Short answer: the Marshall Stanmore IV. It ranks #8 of 20 powered desktop speakers by sound quality, rated 3.8/5, at $429.99. The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker ranks #13, rated 3.7/5, at $299, $130.99 cheaper, which does not close the gap in sound quality.
The case for the Marshall Stanmore IV: A 5 inch woofer on a 60W amplifier and two 0.75 inch tweeters on 25W each, now with waveguides and a redesigned bass port, and Marshall rates it down to 36Hz. The catch: No independent measurements or side by side comparisons against speakers we rank have been published yet, so it can’t be ranked.
The case for 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 streams over Wi-Fi as well as Bluetooth, which the Marshall Stanmore IV cannot. 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 Stanmore IV. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $130.99 saving on the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker is not enough to make up the difference.
Still deciding? The full Powered Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Marshall Stanmore IV | Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $429.99 each | $299.00 each |
| Ranked | #8 of 20 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #13 of 20 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers |
| AES Input | No | No |
| Amplifier Power | 110W (woofer 60W, tweeters 2x 25W) | - |
| App | Yes (Marshall) | Yes (Bose) |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Battery Life | No Battery | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3 | - |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Built-in Microphone | No | Yes (far-field, mic mute button) |
| Cabinet Color | black, cream | - |
| Coaxial Input | No | No |
| Dimensions | 8”H x 13.8”W x 7.3”D (203 x 350 x 185 mm) | 7.2” x 4.8” x 6.6” (184 x 121 x 167 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Drivers | 1x 5” woofer + 2x 0.75” tweeters with waveguides | 3in woofer, 1in tweeter, 1.5in up-firing mid/high driver |
| EQ | Yes (bass/treble knobs, app EQ, room calibration) | Yes (Bass/Mid/Treble + up-firing driver level) |
| Frequency Response | 36Hz - 38kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| IP Rating | None | None |
| Inputs | Bluetooth, RCA, 3.5mm aux | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3.5mm aux |
| Maximum SPL | 97dB at 1m (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Optical Input | No | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) | Yes (Bose app multi-room, AirPlay 2, Google Cast) |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| Power Input | AC Power cord | AC power cord |
| RCA Input | Yes | No |
| Stereo | Partially (1 woofer) | No |
| TRS Input | No | Yes (3.5mm) |
| TWS | No | Yes (stereo pairing via Bose app) |
| USB Input | No | No |
| Weight | 8.8 lbs (3.99 kg) | 3.7 lbs (1.68 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | No | Yes |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported | - |
| XLR Input | No | No |
| Voice Assistants | - | Amazon Alexa / Alexa+ |
| Streaming Services | - | AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect |
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Prices on this page were last checked October 4, 2026 at 9:58 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 Stanmore IV: $429.99 each Estimated Amazon eBay
Older models: the Marshall Stanmore III (ranked higher, rated 3.8/5) and the Marshall Stanmore II (ranked lower, rated 3.7/5).
Smaller model: the Marshall Acton IV (estimated 3.7/5).
Pros: A 5 inch woofer on a 60W amplifier and two 0.75 inch tweeters on 25W each, now with waveguides and a redesigned bass port, and Marshall rates it down to 36Hz. Bluetooth 5.3 with SBC, AAC, LDAC and LC3, multipoint, Auracast for linking more speakers, and both 3.5 mm aux and RCA inputs for a turntable. The Marshall app adds EQ and room calibration, and the new M-button jumps to a saved EQ or Spotify Tap.
Cons: No independent measurements or side by side comparisons against speakers we rank have been published yet, so it can’t be ranked. One woofer serves both channels, so its stereo is limited to the tweeters. It needs mains power, with no battery, and it has no Wi-Fi streaming and no microphone for voice control.
Full Marshall Stanmore IV review and specifications →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| Amplifier Power | 110W (woofer 60W, tweeters 2x 25W) |
| App | Yes (Marshall) |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3 |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Cabinet Color | black, cream |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Dimensions | 8”H x 13.8”W x 7.3”D (203 x 350 x 185 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 5” woofer + 2x 0.75” tweeters with waveguides |
| EQ | Yes (bass/treble knobs, app EQ, room calibration) |
| Frequency Response | 36Hz - 38kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| HDMI Input | No |
| IP Rating | None |
| Inputs | Bluetooth, RCA, 3.5mm aux |
| Maximum SPL | 97dB at 1m (Manufacturer specified) |
| Optical Input | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | AC Power cord |
| RCA Input | Yes |
| Stereo | Partially (1 woofer) |
| TRS Input | No |
| TWS | No |
| USB Input | No |
| Weight | 8.8 lbs (3.99 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | No |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported |
| XLR Input | No |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- No independent measurement review is linked for this model; it is ranked from hands-on listening and comparison against similarly priced speakers.
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Marshall Stanmore IV vs JBL Authentics 200
- Marshall Stanmore IV vs Edifier D12
- Marshall Stanmore IV vs Marshall Stanmore III
- Marshall Stanmore IV vs Marshall Acton III
- Marshall Stanmore IV vs Marshall Stanmore II
- Marshall Stanmore IV vs Apple HomePod 2nd Gen
- Marshall Stanmore IV vs Marshall Woburn III
- Marshall Stanmore IV vs Sonos Era 100
- See all 11 comparisons
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 |
| 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 Sonos Era 100
- Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker vs Marshall Stanmore II
- Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker vs Marshall Acton III
- Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker vs Marshall Acton II
- Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker vs JBL Authentics 200
- Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker vs Klipsch The Three II
- Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker vs Edifier D12
- See all 41 comparisons