Short answer: the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker. It ranks #14 of 28 powered desktop speakers by sound quality, rated 3.7/5, at $299. The Sonos Era 100 ranks #16, rated 3.6/5, at $219, $80 cheaper, not enough of a saving to outweigh the sound-quality gap.
Why pick the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker: Three drivers (a 3in woofer and 1in tweeter facing forward, plus a 1.5in driver firing upward) give it a noticeably taller sound than most compact home speakers. It keeps a wired aux input, which the Sonos Era 100 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.
What the Sonos Era 100 does well: It plays in stereo from a single unit, unlike the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker. Watch for: RTINGS’ own two listed cons are not loud enough for larger rooms and very little low-bass thump, so genres like EDM and hip-hop lack rumble even with the tone adjustments.
Buy the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $80 saving on the Sonos Era 100 is not enough to make up the difference.
Still deciding? The full Powered Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker | Sonos Era 100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $299.00 each | $219.00 each |
| Ranked | #14 of 28 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #16 of 28 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers |
| Aux Input | Yes | No |
| Battery Life | No Battery | No Battery |
| IP Rating | None | None |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose app multi-room, AirPlay 2, Google Cast) | Yes (Sonos multi-room, AirPlay 2) |
| Power Input | AC power cord | External AC adapter |
| Stereo | No | Yes |
| Weight | 3.7 lbs (1.68 kg) | 4.5 lbs (2.02 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes (Wi-Fi 6) |
| App | Yes (Bose) | Yes (Sonos S2) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field, mic mute button) | Yes (far-field, mic mute button) |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Mid/Treble + up-firing driver level) | Yes (Bass/Treble + Trueplay room correction) |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (stereo pairing via Bose app) | Yes (stereo pairing via Sonos app) |
| Drivers | 3in woofer, 1in tweeter, 1.5in up-firing mid/high driver | 2x angled tweeters, 1x mid-woofer |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3.5mm aux | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C (line-in adapter sold separately) |
| 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 (line-in adapter sold separately) |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| AES Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.0 |
| Dimensions | 7.2” x 4.8” x 6.6” (184 x 121 x 167 mm) (H x W x D) | 7.2” x 4.7” x 5.1” (182.5 x 120 x 130.5 mm) |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa / Alexa+ | Amazon Alexa |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect | Sonos app streaming (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and more), AirPlay 2 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | - | SBC |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More worthwhile head-to-heads for Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker:
- Audio Pro C5 MkII vs Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker
- Marshall Woburn III vs Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker
- Marshall Woburn II vs Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker
- Marshall Woburn I vs Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker
Prices on this page were last checked October 14, 2026 at 2:38 PM 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.
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
The Two Speakers In Full
Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker: $299.00 each Amazon $299.00 eBay
Same family: the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer (subwoofer, rated 3.8/5).
Pros: Three drivers (a 3in woofer and 1in tweeter facing forward, plus a 1.5in driver firing upward) give it a noticeably taller sound than most compact home speakers. Stuff gave it the edge over the Sonos Era 100, and TechRadar called its tonal balance fairly neutral, with tight bass control and high detail. Alexa, including Alexa+, is built in, and RTINGS found its microphones picked up commands easily from across a noisy room. It streams over AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect and Bluetooth 5.3, keeps a 3.5mm aux input that the Sonos Era 100 lacks, and two units can be stereo paired or used as rear surrounds with the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar.
Cons: 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. Deep bass is limited: Engadget found the low end restrained and preferred the Denon Home 200’s sound, Stuff noted it can’t separate sub-bass from the bassline and that DSP pulls bass back at maximum volume, and TechRadar heard a slight toothiness in the treble that needed EQ to calm. The EQ is only bass, mid and treble with no automatic room calibration. Bose warns the aux and Bluetooth inputs add lip sync delay for TV use, it has no battery or IP rating, and both SoundGuys and Engadget needed several restarts to get stereo pairing working.
Full Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker review and specifications →
| Released | May 2026 (5 months ago) |
|---|---|
| AES Input | No |
| App | Yes (Bose) |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field, mic mute button) |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.2” x 4.8” x 6.6” (184 x 121 x 167 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Drivers | 3in woofer, 1in tweeter, 1.5in up-firing mid/high driver |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Mid/Treble + up-firing driver level) |
| HDMI Input | No |
| IP Rating | None |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3.5mm aux |
| Optical Input | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose app multi-room, AirPlay 2, Google Cast) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | AC power cord |
| RCA Input | No |
| Stereo | No |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect |
| TRS Input | Yes (3.5mm) |
| TWS | Yes (stereo pairing via Bose app) |
| USB Input | No |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa / Alexa+ |
| Weight | 3.7 lbs (1.68 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
| XLR Input | No |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker vs Denon Home 250
- Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker vs Marshall Stanmore II
- Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker vs Marshall Acton III
- Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker vs JBL Authentics 200
- Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker vs Marshall Acton II
- Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker vs Marshall Stanmore IV
- Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker vs Edifier D12
- Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker vs Harman Kardon Aura Studio 5
- See all 42 comparisons
Sonos Era 100: $219.00 each Amazon $219.00 Sonos $219.00 eBay
Same family: the Sonos Era 300 (larger model, rated 4/5).
Pros: RTINGS lists room correction tools and bass/treble adjustments as its real strengths, and its balanced midrange suits a wide range of genres, with wider stereo separation than the mono Sonos One SL it replaced thanks to two angled tweeters plus a 25% larger mid-woofer than the original Sonos One. Alexa is built in with a far-field mic, and it ties into the wider Sonos S2 app ecosystem for multi-room audio.
Cons: RTINGS’ own two listed cons are not loud enough for larger rooms and very little low-bass thump, so genres like EDM and hip-hop lack rumble even with the tone adjustments. There’s no Google Assistant, the USB-C line-in needs a separately purchased adapter, and there’s no battery.
Full Sonos Era 100 review and specifications →
| Released | Mar 2023 (3 years ago) |
|---|---|
| AES Input | No |
| App | Yes (Sonos S2) |
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field, mic mute button) |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.2” x 4.7” x 5.1” (182.5 x 120 x 130.5 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x angled tweeters, 1x mid-woofer |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble + Trueplay room correction) |
| HDMI Input | No |
| IP Rating | None |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C (line-in adapter sold separately) |
| Optical Input | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Sonos multi-room, AirPlay 2) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | External AC adapter |
| RCA Input | No |
| Stereo | Yes |
| Streaming Services | Sonos app streaming (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and more), AirPlay 2 |
| TRS Input | No |
| TWS | Yes (stereo pairing via Sonos app) |
| USB Input | Yes (line-in adapter sold separately) |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa |
| Weight | 4.5 lbs (2.02 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (Wi-Fi 6) |
| XLR Input | No |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Sonos Era 100 vs Google Home Max
- Sonos Era 100 vs Sonos Era 100 SL
- Sonos Era 100 vs Marshall Acton II
- Sonos Era 100 vs Denon Home 250
- Sonos Era 100 vs Marshall Stanmore II
- Sonos Era 100 vs Marshall Acton III
- Sonos Era 100 vs Harman Kardon Aura Studio 5
- Sonos Era 100 vs JBL Authentics 200
- See all 43 comparisons