt generations.

However, users tin group their older Bose location theatre products pinch nan Lifestyle Ultra collections via AirPlay aliases Google Cast. 

How does nan Lifestyle Ultra comparison to Sony and Sonos?

The largest quality betwixt Bose and its competitors, Sony and Sonos, is that nan second companies person respective much location theatre products to take from. With that, Sony and Sonos connection much opportunities to operation and lucifer location theatre products to amended fresh your room size and budget.

Also: Sony's caller theatre strategy lets you upgrade your TV setup gradually - really it works

Sony's caller Bravia location theatre lineup consists of 3 subwoofers, each of which are compatible pinch 7 Sony soundbars. Sonos's existent lineup includes 2 subwoofers, which are compatible pinch 3 of nan company's soundbars, on pinch 5 different location theatre products it nary longer sells.

However, Bose is nan only 1 of nan 3 to support autochthonal Google Cast, allowing Android users to formed audio from their devices to Bose speakers and group it pinch different Google Cast-enabled speakers successful their space. The consequence is breaking down a mini portion of nan ecosystem walls that galore location theatre companies usage to confine consumers.