Ultimate Ears - MEGABLAST Smart Portable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Speaker with Alexa - Graphite

I own quite a few different speakers from portable Bluetooth speakers to home speakers with integrated voice assistants. The UE Megablast tries to be the jack of all trades, but falls a bit short. UNBOXING: The unboxing experience is simple and pleasant. Without getting into too much detail of the packaging, you're greeted with a speaker, a high-quality flat microUSB cable, and an AC adapter. You can also purchase a charging dock separately which will allow you to drop the Megablast onto the dock for charging without fiddling with cables. Additionally, you can continue to use the Megablast while charging. SETUP: To setup the Megablast, I downloaded the Ultimate Ears app on my smartphone and opened it up. After ensuring Bluetooth was enabled on my smartphone, I turned on the Megablast. From there, you can pair using the app or your phone's pairing menu. After pairing over Bluetooth, the app will continue the setup process. The Wi-Fi connectivity setup process is simple, but only if your home network situation is typical. Ultimate Ears recommends having separate SSID's for each network (e.g. MyWiFi 2.4GHz, MyWiFi 5GHz) so that the Megablast doesn't get confused during setup. I found that following this recommendation led to a successful setup for the Wi-Fi connectivity. After selecting your network and entering the password, you're also given the opportunity to login to Amazon Alexa for the voice assistant functionality. The app will also install any firmware updates during this process. APP: Once the setup is complete, the app is very simple. You have the ability to turn off the microphone for Alexa to work, and you have the ability to see the battery status, Wi-Fi connection status, Bluetooth connection status and Alexa sign-in status. You also have the ability to switch Wi-Fi networks, switch Amazon accounts for Alexa integration, or unpair/forget the Megablast. Lastly, you can change the idle-time before shutdown, the speaker language, and toggle firmware auto-updates. MEGABLAST HARDWARE: The Megablast is pretty simple. It has a power button with an LED in it, a pairing button, and volume down/up buttons. And of course, the 360 degree sound people love so much paired with an IP67 water resistance rating for splashes and even a bit of submersion. However, it does not have a 3.5mm jack—a feature found on the smaller UE BOOM. AUDIO QUALITY: Like the BOOM speakers that preceded it, the Megablast has sparkly highs, clear mid-range, and punchy bass. However, the Megablast starts to fall short at the highest volumes, as compression kicks in to prevent clipping/distortion in the bass frequencies. This is due to the fact that the EQ really pushes the bass on the Megablast, but like any other Bluetooth speaker, it can only physically handle so much—so to prevent damage, it compresses the bass at a certain threshhold. When this happens, the bass sounds either anaemic or uncontrolled. I do want to stress that this happens to most portable Bluetooth speakers, and the Megablast far from the worst of them. Despite this, if you're listening to spacious, dynamic music, then the Megablast will sound fantastic at most volumes. I have gotten the chance to listen to progressive rock, metal, acoustic, swing jazz, big band jazz, EDM and more. Music with more dynamic instrumentation really shines on the Megablast. Music with a constantly hot master may start to lose its clarity when the Megablast is set to its highest volumes. But overall, an excellent listening experience. ALEXA INTEGRATION: I'm not a fan of Alexa, personally. I find that switching between Bluetooth and Alexa is not seamless. Once I call out "Alexa", the Megablast disconnects from Bluetooth, so I have to pair my phone again if I want to use it. Despite this, you can use Alexa with a limited number of unpopular streaming services. You can control Alexa's volume, but not your Bluetooth volume. You also can't ask for the battery status using Alexa. It helps to think of Alexa as a standalone assistant that knows nothing of its existent in the Megablast. When using Alexa, the "Megablast" is irrelevant. It only knows whatever Alexa knows and can only do whatever Alexa can do—except stream from Spotify for some reason. So the lesson here is that if you are using Alexa, don't expect Bluetooth connectivity to resume. Just stick to Alexa's Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn streaming over Wi-Fi. Oh, and just so we're clear, Alexa only works over Wi-Fi. CONCLUSION & FINAL THOUGHTS: So, is it worth the price? I'm not sure. I own portable Bluetooth speakers in the same price range, and the Megablast packs a better sound and more volume, but its Alexa integration is half-baked and its missing the integrated voice that tells the battery status when you hold both the volume up and down buttons at the same time. On top of that, you can't do party mode with multiple Megablasts, you can't do remote power on, and you can't change the EQ. These are all features of the smaller UE BOOM, so I'm rather confused as to why these features aren't available on the Megablast. If you're buying this speaker for the Alexa integration, forget it. But if you want a great Bluetooth speaker with a few missing features compared to its smaller siblings, this could be the one to rock your parties.

Sporty, Loud, waterproof, and most importantly it has Amazon Alexa. This Bluetooth speaker has far been my favorite on the go speaker, I've owned several Bluetooth speakers, and this has far been my favorite sound wise and looks wise. I got the black option. It's discreet and simple just like a speaker should be. It's larger than your average Bluetooth speakers (Height: 9.3 inches, Width: 3.5, and Weights about 3 pounds). To use Amazon's Alexa, you will need to download the “Ultimate Ears” app and sign on with your amazon prime account (if applicable), you will also connect to your WIFI with this app other than that it’s a basic app with minimal features. Nothing stands out in this app. To really customize your Alexa experience, you will also need to download the Amazon Alexa app once again log in with your amazon prime account, you can enroll to other music services (Spotify – Must have Premium, Pandora – Basic Account okay, Tune In – No acct needed, and Iheartradio) so you can command Alexa to play these music apps by voice command. The sound coming out of this Bluetooth speaker is great! It’s loud, loud enough for my 1-bedroom apartment. The highs are nice, but when playing it loud the lows drown out a little bit, it’s not really on the bass heavy side but that doesn’t take away from the clear sound this speaker has. It didn’t bother me at all. It really sounds great! I also recommend that you also include the Charging Dock with the speaker, it’s roughly 40 dollars and it’s well worth it! It’s make the charging effortless, you just place the speaker on top of the dock and automatically starts charging. I placed the charging dock next to my bed so when I wake up I just turn it on, command Alexa to play my favorite music apps or tune in (talk shows), ask what’s the traffic time to work is, and turn it off when I leave to work. I like that the company includes a 2-year warranty, better than the average 1-year warranty. The battery life is 16 hours which is more than enough for your music needs. I haven’t tried the water-resistant feature, but it states it can be immersed in “liquid” up to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes. Overall, I really like this speaker, and all speakers should be like this product moving forward. It’s really a great Bluetooth speaker and I normally don’t like paying North of 200 dollars for a speaker, but this speaker is worth it and recommend to anyone!!

Ultimate Ears - MEGABLAST is a stunning portable speaker with Alexa built-in. I own several Voice-Controlled Personal Assistants, so I am very familiar with Alexa's capabilities & will compare UE MEGABLAST accordingly. LIKES: 1- Bass output is second to no other device with Alexa onboard. Nothing is even close. Put your hand near the side when it is rocking & feel the air from the woofers & passive radiators! Bass sounds like a quality 8" woofer! 2- High frequencies are crystal clear, noticeably more musical than the average Voice-Controlled Personal Assistant, which is an impressive accomplishment. 3- Waterproof to 1 meter for 30 minutes. 4- Long lasting built-in rechargeable Li-ion battery rocks out up to 16 hours between charges! 5- Built-in equalization emulates "Loudness On". Bass is always leading & high frequencies are above the midrange. The equalization has been finely tuned & is not adjustable. 6- Bluetooth Input permits sound from any Bluetooth source. This is exceptionally handy in areas with no Wi-Fi. 7- Very rugged case is perfect for portable use. 8- Syncs with other Alexa equipped devices; they all answer questions, play the news, announce sports, weather, route time to work & other traditional Alexa functions. 9- Automatic updates arrive via Wi-Fi to improve performance over time. 10- Uses the tried-and-true Alexa app. 11- Voice command most smart home devices. 12- 360 degree sound is much more obvious than in the average Voice-Controlled Personal Assistant, due to the multiple premium quality tweeters & the sound has a spread matrix stereo effect. It really sounds like there are 2 speakers in the room. In addition to the more forward bass & articulate highs, this spread stereo sound is stunning. 13- The charging base (optional & sold separately) makes charging as simple as sitting the speaker on a round disk. Highly recommended! 14- Auto off after a period of time when the music has stopped to save the battery. Or with the Charging Base, it converts to always on, always listening for "Alexa" command. 15- Plays extremely loud! 93dB rated output! 16- No audible distortion in the bass, even at high SPL's! 17- The light on the top shows status / battery / Alexa command following & many more items. 18- Very easy to set-up with both Ultimate Ears & Alexa Apps. 19- Works great with Amazon Prime Music - simply name a song, or ask to stream music by your favorite artist. 20- Expert, reliable control of HUE Lights & many Home Automation Devices. 21- Most beautiful packaging of any consumer productI have ever seen. 22- Standard 1/4"-20 tripod thread on the bottom makes for flexible placement. CONCERNS: 1- "Alexa Lite" best describes the reduced capability of the personal assistant. Having numerous Voice-Controlled Personal Assistant devices already, the differences jumped out: No Sirius XM, Spotify or Pandora Streaming; no "Amazon" wake-up name option (only Alexa); no voice confirmation when you call out "Alexa", though the light on top indicates Alexa has been queried, if you happen to look in that direction. 2- Equalization (bass / midrange / treble balance) is not user adjustable, though it comes factory set to produce amazing sound. 3- No 3.5mm audio input jack to hardwire sound from an external device to maintain clear audio. Bluetooth is a limited fidelity transmission, and this speaker is so good, that really shows. Streaming sound from Prime Music, for example, sounds stunning; streaming from your phone or tablet by Bluetooth lacks the dynamic range, bass punch & high frequency clarity and sounds just "O.K." 4- Pairing 2) MEGABLAST speakers for Right / Left stereo sound is not possible as of this test. However, this feature may appear via a future automatic Software update. CONCLUSION: If you are an audiophile, BUY MEGABLAST!! You will not believe your ears if you stream music from Amazon Prime or other high quality streaming sources. Avoid Bluetooth for audio purity reasons. Sound quality vs. cost make this device an absolute STEAL for audiophiles!! However, if you prioritize the maximum capability of the Voice-Controlled Personal Assistant over sound quality, then other, less costly devices may better meet your expectations. MEGABLAST far exceeded my expectations & earned my HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION!!

Compared to Amazon’s Echo, this speaker offers better sound quality. The midrange is very crisp and clear and makes vocals really stand out. When I listened to some of my Diana Krall playlist, her vocals sounded very intimate like she was singing right in front of me. Setup was very easy, you just plug it in and download and install the Ultimate Ears App for your phone/tablet and the app searches for and connects to the speaker after which you can set it up. To set up the speaker to connect to your wifi network, the app did require me to type in my wifi password which can be a pain on a phone/tablet if you have a long password. I’ve seen other apps that have the ability to automatically set up the password without the user having to type it in (after all the phone/tablet already knows the password if it is on your wifi network) My speakers came with a charging dock that is a must have accessory. It normally costs $39.99. Just sit your speaker on the charging dock and it will start charging. You don’t have to fumble around to flip the rubber tab hiding the usb port to charge the speaker. To set up your speaker to use the charging dock, you unscrew the original black plug on the bottom of the speaker and replace it with a shiny metallic plug that makes contact with the charging pins on the dock. I do wonder if the speaker is still as waterproof with the shiny metallic plug since water would be able to touch the charging rings on the plug. After you set up the speaker, you can use the standard Alexa app to fine tune the Alexa part of the speaker. One thing I noticed is that you can’t change the wake up word for the MegaBlast to anything else (Amazon, Computer etc.). It will only respond to Alexa. Also, some services like Spotify aren’t available yet but that didn’t bother me since I mostly use Amazon Music. So, basically, it seems like the MegaBlast doesn’t currently support all the features of the Amazon Echo. Hopefully, future firmware upgrades will fix this. The top of the speaker is slightly concave with a light bar that lights up when it recognizes a voice command. Compared to the Echo and Echo Dot, I found myself having to repeat myself a lot more before the MegaBlast would respond to my voice commands. Because of this, I don’t think it’s microphones are as good as those in the Echo. To make matters worse, it’s sometimes hard to know if it recognizes the wake up word because it can be difficult to see the light at the top of the speaker if the speaker is located at or above eye level. I had no problems using it as a bluetooth speaker. Pairing with my phone/tablets was easy and I always had a strong connection with no drop-outs. In summary, the MegaBlast is a stellar portable bluetooth speaker that offers superior sound quality over most competing bluetooth speakers. As an Alexa smart speaker, it falls a little short of a real Amazon Echo with regards to command recognition and it currently doesn’t support all the features of a real Amazon Echo. Hopefully future firmware upgrades will rectify some of these shortcomings.

I've been looking for a way to get solid sound from the wireless world - particularly poolside. I have a Bose SoundTouch which I love but is wired and not waterproof. I bought a Megablast and it is a regular feature in my kitchen and pool. I bought a second one which I can effortlessly Network in with the other -either as an extension or stereo pair. If that's not enough I can choose to use it with Alexa and Amazon Music, Pandora and Spotify (if I want to buy Premium). Or just Bluetooth from my phone - which is what I am doing at poolside as I write this. I even bought the smaller Blast to stick in my travel bag. I plan to network all of them when I have pool.parties. Most importantly the sound rivals my in wall Polk system. Get this thing. It's amazing.

The speaker is amazing. UE makes great products and the Megablast is no different. Quality all the way around. From the packaging to the build quality to the overall sound. A+ across all of those areas. The only thing that left me wanting more, was the Bass. From a speaker this size, I was sort of disappointed in the quality of the Bass. My unit came with the speaker and the table top charging dock. The packaging is incrdible, and makes sure your product is not going to be damaged in any way during delivery/shipping. To cable charge, you simply plug in the supplied USB cable into the bottom of the unit. To charge with the docking station, you simply screw in a charging station cap on the bottom and place directly on top of the charger. The initial charge took quite a long time, and was not fully charged from the factory. But once charged the battery life has been great. UE says a full charge can last 15+ hours, and if you download and connect to the UE App, you can always see how much charge you have left, so you're not stuck with a dead speaker at the wrong time. Setting up the speaker was super fast and simple. Normal bluetooth pairing was immediate to my Note 8. I downloaded the UE App as well and while it looks polished, it felt sort of glitchy. The app recognized the speaker immediately but had trouble running through the rest of the setup. I had to exit the app and start over twice before it let me finish the setup. Not a huge deal to be concerned with, as i'm sure UE will fix the app over time. It's also nice that the speaker can be connected via wi-fi and bluetooth. And you can set it to update itself via wi-fi automatically. Setting up Alexa was also a breeze. Simply go to the Alexa setup in the App and login with your Amazon Alexa account and that's it. Alexa is immediately available on your Megablast. We also have a few Amazon Echos in the home, and using the Megablast with Alexa felt the same as using the Echo device. Speech recognition was very good even from across the room. All the features of Alexa are right here in the Megablast, and portable, unlike a Echo/Echo Plus. I think we'll use the Megablast so much more, simply because we can move it around with us. Build quality is amazing, the speaker is huge and feels very sturdy and almost heavy in the hand. Very nice. The 360 degrees sound field is also great, and you get room filling sound and great volume levels. Sound quality is also very good, as you'd expect from UE. But, from a speaker of this size and build, I honestly expected more Bass. I have numerous bluetooth speakers, some bigger or smaller, some from UE and other brands. Compared to all my other speakers, the Megablast was just ok on Bass response. Don't get me wrong, the Bass is there, and for most it's probably fine. However when listening to bass heavy audio, even when EQ'd, the Bass simply gets compressed and tight, not boomy. i don't think it would be a reason to not get the Megablast, the overall sound of the speaker is amazing, but if you were thinking that a speaker this size would give you over the top Bass, you might be disappointed. Having IP67 weather sealing is nice so you don't have to be worried about getting it wet. A couple things I wish they would have done better; you cannot pair multiple Megablast speakers together in stereo, which for this price and category seems to be a glaring omission, I hope UE fixes that soon. I also wish that the speaker came with a 3.5mm connector, but it does not, wireless all the way, or nothing. When using Alexa, the only way you know Alexa has been triggered is if you're actually looking at the speaker and can see the LED light on top grow brighter, there is no audible tone that tells you Alexa is ready, like when using an Amazon Alexa device. All in all the UE Megablast is an amazing speaker with Amazing features, and integrating Alexa just kicks it up a notch! I'm very impressed with the Megablast overall.

Megablast Setup: I encountered firmware update issues during setup - so I had to continue setup & go back to update (took a few times, then was finally successful). Usage / Buttons: You have to be dead center on the large buttons. At the top of the 'volume down' - it feels like you're hitting a button (feels springy), but you're not - you have to go lower and the volume will decrease. The 'volume up' will accept a lower press to raise the volume. Unlike my $99 Wonderboom, you can't pair more of these speakers that are ~3x the price for a better surround sound. Say whaaat? The sound is a typical UE sound - it's really clean & bassy. It's heavy, but it's grippy & portable - I dig it. It has its own independent sound control - so, raising / lowering volume doesn't change the phone's volume as some devices do (which is where you run into the volume being too low - or just a bit too loud). I've had this before & it's nice that the Megablast is not following that example. Charging the unit appears to make you put it on its side to get to the connector and there's no way it'll be able to stand once you hook up the USB cable. Enter the "POWER UP" charging dock - which gives you a replacement nut at the bottom allowing standing charging & use. It's an extra $40 or so, but is worth it, should you really use this a ton & don't want the aggravation. Bluetooth Usage: If you're streaming via bluetooth and ask Alexa a question, it kills the bluetooth connection & doesn't auto-reconnect to continue playing. There are Bluetooth reconnect issues too - I use a few BT devices, even a UE Wonderboom, so it's not my first rodeo. If I disconnect from those, I can reconnect without issue. With this Megablast, sometimes I have to cycle Bluetooth on my phone & then it works. And I'll hear some static during the reconnect too, which is odd. "Alexa" Features: Voice recognition is 4/5 times successful for acknowledging that it heard me. Via the UE App, you can toggle the 'microphone off' - so it's not always listening (small red light appears on the top at the bluetooth button). There is no tone to let you know it has heard the wake word (it should be an option at least), but the top light blinks. It can't tell how much battery remains: "I don't have a battery." As of Mid-November 2017, there was no Pandora integration yet - though it responds like it's getting my station - but voices an error. There must be an update coming soon (fingers crossed!). It doesn't work well with Amazon Prime Music. It says it's going to shuffle my collection, but it pauses for a long time and then only sometimes starts playing, then cuts out. Smart-ish Home Thoughts ... I could control my HUE lights via room names & the ever finicky Harmony Hub without issue, just as my Tap does - no issues seen here. So, the recommendation is a "yes" for the sound - you just need to be patient & hope that these 'smart' quirks get worked out soon.

PROS: -Waterproof design -Easy setup -Great battery life -Great sound quality CONS: -Price -No hands-free Spotify SUMMARY: If you’re looking for a great sounding battery powered water resistant Alexa enabled speaker and don’t mind the cost or lack of full Spotify support this is the speaker you have been looking for. REVIEW: There is a lot to love about this speaker - the straight forward styling, the easy discovery and setup, and great quality audio. The Megablast is essentially an upgraded version of the Megaboom and it gets even better with the addition of Alexa support. Setup is dead simple. You download the Ultimate Ears app and launch it and it will automatically discover the speaker if it’s already turned on. It will ask for your wifi information and then your Amazon account to setup Alexa if you like. It's dead simple. You can still skip this if you would prefer to use just Bluetooth. It will also check for updates, so the speaker software can improve over time. Hopefully this means we will see support for more music services. The design is what I have come to expect from the UE line. It has the same woven cloth mesh all the way around with large rubber volume buttons. It’s waterproof so you can take this to the beach or let it float in the bathtub at home. The audio quality is top notch. Sound is clear with punch bass that is impressive in a portable speaker. It's just an all around solid sounding speaker. The voice control for music works great especially if you are an Amazon Prime Music user. If you are a Spotify user unfortunately there is not full support, so you won't be using your voice to play any tracks from the service. Since this is just like any Echo device you can control any smart home devices, set timers, as for the weather, etc. The Megablast’s microphone’s are sensitive enough to pick up my voice, but if the music is turned up loud and I am more than 20-30 feet away I will have to yell for it to hear me. If you want privacy you can disable the mic from the app, though it would have been nice to have a physical button like most other voice assistant enable devices. Finally, there is a nifty dock to enable easy charging. Just swap the connector on the bottom and set the speaker on the platform.