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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways
- Bose debuts its caller Lifestyle Ultra collection.
- The postulation consists of the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar, Speaker, and Subwoofer.
- Despite nary backward compatibility, the built-in Google Cast is simply a plus.
Modular location theatre systems are gaining popularity, encouraging consumers to acquisition products astatine their ain gait alternatively than being tied down to a implicit strategy successful a one-time purchase. Bose is the latest to upgrade its modular location theatre offerings, with its caller Lifestyle Ultra lineup comprising a soundbar, a astute speaker, and a subwoofer.
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Though modularity is each the rage, Bose isn't afloat committing to giving consumers endless options for configuring their location theater. Still, the caller products debut with respective notable upgrades, and the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker marks caller territory for Bose.
Here's what to cognize astir them.
1. Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar
The Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar features 9 drivers: 2 upfiring, 4 front-facing, a halfway tweeter, and 2 further horizontal drivers. This talker array mirrors Bose's older Smart Ultra Soundbar, but the Lifestyle Ultra debuts with much precocious Bose audio technologies.
Bose borrowed respective of its premium headphones' audio technologies and implemented them successful the Lifestyle Ultra, including CustomTune, which uses your iOS oregon Android device's microphones to automatically set the soundbar's output based connected country dimensions, furniture, and seating.
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Previously, Bose utilized its AdaptIQ exertion to execute soundbar country correction. AdaptIQ required users to usage a headset included with their soundbar purchase, plug it into the soundbar, and deterioration it arsenic they moved astir the room. This headset communicated with the soundbar and could relationship for country correction successful 5 seating locations. It was an outdated method of country correction, truthful I'm gladsome to spot Bose catching up to today's manufacture standard.
The Lifestyle Ultra besides features Bose TrueSpatial, which digitally upmixes stereo contented into spatial audio. Still, the Lifestyle Ultra soundbar is compatible with Dolby Atmos. Finally, SpeechClarity is connected deck, which is Bose's proprietary AI-powered dialog enhancement.
Like the 2023 Smart Ultra soundbar, the Lifestyle Ultra features Bose's PhaseGuide technology, which should nonstop audio horizontally to the farthest points successful a room, simulating the beingness of speakers that aren't there. Also, Bose updated its QuietPort exertion connected the Lifestyle Ultra to see a carnal opening, which should let for a much controlled bass response.
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Bose's latest soundbar has wired connections constricted to HDMI for ARC and eARC, portion wireless connectivity includes Google Cast, Apple AirPlay, and Spotify Connect.
The Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar volition beryllium disposable successful Black and White for $1,099 opening May 15.
2. Lifestyle Ultra Speaker
The Lifestyle Ultra Speaker is Bose's astir absorbing and versatile merchandise successful the lineup, arsenic its accomplishment comes soon aft Bose sunsetted its older SoundTouch astute speakers. On its own, the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker behaves similar a accepted astute speaker, delivering audio done its 2 front-facing and 1 upfiring driver. A wired powerfulness root is required, and the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker supports Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi, and a 3.5mm auxiliary larboard for transportation to your analog devices, specified arsenic a turntable.
Like Sonos's Era-branded astute speakers, 2 Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speakers tin service arsenic rear speakers erstwhile paired with the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar. Unlike Sonos, Bose's astute speakers person autochthonal Google Cast support, allowing Android users to watercourse amusement from their devices to the speakers.
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The Lifestyle Ultra Speaker besides supports Apple AirPlay, allowing Android and iOS users to bask multiroom audio with speakers from abstracted manufacturers.
The Lifestyle Ultra Speaker volition beryllium disposable successful Black, White, and limited-edition Driftwood Sand for $299 opening May 15.
3. Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer
The Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer is the past portion of Bose's latest lineup, featuring Bose's CleanBass, QuietPort, and CustomTune technologies recovered successful the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar and Speaker. The Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer takes a accepted subwoofer design: a cubic signifier meant for upright positioning. However, Bose's standout plan interaction is simply a solid sheet connected the cabinet's topside.
The Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer volition beryllium disposable successful Black and White for $899 opening May 15.
Which devices enactment with the Lifestyle Ultra?
According to Bose, determination is nary backward compatibility betwixt the caller Lifestyle Ultra products and erstwhile Bose location theatre products. The institution says you tin ligament the older Bose Bass Module 700 to the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar, but that's the grade of interoperability betwixt generations.
However, users tin radical their older Bose location theatre products with the Lifestyle Ultra collections via AirPlay oregon Google Cast.
How does the Lifestyle Ultra comparison to Sony and Sonos?
The largest quality betwixt Bose and its competitors, Sony and Sonos, is that the second companies person respective much location theatre products to take from. With that, Sony and Sonos connection much opportunities to premix and lucifer location theatre products to amended acceptable your country size and budget.
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Sony's caller Bravia location theatre lineup consists of 3 subwoofers, each of which are compatible with 7 Sony soundbars. Sonos's existent lineup includes 2 subwoofers, which are compatible with 3 of the company's soundbars, on with 5 different location theatre products it nary longer sells.
However, Bose is the lone 1 of the 3 to enactment autochthonal Google Cast, allowing Android users to formed audio from their devices to Bose speakers and radical it with different Google Cast-enabled speakers successful their space. The effect is breaking down a tiny portion of the ecosystem walls that galore location theatre companies usage to confine consumers.
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