The Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 is a portable Bluetooth speaker designed for use both indoors and outside. It has a 360-degree design for a consistent listening experience from all angles and an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance. Its small size makes it easy to carry around with you, and it comes in several different color variants to suit your style.
Our Verdict
The Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 Bluetooth speaker is decent for music. It has a boomy sound profile with lots of high-bass, but struggles to produce adequate thumpy low-bass. Vocals and instruments sound present and clear, but an underemphasized treble range loses some of the detail found in higher frequencies. If you want a different sound, its companion app has a graphic EQ with presets to customize the mix. Its 360-degree design also means consistent audio delivery from every angle.
- Wide and spacious soundstage.
- Graphic EQ in its companion app.
- Remarkably long battery life.
- Lacks low-bass.
- Some compression present at max volume.
The Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 is passable for videos and movies. Though its sound profile is boomy overall, it has a fairly balanced mid-range, so dialogue sounds clear and present in the mix. However, it lacks low-bass, so you don't feel the deep thump and rumble in action-packed movie scenes. Its low latency with Android devices is suitable for watching videos, but the speaker doesn't perform as well with iOS devices. That said, some apps compensate for latency differently.
- Wide and spacious soundstage.
- Lacks low-bass.
- High Bluetooth latency with iOS devices.
- Some compression present at max volume.
The Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 is good for podcasts. While it has a boomy sound profile, the mid-range is well-balanced, so dialogue is reproduced accurately. However, its treble range is underemphasized, so sibilants like S and T sounds are dark and dull. It lasts nearly eighteen hours on a single charge, so you can listen to several long episodes without worrying about losing power. Unfortunately, you can only pair one device at a time over Bluetooth, which is inconvenient if you like to take turns DJ'ing with your friends.
- Incredibly portable.
- Remarkably long battery life.
- Doesn't support multi-device pairing.
The Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 doesn't have voice assistant support.
The Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 is very good for outdoor use. It has an incredibly sturdy build, and it's lightweight and portable. Thanks to its 360-degree design, it fills the air with sound from all directions, which is great for parties outside. It has an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance and floats in water, making it well-suited for poolside use. Its nearly 18-hour battery life also lets you use it all day without having to charge it. Unfortunately, it doesn't get especially loud, and there's some compression present at max volume.
- IP67 rating for dust and water resistance.
- Incredibly portable.
- Wide and spacious soundstage.
- Remarkably long battery life.
- Some compression present at max volume.
Changelog
- Updated Oct 09, 2024: The Battery sections have been updated with information about the Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 4.
- Updated Jul 12, 2024: We've added a comparison between this speaker and the Bose SoundLink Max in Frequency Response Accuracy.
- Updated Oct 11, 2023: Added market comparison with the Ultimate Ears EPICBOOM in the Frequency Response Accuracy box.
- Updated Sep 14, 2023: We've updated this review for improved clarity and accuracy.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 comes in seven color variants: 'Lagoon Blue', 'NightBlack', 'Ultraviolet Purple', 'Sunset Red', 'Moon', 'Dusk', and 'Jungle Grey'. We tested the 'Lagoon Blue' variant, and you can see the label here.
If you come across a variant not listed here, let us know in the forums, and we'll update our review.
Popular Speaker Comparisons
The Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 is a portable Bluetooth speaker designed for indoor and outdoor use. It has an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance, and a small hook on the top edge lets you hang it on your bag. As its name suggests, it has a boomy sound profile, although, like many small speakers, it struggles to produce a thumpy, rumbling low bass. It has a longer battery life than the Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST, though it doesn't get as loud. Like many Ultimate Ears speakers, it has a 360-degree design, which results in a consistent soundstage from all angles. Although the Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 4 is meant to replace the MEGABOOM 3, and it has a bit more low-end extension, the MEGABOOM 3 isn't too different with regards to battery life and features.
See our recommendations for the best Bluetooth speakers, the best waterproof Bluetooth speakers, and the best Bluetooth speakers for bass.
The Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 is a better speaker than the JBL Charge 5. The Ultimate Ears can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono and has an outstanding soundstage, thanks to its 360-degree design. However, the JBL has a more neutral sound profile out of the box. You can connect it to two devices at once, which can come in handy when you need to switch between two audio sources quickly.
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.
The Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 is a better speaker than the Bose SoundLink Flex, though they have different strengths. The Ultimate Ears offers a wider and more immersive soundstage. Its companion app comes with a graphic EQ and presets to customize its sound to your liking, and it has a longer-lasting battery life, so it's better suited to long listening sessions. However, the Bose is smaller, making it more portable, and it supports voice assistants through your smartphone. It also offers a more balanced sound profile out of the box and can produce a deeper bass.
The Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 is a better speaker than the JBL Charge 4. The Ultimate Ears has a more balanced sound profile and has a full graphic EQ in its companion app. It also has a much wider soundstage and can play stereo content, unlike the JBL. It's a better-built speaker with a slightly longer battery life. However, the JBL has lower Bluetooth latency with iOS devices, though some apps compensate for latency differently.
Test Results
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