Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker Wireless Home Audio System

Bose is not the GOAT

Its ok not stereo but its ok.

Great sound from a tiny speaker.

This little speaker has great sound. It can fill my whole living room and the sound is 10/10! Love it and recommend it to everyone.

ALFRED D LEE

September 12, 2026

Great sound, have to get the second one.

Great for the price

Sound good but don't connect good

If you need a headache by these speakers cannot get speakers to do stereo sound

Not for multiple room use!

The speakers sound great, but they don't work for the purpose I purchased them for. I bought them for a multi room set up. They are advertised to work that way, but they don't! I tried everything that I could think of, googled, chatgpted, and finally called Bose. I was basically told, they don't do that, yet, and may not ever do that. I'm very upset that Bose advertises that you can group them to play in different rooms and they can't.

If it weren't for the fact that they sound so darn good, I would have sent them back. That's why they got three stars. They sound great.

These speakers stereo pair and sound fantastic. If that's what you want to use them for, buy them!

Waste of Money

Extremely disappointed. Bose app is wonky. Hours trying to connect the pair. Not worth the money, time, and headache. Would not get out of updating mode. After 24 hours I gave up

Premium Sound that brings home entertainment to life

The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker has been an excellent addition to my home entertainment setup. From the moment I started using it, I could tell the sound quality was on another level. Everything sounds more detailed and powerful, whether I’m watching a movie, catching up on a TV show, or playing music around the house. What I really like is how the speaker makes the audio feel more alive. Background sounds, music, and dialogue all come through clearly, making the whole experience feel much more immersive. It gives my room a fuller, richer sound without needing a bulky setup. I also appreciate how nice it looks in my home. It has a sleek design that fits perfectly with my furniture and doesn’t take away from the look of the room. The Bose app is another great feature because I can customize the sound settings and adjust everything based on what I’m watching or listening to. Overall, it’s a high quality speaker that looks great, sounds amazing, and makes everyday entertainment feel more premium.

Amazing speaker

The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker is amazing. I already have the Bose app, so the setup was quick and easy. I used it to listen to music at home, though it would also work as part of a tv entertainment system. Don’t underestimate the compact size of this speaker, as it fills the entire home with clear, crisp music or sounds. It can be connected through Bluetooth or AUX input. The connectivity through the app works well for me. Am happy with another of Bose’s high performance products.

Amazing speaker with powerful bass and clarity

The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker is the perfect mix of design and function. As a speaker, it functions as everything I need from a smart speaker, to a surround sound speaker, to just a Bluetooth speaker to listen to music. One speaker has an immersive soundstage with that upfiring speaker really filling the room with sound from different directions. You can also pair it with another speaker for stereo mode or you can pair it to the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar for a full surround sound experience. I connected it to my iPad, MacBook, Android phone, and PC monitor with ease. AirPlay was my go-to feature for connecting. The Bose app is also great to use to fine tune the settings and features. The clarity of the dialogue is amazing and the rumble of the bass during action scenes was incredible. I can’t wait to experience this with the soundbar, which is next on my list!

Room Filling Sound from Such Small Speaker

I was amazed to listen to this new Lifestyle Ultra Speaker from Bose. Its hard to imagine how they are able to manage to get the bass from such small speakers. I have tested it at the highest volume and its very loud and sounds almost like the Bose Lifestyle Soundbar.

Bose has made the design consistent with the other Lifestyle products like Soundbar with top dial for controlling volume, move across tracks, power on/off, mute microphone, switch or setup Bluetooth.

Also the Bose app experience is consistent and you can control Audio as well as connect to Bluetooth devices or cast to your speaker using Google Cast. Also supports Alexa.

I have set it up as a Lifestyle Home Theater Rear Speaker and it elevates the experience of the Home Theater. You will get better feel for audio from behind.

The speaker also has upfiring speaker so it support Dolby Atmos in the home theater setup. This speaker comes with only Power Cable.

The good part is that this speaker also supports auxilliary audio cable if you have old systems that needs to be connected to the speaker.

What I wish for:

1) Once these are setup as Home Theater Rear Speaker you cannot use them as individual speaker if you are in a mood to listen to quieter music

2) The way the volume is handled across the Bose Lifestyle products is a bit different. The sound goes to very high in the last 30%.

3) Similar to Lifestyle Soundbar if there was a way to play demo sound then that would be great to know the potential of this speakers.

Give Them Time—These Speakers Truly Shine!

When I first purchased the Bose Lifestyle Ultra speakers, the sound was not polished. The tweeters seemed scratchy, and the mids were dull, which made the overall sound feel harsh. At first, I was unsure if I had made the right choice. However, after reading other reviews, I decided to adjust the equalizer. I set all levels—bass, treble, midrange, and the up-firing tweeter—to the maximum (level 10). Then, I let the speakers play softly, sometimes even while I was away from home, for about a month—close to 500 hours.

To my delight, the sound truly opened up over time. The harshness faded, the midrange became clear, and the overall sound became rich and full. Placement also made a big difference—putting the speakers about two inches from the wall and using wall mounts (purchased the specific wall mounts for this speaker) helped the sound fill the room and feel more spacious.

My advice: Be patient and let these speakers “breathe.” Give them time to break in, and experiment with placement. I am now very happy with my purchase and enjoy the open, immersive sound every day.

Amber

July 3, 2026

A lifestyle investment

The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker absolutely blows everything else out of the water. I originally purchased it for outdoor use, and on its own it delivers incredible sound quality, impressive volume, and crystal-clear audio. Whether you're listening to music by the pool, on the patio, or hosting a gathering, it performs far beyond what I expected. What really surprised me, though, was how amazing it sounds when paired with a TV. I honestly didn't expect a portable speaker to compete with some of the dedicated home audio equipment I already own, and it performs even better. The depth, clarity, and immersive sound make movies, sports, and streaming content come alive. I've owned and tested plenty of speakers over the years, and this one stands in a league of its own. Once you hear it, you'll find yourself searching for something comparable, and realizing there really isn't much that can match it. Bose knocked it out of the park with this one. Highly recommended!

Too frustrating to keep.

I really wanted to be impressed with this Bose New Lifestyle Ultra Speaker because my dad always appreciated the company and the great quality they represented. The speaker arrived as a nice looking designed, compact unit in a beautiful "white smoke" that would fit nicely where I wanted to place it. It seemed to be reasonably priced for the use I planned to get out of it.

When I plugged the enclosed chord in to charge up the battery and set it up, the connection fit was so loose it kept falling out. I did a very easy exchange, but when the replacement unit arrived it had the same problem. I called the company and the Rep was very helpful and sent a replacement chord (in black, not white). I plugged it in and it worked to some extent, but was somewhat precarious and still did not have the tight connection that it should have had.

My attempt at an "effortless setup" did not go well. The included written directions were too small to read. The "easy touch controls" on the top of the unit were not buttons at all, but very tiny pictures you were supposed to tap. I had to download an app to use it, and then couldn't get it to properly connect to my speaker through my bluetooth to set it up.

At that point my frustration level was too high so I packed it up and returned it. I guess I could have called the company and spent who knows how long trying to get it working, but I suppose that I am not "New Lifestyle" enough to put myself through that.

0:04

Great quality sound

I’ve been using the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker in my apartment for parties and while gaming, and it’s been perfect for both And I’m really impressed. The sound is rich, clear, and easily fills the room without needing to crank up the volume. I especially like how easy it is to connect through Bluetooth, AirPlay, or Wi-Fi, and the adjustable EQ lets me customize the sound to my preference. It’s a sleek, versatile speaker that delivers excellent audio quality for everyday listening.

Sara

June 17, 2026

Easy set up and great sound

I really like this speaker. It was very easy to set up and was basically plug and play, which I appreciated. The volume is good, and it has been simple to use right out of the box. I honestly do not have any concerns so far. It does what I expected it to do, and I’m happy with it.

Nice bookshelf speaker

The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker is a great small speaker with a nice punch. The sound from this speaker will have you thinking the sound is coming from a much larger unit. The Lifestyle Ultra produces a very strong complete sound that reproduces the low and high notes very well. With the Bose app you can control multiple settings including adjustable High/Mid/Low range outputs. The app also lets you control your music source and several other features.

Even though this speaker isn't exactly portable, due needing an outlet for power, I have placed this speaker in multiple locations around my home and it fills the room nicely regardless of location. The Lifestyle Ultra speaker is a good looking speaker, so it can fit in with the décor wherever you decide to place it. You can pair this speaker with a second one and then connect via the bose app to work as a stereo pair of speakers, I imagine this would produce an even more powerful room filling sound.

Great compact speaker, Great sound, Poor app.

Excellent sound from this "tiny" speaker. Very compact and amazingly good sound quality from such a small box.

Setup was easy and the Bluetooth connection was fast and simple. Easiest Bluetooth connection I've ever had, in fact. The sound is full and fills the (medium sized) room easily. Unfortunately you lose the effect of stereo because you now have just one sound source, but this is perfectly fine for most applications. I don't know what "TrueSpatial Audio" is, but it's probably marketing hype that you can ignore. You aren't going to get much stereo effects out of one speaker. Of course they encourage you to buy two speakers for true stereo, and that would be a good idea, but at $300 each, it gets to be an expensive proposition when there are other compact solutions out there that sound equal or better for less money.

I've had the speaker for about 2 months and it's worked flawlessly in that time. It looks good (if you even notice it on the shelf) and is simple to operate. I've pared it with 4 devices so far with no problems at all. Very simple and fast. No instructions come with the unit, but you probably don't need any for simple uses or paring.

The app is another story. Why does everything need an app these days?? I loaded it AFTER I had the speaker up and running, so you definitely don't need the app to use the speaker. What I hate is that you have to create an account and login to use the app, but the app didn't work. It would not create a log-in, nor would it get past the first setup page where it "finds" the Bose device. Other devices found it just fine, but not this app on my iPhone. (And yes, Bluetooth was on and I tried multiple times, including resetting the speaker to factory settings.) I hate having to create an account to use something simple like a speaker. It's not worth the trouble. I tried the app several times and maybe I'll try again someday, but there's no need to use an app for this. Maybe you can control certain features with it, but unless the app works, it gets you nothing except giving them an "in" for Bose marketing purposes.

Overall I'm happy with the speaker, the sound, style, and size. It does the job of a portable speaker very well. The Bose name represents consumer audio quality and carries a lot of weight and delivers, in this case, an excellent sounding compact speaker and an app that doesn't work and isn't needed anyway.

Daniel Patrick

June 4, 2026

Engineered, Not Just Enabled - Real Sound for the Guest Bedroom

The guest bedroom at the Patrick Hacienda had a music problem. The little hockey-puck smart speaker in there was fine for setting timers and checking tomorrow's weather, but Mrs. Patrick finally rendered the verdict on its musical career: playing her favorite U2 tracks, she said, it sounded like a tin roof in a hailstorm. After the better part of a decade standing in front of stage monitors for a living, I was in no position to argue. Voice assistants put a speaker in every room of the house - nobody promised it would be a good one.

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Out of the Box

I have unboxed a lot of gear in my time - guitars, amplifiers, bench instruments, and more consumer electronics than I care to admit - and this is the first stretch in a while where I caught myself enjoying the deployment nearly as much as the listening. Out of the box to playing music took minutes. The app found the speaker immediately, walked the Wi-Fi onboarding without a stumble, took its software update politely, and got out of the way. Even Alexa+ set up and worked on the first try, which I would like notarized, because that has not been my historical experience with voice assistants. This is what a best-in-class out-of-box experience looks like - somebody at Bose owned the whole journey, not just the spec sheet.

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The Sound

The guest bedroom is about 15 by 15, and this one cabinet fills it properly - clear vocals, real depth, and low end that has no business coming out of a speaker you can carry in one hand. The EQ in the app is not parametric, and for this job it should not be. What you get is a handful of meaningful adjustments - including a height control for the spatial image, which is the detail that tells you the audio experience was engineered, not just enabled. Somebody did the hard math so the guest bedroom doesn't have to.

Sidebar - Parametric vs. This: A parametric EQ is a recording-studio scalpel - you pick the exact frequency, how wide a slice to take, and how much to boost or cut. Powerful, and a fine way to ruin good audio if you don't know the terrain. What this speaker offers instead is curated tone shaping: a few controls that each do something musical, tuned by people who already swept the frequency response so you don't have to. For a bedroom speaker, that is the right tool - all of the benefit, none of the rope to hang yourself with.

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Pro Tip - Tune It to the Room, Then Leave It Alone: Every room is part of the speaker. Put on a track you have heard a thousand times, spend five minutes with the EQ - bass to taste, height adjustment for where the speaker sits - and then stop. The factory tuning is closer to right than your third hour of fiddling will be. (Ask me how I know.)

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The white smoke finish passed Mrs. Patrick's design review without amendment, the room finally sounds as good as it looks, and the U2 catalog has been restored to band status instead of weather event. The soundbar sibling is queued for another room, and after this experience I am looking forward to the install instead of bracing for it.

Pros

✅ Best-in-class out-of-box experience - minutes from carton to music

✅ Room-filling sound with low end well beyond the cabinet size

✅ EQ is simple, musical, and includes spatial height adjustment

✅ Alexa+ set up and worked on the first try

✅ Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay, and Cast all onboard

✅ Compact, decor-friendly design that passed the household design review

Cons

❌ A connected speaker through and through - the app and your Wi-Fi are part of the deal, so this is not the choice if you want a speaker that is just a speaker

Verdict 🏅

I would award the sixth star if the form allowed it - the guest bedroom finally sounds like the rest of the house looks.

Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 out of 5

Michael McCaffrey

June 3, 2026

It’s Bose. It’s Good. Alexa a +!

Pictures don’t do it justice, and recording audio on my phone doesn’t cut it. This thing is awesome. Easy tos at up, easy to control with Bluetooth or wi-fi. Great for a room (including a living or dining room / bigger space). Sounds great at high volume - I think the sound profile is great for what I listen to (classic rock, indie rock, guitar stuff, singer-songwriter stuff). This is NOT a portable speaker - I mean, you can definitely take it with you, but it needs to be plugged in. Used it for a Memorial Day party plugged into a battery box and it was great for the whole back yard. Con: It’s expensive. But worth it.

You need two. But they are amazing!

This is an incredible quality speaker capable of unbelievably great lows. There is a base here that is almost as good as a dedicated bass speaker. I usually don't use wireless anything, but there is NO lag, and the battery has been going a week and is amazing. It's not huge, but the sound is huge. Ease of use depends on your skill with connecting things, but I found it to be not difficult at all. If you ahve a giant 1970s speaker that came with your house, this is an upgrade that will change your quality of life.

This is not a "take to the beach" portable device, it's heavy and has no real handle, but set it and forget it except for the incredible sound. I was FINALLY able to turn off the subtitles on my shows.

Seriously.

I have two good speakers for the right front and now left front and it has made a HUGE difference.

Great Sound System!

I've been using the Bose Lifestyle speaker for music while I work from home. The sound quality has exceeded my expectations. The sound is very clear and full. It sounds great for a variety of different playlists.

I really like the design and how it looks in my house. I bought the white one and it looks great in my office. The setup was easy and it didn't take long to get it up and running.

I highly recommend this over other bluetooth speakers that I've had. The quality and appearance are more than I expected.

Botton Line: Sounds Great and Easy to Use

I am very pleased with this Bose New Lifestyle Ultra Speaker. It has truly excellent sound quality, especially considering the compact size. The overall device quality is excellent. It is powered directly from your 120V receptacle.

I must say, I did have some difficulty following the extremely limited instructions they provided and when trying to install and use their Android app. You supposedly have to download that and register with Bose to get full functionality. Then, the app searches for your device. After carefully following the setup instructions, it didn't automatically see the speaker but once - then it wouldn't connect. I selected from a list and then it displays connect instructions. That was where the process stopped. It never saw the speaker beyond that "how to" screen. So, the app's functionality was not available. I also couldn't get sound out of the speaker even if connected in this way the time it seemed to work. I followed the factory reset and cleared pairing data repeatedly to no avail. It connected occasionally and showed the speaker in my Bluetooth connections. But the app kept trying to get me to connect a new device. Ultimately, I gave up with that approach.

Next, I reset the speaker to the factory defaults, powered it on, and simply used the traditional "Pair New Device" functionality available in my Android 15 phone. It came up, paired and worked perfectly immediately. I have no idea what the issue was with their app. I see it has four stars. People loved it or hated it, with few reviews in between. But, no matter, it's not necessary and the speaker does exactly what it is supposed to do using the phone's default Bluetooth pairing.

Once paired, it is extremely well behaved. I have a Bluetooth switching app installed on my phone. I can use it to switch from my headset to speaker. But normally, it required me to go to the other brand of speaker turn it on or selected the Bluetooth mode at some point in this process. With this Bose speaker it just sees it automatically, powers the speaker on and connects when I toggle the Bluetooth output on my phone. That is extremely convenient. If I am listening to a Podcast, for example, in private using my headset and there is something I want my wife to hear I can just hit the toggle and instantly the audio is coming out of this great little speaker. I also like that the phone's volume control adjusts the volume of the speaker to a very fine degree. I have used several speakers which connect in a "Line Out" mode where the phone's volume controls do not change the speaker's volume. You need to go to the speaker to make the adjustment. This one is totally hands free in that regard.

As I said, the sound quality is excellent with bright crisp tones and deep bass. I'd love to have a second one for stereo. But, as these are a bit pricy, that may have to wait. I was a bit irritated with the Bose Connect app functionality - I couldn't ever get it to work. I have no idea why. Even with the speaker connected, if I try to open the app it wants to search for a new device and will not see the one that is actually currently connected. I just tried again. I think the App offers increased functionality. But who knows? In any case, the speaker is great and works fine without the app installed. So, even though I think the manufacturer needs to get a handle on that I am not going to ding them for it. This device gets a solid five stars for being a great speaker. I will try the app on and off and see if it finally sees my connected speaker if they update something. If it starts working, I will revise my review accordingly,

Truly believe mine is defective. Would read reviews before making any decisions.

Ok so I don’t have a chance to give this a great review because the one I got is not working correctly. I’ve done a lot of research and a lot of people have shared the same issues. First off, connecting can be a nightmare. It seems the moon and stars all have to align properly to get this thing working. And after a 3 hour battle getting connected to the app the sound is the biggest problem and the reason I’m positive mine is defective. The sound is only coming out of the top of the speaker and not the larger speakers in the front. It’s all high range sound with no bass at all. I’ve adjusted the sound settings in the app and it makes no difference. I’ve followed reset procedures so many times I lost count. I had to unplug it because it would randomly connect to my phone and take over the audio. I think there’s a lot of issues that need addressed with this and my experience was not great at all. As most cases these days customer service is Ai and doesn’t offer any help past the reset procedure. I will try to post a video displaying the sound. Also while making video I found that the mute button doesn’t work.

0:50

Great quality speaker from Bose!

Build quality is great, it has a small footprint. The box includes the speaker, a power cable and the QR to download the Bose app for setup. I had to factory reset my speaker since the app was not able to find it initially. After setup I used Spotify Connect to stream a few different genres. I had a few issues with Spotify Connect but I've had issues with other speakers too. The stock sound (without app EQ) had a punchy that did not overpower the rest. I tried R&B, Pop and Salsa and everything had great instrument separations and clean vocals. If you are looking for a high quality streaming speaker this is a good option, you can pair it with another a create a stereo pair. The price is up there but you know you are getting good quality with Bose.

Clean design with big sound and easy Alexa Plus integration

This speaker sounds excellent for its size. The sound is clear, the bass has more punch than I expected, and it fills the room without getting harsh or muddy. It has that clean Bose style where everything sounds balanced without needing to mess with a bunch of settings.

The design is also a big part of why I like it. It looks nice sitting out in the room and does not have that cheap speaker look. It feels like something you can leave on a shelf or counter without it looking out of place.

Setup was simple, and the Alexa Plus integration has been really convenient. Being able to use voice control for music, volume, and general smart speaker functions makes it feel more useful day to day, not just like a standalone speaker. AirPlay and Google Cast are also nice because it gives you flexibility depending on what device you are using.

It is not the cheapest speaker, but the sound quality, design, smart features, and ease of use make it feel worth the money.

Small speaker. Big Sound.

I was excited to order this Bose Lifestyle Ultra speaker because I love the quality of Bose. I have a pair of Bose stereo speakers from 1998 and a soundbar that offer superior sound, so I wanted to try this speaker to see if it really does what it says.

It comes with the speaker, power cord, and two simple papers, one of which has a QR code to scan for the Bose app. I already had the app, but I had to apply several updates before being able to add my speaker. While the updates processed, I plugged it in and pressed the Bluetooth button to pair it with my phone. I planned to pair it with my only TV that doesn't have a separate speaker, but it's a small TV that doesn't have Bluetooth. After doing some reading and investigating, I found that I could connect it directly to the TV using a headphone style jack, which was not provided. Luckily, I had one I was able to use. Once the app was installed, I was able to add the speaker and connect it via Wi-Fi as well.

The sound initially was quite lackluster, sounding little better than the TV. I searched through the app to find the audio settings, which offered individual settings for Treble, Mid, Bass, and Height. I adjusted the treble, mid, and bass, which helped, but it was still missing something. I was unfamiliar with he height option, but after realizing it was the spatial setting, I slowly increased it until I found the right level for my room. Dang, it really brought the sound to life! It filled the room! I moved the speaker to a more central location and placed it directly behind the TV to make a bigger impact. I also tried it with music through my phone, and again was quite impressed with the sound.

Pros

• Small

• Attractive

• Fairly easy to set up once you have the app.

• Accepts voice commands through connectivity with Alexa.

• Connects wirelessly via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay, Spotify, or Google Cast.

• Connects manually using a double ended headphone connector. (Long press the play/pause button to switch between wireless and wired AUX.

• Has a touch button on top to turn off the microphone.

• Easy to move from room to room if needed.

• Offers multiple ways to wirelessly connect, including to other speakers.

• You can add a second Lifestyle Ultra and set them up as right and left channel speakers for an enhanced stereo sound.

Cons

• No remote. You must use the phone app, voice commands, or manually get up and press the buttons to make changes.

• Limited instructions included, which makes set up more challenging for some.

• No on speaker audio controls other than volume. I had to play around on the app to find the audio settings.

• No double ended headphone connector included. While this is primarily a wireless speaker, for the price it should include one as a backup connector option.

Bose never disappoints. The sound is superior, especially for such a compact speaker. Bose is worth every penny. I highly recommend this.

D. Brown

May 18, 2026

4.5 Stars, amazing speaker, application setup was less than smooth

I was going to give this 4 stars because I was very frustrated in setup. I mistyped the wifi password and it took a full restart of app to make it take the correct password in. I had another setup issue and it again took me closing down and restarting the setup. I think the app was only tested in perfect conditions, not tested for any mistakes. BUT, that said this speaker is really something. It fills any room in our house we tested it in. I can see using this with the other Bose speakers, you would have quite the sound system. I already have full sound systems for 2 of our rooms so i was looking for a single speaker that would give us great music and work with Alexa. This does both of those things. Two things I was disappointed with, it doesn't use USB-C and it doesn't have a battery. BUT, I figured with the power this delivers that may not have been an option so I went to my AI friend who confirmed it. The best USB C power plug can to is 65watts, maybe 100, and these speakers routinely pull that type of power. When you are pulling that level of power batteries also become a tough issue, it would have taken a car battery, or at least more than the usual battery provides. USB-C and battery are just a non starter for this. I show a photo with it beside my favorite speaker for moving around, taking outdoors. It is battery powered. I compared the two and Bose is in a different class. I guess the Bose will become more permanent and I will still wander around with my other speaker. We easily connected with the bluetooth on this speaker from each phone and setting up Alexa was easy. There is no instruction book, you have to use your phone. That disappoints me a little, the buttons on the top are not exactly self explanatory so you need to bring up instructions on your phone. Bottom line though, the sound is what counts and this delivers, as I would expect from Bose.

The Best Sound!!

I’m not particularly tech-savvy, but this speaker was incredibly easy to set up right out of the box. And well insulated, I might add!! I’m using it as a standalone speaker (not part of a surround sound system), and it fills my living room nicely! It has a thick non-slip rubber bottom - helpful for placing on a table or mantle. I love that it's portable - I can easily move it around the house or take it with me on vacation. I do wish it came with a case for travel, though.

The sound is exactly what you’d expect from Bose, powerful, clear, and very impressive. The bass is rich without being overwhelming, and the overall sound is just badass. I included a video of the sound, but honestly, it sounds much better in person!

The Bose app took me a little getting used to, but once I figured it out, adjusting and customizing the sound was and worth it. Now that I’ve dialed in my settings, everything sounds exactly how I want it. This is a 10/10 for me. Now I’m already thinking about adding the soundbar!

0:17

Spectacular sounding

While the new LifeStyle Ultra speaker delivers exceptional sound quality for its compact size, two question arise: is it the best sounding speaker in its class? The simple answer is…yes.

Secondly, does it justify its premium price tag? While it may fall an ounce short of perfection, it is undeniably impressive and maybe even a breath of fresh air for future iterations.

The bass response is surprisingly robust for its dimensions, maintaining clarity across all volume levels. Although the Digital Signal Processor (DSP) may slightly attenuate bass output at higher volume levels, it is clearly at the cost of audible port noise, rattling, or distortion.

The high frequencies exhibit a slight sparkle compared to older Bose Bluetooth speakers, which is a positive development. Similarly, the midrange has also improved alongside the higher frequencies, resulting in more lifelike vocals that can prominently stand out in the mix.

The accompanying BOSE app offers slight EQ customization, allowing users to adjust the sound to their preferences. While maximizing all EQ settings to “+10” may not be the most effective approach, as it does not significantly enhance the overall experience, I have discovered a suitable “sweet spot” for MOST music genres in MOST situations.

Treble: +2

Mids: +6

Bass: +3

Height: +2

With these EQ settings in place, I tested various tracks, including Lady Gaga’s “Always Remember Us This Way.” As this is my first day with the speaker, I cannot speak much on how every song ever composed will perform, but with all of that being said, the “Ultra” moniker included with this speaker appears to be well-deserved.

It is worth noting that I did test the speaker outside on a sunny afternoon, which slightly changed the sound profile of the speaker and had to adjust the eq.

The only sole criticism I have for this speaker is it’s volume control. I do adore the concept though, as I had an iPod Classic back in the day as well.

Despite my brief testing with it, when it comes to increasing or decreasing the volume level via the speaker (especially by a significant margin), the task at hand can feel a bit mundane. However, I continue to use it in some scenarios because it has proven effective for fine-tuning the volume once it has been initially “set” for my desired listening level (via my mobile device).

Also, I will state that users CAN tap the + or - touch sensitive buttons on the scroll wheel (instead of scrolling) if need be. I will say though, it does not improve the experience by that much compared to using your mobile devices volume buttons instead.

If this issue is resolved in the future, perhaps through a software update that meets or surpasses the “iPod-like” experience, or even better yet—a sensitivity slider control for the volume pad in the Bose app, I do not see any reason why I should not update this review to five stars.

Dolby Atmos support with Apple Music would also be a welcome addition and would justify purchasing another speaker for true stereo sound.

If there is to be a wishlist for the future, it would be a portable battery powered version of this speaker that is a bit more rugged for the occasional outdoor use and acoustically optimized for both indoor/ outdoor use cases.

Bose could of done better

The speaker is good. Sound quality is OK. It’s not very loud though. It would be good to be used as a base for surround sound. It’s not wireless so you have to keep it plugged it, super easy to connect it to Bluetooth. The speaker is very heavy too.

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