Short answer: the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker. Both are rated 3.7/5 for sound quality (#14 and #13 of 29 powered desktop speakers), and the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker costs $279 against $549 for the Denon Home 250, and with sound quality even, the cheaper one is the better buy.
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 has an adjustable EQ, which the Denon Home 250 lacks. The catch: 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.
The case for the Denon Home 250: A Wi-Fi smart speaker with stereo sound from one cabinet, built in Alexa, AirPlay 2 and HEOS multiroom. It plays in stereo from a single unit, unlike the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker. The catch: Trusted Reviews’ own complaints are a slightly disjointed hand-over between the bass and midrange, and a safety-first treble response that avoids sounding harsh at the cost of outright detail.
Buy the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker. Both are rated the same for sound quality, and it costs $270 less than the Denon Home 250.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Powered Home rankings.
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
| Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker | Denon Home 250 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $279.00 each | $549.00 each |
| Ranked | #14 of 29 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #13 of 29 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Battery Life | No Battery | No Battery |
| IP Rating | None | None |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose app multi-room, AirPlay 2, Google Cast) | Yes (HEOS multi-room, stereo pair with a second Home 250) |
| Power Input | AC power cord | External AC adapter |
| Stereo | No | Yes |
| Weight | 3.7 lbs (1.68 kg) | 8.2 lbs (3.7 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes (2.4/5GHz) |
| App | Yes (Bose) | Yes (HEOS) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field, mic mute button) | Yes |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Mid/Treble + up-firing driver level) | No |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (stereo pairing via Bose app) | No |
| Drivers | 3in woofer, 1in tweeter, 1.5in up-firing mid/high driver | 2x 19mm tweeters, 2x 102mm mid-bass drivers, 133mm passive radiator |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3.5mm aux | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, USB, 3.5mm aux |
| XLR Input | No | No |
| RCA Input | No | No |
| TRS Input | Yes (3.5mm) | No |
| Optical Input | No | No |
| Coaxial Input | No | No |
| USB Input | No | Yes |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| AES Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.4 |
| Dimensions | 7.2” x 4.8” x 6.6” (184 x 121 x 167 mm) (H x W x D) | 11.8” x 8.7” x 4.7” (300 x 220 x 120 mm) |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa / Alexa+ | Amazon Alexa |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect | HEOS app streaming (Spotify, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer, SoundCloud, TuneIn), AirPlay 2 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | - | SBC |
| Amplifier Power | - | 80W (Class D, combined) |
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