Bose has introduced three new speakers aimed at home audio setups: the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker, Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer, and Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar. The lineup uses a fabric-wrapped grille and rounded design, and the products can be paired with multiple units and third-party speakers through AirPlay and Google Cast for a more flexible multi-room setup.
This marks Bose’s return to the home speaker category with the revived Lifestyle name, a line that first launched in 1990 and was discontinued in 2022. Bose originally positioned the range around simplicity and ease of use, and it is now bringing that idea back with updated hardware and software.
The wireless speaker starts at $299, with a limited-edition Driftwood Sand version priced at $349. The soundbar costs $1,099, and the subwoofer is priced at $899. All three are available for preorder now and will go on sale on May 15.
The new speakers support AirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, and Bluetooth. In the U.S., they also include Alexa integration, which lets users control music playback with voice commands. The Lifestyle Ultra Speaker also includes an auxiliary input for connecting a turntable.
In the Bose app, two Lifestyle Ultra Speakers can be paired as a stereo system, or multiple units can be grouped for a home theater setup. Bose says the system is only backward compatible with the Bass Module 700 if users want to add it to an existing Bose setup. For multi-room playback, Bose is relying on the Google Home app for Google Cast users and Apple’s AirPlay for iPhone and iPad users. The company also says the onboarding process in its app has been redesigned to make setup easier.
On the audio side, the Ultra Speaker includes an upward-firing driver for spatial audio, plus two front-facing drivers. Bose does not say it supports Dolby Atmos Music at this time. The company is also highlighting its CleanBass technology, which combines the QuietPort acoustic opening with the woofer to deliver deeper bass from a compact design.
The Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar is described as Bose’s first major soundbar redesign in more than a decade. It includes two up-firing drivers, four front-facing drivers, a center tweeter, and two PhaseGuide drivers that are intended to spread sound across the room. It also uses CleanBass technology and a SpeechClarity feature that applies AI to improve dialog.
For room calibration, Bose says users no longer need the company’s ADAPTiQ headset. Instead, the Bose app can use the microphone on an iPhone or Android device as part of the setup process.
Bose’s renewed focus on home audio comes after a difficult year for Sonos in 2024, when a problematic app update caused major issues for customers. Bose says its own return to the category has been in development for years and was not built around that situation.
