Short answer: the Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen. It ranks #2 of 15 powered desktop speakers by sound quality, rated 3.8/5, at $219.99; the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker ranks #14, rated 3.7/5, and costs $279, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff.
What the Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen does well: A great sounding Amazon smart speaker, with wide sound from one box, Dolby Atmos and a built in smart home hub. The catch: SoundGuys still marked it down on Value (4.0 of 10) given the $219.99 list price, and it is explicitly not true left-right stereo from one cabinet, so a stereo pair is needed for real width in a larger room.
What the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker does well: A compact smart speaker with an up firing driver for taller sound, built in Alexa, AirPlay 2, Google Cast and an aux input. It keeps a wired aux input, which the Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen lacks. Watch for: RTINGS lists sub-par directivity as its main weakness, and reviewers agree a single unit sounds narrow from side to side, so it works best as a stereo pair.
Buy the Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker and costs less, so it is the default pick unless a specific strength of the other one matters more to you.
Still deciding? The full Powered Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Prices on this page were last checked November 11, 2026 at 3:26 AM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen | Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $219.99 each | $279.00 each |
| Ranked | #2 of 15 in Small Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #14 of 29 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Battery Life | No Battery | No Battery |
| IP Rating | None | None |
| Party Mode | Yes (Wi-Fi multi-room, Alexa Home Theater) | Yes (Bose app multi-room, AirPlay 2, Google Cast) |
| Power Input | External AC adapter | AC power cord |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Weight | 3.6 lbs (1.632 kg) | 3.7 lbs (1.68 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (Wi-Fi 6E) | Yes |
| App | Yes (Alexa) | Yes (Bose) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | - |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (mic mute button, far-field) | Yes (far-field, mic mute button) |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Mid/Treble + Dolby Virtualizer, via Alexa app) | Yes (Bass/Mid/Treble + up-firing driver level) |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (Wi-Fi stereo pairing via Alexa app) | Yes (stereo pairing via Bose app) |
| Drivers | 3.75in high-excursion woofer, 3x 2.25in full-range drivers (L/R/up) | 3in woofer, 1in tweeter, 1.5in up-firing mid/high driver |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3.5mm aux |
| XLR Input | No | No |
| RCA Input | No | No |
| TRS Input | No | Yes (3.5mm) |
| Optical Input | No | No |
| Coaxial Input | No | No |
| USB Input | No | No |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| AES Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Dimensions | 6.1” x 5.6” x 5.8” (155 x 142 x 147 mm) | 7.2” x 4.8” x 6.6” (184 x 121 x 167 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa / Alexa+ | Amazon Alexa / Alexa+ |
| Streaming Services | Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, SiriusXM | AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect |
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