New Home Audio Releases and Reviews: Bose Lifestyle Ultra, Marshall Middleton, and ZDNET Editorial Standards
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I should also mention that Bose has new home audio speakers that are due to arrive this month. Two of those — a soundbar and a subwoofer — are more suited for the living room, but the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker ($299) could give prospective Home 200 buyers some pause. Its two front-facing drivers and one up-firing driver work with a CleanBass setup that employs QuietPort acoustics for the audio configuration. The speaker is also compatible with Alexa+ and has a 3.5mm aux jack for wired use, in addition to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Plus, the limited-edition Driftwood Sand colorway is a real looker with its wood-grain base.
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GizmodoThe Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker brings big sound and is excellent for spatial audio, and if a Bose soundbar is on your list of things to buy, it’ll play nicely with that as well. An agnostic approach to software also takes the pressure off the price premium. For now, Bose seems to be intent on putting platforms first via AirPlay, Spotify Connect, and Google Cast, and I think that’s the right choice.
The VergeThe $299 Lifestyle Ultra Speaker is essentially Bose’s version of the Sonos Era 100. It’s available in either black or white from Amazon, Best Buy, and Bose, as well as a $349 beige build that’s currently exclusive to Bose’s online storefront. Of all the new Lifestyle devices, my colleague John Higgins was particularly impressed with the smart speaker. It offers a front-firing woofer and tweeter, and, unlike the Era 100, an up-firing driver. In his brief hands-on time with it, he was surprised by how big it sounded for its size and by its crisp vocal clarity.
ZDNetBose recently joined in on the fun, unveiling its Lifestyle Ultra Speaker, which operates in a way that's familiar to Sonos's smart speakers. Both companies offer separately sold smart speakers that can stand on their own around the house, group together for left/right audio, or pair with a compatible soundbar to perform as rear speakers.
CNETI compared it with the Bose SoundLink Micro 2 and the Anker Soundcore Go 3i, which features a lighting element. The JBL Clip 5 and UE Miniroll, both of which cost $60, are other top speakers in the micro category. They all sound decent for their size, but you can definitely hear differences when you listen to them side by side and switch the sound between them, which is easy to do with Spotify. (I had all three speakers connected to my iPhone 17 at the same time.)
WiredGet $30 Off SoundLink Micro We on the WIRED Reviews team are huge fans of Bluetooth speakers. They are ultraportable, able to venture into the world, and withstand rugged conditions like a sandy beach or a steamy Airbnb jacuzzi. They provide worry-free connection to any smartphone, and the top options offer sound that meets or beats the average smart speaker. We think every person should probably have one on hand. Although some can be pricey, the Bose SoundLink Micro is an already affordable Bluetooth speaker, made even cheaper with this $30 discount. At only $100 now, we recommend scooping up this Bose deal before summer.
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However, with an additional Lifestyle Ultra Speaker offering another upfiring speaker and the Soundbar offering two more, I'm confident you'd get a fuller height experience.
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Fairly pricey No USB-C audio (wired is supported only through 3.5mm aux input) I liked Marshall's original Middleton speaker, which sounded very good for its size, and this second-gen Middleton sounds noticeably better, with improved tonal balance and a deeper, better-defined bass (superior bass extension overall). Plus, it has improved treble performance that adds more depth and detail to the sound. Like its predecessor, the Middleton 2 is equipped with Marshall's 360-degree True Stereophonic technology, which helps widen the soundstage and makes the speaker sound much bigger than its relatively compact size.
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WiredSonically, this is one of my favorite Klipsch speakers you can get for less than $1,500. When I played a new album by Cut Worms, the acoustic guitars sounded fuller and warmer than they did on the original the Fives speakers I tested just a few months ago. On the song “Fire 2" by Grace Ives—complete with crushing synths that fill the room—the Fives II were in the same premium league as the Cambridge Audio Evo One.
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Pricey for a tiny Bluetooth speaker No speakerphone capabilities (no microphone) Despite sound improvements, don't expect it to produce a ton of bass
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No speakerphone functionality Arguably doesn't sound quite as good competing models from Bose and Tribit (but it's close)
6 details only one outlet reported
Independent claims that didn't surface elsewhere in our corpus. Treat as supplementary — not corroborated across outlets.
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01 ZDNet Google Cast works like Apple AirPlay, allowing users to stream audio from their source device to the speaker, as long as both are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. I use AirPlay to quickly stream a YouTube video to a speaker, and it only takes a few seconds to switch the audio back to my phone.
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02 The Verge The new Lifestyle Collection includes three distinct models, one of which is an impressive rival to the Sonos Era 100.
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03 Gizmodo Pros Big, clear sound Surprising amount of bass AI features to enhance dialogue work Customized room acoustics are a lot easier to use
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04 Engadget Once I contended with all of that, I had the stereo pair my heart desired, but there was still one constant hiccup. When you pause the music, both speakers stop in unison, but when you resume the tunes, one starts before the other. Thankfully, when they both kick in, the audio is perfectly synced, but I still found this slightly annoying. Despite all of this, using two LS Ultra Speakers enhances the overall output, just as you'd expect. And if you're planning to use one as a bookshelf speaker in your office or living room, I'd recommend investing a second for more balanced coverage. Being able to listen to separate audio channels is just a better experience.
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05 Wired A small bookshelf speaker saves space, but it generally forces you to compromise in overall sound quality. Standing at just 12.9 inches tall with 5.25-inch woofers, the Fives II speakers from Klipsch pack a ton of new features into the updated version. (The original version came out in 2020.) Key upgrades include Dolby Atmos support over the new HDMI eARC 2.1 port, Wi-Fi capability, and new electronics. You can go bigger with the Sevens or the Nines, also from Klipsch, but the more diminutive speakers are less likely to overwhelm the room in terms of size.
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06 CNET Can only deliver so much bass and volume No strap for mounting on a bike or built-in magnets No speakerphone capability
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Sources (6)
- gizmodo
- verge
- cnet
- wired
- engadget
- zdnet