Bose intros $2,500 sound bar system
Bose has announced its first sound bar home theater systems, the Lifestyle 135 and CineMate 1 SR, which offer a few unique features like optional vertical placement and programmable universal remotes.
Just about every home audio manufacturer is getting into the sound bar business, and Bose is no exception. Bose has released two sound bar home theater systems, the Lifestyle 135 and CineMate 1 SR, each sporting a wireless subwoofer and programmable universal remote. They're the first sound bars ever released by Bose, and prices are entirely Bose-like: $2,500 for the Lifestyle 135 and $1,500 for the CineMate 1 SR.
Most sound bars are pretty generic, but the Bose systems actually have quite a few unique features. Both systems can be placed either horizontally or vertically, and a feature called Flexmount automatically adjusts the sound to compensate. Bose also packs in traditional automatic speaker calibration, which usually isn't included in a sound bar system.
The Lifestyle 135 has extensive connectivity options, including four HDMI inputs, an AM/FM tuner, and an iPod/iPhone dock. (For $2,500, built-in AirPlay would be better.) It also features Bose's Unify technology, which offers step-by-step onscreen setup instructions and Harmony-like straightforward remote commands.
Obviously these systems will have to offer truly exceptional sound quality to live up to their price tags, and that will be tough with excellent-sounding options like the Harman Kardon SB 16 available for $600. Both the Lifestyle 135 and the CineMate 1 SR are now available and are already up on Bose's Web site.