When you think about soundbars, sure manufacturers instantly spring to thoughts. Sonos, for one, has constructed a formidable repute on this area, and its Arc Ultra is the soundbar that nearly the whole lot else on the £1,000 worth is judged in opposition to.
Bose is well-known for its headphones and Bluetooth audio system, however its soundbar pedigree has been spottier, with the Smart Ultra Soundbar — the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar’s predecessor — failing to really threaten the Sonos Arc Ultra because the best soundbar.
But Bose’s Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar is its most critical try but to vary that, and after spending a couple of weeks with this trendy soundbar, it’s a superb one. The query is, can it knock Sonos off its throne?
Bose
Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar
First Impressions
(Image credit score: Future / Britta O’Boyle)
The Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar is available in two colorways, Black and White Smoke, with the Black model sent to me for review. I’d have loved to see the Driftwood Sand variant of the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker available here too, but that wasn’t to be, sadly.
Still, the black and white models both look more interesting than most in the soundbar space (bar the retro Marshall Heston soundbar options), predominantly thanks to the reflective top and control panel, so that’s something to be celebrated.
Features
(Image credit: Future / Britta O’Boyle)
Underneath the fabric-and-glass exterior is a speaker system with heaps of ambition. The Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar offers a 5.0.2 configuration with a nine-driver architecture: six full-range drivers, a dedicated center tweeter for dialogue clarity, and two PhaseGuide drivers, which use proprietary processing to steer sound toward areas of the room where no speaker physically exists. Comparing Bose and Sonos again, it’s the same principle that makes the Sonos Arc Ultra sound wider than you’d count on it to, and Bose applies it properly right here.
The ‘2’ in that 5.0.2 depend refers to 2 upfiring audio system, one at every finish of the bar. Unlike some rivals that make a visible function of their upward-firing ports, Bose has tucked these flush beneath the material so that you would not know they had been there from the outside. They hearth sound vertically so as to add top to Dolby Atmos content material, which suggests the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar must be saved away from closed shelving above it. A cupboard with a TV resting overhead might block these channels fully, so it is one thing to bear in mind while you’re planning furnishings and placement.
Bass is dealt with by Bose’s ClearBass expertise, which delivers low-frequency output with depth and readability with no separate woofer. I’ll go into extra element on that within the Sound part under, however in case you are after extra critical low-end heft, you may add the Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer, whereas the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speakers can be added as surrounds for a extra immersive expertise.
On the connectivity entrance, you get HDMI eARC, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Apple AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, and Bluetooth 5.3. Alexa is inbuilt, too, so there’s a good listing right here.
It’s value flagging that the eARC-only setup means this soundbar will not work with older TVs that lack an ARC or eARC port and depend on optical as an alternative, nevertheless, so do be sure you examine your TV earlier than shopping for this soundbar. DTS will not be supported both, solely Dolby Atmos, and there is additionally no HDMI passthrough, although the Sonos Arc Ultra has the identical limitation.
Style
(Image credit score: Future / Britta O’Boyle)
This is without doubt one of the nicest-looking soundbars I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing not too long ago. Most are black rectangles with little to write down house about. You place them beneath the TV and take a look at not to consider them or the truth that they’re ruining your rigorously thought-about décor. I’d go so far as to say the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar is as an alternative one thing you would possibly truly need on show. The White Smoke colorway is value contemplating if in case you have a lighter inside, because it is without doubt one of the few soundbars that might complement moderately than distinction with a pale or neutral room. That said, the Black looks great too; it’s just more conventional.
At 111cm wide and just 6.7cm tall, the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar sits with a low, assured profile that doesn’t overpower the space around it, though I would advise using it with a TV no smaller than 55 inches, or it will dominate. The knit fabric that wraps the body feels premium to the touch and gives it warmth that matte plastic can’t replicate. Stretching along the top is a glass panel that adds a sense of quality, while the circular touch-sensitive control wheel built into it is satisfying to use. Slide your finger clockwise to raise the volume, anti-clockwise to lower it, and tap to play or pause.
There are two design details worth flagging, though. First, that lovely glass top is highly reflective. With a bright TV screen above, you’ll catch a mirror image of what’s playing in the bar below, which can be distracting. Second, it really loves a fingerprint, and it enjoys dust too. If you regularly adjust the controls by hand rather than through the app or your TV remote, you’ll find yourself wiping it down more than you’d probably like.
When it comes to TV wall mounting, it’s possible, as it is for the Sonos Arc Ultra, but the bracket is sold separately, so factor that into your budget. The bar is best positioned under your TV with at least 10cm clearance above, and Bose advises against mounting it above the screen.
Sound Quality
(Image credit: Future / Britta O’Boyle)
The Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar is not all looks and no function, though. Far from it, in fact. Fire up a Dolby Atmos film, and the soundstage really opens up, extending well beyond the physical edges of the bar and further than you might expect, with effects feeling well placed in the room. The upfiring speakers do good work here: there’s actual height to the audio. Rain, aircraft, crumbling buildings, and anything that should sound like it’s coming from above, seemingly does. That’s not something every soundbar at this price can pull off convincingly.
It is worth doing the CustomTune room calibration, however. Like Sonos Trueplay, this uses your phone’s microphone to measure your room’s acoustics and adjust the soundbar’s output accordingly, and without it, the Atmos presentation is noticeably flatter. Run it before you settle in for a serious movie session, and it will make a noticeable difference.
Dialogue is clear and consistently well anchored in the centre throughout. In busy scenes, it can be easy for voices to get lost in the mix, but the Lifestyle Ultra keeps speech intelligible without it feeling artificially boosted. The SpeechClarity mode in the app takes this further when you need it, using AI-driven, real-time processing to isolate vocals from background noise, lifting voices without simply raising the overall level. This was particularly useful for late-night viewing when you don’t want to sacrifice atmosphere for the sake of a conversation.
The low end is impressive, too. Bass has decent punch and body without becoming muddy or overblown, with action sequences having good weight. I would say the Sonos Arc Ultra has more depth and is more impressive as a standalone soundbar, but for many, the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar will deliver more than enough.
Ease of Use
(Image credit: Future / Britta O’Boyle)
Setup is about as straightforward as it gets. Plug the included HDMI cable into your TV’s eARC port, power it up, download the Bose app, and follow the simple steps. As I mentioned above, running the CustomTune calibration process at this stage is well worth the few extra minutes, and even with that factored in and any software updates, you should be up and running in under 30 minutes.
The Bose app has been significantly updated alongside the Lifestyle range, and it’s now one of the better soundbar apps on the market. EQ is handled via simple bass/mid/treble sliders, but there’s more available if you want it. You can independently adjust the centre channel level, the height mix, and the surround balance, which gives you good control over the presentation. Unlike Sonos, which has had a well-documented troubled relationship with its own app in recent years, the experience here is clean and a pleasure to use.
Day-to-day control is handled via the on-bar touch panel or your TV remote through HDMI CEC, which means the bar wakes and sleeps with the TV and responds to your normal volume buttons without additional setup. What you don’t get is a physical remote for the soundbar itself, and Bose doesn’t sell one separately, either. The CEC integration means
Extras
What you do get with the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar, like Sonos, however, is the option to grow the system should you wish to. Out of the box, the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar is a 5.0.2 system, but add the Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer (£899.95) and also you get an excellent bass basis with wi-fi connectivity, so there aren’t any cables throughout the ground. Bring in a pair of Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speakers as rear channels (£299.95 every), and you’ve got a full 7.1.4 system for a extra immersive expertise than a single bar, irrespective of how good, can replicate.
It’s some huge cash all in (near £2,500 for the whole setup), however the modular method means you may construct towards it steadily moderately than committing to the whole lot without delay. Sonos operates equally with its Arc Ultra, Sub, and Era 300 surrounds, so this is not distinctive to Bose, nevertheless it’s properly executed right here. The two techniques are shut sufficient in worth and method that which one fits you’ll probably come right down to ecosystem desire and which one you’d moderately take a look at.
Is the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar Worth It?
At £999.95, the Lifestyle Ultra goes head-to-head with the Sonos Arc Ultra, which is an fascinating contest. The Sonos has deeper bass as a standalone bar and the advantage of a extra mature, intensive ecosystem. If you have already got Sonos merchandise elsewhere in your house, the Arc Ultra is the pure alternative. But the Bose counters with higher design, a extra refined app, and sound high quality that is actually shut. For anybody beginning contemporary or coming from older equipment, I would not mechanically hand the Sonos the win.
There are some omissions: the lacking distant, the dearth of HDMI passthrough, the reflective and smudge-prone glass, and a wall bracket that basically ought to be included at this worth. But the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar is one of the best soundbar Bose has made, and that alone makes it value your consideration.
If you have been a Sonos Arc Ultra and questioning whether or not there is a viable various that additionally seems to be nice in your lounge, the reply is sure — it’s this.