Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker Black

The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker is a handy speaker that I use on its own for music or in a stereo pair as rear speakers with a soundbar. Thanks to the upward-facing speaker, I enjoy realistic sound with Dolby Atmos movies. Unfortunately, the control buttons are slow to respond.

Wide soundstage The sound spreads widely throughout the room. I can hear the music well from every corner of the room. However, I do notice that the sound is best when I am not sitting too close to the speaker. When I place the speaker on my desk and work there, the sound is a bit tinny. I can feel the bass tones vibrating on my desk, but I cannot hear the beat of the music clearly. The sound is better when I sit further away from the speaker. I then hear clear sound with deep bass tones. Voices and instruments, in particular, sound clear, and I can hear those parts well. Additionally, I hear a deep bass, allowing me to clearly hear the beat of the music. I enjoy listening to this with techno and house music. With some pop songs, the bass sounds a bit too overpowering for me. True Dolby Atmos When I listen to Dolby Atmos content, such as a Dolby Atmos movie, the sound is spacious. The upward-facing speaker enhances the spatial sound of Dolby Atmos and adds extra bass to the audio. As a result, I hear the sound realistically in the room. For instance, a heavy thunderstorm from a nature documentary sounds just like the real thing.

Modern design The speaker features a modern design with matte black surfaces and a fabric grille. This gives the speaker a neutral appearance, allowing it to easily fit into various interior styles. The design is sleek, which I find chic. Unfortunately, the control buttons are a bit slow to respond.

The product is very nice. I own other Bose products myself. Unfortunately, this speaker, as well as the soundbar, is disappointing. I brought home a total of 4 speakers, and all 4 have the same problem. As soon as the audio stops or is set very low, you hear a soft hiss through the speakers. This also applies to the Ultra Lifestyle soundbar.

I returned everything. Unfortunately, I am not getting any further response regarding this. I contacted Bose myself. They indicated that this is, of course, not supposed to happen. I could have had them repaired under warranty, but it is a new product within a return period. So, I sent them back. I therefore wonder what happens to them when I return them. I really wanted the home cinema system, and still do, just not with such a soft hiss.