Bose Lifestyle Ultra soundbar review: strong bass without a subwoofer
Engadget's reviewer has praised Bose's new Lifestyle Ultra soundbar, priced at $1,099. The device delivers enough bass for small to medium rooms without an extra subwoofer, though its single HDMI port may limit some buyers.
Tech site Engadget has published a review of the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar, a new TV soundbar from US audio maker Bose. Reviewer Billy Steele gave it 8.6 out of 10. The soundbar costs $1,099, and by his account its main strength is powerful bass without a separate subwoofer.
Design and controls
The soundbar is short and wide, with a textured fabric grille on the front and a glass panel on top. The panel carries a touch-sensitive circular volume control: you can adjust volume by sliding a finger around the circle or by tapping "+" and "-". The middle of the circle plays, pauses or skips tracks, and nearby buttons handle Bluetooth, muting the microphone and summoning the Alexa voice assistant.
Inside are nine drivers: six full-range units (two up-firing, four front-facing), a center tweeter for dialogue clarity, and two PhaseGuide drivers that spread sound horizontally. A feature called CustomTune uses a phone's microphone to tune the output to the room. The device has only one HDMI eARC input and no HDMI 2.0 passthrough, which could matter for game consoles.
Sound and expansion
The reviewer says bass is the product's strongest point, and that in small to medium rooms a subwoofer isn't urgently needed. The up-firing and PhaseGuide drivers provide a sense of space, and in music vocals sit clearly on top of the mix.
The system can be expanded with a subwoofer at $899 or rear speakers at $349 each. The reviewer recommends a pair of rear speakers first, since the soundbar's weak spot is directional sound and immersion rather than bass. Bose is offering a $200 discount through October 11.
Competition
He names Samsung's QS90H, which costs $99 less at full price, and the Sonos Arc Ultra, which has 14 drivers and the same list price but is currently on sale for $899, as the main rivals. In his view, Bose has built a worthy competitor to Samsung, Sonos and Sony models.
