After years of watching Sonos dominate the premium connected audio market, Bose is fighting back on multiple fronts — with a new generation of home audio products, a revamped content strategy and the surprise launch of its own record label.

The US audio giant this week unveiled Bose Records and Bose Studios, a music-focused content platform that executives claim will help discover and promote emerging artists while strengthening the company’s connection with music fans.

But the move comes as Bose simultaneously rolls out what industry observers see as its most serious challenge yet to Sonos, a rival that steadily gained ground during a period when Bose struggled to establish a compelling multi-room audio ecosystem.

The company recently launched its new Lifestyle Collection, featuring the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar, Lifestyle Ultra Speaker and Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer, products designed to compete directly with Sonos in the lucrative premium home audio market.

For Bose, the timing is significant.

Sonos spent years building a reputation as the benchmark for wireless multi-room audio, often winning over consumers frustrated by Bose’s closed ecosystem and ageing software platform. However, Sonos has spent much of the past year dealing with customer backlash following a troubled app redesign that damaged the company’s reputation among loyal users.

Bose appears determined to capitalise on that weakness.

The centrepiece of its offensive is the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar, the company’s first major soundbar redesign in more than a decade. The product features six full-range drivers, upward-firing speakers for immersive audio, a dedicated centre tweeter and Bose’s proprietary PhaseGuide technology, which creates the perception of sound coming from areas where no physical speakers exist.

The new soundbar enters the market at a price point that places it directly against Sonos’ flagship offerings.

Early impressions suggest Bose has significantly improved both sound quality and system integration, two areas where Sonos has traditionally held an advantage.

At the same time, Bose is attempting to strengthen its music credentials through Bose Studios and Bose Records.

Chief Marketing Officer Jim Mollica said the record label will not operate like a traditional music business. Bose will not own artists’ master recordings, take a share of streaming revenue or prevent musicians from signing with other labels.

Instead, the company says the initiative is designed to help underappreciated artists reach new audiences while creating original content spanning music, television and film.

The strategy effectively positions Bose as both a technology company and a media platform, allowing it to build deeper relationships with artists while creating exclusive content that reinforces the brand’s connection to music culture.

It also gives Bose greater control over music used in its marketing and promotional campaigns.

The dual launch signals a broader transformation for a company that has generated more than US$3 billion in annual revenue but has often struggled to define its place in a rapidly changing audio market increasingly shaped by software, streaming and content.

With more than US$100 million invested annually in research and development, Bose now appears to be pursuing a two-pronged strategy: challenge Sonos in the living room while building direct relationships with artists and music fans.

The question is whether the effort comes in time.

While Sonos remains the dominant name in premium multi-room audio, its recent software problems have created an opening competitors have been eager to exploit. Bose, armed with a redesigned product portfolio and a growing content ecosystem, may be better positioned than any rival to take advantage.

For the first time in years, the battle for the premium home audio market is no longer Sonos defending against smaller challengers. It is Sonos facing a reinvigorated Bose determined to win back lost ground.