I didn't expect Bose's new lifestyle speaker to coexist with my Sonos Era 100 like this

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. The latest from Bose is the Lifestyle Ultra family, which includes a soundbar, a subwoofer, and a smart speaker, and I find the smart speaker to be the most interesting product in the lineup. Smart speakers for the home are increasing in popularity, and more consumers are interested in whole-home audio products with smart home features -- Bose is right on time.

Also: Sonos Play review: This portable Wi-Fi speaker may be Sonos' greatest hit yet I spent a week with the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker , and though it's $50 to $100+ more than its counterparts from Apple, Sonos, and Amazon, it has one considerable boost over the rest. Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article. The Lifestyle Ultra Speaker is the smartest speaker in Bose's current catalog, promising Wi-Fi streaming, Bluetooth connectivity, AirPlay and Google Cast compatibility, Alexa built-in, and stereo pairing, wrapped in a sleek, modern design. As a true Wi-Fi smart speaker, the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker requires connection to a power source, so it's not portable. With a three-speaker configuration, including two front-facing and one upfiring speaker, the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker gets plenty loud. The upfiring speaker isn't a dedicated Atmos height channel, and a single speaker isn't Atmos-compatible. Also: 15+ best Alexa commands to make your home work smarter (Prime not required) Instead, the speaker uses Bose's proprietary TrueSpatial technology for additional depth and space; I'm indifferent about it. Fortunately, TrueSpatial doesn't sound as artificially upmixed as the company's Immersive Audio in its headphones and earbuds, but a singular upfiring speaker isn't enough for true immersion. 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. Still, even on its own as a single smart speaker, there's deep, punchy bass and noticeable highs and mids. At higher volumes, the bass can get muddy, but a quick EQ adjustment in the Bose companion app is an easy fix. Overall, the sound profile is very similar to Sonos's Era 100: an enjoyable, lively, warm sound with the V-shaped audio profile most people prefer.

Key points

• Also: Sonos Play review: This portable Wi-Fi speaker may be Sonos' greatest hit yet I spent a week with the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker , and though it's $50 to $100+ more than its counterparts from Ap…
• Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.
• The Lifestyle Ultra Speaker is the smartest speaker in Bose's current catalog, promising Wi-Fi streaming, Bluetooth connectivity, AirPlay and Google Cast compatibility, Alexa built-in, and stereo p…
• As a true Wi-Fi smart speaker, the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker requires connection to a power source, so it's not portable.
• With a three-speaker configuration, including two front-facing and one upfiring speaker, the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker gets plenty loud.