Engadget Review: Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar Is Strong Enough Without a Subwoofer

The review describes the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar as short and wide, with a textured knit-fabric grille that improves the look, particularly in the white colorway. Bose used a glass top where competitors often use plastic or buttons, and left the glass short of the edges so up-firing drivers can operate. On the right side of the glass, a touch-enabled circular panel lets users spin a finger clockwise or counterclockwise to adjust volume, or tap plus and minus; the center can be tapped for play, pause and track skipping. Touch controls for Bluetooth, microphone muting and Alexa are also included.

Inside, Bose arranged nine drivers: six full-range drivers, two of them up-firing and four front-facing; a center-mounted tweeter for dialogue clarity; and two PhaseGuide drivers that spread sound horizontally. CustomTune uses the microphone in an Android or iOS device to analyze speaker layout, surfaces and seating, then optimizes the soundbar's output. The soundbar is plug-and-play after connecting to power and a TV, but the review advises downloading the Bose app and running CustomTune immediately. The process must be repeated if the Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer or Lifestyle Ultra Speakers are added. The only HDMI input is eARC, and the soundbar does not offer HDMI 2.0 passthrough for devices such as game consoles.

In use, the review says the up-firing and PhaseGuide drivers produce a pleasant level of immersion and dimensional audio, which is apparent on shows such as Drive to Survive and Masters of the Air. Bass output is the most impressive aspect, with enough low end that users in small to medium spaces likely will not immediately feel the need to add a subwoofer. For music, Sylvan Esso's 'Flood Season' has ample lows for bass guitar riffs and kick drum, while Russian Circles' 'Empath' maintains tonal depth without becoming muddy. The center tweeter keeps vocals consistently on top of the mix, making Hayley Williams' 'Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party' particularly enjoyable.

Bose offers the Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer and Lifestyle Ultra Speakers as expansions. The review says neither is absolutely necessary unless a room is larger or the user wants the extra immersion that rear speakers can provide for movies and TV shows. The speakers cost $349 each and the subwoofer costs $899. The Home Theater Set and Surround Sound Set bundles can save a few hundred dollars, according to the review, though Bose does not offer savings on the Extra Bass Set.