- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Updates
- Comparison
- Best Speakers
- Conclusion
- Discussions
We've currently tested five 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.
Updates
- 03/16/2021 Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 reviewed
- 03/08/2021 Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST reviewed
- 02/24/2021 Ultimate Ears BOOM 3 reviewed
- 02/05/2021 Ultimate Ears HYPERBOOM reviewed
- 12/14/2020 Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 2 reviewed
Best Ultimate Ears Speakers
-
Best Ultimate Ears Speaker
BluetoothYesWi-FiNoSpeakerphoneNoVoice AssistantNoBattery PoweredYesThe Ultimate Ears HYPERBOOM is the best Ultimate Ears speaker we've tested. It comes with an Adaptive EQ room correction feature that optimizes the speaker's sound according to the unique acoustics of the room it's placed in. With this feature enabled, it has a neutral sound profile, suitable for listening to a wide variety of audio content. However, you can't feel the deep thump and rumble in bass-heavy music like hip-hop or EDM. Fortunately, you can customize its sound to your liking thanks to the graphic EQ and presets featured in its companion app. It also gets pretty loud, and there isn't a lot of compression present at max volume, so your audio sounds clean and clear at louder volume levels. While it's a bit tall and heavy, it comes with a built-in carrying strap to help transport it, and it's well-built with an IPX4 rating for dust and water resistance, meaning it can withstand small splashes of water. Also, it has an incredibly long-lasting battery life of up to 23 hours, making it suitable for long listening sessions, though this can depend on your usage, and your experience may differ.
Unfortunately, unlike the Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST, it doesn't support voice assistants, which may disappoint some users. However, this portable Bluetooth speaker's customizable sound profile and incredible dynamics performance make it one of the best Bluetooth speakers that we've tested.
-
Best Portable Ultimate Ears Speaker
BluetoothYesWi-FiNoSpeakerphoneNoVoice AssistantNoBattery PoweredYesThe Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 is the best portable Ultimate Ears speaker that we've tested. It's outstandingly built, and you can carry it with one hand thanks to its small, lightweight design. It's rated IP67 for dust and water resistance, certifying it to be dust-tight and immersible in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes. There's a small built-in hook on top that lets you attach it to your bag. Out-of-the-box, it has a boomy sound profile, but you can customize its sound using the graphic EQ and presets in its companion app. Thanks to its 360-degree design, its soundstage is perceived as wide and spacious from all angles, and it can even play stereo content without downmixing it into mono. It can also get quite loud, though there are some compression artifacts present at max volume. Its battery lasts almost 18 hours, so you don't need to worry about charging it too much when you're on the go.
Unfortunately, it doesn't support voice assistants, and it isn't Wi-Fi compatible, so you can't stream audio over Apple AirPlay or Google Chromecast. Out-of-the-box, it also lacks low-bass, which may disappoint fans of bass-heavy genres like EDM and hip-hop, though the EQ may help boost its bass production. Overall, this Bluetooth speaker has a portable design, is well-suited for outdoor use, and is one of the best UE speakers.
-
Best Budget Ultimate Ears Speaker
BluetoothYesWi-FiNoSpeakerphoneNoVoice AssistantNoBattery PoweredYesThe best UE speaker in the budget category that we've tested is the Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 2. This colorful Bluetooth model has a small and lightweight design, and it comes with a carrying strap, making it easily portable. It's an incredibly well-built option that comes 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. Thanks to its over 12-hour battery life, you can take it with you on the go without having to charge it too often. Its mid-range and treble range are well-balanced, meaning it can reproduce vocals and lead instruments accurately. Since it's a 360-degree speaker, its soundstage is perceived as open and spacious from all angles, and it can even play stereo content without downmixing it into mono. While it doesn't get particularly loud, there isn't much compression present at max volume, so your audio sounds clean and pure.
Unfortunately, it lacks low-bass, and it doesn't have any sound adjustment features like an EQ. Also, it doesn't support voice assistants, and it isn't Wi-Fi compatible. That said, this portable Bluetooth speaker is suitable for many uses and comes at a more affordable price point.
Compared to other brands
- Bluetooth-compatible. The Ultimate Ears speakers we've tested are Bluetooth-compatible, and many have low Bluetooth latency, which helps with watching videos and makes it easy to find the best UE Bluetooth speaker. That said, some apps compensate for latency differently, meaning real-world experience may vary.
- Long battery life. In general, Ultimate Ears speakers have batteries that last a long time, making them well-suited for outdoor use. The Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 lasts for close to eighteen hours, while it's small and easily portable.
- Sound customization options. Many of the Ultimate Ears speakers we've tested are compatible with the Ultimate Ears app, which has a graphic EQ and presets that let you customize the speaker's sound profile to your liking. Some, like the Ultimate Ears HYPERBOOM, even come with an Adaptive EQ feature, which automatically adjusts the speaker's sound profile based on the acoustics of the room it's in.
- Wide soundstage. Most of the Ultimate Ears speakers we've tested have open and spacious soundstages, making you feel immersed in your audio. This is often thanks to their 360-degree design, which makes audio sound clear from all angles.
- Good build quality. The Ultimate Ears speakers we've tested tend to be very well-built. Many also come with IP ratings for dust and water resistance, and some are even advertised to be drop-proof from a height of three feet.
- Often no voice assistant support. The Ultimate Ears speakers that we've tested tend not to support voice assistants. However, the Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST has built-in support for Alexa over a Wi-Fi connection, which you can activate with your voice.
- Lacks low-bass. The Ultimate Ears speakers we've tested tend to lack low-bass, although many of these speakers come with a graphic EQ in the Ultimate Ears app, which lets you adjust the sound profile to your liking. Some, like the Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3, have a boomy high-bass that may please some fans of bass-heavy music.
- Not compatible with Wi-Fi, Apple AirPlay, or Google Chromecast. The Ultimate Ears speakers we've tested usually don't support these streaming options. However, the Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST has Wi-Fi support. Also, you can connect your device over Bluetooth, which usually has low enough latency for watching videos, though this can vary based on the app or device.
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.
Recent Updates
-
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.
Conclusion
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, but they may lack low bass. Thankfully, quite a few let you customize their sound profiles using the graphic EQ in the Ultimate Ears app.