Bose’s new home cinema gear looks dapper – but it’ll cost you
Bose has just launched a load of home cinema gear and, in typical Bose style, the new kit looks great – but it will cost you.
The Lifestyle 650 is a 5.1-channel home entertainment system that aims to take over your living room without taking up too much space. The package comprises four tiny satellite speakers (less than 15cm tall), a slim centre channel, a large wireless subwoofer and a sleek centre console, which handles all the connections.
The console features six HDMI connections, all of which offer 4K and HDR passthrough. There’s also Bluetooth with NFC for quick pairing, plus Wi-Fi. The Lifestyle 650 is part of Bose’s SoundTouch family, which means you can share wireless audio with other SoundTouch systems in the house.
As you’d expect from Bose, the design is a huge deal. The speakers are covered in aluminium, while the subwoofer and main console are topped with impact-resistant glass. The satellite speakers can sit on their own on your table of AV rack, but you can buy wall mounts and floor stands too.
But here’s the bad news. The Lifestyle 650 costs £3,399. For £2,599, you can get the Lifestyle 600, which is almost the same system but features chunkier satellite and centre channel speakers.
In case that’s too fancy, Bose has also released an all-in-one option: the Bose SoundTouch 300 soundbar. This has many of the features found in the Lifestyle 650: 4K and HDR passthrough via HDMI, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Its party trick is its PhaseGuide technology, which aims to send audio signals further left and right in the room.
The SoundTouch 300 costs £599.95 on its own, but you can add the Lifestyle 650’s subwoofer, the amazingly named Acoustimass 300, for an extra £599,95. There are also optional surround speakers for £249,95 a pair.
Any takers? Us neither.
Related: Best Bluetooth Speakers 2016
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What do you think of the new Bose wares? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
