Trusted Reviews90
A consistent all-round performer with clear, detailed sound and open multiroom support, though it costs more than some rivals and can distort on demanding tracks.
Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker
5 expert reviews#4 of 9 smart speakers
Image: Bose4/5critics
recommend
recommend
Best compact multiroom speaker
Critics’ consensus
5 professional reviewers tested the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker, and 4 recommend it. Most praised: sound quality and ease of use. Most common complaint: price.
Reviewed by Trusted Reviews, TechRadar, CNET and 2 more
The catch: It costs more than the Sonos Era 100 and has no room tuning.
Broad agreement
Scores run from 75 to 90All 5 scores printed by the outlets
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What do critics say about the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker?
TechRadar90
A strong Wi-Fi speaker with good looks, open multiroom support and pleasing height in its sound; it is held back by weak Bluetooth codecs and no auto calibration.
CNET83
A top compact smart speaker with refined sound, open multiroom support and attractive design; best as a stereo pair and a little dearer than the Sonos Era 100.
Tom's Guide80
A capable, easy-to-set-up smart speaker with superb audio and Alexa+, but rivals at the same price add spatial audio, sensors and room tuning.
Engadget75
Well designed and clear on vocals with easy setup, but bass is underwhelming and stereo pairing was glitchy; better as part of a Bose home theatre than as a standalone pick.
Scores are converted to 0–100. "est." means the outlet gave no number, so we estimated one from its verdict and checked our estimates against ratings outlets print. How we check estimates
What critics praise most
Sound quality4 of 5
Ease of use2 of 5
Design2 of 5
What critics dislike most
Price2 of 5
Alternatives
Not sure about the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker?
Image: Denon
Image: Sonos
Image: Sonos
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Common questions
Is the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker worth it?
Most critics think so: 4 of 5 recommend it. It costs more than the Sonos Era 100 and has no room tuning.
Do critics agree about the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker?
Broad agreement: scores range from 75 (Engadget) to 90 (Trusted Reviews), a spread of 15 points across 5 reviews. Most reviewers land fairly close together.
What do critics dislike about the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker?
Price (2 of 5 reviews).
What is the best alternative to the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker?
The Denon Home 400 (critic score 89), top pick, narrowly.