We've currently tested six Ultimate Ears speakers. Ultimate Ears is an American brand that manufactures audio products like speakers, headphones, and earbuds. Their speakers tend to be very well-built and portable, making them well-suited for outdoor use. Also, many are compatible with the Ultimate Ears app, which has some sound customization features like a graphic EQ. Ultimate Ears speakers often don't have voice assistant support or Wi-Fi compatibility. Below, you’ll find our recommendations for the best UE Bluetooth speakers we’ve tested.
The best UE speaker we've tested is the Ultimate Ears HYPERBOOM. This stereo speaker comes with a room correction feature that Ultimate Ears calls 'Adaptive EQ' that adjusts its sound according to the acoustics of the space it's placed in. With Adaptive EQ turned on, its sound profile is neutral and well-balanced, making it suitable for listening to different types of audio content. It lacks some low-bass, so you can't feel the deep rumble typically present in bass-heavy music like hip-hop or EDM. Fortunately, it has a graphic EQ and presets to tweak its sound to your liking.
It gets loud with little compression present at max volume, so you can blast your favorite tunes without degrading the quality of your audio. Though this portable speaker is a bit tall and heavy, it comes with a carrying strap to help transport it. It's also well-built with an IPX4 rating for water resistance that certifies it to withstand small splashes of water, and its long-lasting battery life of almost 24 hours is great for lengthy listening sessions spent outdoors.
Looking for the best Ultimate Ears speaker but want something more affordable? The Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 is smaller and lighter than the Ultimate Ears HYPERBOOM. You can easily carry it in one hand, and there's a small built-in hook on top that lets you attach it to your bag. That said, while it gets pretty loud, it doesn't get quite as loud as the larger HYPERBOOM and has more compression artifacts present at max volume that affect the quality of your audio at louder volumes. Out-of-the-box, it has a boomy sound profile, with a balanced mid-range that ensures vocals and lead instruments sound clear and present in the mix. However, since it's smaller than the HYPERBOOM, it doesn't produce as deep a bass. Still, it's also compatible with the Ultimate Ears app, which gives you access to UE's graphic EQ and presets, meaning you can tweak its sound to your liking.
Thanks to its 360-degree design, its soundstage is perceived as wide and spacious from all angles. Its battery also lasts almost 18 hours, so you don't need to worry about charging it much when you're on the go. It's also better built than the HYPERBOOM, with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, certifying it to be dust-tight and immersible in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes. It's even advertised to float in water, making it an interesting option for a poolside lounge.
On a budget? The Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 3 is the best UE speaker we've tested in this category. It has a balanced sound profile with a balanced mid-range that ensures vocals and lead instruments sound clear and present in the mix. There's an 'Outdoor' EQ preset you can use to make audio sound crisper and a bit louder for when you're outdoors. However, it, unfortunately, isn't compatible with the Ultimate Ears app like the Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3, so you don't have access to a graphic EQ to fully customize its sound to your liking. Thanks to its 360-degree design, you'll perceive its soundstage as wide and spacious from most angles, like from behind the speaker. While it doesn't get quite as loud as the MEGABOOM 3, it has less compression at max volume, so your audio sounds cleaner and clearer when you blast the volume.
This colorful Bluetooth model has a small and lightweight design and comes with a carrying strap, making it remarkably portable and easy to carry with you in one hand. Like the MEGABOOM 3, it's an incredibly well-built option with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, meaning it's certified to be dust-tight and immersible in a meter of water for up to 30 minutes. It's even advertised to float in water, making it a great poolside companion. Thanks to its over 22-hour battery life, you can take this stereo speaker with you on the go without charging it too often.
Overall, Ultimate Ears makes speakers that are generally designed for outdoor use. Many of them have IP ratings for water and dust resistance, and they're generally well-built. Many of their speakers are compatible with the Ultimate Ears app, which has sound customization features like a graphic EQ and presets. However, the Ultimate Ears speakers we've tested generally don't support voice assistants, and many aren't compatible with Apple AirPlay or Google Chromecast.
Oct 04, 2022: Replaced the Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 2 with the next generation Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 3. Also made the Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 the 'Best Mid-Range Ultimate Ears Speaker'. Text was updated for consistency.
Jul 15, 2022: Restructured article to better reflect user expectations and updated the text for consistency. No changes were made to product picks.
Mar 18, 2022: Verified picks for availability. Minor changes were made to the text for accuracy; no changes to picks.
Nov 18, 2021: Replaced the Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST with the Ultimate Ears HYPERBOOM, since the MEGABLAST is currently difficult to find in stock.
Jul 21, 2021: Verified picks for accuracy, and updated text for clarity.
Ultimate Ears offers quite a few speakers for a variety of uses. Generally, they're very well-built and designed for outdoor use, but they don't have voice assistant support. These Bluetooth speakers often have a wide and spacious soundstage. However, they lack some low-bass. Thankfully, quite a few let you customize their sound profiles using the graphic EQ in the Ultimate Ears app.