Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker review: Versatile home audio that comes with caveats

When someone mentions Bose, I don't immediately think of speakers. For me, the company is synonymous with noise-canceling headphones since I've spent years testing various QuietComfort products. However, Bose actually has a number of speakers under its belt, a lineup that comprises portable, home and living room models alike. The company's latest home audio option, the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker ($299), is part of a trio of new Wi-Fi-connected devices that can be used as a multiroom setup or as part of a robust home theater configuration. As is typically the case with these types of speakers, the real question is how well Bose is poised to compete with the likes of industry-leading Sonos.

The LS Ultra Speaker is rather compact. At 7.27 x 4.77 x 6.59 inches and weighing just 3.7 pounds, it's smaller ...