These sit in different size classes, so this is not a straight ranking comparison. The Marshall Middleton II ranks #31 of 83 large speakers by sound quality at $330; the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker ranks #12 of 19 powered desktop speakers by sound quality at $299.
Why pick the Marshall Middleton II: Very deep bass for the size/weight. The tradeoff: Bass boosted which drowns out the midrange.
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. The tradeoff: 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 Marshall Middleton II ($330) for a large speaker; the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker ($299) suits a powered desktop speaker instead.
There is a real gap in water resistance: the Marshall Middleton II at IP67 (brief submersion) against the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker, which has no water resistance.
Still deciding? The full Portable Bluetooth rankings and Powered Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Marshall Middleton II | Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $330 | $299.00 each |
| Ranked | #31 of 83 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #12 of 19 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes (Bose) |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 38Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 30 hours (Manufacturer specified) | No Battery |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | Yes (far-field, mic mute button) |
| EQ | Yes (5 band) | Yes (Bass/Mid/Treble + up-firing driver level) |
| IP Rating | IP67 | None |
| Party Mode | Yes (Marshall Stack) | Yes (Bose app multi-room, AirPlay 2, Google Cast) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) | No |
| Power Input | USB-C | AC power cord |
| Weight | 4 lbs (1.8 kg) | 3.7 lbs (1.68 kg) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | - |
| Stereo | Yes | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | - |
| TWS | Yes | Yes (stereo pairing via Bose app) |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | - |
| Dimensions | 9.1” x 3.9” x 4.3” (230 x 98 x 110 mm) | 7.2” x 4.8” x 6.6” (184 x 121 x 167 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Drivers | 2x 75mm woofers, 2x 0.625” tweeters + 2x passive radiators | 3in woofer, 1in tweeter, 1.5in up-firing mid/high driver |
| Frequency Response | 50Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Amplifier Power | 80W | - |
| Digital Aux Input | No | - |
| Strap | Yes (detachable strap) | - |
| Wi-Fi | - | Yes |
| Inputs | - | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3.5mm aux |
| XLR Input | - | No |
| RCA Input | - | No |
| TRS Input | - | Yes (3.5mm) |
| Optical Input | - | No |
| Coaxial Input | - | No |
| USB Input | - | No |
| HDMI Input | - | No |
| AES Input | - | No |
| Bluetooth | - | Yes, 5.3 |
| Voice Assistants | - | Amazon Alexa / Alexa+ |
| Streaming Services | - | AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect |
Related Speaker Comparisons
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Prices on this page were last checked September 26, 2026 at 11:14 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.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Marshall Middleton II: $330 Amazon eBay
Older model: the Marshall Middleton (ranked lower, rated 4/5).
Pros: Very deep bass for the size/weight. Measured bass extension of 38Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Bass boosted which drowns out the midrange. Dip around 200Hz, peak at 1kHz, dipped at 1.6kHz. Strange frequency response through the mids.
Full Marshall Middleton II review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 80W |
|---|---|
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 38Hz |
| Battery Life | 30 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 9.1” x 3.9” x 4.3” (230 x 98 x 110 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 75mm woofers, 2x 0.625” tweeters + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (5 band) |
| Frequency Response | 50Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Marshall Stack) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| Strap | Yes (detachable strap) |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 4 lbs (1.8 kg) |
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Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker: $299.00 each Amazon eBay
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 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 →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (Bose) |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | Yes, 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
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