Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST   Speaker Review

Reviewed Mar 08, 2021 at 09:02am
Writing modified Dec 05, 2022 at 09:27am
Tested using Methodology v0.8 
Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST

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The Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST is a portable Bluetooth speaker that comes with built-in support for Alexa voice assistant over a Wi-Fi connection. It's small and lightweight, and it even has an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, though we don't currently test for this. This stereo speaker has a pretty neutral sound profile out-of-the-box, though, like many small speakers, it lacks low-bass. Fortunately, there's a graphic EQ and presets available in the Ultimate Ears app to help you customize its sound to your liking.

Our Verdict

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Music 

The Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST is decent for music. Out-of-the-box, this speaker has a pretty neutral sound profile that's suitable for listening to lots of different genres. However, like many small speakers, it struggles to reproduce a thumpy low-bass, which can be disappointing if you like to feel the deep rumble in bass-heavy genres like EDM. You can also customize its sound profile using the graphic EQ and presets in the Ultimate Ears app.

Pros
  • Graphic EQ + presets.
  • Gets loud.
Cons
  • Lacks low-bass.
  • Some compression at max volume.
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Videos/Movies 

The Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST is acceptable for videos and movies. Its balanced mid-range can reproduce clear and accurate dialogue. However, it lacks low-bass, so you don't really feel the deep thump and rumble in action-packed scenes. It can play stereo content, and its 360-degree design helps audio sound clear from all angles. While it gets pretty loud, unfortunately, there's some compression present when you play it at max volume.

Pros
  • Graphic EQ + presets.
  • Gets loud.
Cons
  • Lacks low-bass.
  • Some compression at max volume.
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Podcasts 

The Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST is very good for podcasts. It has a neutral sound profile, especially in the mid-range, so dialogue is reproduced clearly and accurately. Thanks to its 360-degree design, it has excellent directivity, so audio is clear from all angles. This portable speaker can also get pretty loud, but unfortunately, there's some compression when you play it at max volume. You can also only pair it to one device at a time, which can be inconvenient.

Pros
  • Gets loud.
  • Portable, well-built design.
Cons
  • Some compression at max volume.
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Voice Assistant 

The Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST is amazing for voice assistants. It has built-in Alexa support over a Wi-Fi connection, which you can activate using your voice. Alexa can hear you clearly even if you aren't very close to the speaker, and it does a decent job understanding you in a noisy setting. You can also mute the microphone by pressing the Bluetooth and the volume down buttons at the same time.

Pros
  • Mic mute function.
  • Excellent far-field performance.
Cons
  • Only available over a Wi-Fi connection.
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Outdoors 

The Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST is good for outdoor use. This well-built speaker has a portable design and an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, though we don't currently test for this. It gets pretty loud, too, but unfortunately, there's some compression when you play it at max volume. However, its eight-hour battery life is just okay, and it may not last through long days outdoors.

Pros
  • Gets loud.
  • Portable, well-built design.
Cons
  • Some compression at max volume.
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    Music
  • 0.0
    Videos/Movies
  • 0.0
    Podcasts
  • 0.0
    Voice Assistant
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    Outdoors
  • Changelog

    1.  Updated Dec 05, 2022: Added a market comparison to the Devialet Mania in the Voice Assistant box.
    2.  Updated Mar 08, 2021: Review published.
    3.  Updated Mar 03, 2021: Early access published.
    4.  Updated Mar 01, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.

    Differences Between Sizes And Variants

    The Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST comes in several different color variants: 'Black', 'Blue', 'White', 'Red', 'Yellow', and 'Green'. We tested the Black variant, but we expect the other color variants to perform similarly. You can see the label for the model we tested here.

    You can also purchase this speaker with a wireless charging pad. However, we haven't tested it with this configuration.

    If you come across a different variant, let us know in the discussions.

    Popular Speaker Comparisons

    The Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST is a portable Bluetooth speaker that offers built-in support for Alexa voice assistant over a Wi-Fi connection. It has a pretty neutral sound profile out-of-the-box, and it's also compatible with the Ultimate Ears app, so you can customize its sound using its graphic EQ and presets. However, its battery life isn't as impressive as other speakers like the Ultimate Ears BOOM 3. See also our recommendations for the best Bluetooth speakers, the best waterproof Bluetooth speakers, and the best speakers for iPhone and iPod.

    Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3

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    The Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST is a better speaker than the Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3. The MEGABLAST has a fairly neutral sound profile, whereas the MEGABOOM's is boomy. It can also get louder, which is nice for playing music outdoors. Also, only the MEGABLAST has voice assistant support and Wi-Fi compatibility. However, the MEGABOOM has a much longer battery life, lasting close to eighteen hours. It also has a hook on its top edge, letting you attach it to your bag.

    JBL Xtreme 2

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    The Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST is a better speaker than the JBL Xtreme 2. The Ultimate Ears is better-built, and it comes with built-in support for Alexa voice assistant over Wi-Fi. It has a better soundstage performance, and it also has a graphic EQ and presets for greater sound customization. However, the JBL has longer battery life.

    Ultimate Ears BOOM 3

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    The Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST is a better speaker than the Ultimate Ears BOOM 3. The MEGABLAST has a better-balanced sound profile out-of-the-box, and it also supports Wi-Fi connectivity. It also has built-in support for Alexa voice assistant over a Wi-Fi connection. However, the BOOM 3 has longer battery life.

    Ultimate Ears HYPERBOOM

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    The Ultimate Ears HYPERBOOM is a better speaker than the Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST. The HYPERBOOM can get louder with less compression present at max volume, resulting in cleaner audio at louder volumes. It can produce a more extended low-bass. It can also last almost 24 hours from a single charge, though this can depend on your usage. However, the MEGABLAST is smaller, making it more portable. It also offers fantastic voice assistant support with Alexa built-in, and can understand your commands from far and in noisier environments.

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    Test Results

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    RATINGS
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    All
    Design
    Style
    RGB LightsLockedLocked

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    Portability
    Volume
    LockedLock in³ (Lock cm³)
    Weight
    LockedLock lbs (Lock kg)
    Power Source
    LockedLocked
    One-Hand Carry
    LockedLocked

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    0.0
    Build Quality
    Material Quality
    LockedLocked
    Water Resistance
    LockedLocked
    Dust Resistance
    LockedLocked
    Impact Resistance
    LockedLocked
    Floats In Water
    LockedLocked

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    0.0
    Controls
    Ease Of Use
    LockedLocked
    Feedback
    LockedLocked
    Music Play/Pause
    LockedLocked
    Call Answer/End
    LockedLocked
    Volume Up/Down
    LockedLocked
    Track Next/Previous
    LockedLocked
    Microphone On/Off
    LockedLocked
    Additional Controls
    LockedLocked

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    In The Box

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    Sound
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    Frequency Response Accuracy
    Slope
    LockedLock
    Std. Err.
    LockedLock dB
    Low-Frequency Extension
    LockedLock Hz
    High-Frequency Extension
    LockedLock kHz

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    Raw Frequency Response
    Binaural Recording @ 1m
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    Binaural Recording @ 2m
    JOIN NOWto hear audio samples
    0.0
    Soundstage
    Directivity Index
    LockedLock dB
    Stereo
    LockedLocked

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    0.0
    Dynamics
    SPL @ Max Volume
    LockedLock dB SPL
    DRC @ Max Volume
    LockedLock dB

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    Active Features
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    Battery
    Battery Life
    LockedLock hrs
    Charge Time
    LockedLock hrs
    Power Saving
    LockedLocked
    Charging Port
    LockedLocked
    Battery Powered
    LockedYes

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    0.0
    Voice Assistant
    Alexa
    LockedLocked
    Google Assistant
    LockedLocked
    Speakerphone
    LockedNo
    Siri
    LockedLocked
    Voice Assistant
    LockedYes
    Voice Activation
    LockedLocked
    Microphone Mute
    LockedLocked
    Far-Field Performance
    LockedLocked
    Ambient Noise Performance
    LockedLocked

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    0.0
    App
    App Name
    LockedLocked
    iOS
    LockedLocked
    Android
    LockedLocked
    EQ
    LockedLocked
    Stereo Pair Mode
    LockedLocked
    Party Mode
    LockedLocked
    Multi-Room
    LockedLocked

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    Connectivity
    Wired
    Aux Input
    LockedLocked
    USB Audio
    LockedLocked
    Other Ports
    LockedLocked

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    0.0
    Bluetooth
    Bluetooth
    LockedYes
    Bluetooth Version
    LockedLocked
    Bluetooth iOS Latency
    LockedLock ms
    Bluetooth Android Latency
    LockedLock ms
    Bluetooth Range
    LockedLock ft (Lock m)
    Multi-Device Pairing
    LockedLocked

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    0.0
    Wi-Fi
    Wi-Fi Version
    LockedLocked
    Wi-Fi Frequency Band
    LockedLocked
    Wi-Fi
    LockedYes
    Apple AirPlay
    LockedLocked
    AirPlay Latency
    LockedN/A
    Google Chromecast
    LockedLocked
    Chromecast Latency
    LockedN/A

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