Which one is the best speaker for UE? Comparing Megablast, Blast, Megaboom, Boom and Wonderboom
(Pocket-lint) - Ultimate Ears (UE) is well known for its outstanding Bluetooth headphones, all made of rubber and fabric materials with a distinctive look. They are also known for their colour choices and giant volume buttons that are vivid and colourful.
Which UE speaker, however, is the right one for you? We have broken them all down from the MegaBlast to the Wonderboom with many options available providing various features at different price points to help you find the best UE speaker to fit your requirements.
UE MegaBlast
In the Ultimate Ears portfolio, the UE MegaBlast is the top speaker - the loudest and most powerful. With giant volume buttons and a mixture of rubber and leather, with a power button on the top and a Micro-USB port on the bottom, it offers a distinctive UE interface. A touch charging option is also available, but the Power Up accessory is sold separately for £ 35.
With a frequency range between 60Hz and 20kHz and a maximum sound level of 93dBC, the MegaBlast features two 25mm tweeters, two 55mm active drivers and two 85 x 50mm passive radiators within. It has 360-degree sound, and in terms of sound quality, it's an outstanding performer. It also has a 45-metre Bluetooth range and is compatible with the UE App and Equalizer.
The MegaBlast comes with the built-in Amazon Alexa, replacing the need for an Amazon Echo or Echo Dot, but we did not find the experience of Alexa as smooth as Echo, although the quality of the sound is far superior. With beam-forming technology and noise cancellation for far-field voice recognition, several microphones are onboard, and the MegaBlast promises 16 hours of battery life.
UE Blast
The UE Blast is the smaller version of the MegaBlast, providing almost the same design, ports and features but in a far more portable device, including built-in and far-field voice recognition from Amazon Alexa.
The Blast still provides 360-degree sound, but it ditches the tweeters found in the Megablast and instead opts for two active 35 mm drivers and two passive 81 x 39 mm radiators. It offers a 90Hz to 20kHz frequency range and a 90dB maximum sound level. It also has a 45-metre Bluetooth range, like the Megablast, but it does not offer the UE App's Equalizer functionality.
The UE Blast has a slightly smaller battery capacity compared to the Megablast because of its smaller size, delivering up to 12-hours instead of 16-hours. It still has the Micro-USB port at the bottom as well as the Power Up contact charging option, though.
UE Megaboom 3
UE Megaboom features a style that is more streamlined than the Blast range. On its top, it has a "Magic Button" that allows users to play, pause, and skip tracks without using their phone, as well as access playlists from services such as Apple Music and Deezer with a long click.
Through two 50mm drivers and two 55 x 86mm passive radiators, the Megaboom provides 360-degree sound and delivers outstanding sound quality. It has a 60Hz to 20kHz frequency range, a maximum sound level of 90dBA and is compatible with the UE App and Equalizer, while also providing a Bluetooth range of 45 meters.
The Megaboom doesn't have a built-in Alexa. However, the UE Megaboom 3 has a battery life of 20 hours, more than the Megablast, and charging is more convenient thanks to a rearranged Micro-USB port on the back and an integrated Power Up touch charging port on the bottom. The Power Up is sold, however, separately.
UE Megaboom
The original UE Megaboom is a couple of years old and has been replaced by the Megaboom 3, but if you wish, you should still be able to get hold of this model. With a rubber band down the front, it provides a more compact design than the Megaboom 3, and it also has a 3.5mm aux-in port, which its replacement does not do.
Within, with two 50mm drivers and two 55 x 86mm passive radiators, the Megaboom has the same speaker array as the current model. The initial Megaboom has a 65Hz to 20kHz frequency range, a 90dBA maximum sound level and a 30-metre Bluetooth range.
On the Megaboom, there is no Alexa feature and you do not get the "Magic Button" either. It also has a battery life of 20 hours, but it is charged through the Micro-USB port at the bottom of the speaker, which makes it a little less convenient. With the Power Up charging dock, the original Megaboom is not compatible.
UE Boom 3
The UE Boom 3 is the UE Megaboom 3's smaller model and the successor to the famous Boom 2. It offers the same style as the Megaboom 3, but in a smaller and more portable model, and if you pay a little extra through the MyBoom app, there are personalization options too. Like the Megaboom 3, the "Magic Button" is on top, providing play, pause and skip functionality, as well as access to playlists (dependent on the music service), and you also get the most seamless interface.
Within, it's all just as it was on Boom 2, so you'll always get the great sound. There are two drivers of 50 mm and two passive radiators of 50 x 80 mm, providing a frequency range of 90Hz to 20kHz and a maximum sound level of 90dBA. It offers a 45-metre Bluetooth range, just like the Megaboom 3, and is compatible with the UE App and Equalizer.
The Boom 3 is not smart like the Blast, but it provides a battery life of 15 hours, which is charged on the back via the re-located Micro-USB port or on the bottom via the Power Up touch charging port.
UE Boom 2
The UE Boom 2 is the original Megaboom's smaller and more portable iteration. For its size, it is an outstanding speaker, offering portability and excellent sound quality inside its convenient body, which suits perfectly with a bicycle drink holder. Like the newer Boom 3, there is no Magic Button interface, but there is a 3.5mm aux-in jack.
Like its replacement - the Boom 3 - there are two 50mm drivers and two 50 x 80mm passive radiators, delivering a frequency range between 90Hz and 20kHz and a maximum sound level of 90dBA. Its Bluetooth range is a little lower at 30-metres instead of 45-metres and it isn't compatible with the UE App and Equalizer either.
On this speaker, like the Boom 3, battery life sits at 15-hours, but it is charged through the Micro-USB port that is located at the bottom of the unit rather than the back, making it a little more uncomfortable. With the Power Up touch charging dock, the Boom 2 is also not compatible.
UE Wonderboom 2
For those who want a more sophisticated sound, The Wonderboom 2 updates the original Wonderboom and brings with it stereo pairing. An outdoor sound button is also included, which drops the bass and projects the treble, making it much better for outdoor listening.
The Wonderboom 2 has a battery life of 13 hours, lasting a bit longer than the original model, while still offering your music the same compact and powerful delivery. You also have the option to group with another Wonderboom speaker if you don't want stereo pairs.
UE Wonderboom
The UE Wonderboom is the smallest Ultimate Ears speaker and the most lightweight, but don't let that put you off. It's a brilliant little speaker, ideal thanks to its compact size to carry everywhere with you, even though it's been replaced by the Wonderboom 2.
Inside, there are two 40mm active drivers, coupled with two passive radiators of 46.1 x 65.2 mm, delivering a frequency range from 80Hz to 20kHz and a maximum sound level of 86dBC. Like the original Megaboom and Boom 2, it only has a Bluetooth range of 30 meters, and it is not compatible with the UE App and Equalizer, but it's still a great option.
The Wonderboom is not a smart speaker either and it has no fancy features like the Megaboom 3 and Boom 3 Magic Button, but two Wonderboom speakers can be paired together and it has a battery life of 10 hours, which is not bad given its small size. The Power Up charging dock is not supported, but for easy access, the Micro-USB port is conveniently located at the rear.
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