Ultimate Ears - WONDERBOOM 2 Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker with Waterproof/Dustproof Design - Radical Red

I got this speaker a little over two years ago (June 3, 2021 to be exact). I am writing this review on September 10, 2023 and to keep it short. I have loved this speaker for all of the two years and change that I've had it, I love this so much I made my entire squad guess wonder booms as well so that we can sync up and enjoy all the cute color ways. The only con is that now after 2+ years of use the charging process is extremely faulty. And if you want to stop reading, hear the issue that I’m having is that, even when plugged into the original charger and other android chargers, my wonder boom will die plugged in. (If you want the longer spiel) This little speaker is BOOMING (no pun intended). I was originally drawn in by the compact design, and the ability for its play in the shower and pair. None of these functions have ever failed me after two years. The one, that I am experiencing right now and that is leading me to reach out to the customer service team is the charger and the charging port are starting to become faulty. What I am experiencing is I will have my wonder boom, plugged in using the original charger (i have tried other chargers ) and my speaker will still die. I'm not sure if this is due to extensive use, but I will say that I do not see anything wrong with the actual charging port on the device (photo attached, no frayed connections or bent pieces) I’d like to say that I’m taking really good care of my device but this issue is quite infuriating. I will say I’ve definitely got my moneys worth out of this two years and change but I would really love for her to be able to be used for life. (Not sure if this is too high an expectation). I have not yet reached out to the customer service team, but I am anticipating that they might be accommodating. If I can update, I will. But all in all sound quality is great. Portability is great the option to be able to sync up with friends at a party or while outside is amazing if need be, I will absolutely consider buying another one or both and would recommend anyone. Looking to have wonderful shower concerts parties were you can have coverage from every corner of the room and someone who likes aesthetics.

First of all, I would like to say that this review is being written in exchange for a paltry 25 Best Buy Rewards points. That is not why this product is getting a PRELIMINARY 4 star review. The points only influenced me TO WRITE the review. I hope that's clear. There is no way that the points are influentialin my review. [If anyone is still reading this, and needs me to draw a chart, please request one in the comments box.] ;-) The original MSRP of $99.99 would have prevented me from purchasing this speaker; I was on the fence for it at the sale price of $66.99. Once I applied the $10 (total) Best Buy Rewards certificates, I left the store with a $100 speaker for just under $62, with tax. Now that's a bargain! The sound on this speaker is great! I work on a factory floor, where hearing protection is required, and the speaker will be used most often in this environment. I will update this review if I find the noise level drowns the speaker out, but I don't think that will be a problem. Speaking of environment, I suppose this would be a good place to inform you that the speaker is IP67 Rated, which essentially means it's impervious to damage from inert liquids. I would not recommend submersion in sulfuric (or any other caustic) acid. However, if you drop it in a pool, a pond, or an ocean, you (and it) should be fine. It also floats, and has a nice little elastic hoop firmly attached to the top, so it should be easy to retrieve from said bodies of water. **Do not attempt to use this speaker as a floatation device.** It only takes a couple of hours to charge the battery from dead. There was enough charge out of the box to get in a few hours of listening at high volumes. I haven't run it completely down from a full charge, yet. I'll update this once that's happened. The packaging of this speaker was really nice. I took my time, and enjoyed the well-thought-out design. As I stated earlier, I work in a factory, and some of the packaging is atrocious, to say the least. There are pictures. Feast your eyes! The instructions were sparse, but there is an online manual/tutorial that I have yet to view. Update later... I'm still getting used to the controls, so (once again) I'll update later. These are woefully understated, but mercifully few in quantity. A giant (by comparison to the size of the speaker) '+' and '-' sign are on the face (see the pictures) but the minus is placed vertically, so something of the visual cue is lost. What we're actually left with is a '+' and a '|' which is just dumb; especially when the one considers the cylindric nature of the speaker's design. There's no flat spot or 'weighting' to cause the speaker to orient any particular way when put on its side, which seems contrary, somehow. So when it's put (as designed) on its bottom, it kind of leaves you with a cross motif. I mean, I'm not stupid, so I get it - I just can't help thinking someone who put so much thought into the design of their BOX would give the PRODUCT as much consideration... Another thing I noticed that was a (minor) annoyance: this speaker features an 'outdoor' mode, which does make the speaker noticeably louder, but it seems to sacrifice the bass to accomplish the task. Maybe an electronics engineer or an audiophile can help us understand how/why this is the case? Anyway, I doubt it will directly affect my enjoyment. Like this one (the black one) being cheaper than the red, blue, or gray models; makes no sense, but that won't stop me from enjoying the music!

I have other better sounding Bluetooth speakers, but at a cost much much more. For the price, this speaker, which has very decent loud sound, completely waterproof (I've literally used it floating in the pool), easy connectivity, and very portable, it's tough to beat! I have 3 of these in different colors, which can also be paired together, and also buy these as gifts.

Background for comparison sake: I’ve owned a lot of BT speakers over the years, I guess it’s a hobby. I tend to avoid the budget models but even sticking among the higher tier brands doesn’t always guarantee a great speaker. The “ok” speakers I end up giving to friends or family and the good/great ones stick around. Over the past 10 years I’ve bought JBL, Harmon Kardon, UE, Jawbone, Sony, Fugoo, Braven, and probably a few other brands. The only long-term keepers so far have a JBL Extreme (had to replace the battery but otherwise great) and an H/K Onyx which is just funky and dynamic enough find a home in the garage. The other UE Booms/JBL Flips/Sony/Braven/Fugoo, etc. we’re given away after they ended up going unused due to sound quality or battery issues. Compared to previous generations of UE Boom and Megaboom, this Wonderboom 2 speaker has better highs and mids, and overall better clarity. Compared to JBL Flip 4, this is probably not as bright but it has more bottom end, better battery life, and is more durable due to the somewhat fragile end caps on the similarly priced JBL speaker. Also the JBL and some of the other brands are directional speakers, meaning you only get good sound from the front of the speaker and if you are beside or behind it, the sound is degraded. The Wonderboom 2, like several other brands, has omnidirectional sound dispersion which is nice when you want music in the center of a room. Placing it in a corner or near a wall does help reinforce the bass response, similar to other speaker types, but it still sounds good out in the open. This is especially nice for my primary use cases which are paddle boarding, swimming, camping, or on the sand at the beach. The form factor is great to hang on a beach umbrella (or my favorite, dig a hole in the sand with my heels and place the speaker in there for more bass when needed), strap it to bike handlebars, or toss it into the bottom of a backpack and forget about it until you need it. Very durable and solid. Battery life, so far, has been very good. I’ve used it multiple days at a time on a recent camping trip before it finally needed a charge, and I had a battery pack available so I could keep the party going while it recharged. My only complaint is the lack of a 3.5mm headphone input. This is not a huge gripe, but that would bump it from 4.5 to 5 stars for me. For most people this may not be an issue, everything is wireless these days, but I intended to use it as an external speaker for a small LCD TV mounted in my Airstream and cannot due to lack of input. I didn’t realize this before I bought the speaker, I just assumed that it had one because the past few portable speakers I’ve purchased came equipped with one, and I was in a hurry to get on the road. That said, it’s a keeper for now because of the combination of great sound quality, battery life, and extreme durability (it even floats!). Time will tell, but this may end up being a long-term keeper.

I have purchased several of this same model for myself and for friends. Quality sound, very durable. I always take mine with me when I travel and it always performs. I add a carabiner so I can hang it up on beach umbrellas, clip it inside the pocket of my backpack, etc. (See pic.)