Short answer: the Sonos Five. It ranks #4 of 10 powered desktop speakers by sound quality, rated 4.2/5, at $599. The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker ranks #14, rated 3.7/5, at $279, $320 cheaper, which does not close the gap in sound quality.
The case for the Sonos Five: A big Wi-Fi speaker with deep bass, sound that stays consistent around the room, stereo playback and Trueplay room tuning. It plays in stereo from a single unit, unlike the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker. The tradeoff: A 4.8dB reference band means the midrange and treble are less even than the best speakers, so tonal balance benefits from EQ.
The case for the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker: A compact smart speaker with an up firing driver for taller sound, built in Alexa, AirPlay 2, Google Cast and an aux input. 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 Sonos Five. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $320 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.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Sonos Five | Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $599.00 each | $279.00 each |
| Ranked | #4 of 10 in Large Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #14 of 29 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers |
| Drivers | 3x mid-woofers, 3x tweeters (2 angled), 6 Class-D amplifiers | 3in woofer, 1in tweeter, 1.5in up-firing mid/high driver |
| Stereo | Yes (horizontal orientation) | No |
| Dimensions | 8”H x 14.3”W x 6.1”D (203 x 364 x 154 mm) | 7.2” x 4.8” x 6.6” (184 x 121 x 167 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Weight | 14 lbs (6.36 kg) | 3.7 lbs (1.68 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | No | Yes |
| App | Yes (Sonos S2) | Yes (Bose) |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble + Trueplay room correction) | Yes (Bass/Mid/Treble + up-firing driver level) |
| Built-in Microphone | No | Yes (far-field, mic mute button) |
| Party Mode | Yes (Sonos multi-room, AirPlay 2) | Yes (Bose app multi-room, AirPlay 2, Google Cast) |
| TWS | Yes (stereo pairing via Sonos app) | Yes (stereo pairing via Bose app) |
| Power Input | Built-in AC | AC power cord |
| Battery Life | No Battery | No Battery |
| IP Rating | None | None |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Ethernet, 3.5mm line-in | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3.5mm aux |
| Aux Input | Yes (3.5mm line-in) | Yes |
| XLR Input | No | No |
| RCA Input | No | No |
| TRS Input | No | Yes (3.5mm) |
| Optical Input | No | No |
| Coaxial Input | No | No |
| USB Input | No | No |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| AES Input | No | No |
| Streaming Services | Sonos app streaming (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and more), AirPlay 2 | AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 38.5Hz (measured, Audio Science Review data on spinorama.org) | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | about 25.5Hz (measured, Audio Science Review data on spinorama.org) | - |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 3.92 | - |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 5.56 | - |
| Bluetooth Version | - | 5.3 |
| Voice Assistants | - | Amazon Alexa / Alexa+ |
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