Bose challenges Sonos with new home speakers
▼ Summary
– Bose announced three new home audio products: the $299 Lifestyle Ultra speaker, a $1,099 Ultra soundbar, and an $899 subwoofer.
– The Lifestyle Ultra speaker is positioned as Bose’s competitor to the Sonos Era 100.
– The speaker can be used individually, as a stereo pair, or as rear speakers in an Atmos setup.
– The products appear designed to directly compete with Sonos, with the reviewer noting the hope that Bose avoids Sonos’s recent missteps.
– The reviewer listened to all three products in a staged home demonstration on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
Last Thursday, in a staged Upper West Side Manhattan home, I found myself sinking into a couch that was a bit too low and deep, facing a small, beige-colored smart speaker perched on a trio of arched midcentury storage cabinets. Flanking it were two tall, curved white screens.
That speaker is the new $299 Lifestyle Ultra, Bose’s direct competitor to the Sonos Era 100. It’s part of a trio of home audio products the company unveiled today, including a $1,099 Ultra soundbar and an $899 subwoofer. Bose appears to be taking aim squarely at Sonos, hoping to avoid that rival’s recent stumbles. I got a first listen to all three.
The Lifestyle Ultra can be used as a standalone speaker, paired for stereo sound, or deployed as rear speakers in an Atmos setup. Bose is betting that this modular flexibility, combined with its established audio pedigree, will lure customers away from Sonos’ ecosystem. The demo room, with its carefully curated midcentury aesthetic, underscored Bose’s ambition to blend high-fidelity sound with home décor.
(Source: The Verge)
