Three new Bose AirPlay speakers launched today, and the Bose Lifestyle Ultra speaker looks to rival the original HomePod.
Bose has dusted off the Lifestyle sub-brand it first introduced in 1990 before discontinuing it in 2022. The original Lifestyle speakers have achieved iconic status, so perhaps choosing this name for the latest range reflects the company’s hopes here…
If you were a style-conscious audio fan in 1990, the Bose Lifestyle speaker line was a very desirable option. The company eventually discontinued use of the sub-brand in 2022, but reintroduced it for a line of three new AirPlay-enabled speakers:
- Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker
- Bose Lifestyle Ultra soundbar
- Bose Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer
The company says the first of these is intended to create room-filling sound from a single compact speaker. With prices ranging from $299 to $349 depending on color, it appears to be targeting the original HomePod market. As with the HomePod, you can pair two for a stereo setup.
THE Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker is the most versatile product in the collection, small enough to fit almost anywhere but powerful enough to fill a room with rich, enveloping sound. The speaker uses a modern evolution of Bose’s pioneering Direct/Reflecting speaker technology with three drivers – two forward-firing and one upward – to project sound towards the ceiling and walls and towards the listener, creating a wide soundstage uncommon for a single speaker.
Powered by TrueSpatial audio processing technology, the Lifestyle Ultra speaker places sound naturally in space with its upward-firing driver design to intelligently enhance content with added dimensional height and depth — an effect that is multiplied in a stereo setup. CleanBass technology delivers exceptional bass in a compact design by combining the speaker’s woofer, an exclusive QuietPort acoustic aperture and advanced digital signal processing to deliver deep, controlled low-frequency sound that is difficult to achieve in speakers of this size.
The soundbar and subwoofer are a bit more expensive, priced at $1,099 and $899, respectively.
All three speakers are compatible with Apple AirPlay and Google Cast for wireless multiroom capabilities. They are available for pre-order today with delivery on May 15.
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