Short answer: the Marshall Woburn III. It ranks #2 of 19 powered desktop speakers by sound quality, rated 4.1/5, at $599.99. The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker ranks #12, rated 3.7/5, at $299, $300.99 cheaper, a saving that is not big enough to make up the sound-quality gap.
Why pick the Marshall Woburn III: At 7.44 kg, Marshall Woburn III combines 6” woofer, 2x 2” midranges, 2x 0.75” Dome tweeters with Bluetooth, HDMI ARC, RCA, Aux. Watch for: Bass is limited by its ~45Hz specification.
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. 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 Woburn III. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $300.99 you would save on the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker does not close the gap.
Still deciding? The full Powered Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Marshall Woburn III | Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $599.99 each | $299.00 each |
| Ranked | #2 of 19 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #12 of 19 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~45Hz | - |
| Battery Life | No Battery | No Battery |
| Inputs | Bluetooth, HDMI ARC, RCA, Aux | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3.5mm aux |
| Drivers | 6” woofer, 2x 2” midranges, 2x 0.75” Dome tweeters | 3in woofer, 1in tweeter, 1.5in up-firing mid/high driver |
| Power Input | AC Power cord | AC power cord |
| Weight | 16.4 lbs (7.44 kg) | 3.7 lbs (1.68 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | No | Yes |
| App | Yes | Yes (Bose) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | - |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 | - |
| Dimensions | 15.7” x 12.5” x 8” (400 x 317 x 203 mm) | 7.2” x 4.8” x 6.6” (184 x 121 x 167 mm) (H x W x D) |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble) | Yes (Bass/Mid/Treble + up-firing driver level) |
| Frequency Response | 35Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| IP Rating | None | None |
| Party Mode | No | Yes (Bose app multi-room, AirPlay 2, Google Cast) |
| Stereo | Yes | No |
| TWS | No | Yes (stereo pairing via Bose app) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported | - |
| Amplifier Power | 150W (Woofer: 90W, Midrange: 2x15W, Tweeters: 2x15W) | - |
| Maximum SPL | 100.5dB @ 1m | - |
| XLR Input | No | No |
| RCA Input | Yes | No |
| TRS Input | No | Yes (3.5mm) |
| Optical Input | No | No |
| Coaxial Input | No | No |
| USB Input | No | No |
| HDMI Input | Yes | No |
| AES Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes, 5.2 | Yes, 5.3 |
| Built-in Microphone | - | Yes (far-field, mic mute button) |
| Power Bank | - | No |
| 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 Woburn III: $599.99 each Amazon eBay
Older models: the Marshall Woburn II (ranked lower, rated 4/5) and the Marshall Woburn I (ranked lower, rated 4/5).
Pros: At 7.44 kg, Marshall Woburn III combines 6” woofer, 2x 2” midranges, 2x 0.75” Dome tweeters with Bluetooth, HDMI ARC, RCA, Aux. Up to 100.5db @ 1m and stereo playback make its feature set practical for its intended room or portable use. Measured bass extension of ~45Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Bass is limited by its ~45Hz specification.
Full Marshall Woburn III review and specifications →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| Amplifier Power | 150W (Woofer: 90W, Midrange: 2x15W, Tweeters: 2x15W) |
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~45Hz |
| Battery Life | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | Yes, 5.2 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Dimensions | 15.7” x 12.5” x 8” (400 x 317 x 203 mm) |
| Drivers | 6” woofer, 2x 2” midranges, 2x 0.75” Dome tweeters |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble) |
| Frequency Response | 35Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| HDMI Input | Yes |
| IP Rating | None |
| Inputs | Bluetooth, HDMI ARC, RCA, Aux |
| Maximum SPL | 100.5dB @ 1m |
| Optical Input | No |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Input | AC Power cord |
| RCA Input | Yes |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TRS Input | No |
| TWS | No |
| USB Input | No |
| Weight | 16.4 lbs (7.44 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | No |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported |
| XLR Input | No |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Marshall Woburn III vs Marshall Woburn II
- Marshall Woburn III vs Audio Pro C5 MkII
- Marshall Woburn III vs Marshall Woburn I
- Marshall Woburn III vs Apple HomePod 2nd Gen
- Marshall Woburn III vs Marshall Stanmore III
- Marshall Woburn III vs Edifier D12
- Marshall Woburn III vs JBL Authentics 200
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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
- Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker vs Denon Home 250
- Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker vs Sonos Era 100
- Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker vs Marshall Acton III
- Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker vs JBL Authentics 200
- Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker vs Edifier D12
- Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker vs Marshall Stanmore III
- Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker vs Apple HomePod 2nd Gen
- Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker vs Klipsch The One II
- See all 33 comparisons