I tested Bose's new smart speaker beside my Sonos Era 100 - it was better in several ways

Home & Office Why you can trust ZDNET : ZDNET independently tests and researches products to bring you our best recommendations and advice. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Our process

'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?

ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.

When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.

ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.

Close Home Home & Office Home Entertainment Speakers I tested Bose's new smart speaker beside my Sonos Era 100 - it was better in several ways Months after sunsetting the SoundTouch lineup, Bose's Lifestyle Ultra proves that it can still make versatile and great-sounding speaker. Written by Jada Jones, EditorEditor May 15, 2026 at 5:00 a.m. PT

Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker

4.5 / 5 Very good

pros and cons

Pros

• Great sound
• Native Android and iOS casting
• Sleek, modern design

Cons

• Pricier than some competitors
• Favors Bose's in-house spatial audio over Atmos

View now at Bose

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.

The latest from Bose is the Lifestyle Ultra family, which includes a soundbar, a subwoofer, and a smart speaker, and I find the smart speaker to be the most interesting product in the lineup. Smart speakers for the home are increasing in popularity, and more consumers are interested in whole-home audio products with smart home features -- Bose is right on time.

Also: Sonos Play review: This portable Wi-Fi speaker may be Sonos' greatest hit yet

I spent a week with the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker, and though it's $50 to $100+ more than its counterparts from Apple, Sonos, and Amazon, it has one considerable boost over the rest. Let's dive in.

ZDNET RECOMMENDS

Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker

As the smartest and most versatile speaker from Bose, the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker delivers great sound, a modern design, and an open ecosystem.

details View at Bose

Best bluetooth speaker deals of the week

• Echo Spot Smart Speaker With Alexa (2024 Release, Black):  $50 (save $30)
• Beats Pill Wireless Portable Bluetooth Speaker (Matte Black):  $100 (save $50)
• Sonos Era 100 Wireless Alexa Enabled Smart Speaker (Black):  $169 (save $30)
• Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore Portable Bluetooth Speaker (Black):  $199 (save $100)

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Out with the old, in with the new

The Lifestyle Ultra Speaker is the smartest speaker in Bose's current catalog, promising Wi-Fi streaming, Bluetooth connectivity, AirPlay and Google Cast compatibility, Alexa built-in, and stereo pairing, wrapped in a sleek, modern design.

As a true Wi-Fi smart speaker, the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker requires connection to a power source, so it's not portable. With a three-speaker configuration, including two front-facing and one upfiring speaker, the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker gets plenty loud. The upfiring speaker isn't a dedicated Atmos height channel, and a single speaker isn't Atmos-compatible. 

Also: 15+ best Alexa commands to make your home work smarter (Prime not required)

Instead, the speaker uses Bose's proprietary TrueSpatial technology for additional depth and space; I'm indifferent about it. Fortunately, TrueSpatial doesn't sound as artificially upmixed as the company's Immersive Audio in its headphones and earbuds, but a singular upfiring speaker isn't enough for true immersion. 

However, with an additional Lifestyle Ultra Speaker offering another upfiring speaker and the Soundbar offering two more, I'm confident you'd get a fuller height experience.

Still, even on its own as a single smart speaker, there's deep, punchy bass and noticeable highs and mids. At higher volumes, the bass can get muddy, but a quick EQ adjustment in the Bose companion app is an easy fix. Overall, the sound profile is very similar to Sonos's Era 100: an enjoyable, lively, warm sound with the V-shaped audio profile most people prefer. 

Versatility for the win

The Lifestyle Ultra Speaker works great on its own, not solely for its enjoyable sound, but also for its ecosystem-agnostic design, which has always been one of Bose's strengths. The company's lack of an affinity for a single software ecosystem means its devices fit easily into your existing ecosystem. I consider that a major upside.

Alexa built-in, Google Cast, and Apple AirPlay are on deck, so if you have several Wi-Fi speakers with Android and/or Apple-friendly casting, you can group them together. While checking off tasks on my after-work chores list, I grouped my kitchen's Sonos Era 100 and the Bose Lifestyle Ultra in my upstairs office for multi-room audio. It worked like a charm.

The Lifestyle Ultra also features a 3.5mm aux-in port for wired connectivity with analog devices, such as a turntable. In a pair, two of these speakers behave similarly to Sonos's offerings; you can transform them from standalone smart speakers into rear speakers in a home theater configuration or use them as individual left- and right-channel audio sources. Or, you can place several around the house for multi-room audio.

ZDNET's buying advice

Bose's products are great for people who want something that will work well right out of the box, with an equal appreciation for simplicity and modern design. You can use nearly any brand of phone, laptop, or tablet with the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker, and it will easily integrate into your home audio ecosystem, which is Bose's greatest strength.

Also: Sony vs. Bose: My buying advice after listening to flagship headphones from both brands

The Lifestyle Ultra Speaker is a solid smart speaker for people with mixed-device ecosystems, especially those who aren't huge fans of voice assistants. Only Alexa and Alexa+ are available on the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker to US consumers. Though an Apple HomePod or a Sonos Era 100 is cheaper, these speakers have several hardware and software limitations and operate within closed ecosystems. 

Featured reviews

I walked 3,000 steps with my Apple Watch, Google Pixel, and Oura Ring - this tracker was most accurate After using the MacBook Neo for weeks, switching to the Air has been refreshingly sweet I bought an earwax camera for my toolkit and use it for everything but my ears LG G6 vs. Samsung S95H: I compared the best OLED TVs of 2026 and made a tough choice

• I walked 3,000 steps with my Apple Watch, Google Pixel, and Oura Ring - this tracker was most accurate
• After using the MacBook Neo for weeks, switching to the Air has been refreshingly sweet
• I bought an earwax camera for my toolkit and use it for everything but my ears
• LG G6 vs. Samsung S95H: I compared the best OLED TVs of 2026 and made a tough choice

Editorial standards Show Comments Log In to Comment Community Guidelines

Related

The best headphones you can buy: Expert tested

This 8TB SanDisk SSD is selling for 62% off at Best buy - and I highly recommend it

Your TV's RS-232 port is a powerful automation tool - how to unlock it (and what it can do)