Ultimate Ears - MEGABOOM 3 Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker with Waterproof/Dustproof Design - Night Black

Is calling your speaker “Megaboom” a boast or a challenge? I can certainly confirm that this soda bottle (40oz) sized speaker represents a modern day version of the 70s Boom Box . . . with the really big sound and none of the weight or size hassle. I’m a big fan of these Bluetooth speakers which have emerged to project and amplify all that music we carry around on our phones and tablets. Price-wise, the Megaboom 3 fits right in the middle of this field of high performance speakers. Sound-wise, it delivers competitive sound and a unique approach to filling a space with music. The Megaboom 3 leaves out the light show but adds App control, 360 degree sound, a useful equalizer, and some sharing features that are just fun. With it’s fine music performance, it rises to the top of this field in its price category. And it’s SMALLER (8.8” x 3.5”) than you’d expect, LIGHTER, (WATERPROOF (IP67), and CUTE (opinion of the crowd)). The Megaboom 3 offers useful features. The App manages your Playlist, lets you power up the speaker at a distance, provides a 5 band EQUALIZER and other features. (In order to get at the features, I needed to select at least one PLAYLIST in my iTunes account). The App manages adding other speakers (lots of them) or sharing DJ duties (letting others pair to this speaker). Bluetooth connection was quick (to my iPhone 6). The speaker’s top center button and the nearby power button control everything important. The giant +/- buttons you see on the side of the cylinder control volume; no fumbling here. Pressing both at the same time speaks out the battery level. I tested music quality with my playlist, which includes 6 decades of pop, rock, R&B, folk, country, jazz, electronica and whatever new category appeared yesterday. Voices were all nicely presented and instrumental detail was very convincing. The equalizer gives you the control to enhance bass or voices or whatever you prefer. The Megaboom can easily fill a large space, and is quite at home in the middle of the party. In fact, you shouldn’t worry at all about how you orient this speaker. It was outstanding at distributing a balanced sound in all 360 degrees. I know lots of speakers claim to have wide dispersion; none do it better. In some ways this may contribute to my original feeling that volume might be a (slight) bit lower than some competitors which only deliver significant volume in one direction. But none of the competition sound as good from the sides or behind. The Megaboom has made a commitment to 360 sound. Where you locate this speaker is less critical in a large space. I have no trouble recommending the Megaboom 3. This is a fun speaker.

UE has really done an excellent job on this Megaboom 3 speaker! Once you have it, it will simply be your default portable speaker because of it's clear sound, sleek design, and extreme durability. PROS: - It really has a modern sophisticated look. It is very simple and has that silo design that makes it easy for flat surfaces, cup holders, and there is even a loop to throw a carabiner through so you can hang it. - The size is also ideal. I included a picture of it next to a pop can for reference so it is larger but that is good for the extra sound. However, it is not too large where you can't carry it with one hand easily and throw it in your bag to bring with. - The sound clarity blew me away! I thought I had a nice portable speaker before but this simple is better in its volume output, clarity, and the 360 degree speakers makes it fill a room much better than others. The bass is also solid but nothing wall shaking which you'd expect. - I think it's a must have for the speaker to be fully waterproof, able to float, and as durable as it is. It gives that ease of mind that you can take it outside wherever or by the lake/pool and not worry about it getting ruined. - It has very simple controls! Buttons for bluetooth pairing, play/pause/skip song, power, and volume. It's also nice because if you tap the Volume Up/Down buttons at the same time, the speaker tells you the battery percentage. CONS: - The biggest downside to me is the lack of USB-C charging. UE stuck with the Micro-USB charging because it doesn't think the market is ready for USB C but that's really surprising. The last Megaboom was released 3 years ago and the market is already filled with USB-C devices. In terms of future proofing, I just think they really missed the curve on this in terms of charging and ease of use with other devices. - Although I like the design, there is nothing special about it. It works best being set vertically, doesn't have anything that makes it truly unique. This is fine for me but other's might want more. - At the time of this review, the Megaboom App was not updated for this device to be used. That being said, the extra features or buttons on this are lacking slightly. No party style lights, aux cord jack, and although it has a strap - they did not include a carabiner inside for it to be used with. I think the simple features of this are easier and less complicated but it's nothing over the top for those who want it.

I was recommended to get these speakers since I like to blast music loud! Especially when I’m cleaning the house. You can adjust the quality of the sound through an app and turn on/off the speakers through the app as well. So much to say, in other words I highly recommend these speakers!! Won’t regret, I know I am happy with mine *smiles*

Love everything about it, specially for the $100 I paid! Sound quality, usefulness, and the simplicity of connecting/managing the app. I have, and will continue to recommend to this speaker to friends and family.

I got it at a great discount so I bough 2. I use them in stereo mode and I’m happy with my purchase. I have the original one as well it it pairs up so I can play all their. The design of the new ones is also way better as well!

I now have 4 high end BT speakers in the $200-$300 range, they all have strengths and weaknesses. The Mega Boom 3 is the lightest of the bunch at just about 3 lbs, nearly half the weight of any of the others, which weigh in between 6-11 lbs. Then battery life, the Megaboom 3 claims 20h, this is probably true if it's running at 25% volume, as you crank it up it will decrease battery life. 20h in a 3lbs package is truly impressive, my only other speaker that has 20h weights almost 9lbs. The megaboom3 comes with a pretty good size power brick (see picture) USB to micro USB connector. The back of the speaker has a rubber door to hide and protect the micro USB connector. With the USB door closed the speaker is IP67 waterproof (submersible) not just water resistant - wow; probably the best choice for your fishing boat, or paddle board. I'm not aware of any other speaker this size that is Waterproof. The speaker can also be charged with a (sold separately) charging pad (~$40 "PowerUp"). Given the size of the included power brick this might be a nice to have, but I didn't test with it. The speaker also has a nice woven loop towards the top so you can attach it to something. Volume; this speaker can get quite loud, easily my first or second loudest speaker, easily filling a 25'x18' room, maybe uncomfortably. But it really excels outdoors. The 360 degree sound, sounds better to me outdoors than inside. The Speaker includes an app to control it via Bluetooth, from a LONG range, I tested to over 100' no issues. The app also includes a 5 band graphic equalizer, which I found very helpful. The app can pair to with up to 150 UE Boom/Megaboom speakers, could be a lot of fun at a big beach party. Speaking of party the app also has a DJ function that allows you and 2 other friends to connect to the speaker(s) at the same time - pretty nice for a party. The app has a few pre-programed EQ curves, which I didn't find particularly useful/accurate -so they could improve these. SPeaking of improve the speaker's firmware can be updated from the app, so "things could change". The app can import play list from iTunes and Deezer, but no where else (for now). It can also show you your iTunes library/cover art - kind of nice, and it can control the volume from the app. This speaker does not have any fancy lights, only 2 led's on the top, to let you know it's on and to let you know it's in pairing mode (no problems pairing with my iPhone or my wifes andriod phone). The speaker does not have a RCA mini jack (my only speaker without this) so your going to use it with BT. Sound quality... not first or second of what I compared it to. The mids and vocals are not as brilliant or well pronounced as some similar BT speakers, The highs sound like other UE speakers, due to the 360 degree sound the highs are supposed to be reflected in all directions, but this, in my mind is only partially effective. The depth of the bass when cranked up, certainly over powers the mid-range. Used indoor this is particularity noticeable, moving it outdoors really improves the speakers sound. I'm not saying this speaker sounds bad, it's just not as crisp as I'd hoped to hear. When used at lower volumes, like in a dorm room the sound is pleasant but the highs won't impress you. I did some side by side listening with the first Boston album, it was punchy but not airy, I missed the preciseness of their strings throughout. Bringing the speaker outdoors, and moving away from it, it had a better balance. So like I said there are some compromises, this is not the best sounding speaker, but its not bad, and has many other features that may wow you. I missed the RCA connector but was impressed by the app, weight and battery life. It's far more portable than what I compared it to, so depending where and how you might want to use it, it may be a nice fit.

Very loud and connects fast and easy .. I love it and I recommend this to anyone

I've had this speaker for a couple of days now and i've been very impressed with its performance and build quality. This speaker was extremely easy to setup, especially with the app and I was up and playing music in a manner of minutes. It came about 20% charged, but Im not sure how accurate that was given the fact I plugged it in after it prompted me to update the latest software and after the update, it was at 72%. The update took less than five minutes, so it couldn't have charged that fast, but I will keep an eye on it. The bass is indeed incredible for a speaker of this size and it also does a good job of not drowning out the treble and didn't really have any distortion even at louder volume levels. I found the app to be extremely useful in pairing my devices, setting up custom equalizers and probably my favorite feature of setting up one touch playlists. This feature basically allows the speaker to immediately start playing your favorite playlists when the speaker is powered on an connected to your device. You can save up to four playlists and you can skip them using the app or by pressing the magic button on the top of the speaker. There are really only three buttons that you will use once your device is paired. The volume up and down buttons on the front of the speaker and the magic button on the top. Im still learning the commands for skipping tracks, playlists, etc, but generally the magic button is easy to use. I found the sound to be filling and powerful overall, especially for a smaller speaker. I set it on my kitchen counter and played several different songs and they all sounded excellent with this speaker. Before I received this speaker, my favorite unit had quickly become the JBL PK5, another ultra portable bluetooth speaker, but now I'm torn between that one and this one. The clarity is better on the JBL, but the overall blend of strong bass and quality sound are better on the MegaBoom 3. My wife and I buy houses to renovate and rent as a second source of income, so portable speakers are great for those days spent laboring over painting, drywalling, etc. My only issue now is to decide whether I will let her use the UE or the JBL. I think for my type of music and usage, the UE is the better speaker for me. She primarily listens to podcasts so the vocal clarity in the JBL will be better for her. If I had to complain about one thing, it would be the charging cable and brick. Most people will use this while out and about, so a white charging brick and cable isn't ideal. I would have preferred black, but all other things being equal, this is a minor complaint. This is my first UE speaker and I definitely am a fan. I would certainly recommend this speaker.