Ultimate Ears - WONDERBOOM Portable Bluetooth Speaker - Stone Gray

This is my first Bluetooth speaker, so I did not know 100 % what I was getting into sound wise. I have not been disappointed at all, especially that it was only $100.00 at the time I received it. The speaker arrived with some juice in it's batteries, but I decided to plug it in, and let it fully charge up which took about 4 1/2 hours. On a full charge it's supposed to last about 10 hours. The box that the speaker comes in was just barely big enough to enclose the speaker and it's included 2' long USB charging cable. My USB cable was yellow to match the speakers all grey color with yellow + and - buttons for the audio controls and yellow cord to hang it from various items. I liked that the USB was yellow as it make's it very easy to see which cable you need without looking closely at the connectors. Overall the sound is 4 out of 5 stars. While the highs, and mids are there, it does lack some in the bass department. It paired very quickly to my 4th generation iPod and to my Moto G3 phone. I streamed an FM station from my phone to the Wonderboom for roughly 4 hours as I waxed my F150 and girlfriends Honda CRV. The phone was in the shade of the garage while the Wonderboom was on a small ice chest to act as a platform while I moved it all over while waxing the vehicles. The furthest the Wonderboom got from my phone was 80 to 85 feet and never once did it loose the connection. And while most of the time it was in plain site of my phone, there were many times it was out of site and behind my truck for quite some time, but the signal came through loud and clear. Speaking of loud, I did have the Wonderdooms loudness up to maybe 65 % and did not notice any distortion. The volume for the Wonderboom can be controlled directly on the speaker using the + and - buttons or from your device like an Ipod, phone, etc. The box that the Wonderboom comes in has a picture of the speaker on the box and it's the same size as the speaker itself. So if you're in the store wondering how big or small the speaker is, just look the the picture on the box. I have also included a photo of the speaker next to a 12 ounce can of soda to also give you and idea on the speakers size. The Wonderboom claims that it's waterproof and shockproof, but I'll hopefully not have to find out if that's true. Overall, I've given the Wonderboom 4 out of 5 stars. Taking off 1 star for it's less than robust bass. But I'd still highly recommend the Wonderboom for it's price and relative good audio.

It's called the Wonderboom. The name alone would cause one to think that there is an explosion of sound, or maybe a booming bass. A lot to ask from such a compact device. I have to say, upon just picking up the box for the Wonderboom, I was a little surprised. It is lightweight. I was a tad worried about the quality of the device because it didn't feel substantial just holding the box. Once opened, I could see and feel the quality materials that make up the device. It has very solid construction with a seemingly durable exterior. Nothing about the device looks or feels cheap. The device only has 4 buttons on it, and I like that. All of the buttons are sturdy with a great balance of ease and resistance - they feel easy to use but durable. All in all, this thing is well built, premium product. The Wonderboom is very simple to setup with your device. As with most Bluetooth devices, as soon as you power it on, it's in pairing mode. It took less that 30 seconds to have this thing paired and playing, and that was with a Windows Phone. One thing I noticed when initially playing music through the device was the sensitivity with the gain volume (the volume set on the source device - phone, tablet). You have to be a bit careful because you can get a little distortion if you pass in too much volume. I really like this because it gives an accurate depiction of what happens when playing amplified audio. The volume buttons on the Wonderboom are located in a somewhat peculiar place - on the speaker mesh. I really like the choice here, as it is very easy to control the volume quickly and accurately. I didn't even think about the small buttons on other devices until using this. Now, the smaller buttons are an inconvenience in my opinion. Well, how does it sound? It's Ultimate Ears, and if you know anything about their products, you would expect a quality sound... And they don't disappoint here. The sound quality is audiophile worthy. The clarity is outstanding - detailed, crisp, and focused. You will hear all the subtle nuances in whatever you are playing. If you're looking for a lot of bass, this may not deliver, but if you are looking for an accurate, vibrant sound, it does an awesome job. Don't get me wrong, the sound is not tinny. It is full and rich with highs and lows, it just doesn't deliver booming bass. Believe me, you will enjoy the sound - it's clarity is that good. The volume is also good, adequate for open, single floor gatherings or outdoor entertainment in a small backyard. The 360 degree sound is second to none. No matter how you twist it, you get the same stellar sound at a consistent volume. The Bluetooth range is fantastic. I practically walked at least 50-60 feet from the Wonderboom and had absolutely no loss in signal or quality. This is good for the movers and shakers that play music while doing so. You can clean your whole house and take out the trash, with your phone on you, while your music plays. Just great range. All in all, you can't go wrong with this device. I count it among the best in Bluetooth speakers. It's sound quality is spectacular, and it will easily fill your environment with entertaining sound.

This is a great little speaker. It's fairly small, but the volume and sound quality was surprisingly good. Connecting the speaker to a Bluetooth compatible device is easy. I was able to connect my iPhone 7 plus via Bluetooth seamlessly, and the speaker connected to my phone automatically after I turned the speaker on again. I could place my phone about 30 feet away from the speaker before I would lose connection. I could hear the music clearly every where in a full size basketball court. I like how the music could be heard 360 degrees unlike front facing speakers. I've used it in the shower and not had any issues with it getting wet, I still need to test it out in a pool or other larger area of water to see how it does. Controlling the music is easy. Tap the UE button once to play or hit pause. Press again to resume the track. Tap it twice to skip to the next song. Long press it to sync with another nearby Wonderboom speaker. Press again to resume the track. You can push both volume buttons at the same time and it gives you an audio tone to tell you it is it “high” charge which is a series of notes of increasing pitch, “medium” charge which is a couple of tones, and “low” which is a series of decreasing pitch notes. A few things I didn't care for, the battery life is not the greatest, only giving me about 3 hours max, compared to other similar speakers I've had that easily go for twice as long before dying on me. You cannot tell the battery level visually. The directions said 2.8 hours, so I left it 3 hours it was still giving me the “medium tone" After five hours I got the “high” charge. I am not a fan of this sort of battery indicator. I did not like the recessed connection for the USB connection, I assume that the design is necessary for the waterproof feature, but it's very hard to see which way your cord needs to be turned to insert it, so if you get this you may want to pick up one of the USB cables that is able to be inserter either way (I really wish companies would include that kind of cable in fact, particularly when they have a design like this where it's especially hard to get it inserted). It's also fairly hard to see the button on the top for turning it on, although you can find it by feeling around a bit. If having a waterproof speaker is the most important thing to you, this one would certainly be a good contender as well.

I have to say when opened the box I was puzzled when I saw the cute little "toy" inside. I had to wrestle with my dog who was trying to steal it. She thought it was a ball to play with. It is about the size of a softball, but also pretty heavy and actually cute. I had to rotate it several times to see anything to make it function. There is a small opening on the side near the bottom to attach the included USB. I finally found a small "bump" on top with a small "hash mark" that turns it on/off. How in the world can I pair this thing, I wondered. I turned it on and went to my iPad and looked in "settings" Bluetooth. There it was. I touched "wonderboom" and almost dropped the iPad because the wonderboom made a loud noise. That was it. I went to my music and thought the Wonder boom was so small that I would need to crank up the volume. That was another mistake. This tiny little ball makes a HUGE sound. I absolutely love it. I can carry it easily to any room in my house and outside, leaving my iPad safely inside on a table. The sound is amazing! This is way better than the Sony surround sound Bluetooth on my home theatre, because not only does it sound great, it is soooo portable. This is going to be great for working outside listening to my music and can't wait to try it at the pool parties. If you like to protect those expensive devices that hold your music, this is a great little gadget!

Packing- Not much inside the box. Just the speaker, the USB cord, and a safety compliance small brochure. I think this should include instructions of the features and a plug for the wall because a USB port is not always available. Appearance- I don't mind the look because there is great sound coming out the compact speaker. The + sign over the - sign looks like a cross. It's something that I noticed but I hope it don't bother most people. I really like the rubber feel and the stretchy cord to hang it. Performance- Like I mentioned it sounds great to me and loud if you want. If you sync 2 wonderboom together I think this will sound even better. I played a great amount of music but I cannot tell where my battery level is. Having a battery indicator will be helpful so I can know to charge before it runs out. The waterproofing so far is working great. Now I can have the speaker in the shower instead of having it outside. Cons- I cannot answer calls on this and the music do not resume playing after missing a phone call. I tried several times and I can't get it to work like my other speaker. No wall plug come with it for wall outlets. I do like this Bluetooth speaker but I think it's priced a little high but if people give it a try they will most likely enjoy it. This is just a waterproof speaker with no added features that I can use.

Very big sound from a very nice and compact speaker. The 360 degree sound field is also very cool, meaning you can set the speaker in the middle of where you are and sound simply envelopes the area. That’s something that in a speaker this small is worth it. The sound is big, but depending on your source, can also sound flat and slightly high mid to treble heavy. If you’re using a flat source with no EQ, the sound is good, but can have that high mid to treble heavy sound, depending on type of music. Any music that is Bass heavy, if you have a source that can EQ, you can get the most out of the speaker, and the lows for a speaker this size are very good, just keep your expectations in check. It also gets pretty loud, so very good for average size rooms, and you can also connect two of them together to create a stereo setup, and really fill up large areas. The controls on top and front are super easy, and the speaker feels solid and well built. It’s also waterproof, which is a huge plus if you’ll be around water environments. No worries about taking to the pool or the beach. Heck, even using as a shower speaker is sort of nice. Charging is with a micro USB connection, and it seems to take a charge very quickly. I’ve been using it pretty regularly as a desktop speaker while I work, and it’s amazing, and haven’t needed a recharge yet. If you have a need for a speaker of this type and this size, definitely give it a go!

Pros: - Good sound for the speaker size - Comes in variety of colors - Simple design, hold the UE logo once to play and press it again to pause a song. Double tap it to skip song. - Compact size (size of a softball or large apple) - IPX7 rated waterproof and shockproof, and ability to float makes it ideal for outdoor use (camping, cookouts, picnics, beach, pool, lake, etc,) or in a bathroom - Can be paired with a second Ultimate Ears - UE Wonderboom Portable Bluetooth Speaker (sold separately) for additional sound - 360-degree sound - 100 foot wireless Bluetooth range - 7-10 hour battery life - Hang loop for strapping - Pair up to 8 Bluetooth enabled source devices - Connect up to two source devices at the same time - Wirelessly play to 2 Ultimate Ears - UE Wonderboom Portable Bluetooth Speaker from one source. - Works with most Bluetooth-enabled devices - Compatible With Amazon Echo Dot For Alexa Voice Control - No app needed - Mid-level price, not too high. Cons: - A little heavy for a portable/compact speaker - Full charge time can last 3-4 hours - No Siri And Google Now Voice Control - No audio customization - Cannot be paired with other UE products (With the exception of another UE Wonderboom) - No visual battery level indicator - No instructions so you may need someone that is tech savvy or experienced with using Bluetooth speakers to set up - Cannot connect source to speaker via cable, only works via Bluetooth - Not premium audio

The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom sounds great and is very well designed. The ergonomics are excellent and simple, this includes the controls and also how to set it up. The unit is about 4 inches high and 3.5 inches in diameter. It has rechargeable lithium ion batteries that you can charge via a USB connection on your personal computer. It comes with the charging cord. I prefer online manuals which I don't lose and you will need to go online to review the user manual. Just go here (http://www.ultimateears.com/en-us/wonderboom/fireball/support) and you will find excellent installation instructions. I liked that I could pair it with up to 8 devices via Bluetooth which is automatic for the first device and then you do have a few steps to follow for any additional devices. I paired it with my phone and also with my Windows 10 PC easily. The real treat is the fantastic sound. Playing songs either from my phone or the PC resulted in remarkably strong and clear sounds that totally changed the listening experience. I do see that this brand has 4 different models of waterproof Bluetooth speakers and I do plan to buy one of the larger ones. Even though someone did a very intuitive design of the controls, it is a good idea to run through the functions at the link I mentioned above. For example if you hold the up/down volume controls (the PLUS and MINUS buttons) at the same time, you can get a quick sound effect that tells you if the charge is low, okay, or high. One nice feature is the loop at the top of the device which can be used to hang the unit on a hook or nail on your front porch for example. One feature that is very obvious is the 360 degree sound - nice. Warranty information is a bit sketchy, it just says to go look it up on the original product package which I threw out. The length of the warranty is also supposed to be found at www.logitech.com but I could not find it. Also this is a Logitech product but you can't register it at the Logitech support site, although they do have other wireless speakers. All told at this price point (under $100) this little speaker is rugged, has beautiful sound and is a great deal.