Bose takes a swing at Sonos with its new home speakers

The new Bose Ultra Speaker can be used individually, as a stereo pair, or as the rear speakers in an Atmos setup.

Last Thursday, in a staged home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, I sat on a couch that was a bit too low and a tad too deep in front of a small, beige-colored smart speaker sitting on the middle of a trio of arched midcentury storage cabinets. On either side of the smart speaker sat two tall curved white screens.

The speaker was the new $299 Lifestyle Ultra, Bose's answer to the Sonos Era 100.