From Engadget · Billy Steele · · 3m
Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar review: A great home theater option all by itself
Bose's latest soundbar delivers impressive bass without a subwoofer, making it a solid standalone option for TV and music.
In brief
Bose's latest soundbar delivers impressive bass without a subwoofer, making it a solid standalone option for TV and music. The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar costs one thousand ninety-nine dollars and delivers strong bass performance without requiring a separate subwoofer, though adding rear speakers offers better…
Bose claims its loudest soundbar yet
Bose proclaimed the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar was its loudest, deepest and most immersive model yet. The soundbar costs one thousand ninety-nine dollars.
Bass performance without a subwoofer
The combination of CleanBass tech and QuietPort acoustics provide enough low-end tone that users likely won't crave an additional, pricey subwoofer.
Design elevates the soundbar
The speaker features a textured, knit-fabric grille and a glass top where competitors typically use plastic. The white colorway shows the aesthetic more clearly than black.
Touch controls on top panel
Bose installed a touch-enabled, circular panel on the glass top that lets you spin your finger to raise and lower volume or tap plus and minus buttons.
Nine drivers power the soundbar
Inside are six full-range drivers, two up-firing and four front-facing, plus a center-mounted tweeter for dialogue clarity and two PhaseGuide drivers for horizontal sound spread.
CustomTune calibrates to your room
Bose's CustomTune feature uses your Android or iOS device's microphone to analyze your space and optimize the soundbar's output for your living room acoustics.
Single HDMI port limitation
The Lifestyle Ultra has only a single HDMI eARC input. HDMI two point zero passthrough for game consoles is not available on this soundbar.
Bass performance impresses in testing
The bass output is the most impressive aspect of this soundbar. Users in small to medium spaces likely won't immediately feel the need to add a subwoofer.
Music sounds rich and detailed
Sylvan Esso's Flood Season has ample lows for bass guitar riffs and kick drum. The center tweeter allows vocals to consistently float on top of the mix.
Expansion options available but pricey
The Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer costs eight hundred ninety-nine dollars and Lifestyle Ultra Speakers cost three hundred forty-nine dollars each. Bundles offer savings.
Rear speakers better than subwoofer
Adding two Lifestyle Ultra Speakers as rear units fixes the soundbar's only true deficiency: directional audio and overall immersion. The subwoofer adds less value.
Competes with Samsung and Sonos
Samsung's QS90H costs ninety-nine dollars less at full price. Sonos Arc Ultra has fourteen drivers and more channels but currently costs eight hundred ninety-nine dollars on sale.
Bose offers limited-time discount
Bose is offering a two hundred dollar discount on the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar through October eleventh. The soundbar functions well as a standalone option for TV and music.
The big picture
The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar costs one thousand ninety-nine dollars and delivers strong bass performance without requiring a separate subwoofer, though adding rear speakers offers better immersion than adding a subwoofer.
