Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM (2015) Portable Waterproof & Shockproof Bluetooth Speaker - Charcoal

Megabooms are the ultimate cycling speaker! The overall mix of loud volume, tight upper bass at high volume, lack of distortion (dynamic compression) at high volume, battery life, and waterproof case makes this a clear winner. Party Up Mode: With the app you can pair 2 (up to 50) of these and play off a single phone! I've had 4 hooked up at once at a camp site and its a crowd pleaser. People will stop and ask you what speaker it is.. not because its loud, or even that the sound quality is mind-blowing.. Mostly because of the sound stage you get from having stereo sound (L and R speaker in different locations) in an unexpected location (not a house). Don't underestimate the additional sound quality you get from having the drums and bass in the left speaker and vocals and lead guitar in the right. Especially at a camp site or backyard BBQ. Especially when one speaker is on your bike and the other is on your wife's bike and you pass someone by going around them (one on each side) and they get a brief couple seconds of stereo sound, and are completely confused how you're playing 2 speakers at once. A good sound stage delivers you an experience where you can visually place each instrument, and this feature allows you to do this just about anywhere. That alone makes this product incredible that you can do so just about anywhere. You can also do a party mode where you let as many people as possible create a public playlist through the app.. Cool stuff. Also, bluetooth range is amazing (when you have line of sight). Ok, think multiple speakers is a gimmick and you won't buy 2? Fine. Its still an solid speaker if you only own 1. The bass is not the deepest out there (JBL Charge 2+ better bass, but not waterproof and doesn't get very loud). If you want an outdoor speaker that has pretty good bass, high volume, waterproof, and low distortion at high volume there's not anything else out there that checks all the boxes. Its case is robust so it makes for the perfect outdoor/cycling speaker. Oh, and the battery life exceeded my expectations by several hours.. or should I say days. I hoped I could get through an entire day of RAGBRAI (7 day bike ride across Iowa) at 3/4 to full volume. It lasted 3 days at 6-7 hours per day (not always at full volume, but at least half, usually 3/4). I think the battery is only like 2600mAh, but the speaker uses 2 x 2" drivers and 2 x 4" passive radiators, which is why you get the awesome battery life with only a 2600 mAh battery. Not to get too techy, but passive radiators use air pressure trickery from drivers and allows massive bass without actually powering the "bass speakers", so to speak. Look up "passive radiators".. cool tech. Ok, I'm in the weeds here. Mounting is a little awkward on a road bike since its bigger than most. I just stretched out my metal water bottle cage and added a velcro strap. Stays in place well enough for road biking at 20-30 mph. The internet mostly recommended the Topeak cage to mount a Megaboom to a bike, but I found it to be even more awkward and too tight, resulting in unnecessary rubbing and scuffing of my Booms. Emphasis on ROAD BIKE, not mountain bike. Your results may vary jumping off rocks from 5'. Tap Control doesn't work very well.. Tap top of speaker twice for skip, once for play pause, and pulling out your phone is a pain. Your life will immediately improve if you buy a media button for cycling (Satechi Bluetooth Button <--- what I bought). In a nutshell, if you're looking for a cycling speaker that also sounds good when you get to the campsite, this is it! After buying 2 for cycling only it was so good I removed my large 250W Yamaha receiver and Micca speakers from my garage (took up too much space) and I'm happy with 2 Megabooms. I also moved my back porch stereo (Audioengine A5+) to the basement because Megabooms sound great. I'm not saying that Megabooms sound as good as a full Yamaha setup or Audioengines, but they are good enough and the portability, versatility, and soundstage makes up for it. PROS: - Louder than anything out there - Battery Life is 3-4 days at least. I haven't charged mine in 2 weeks, including a weekend cycling trip. - Sound (perfect mix of tight upper bass, mids, highs not too bright) - Waterproof/durability (you can dunk in water for 30 min!) - Good app (turn speakers on/off with app, speaker firmware updates, stereo volume balance control) - Sound stage with 2 speakers CONS: - Price (Its a chunk of change to buy 2, but if you cycle as much as me, just use the gas money saved) - Tap Control (you're supposed to be able to tap on top of speaker twice to skip songs, once to pause/play.. Just doens't work well)

Long review, so buckle up! I bought the Megaboom after buying the Boom II. I'll add a quick comparison overview at the end of this review. Short review: (scroll down for pros and cons) Excellent sound, excellent quality, and easy to use! 9.5/10 Overview: The Megaboom is hands down the best wireless speaker I have owned. Utility: I bought it to use at several beach/river trips I had coming up during the summer. I tested to see if it actually floats in the pool, and it does! I threw it in, but it does takes a few seconds to resurface, but eventually it made its way back up. I clipped a carabiner and added a float device on as well so it would resurface quickly if anything happened, then hooked it to my tube and floated the river for 6 hours without any issues. I dunked it in the water a few times to show off a bit and everyone was impressed. I've taken it to the beach and set it in the sand and let it play. I even took it to a natural spring to hang out with friends. It is an absolute blast to be able to toss around the speaker and skip songs, or use the voice function to play a different one. Mostly I use this in the shower/bathroom when getting ready in the morning, and I typically have to charge it every 3-4 weeks, which is absolutely amazing! Sound: I am blown away by the sound from this wireless speaker. I have gotten compliments on it just about everywhere I bring it. I've already talked two people into buying it! The app does a great job of having some good pre-set sound settings (extra bass, voice boost for podcasts, etc.). The sound is extremely loud and can fill a room indoors. Outdoors it is loud enough to have a good time, without worrying about it easily being drown out. My only real complaint is that it seems to overheat in the sun and shut down after a few hours of direct sunlight, so I would quickly fix this by placing it under a beach chair or something similar. Pros: Shockproof!! (I dropped this (about 4 feet) in my bathroom on a tile floor and had a minor freak out knowing I joke broke my expensive speaker, but it just kept playing, no issues at all!) Waterproof/floats Voice controlled audio Extremely strong sound Mobile App controlled/remote turn on Variable audio settings Long battery life (sometimes I go 3-4 weeks without charging) Bluetooth range is extremely strong (I'll carry it with my as I do chores on different floors of the house without losing signal from my phone) Cons: Shuts down when in direct sunlight Battery life is a bit shorter when using at full volume outside Long charge time (although can still be used while charging) Some people may say that the price point is a con, but you get what you pay for. This is a solid speaker that is worth every penny for the outdoor enthusiast! Megaboom vs Boom II I initially bought the Boom II and absolutely loved it. I used it mostly indoors, and have zero complaints. The sound quality is great, but outdoors, is where the Megaboom really shines. If you are mostly indoors in smaller rooms, the Boom II is more than powerful enough. However, if you have large open areas, or are outdoors, always pick the Megaboom!

Ok I know there's tons of reviews on the large portable speaker segment but I own the big 3 which are the UE Megaboom, Big Jambox and the Bose Soundlink 3. To keep it simple, in my opinion it really depends on how you plan on using your speaker. I won't call myself a professional audiophile but I can definitely tell that the Bose has the best quality sound BUT I would actually only buy either the UE Megaboom or the Big Jambox. The reason I say this is because the UE Megaboom is by far the best portable speaker if you plan on taking it outside like the beach, park, etc. Not only is it shock proof but it's also waterproof up to 30 min in 1 meter of water. My speaker has been dropped off a table multiple times and just really abused and it's still going strong. The sound is great and gets loud with decent bass (not as loud as Big Jambox, more on that later). The battery life is great too as I can get more than 10 hours on the loudest setting. The unique part about the Megaboom is the 360 degree sound which is great for outdoors because you don't have to be directly in front of the speaker. The Bluetooth range is amazing too, I can go easily 50 feet and it does break up. There is nifty app in the iOS and Android store which you can do firmware updates and play with the settings. Now if you want the loudest speaker in this category, the Big Jambox is the loudest sounding speaker with good quality and bass. The reason for this is the speaker is front facing so if you're standing in front of it, this thing can really blast some tunes with bass. The Bose doesn't come close to being as loud. Even though this is the loudest with good quality speaker, I would still only buy this for inside use or for use in a back patio. The design of the speaker is not built for taking to the beach or anywhere it could fall. Plus in large outdoor spaces the UE Megaboom's 360 degree sound is great. Finally back to the Bose, I wouldn't buy this speaker because it's not as loud as the Big Jambox and it's not as rugged as the Megaboom. Overall the UE Megaboom is my favorite speaker to play n my office and then I grab it and take wherever because Aof it's ruggedness!

The UE Megaboom is a relatively small speaker that is still portable yet delivers a loud and full sound. The Megaboom can seem a bit too big for some but in my opinion it is the perfect size. The genius design of this speaker allows it to deliver a nice loud and punchy sound with a relatively small form factor. The 360° soundstages allows it to fill a room with no problem without having to fidget around trying the get a "perfect spot" for the audio playback. When it first arrived I carefully examined the speaker to see the build quality. I found a spot that worried me since the cloth mesh did not cover and seal a part of my unit, however, I decided to test it's waterproofing and specifically in that area. I found no problems and the speaker continued to work great. This speaker gets really loud and that is big plus since I bought it for the purpose of using to get people hyped up for some football games. As great as the loudness can be the only downside I see about this speaker that keeps me from giving it a five star rating is it's battery life. The official documentation suggests a 20 hour battery life on a full charge. In my testing the speaker could surpass 20 hours on mid volume to low volume, however if you crank it up to 100% the speaker will last for about 7 hours. Now this is probably not a problem for most people but I did expect to get a bit more juice. Overall this is my favorite speaker by far. Many prefer the JBL extreme and while I have to agree that sound quality may be better, there is no denying that the UE Megaboom just has better portability and still delivers a great sound.

This is the best portable speaker on the market. My boyfriend and I were between the Bose Soundlink III and this. We bought both and tested them out ourselves. Here's what we found: Bose: Clearer, sharper tone at lower volumes, but became muddled and distorted at the louder volumes. UE Megaboom: Sounds a bit weak at a lower volume, but this is only because of the 360 design. The speaker sounds great at lower volumes when placed near a corner. When you turn this thing all the way up its crystal clear and completely fills a large room. Not only is it a better speaker, but it's more durable, so you can take it to the beach/pool/etc. The Bose is much more delicate. **UPDATE** DON'T BUY IT!!! About a week in to having this speaker, I turned it up pretty loud and I could've sworn something had blown. It sounded strange. I decided to ignore it and press on, but then at an event I was hosting I had TWO of these suckers on full blast and had someone come up to me and it was barely breaking over the sound of the crowd. It was an open, square studio space with decent acoustics... I had someone come up to me and ask if they could go any louder. No. The answer was no. TWO "Mega"booms ($500 worth of stereo equipment) could barely carry a room of 20 people. I went on the hunt again and found the Marshall Kilburn speaker. Much, much better. Gonna spend about $50 more for it, but it's worth it. It's much better than the Megaboom. The problem is that any portable bluetooth speaker just can't deliver what a speaker that plugs in to the wall can give you. I bought the Marshall Kilburn and the Marshall Woburn. The Woburn is out of this world. The sexiest sound I've ever heard from a personal speaker. The Kilburn is a magnificent portable bluetooth speaker. After trying all of the top brands (Bose, Megaboom, Jambox, Marshall) It's a definite with the Marshall Kilburn.

As a moderate audiophile, I was weary of the sound quality of this, or any bluetooth speaker. After listening to many types of music in different settings, I am very impressed. The equaliser works very well for achieving a desired balance between low, mid, and high frequencies, and the speaker can be oriented and postioned to further fine tune the sound. The bass reproduction is great, hitting all but the very lowest of frequencies. In some listening environments (high pitched background noise, for example) bass is a bit "boomy" but is easily remedied with the equaliser. The maximum volume is quite high, with minimal noticable compression (sound doesn't change when you crank it up!). As for features, the battery life is incredible. I use it around 6 hours per day, for 3 days before charging, and it usually has nearly 20% battery left. The range seems to be less than advertised, but is still very good. I haven't tested water proofing but Google images shows lots of brave people running water over it, putting it in fish tank, etc. The App works great and has never crashed on my android phone. The app gives equaliser controls and remote power option (and more), but is not required to have it running to connect or play music. The speaker connects almost immediately after being powered on, every time. As a nice touch, different sounds play for power on/off and connect/disconnect, and an audible battery level can be summoned anytime by pressing volume buttons simultaneously. This is really helpful since the speaker has no display itself. Overall this is a great product, I would recommend it to anyone looking for a premium quality bluetooth speaker with great sound and battery life, plus the protection offered by being water proof.

TL;DR - HUGE SAFETY CONCERNS As a speaker, I really love the MEGABOOM. The volume and sound quality are about what I'd expect (or even hope) from this price point and format, and the simplicity of its design & controls means I don't spend time fiddling around with using it - I just use it and listen! The bluetooth connection is a little crappy, because it can sporadically lose connection to devices within 8 feet away, but it regains connection pretty quickly. What makes this a 1-star review though is the power adapter. My (now) wife and I ordered this a year ago to use for our small wedding reception. We received it, charged it, tested it, and used it for several hours' worth of streaming music during our wedding (pre-ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception). It worked out perfectly! We charged it a little (charge #2) and put it on the shelf, where it sat unused for probably 10 months, and we stored all peripherals (adapter components & cable) in the box it arrived in and put the box in a dry plastic bin in the closet. I started using the speaker again for occasional background music while I work about 2 weeks ago and have since charged it 2 more times (4-5 charges total across the year we've had it). Now, I am unable to charge this any further, as the power adapter SPARKS in every outlet we have tested it in (our apartment and elsewhere), and even leaving it in the outlet afterward (watching it the entire time) it cannot charge the speaker. The adapter sparks regardless of whether the speaker is plugged in or whether the USB cable is plugged into the adapter. The speaker charges via USB, but that USB cable cannot be plugged into any outlet <-> USB adapter - it requires the full power adapter. A power adapter that has been used about ~5 times and always stored properly/safely in between uses. Absolutely ridiculous. Needless to say, our UE MEGABOOM would be a fully-functional, great speaker - if we could charge it. Instead, it is now a paperweight.

What comes in the box? AC Adapter Micro USB cable Speaker The packaging is reusable as a carrying or storage box. The UE Megaboom by Logitech is a very powerful speaker system. I have purchased this speaker based upon reading reviews prior to purchasing. The battery life is incredible, and it exceeds the battery life of anything in its class. It is simple to operate and pair with your Bluetooth enabled device. The large volume buttons are easy to handle and adjust, especially with wet hands. The construction is solid and it is waterproof. The access ports for the input jack and the Micro USB cable are sealed. At the bottom, there is a hook that makes for a good way to hang the speakers out of your way. It is about as tall as my Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 is tall. The size is similar to an Arizona Tea or 40 ounce beer can. This has some serious girth and weight so it is stable for outdoor use in wind. The sound quality is incredible. It has a covers bass, midrange and treble equally well. The bass is more vibrant than average speakers. I plan to acquire a second speaker to get more of a stereo effect outdoors. However, the sound coming from this single speaker is nothing short of immersive in an enclosed room. Placing it close to a wall, allows the sound to reflect back towards you giving a unique effect, also. There is an app available through the Apple App store but I do not see an advantage unless I have a pair of these speakers. So I just ordered a second speaker for the purpose of a stereo effect. Once I get my second speaker, I will update the review. For its size, it is the best in its class for similar sized speakers. It is very powerful, and there is no distortion even with the maximum volume level for any genre of music.