Ultimate Ears Wonderboom Review: A Loud Sound With Deep Bass That Will Blow Your Mind
The UE Wonderboom is Ultimate Ears
latest wireless speaker – it is portable, gets ridiculously loud, has
deep sound and is completely waterproof. Can this little wonder continue
the winning streak UE has had with its popular Boom lineup.
Ultimate Ears made waves in the speaker market with the release of the UE Boom in 2013. Many users and reviewers alike praised the Boom’s loudness, water resistance, battery life, and industrial design. Though it was expensive, the Boom was trendsetting and became very popular as a must-get lifestyle gadget. UE didn’t stop there though – after the success of the original Boom, they introduced a big lineup of successor speakers, including the massive, super-loud UE Megaboom, and the handy, super-portable UE Roll.
The Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM is solidly built and with the shape which might remind you of Jigglypuff (if you didn’t sleep while listening to it sing), it throws sound across a 360-degree sweep that will not only astound you at first but, also make you fall in love with it soon after. The Bluetooth speaker is not only loud and well-built, it also has a powerful bass that is capable of blowing your mind (literally, if you’re sitting in a small room).
And there’s a lot more to the songs of the WONDERBOOM’s praises, but let’s first take a look at its specifications.
Super Loud Sound
Puts
out extremely loud, 360-degree sound with deep bass. You can pair two
Wonderbooms together for a louder listening experience.
Frequency Response 80Hz - 20kHz
BatteryLi-ion Li-ion 10 hours (Up to 10 Hours Battery Life, 2.5 hours
recharge time)
Wired Connections None
Noise Cancellation Technology None
Charging Port Micro USB
Price Rs 5,995
Connectivity Bluetooth (A2DP) – 33m Range
Controls Volume, Pair, Play/Pause/Next/Previous IP67 Dust & Water Resistant (Up to 1 meter depth, 30 Mins)
Audio Frequency Response: 80 – 20000 Hz, Output Level (SPL): 86 dB, Audio Amplifier: Integrated Active, 2 X 40mm active drivers, 2 X 46.1 mm x 65.2 mm passive radiators
Dimensions Height x Diameter: 10.2cm x 9.35cm, Weight: 425g
I love the peculiar packaging and the indulging way in which this sound
beast await to be unlocked and unleashed. Here’s what all the box comes
with.
The Wonderboom weighs 425g, and measures in roughly the size of a large mug. Compared to the UE Boom 2, the Wonderboom is much shorter but wider – it feels like a squashed, flattened version of the original speaker. Quite portable!
On top you’ll find the power and Bluetooth pairing buttons, as well a little hang loop for easy carry, and where users can hook a carabiner or hang the speaker. There’s also a UE button which enables users to control playback and pair the Wonderboom with another for louder sound.
On the sides, you’ll find the the volume control and the speakers themselves – two 40mm active drivers and two 46.1 mm x 65.2 mm passive radiators which promise loud 360 degree sound.
On the bottom half of the speaker, you’ll find a micro USB charging port protected by a flap which gives the speaker its water resistance. The Wonderboom is ‘drop resistant’ too – UE says that the speaker can withstand falls for up to 1.5 meters in height, and it seems to work as intended. Our Wonderboom worked perfectly after a solid drop onto a hardwood floor, and we believe that it can definitely withstand some heavy abuse.
The Wonderboom gets ridiculously loud. Our unit was easily able to fill a very spacious living room with music, even at half volume. Turning up the volume to maximum gets uncomfortably loud indoors – in our battery life test, we had to stuff the Wonderboom in some soundproof material and chuck it in a cabinet to get it to bearable levels! Even though its incredibly loud output is overkill for indoor listening, it is fantastic for outdoor use – perfect for picnics, pool parties and the like.
The first thing you’ll notice about the Wonderboom’s sound signature is its bass – the speaker puts out very, very boomy, deep sound. It’s deeper and boomier than the sound produced by the Wonderboom’s predecessors and many of its competitors. This speaker is fantastic for users who love bassy music, such as Funk, EDM and Dub.
Unfortunately, the Wonderboom’s deep bass is also its weak point – it’s not ideal for users who listen to treble-heavy genres like classical or pop. The highs are really muffled and drowned out by the speaker’s bass output, and the mids, though present, can barely be heard.
We felt that our favourite tracks such as Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” felt a little off – with the basslines and drums overpowering the typically crisp guitar riffs and vocals. Even bass-heavy tracks such as “Lose Yourself to Dance” felt a little too muffled to bear at times.
Despite the Wonderboom’s extra boomy bass, we have to say that audio quality is quite decent for a speaker of this size. While the Wonderboom is not the best sounding speaker out there, its extreme volume is great for outdoor use.
The Wonderboom’s waterproofing is its main selling point – unlike most bluetooth speakers which are only weather and water resistant, the Wonderboom is rated IPX7 can be completely submerged in water at a depth of 1 Meter for 30 minutes. Although you can’t listen to music underwater (Bluetooth signals can’t penetrate water), the Wonderboom floats on its own just fine, unlike the UE Roll which needed to be placed on an inflatable float.
We’ve put the waterproofing through its paces in a pool, and it definitely works as advertised. We think that the Wonderboom is great for outdoor use – even in harsh muddy environments like biking trails. If the speaker ever gets dirty, users can just rinse it off with water and it looks good as new.
You can also pair two Wonderbooms together for a louder listening experience, but this can’t be done in stereo – you’ll only get mono output. You also can’t pair the Wonderboom with other UE products which support the Party Up feature, which enables listeners to daisy chain up to 50 speakers wirelessly.
It’s a little disappointing to see that the new entry level speaker from UE doesn’t support Party-Up – let alone stereo pairing, when more affordable competitors such the X-Mini Click 2 have this feature. Still, we understand this UE’s design choices since these are usually more premium features are found in their flagship models.
I did not have the courage put expose my ears to the ultimate sound test of draining the WONDERBOOM’s battery by listening continuously but it can easily last around 12 hours. This is also because the speaker is also quick to turn off when it is not connected to any device and while this may annoy certain users who cherish uninterrupted connectivity, it is actually great for the battery.
To charge the WONDERBOOM, I used the supplied Micro USB cable with a 2A/4.5V charging brick. It took me slightly less than three hours to completely charge the speaker. Moreover, while there are no recommended rating or instructions for charging, I avoided using a charging brick with high wattage (or Fast Charging support). Overall, the battery – just like other aspects of the speaker – has been blissful.
Ultimate Ears made waves in the speaker market with the release of the UE Boom in 2013. Many users and reviewers alike praised the Boom’s loudness, water resistance, battery life, and industrial design. Though it was expensive, the Boom was trendsetting and became very popular as a must-get lifestyle gadget. UE didn’t stop there though – after the success of the original Boom, they introduced a big lineup of successor speakers, including the massive, super-loud UE Megaboom, and the handy, super-portable UE Roll.
The Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM is solidly built and with the shape which might remind you of Jigglypuff (if you didn’t sleep while listening to it sing), it throws sound across a 360-degree sweep that will not only astound you at first but, also make you fall in love with it soon after. The Bluetooth speaker is not only loud and well-built, it also has a powerful bass that is capable of blowing your mind (literally, if you’re sitting in a small room).
And there’s a lot more to the songs of the WONDERBOOM’s praises, but let’s first take a look at its specifications.
Key Features
Super Loud Sound
Puts
out extremely loud, 360-degree sound with deep bass. You can pair two
Wonderbooms together for a louder listening experience.10 Hour Battery Life
Up to 10 hours of playtime on medium volumes, and 4 hours on high volumes. Takes 2.5 hours to charge.
Specifications
For those of you looking for technical details about the Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM, here are the numbers that might arouse the statistician in you. For others who don’t wish to wait, may skip to the next section.Frequency Response 80Hz - 20kHz
BatteryLi-ion Li-ion 10 hours (Up to 10 Hours Battery Life, 2.5 hours
recharge time)
Wired Connections None
Noise Cancellation Technology None
Charging Port Micro USB
Price Rs 5,995
Connectivity Bluetooth (A2DP) – 33m Range
Controls Volume, Pair, Play/Pause/Next/Previous IP67 Dust & Water Resistant (Up to 1 meter depth, 30 Mins)
Audio Frequency Response: 80 – 20000 Hz, Output Level (SPL): 86 dB, Audio Amplifier: Integrated Active, 2 X 40mm active drivers, 2 X 46.1 mm x 65.2 mm passive radiators
Dimensions Height x Diameter: 10.2cm x 9.35cm, Weight: 425g
Box Content
- Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM
- Micro USB Cable for charging
- Instruction manuals
Appearance, Design and Build Quality
On first glance, the UE Wonderboom looks like the other speakers in the Boom series – it is round and covered with a water resistant fabric, which is sandwiched in between the speaker’s hardy rubber exterior. Like its siblings, the Wonderboom connects via Bluetooth. The 33-meter connection range on the Wonderboom is useful for outdoor listening and more than enough for the indoors. Unfortunately, there’s no 3.5mm headphone jack or microphone.
The Wonderboom weighs 425g, and measures in roughly the size of a large mug. Compared to the UE Boom 2, the Wonderboom is much shorter but wider – it feels like a squashed, flattened version of the original speaker. Quite portable!
On top you’ll find the power and Bluetooth pairing buttons, as well a little hang loop for easy carry, and where users can hook a carabiner or hang the speaker. There’s also a UE button which enables users to control playback and pair the Wonderboom with another for louder sound.
On the sides, you’ll find the the volume control and the speakers themselves – two 40mm active drivers and two 46.1 mm x 65.2 mm passive radiators which promise loud 360 degree sound.
On the bottom half of the speaker, you’ll find a micro USB charging port protected by a flap which gives the speaker its water resistance. The Wonderboom is ‘drop resistant’ too – UE says that the speaker can withstand falls for up to 1.5 meters in height, and it seems to work as intended. Our Wonderboom worked perfectly after a solid drop onto a hardwood floor, and we believe that it can definitely withstand some heavy abuse.
Overall, we think that the speaker is very well designed and built. There were no obvious weak points in the body and we didn’t see any flexing or creaking when we applied considerable amounts of force to various parts of the Wonderboom. We love the design, build quality and appearance of the speaker. Everything – from the unit itself to the packaging, is well thought out and extremely well designed.
Audio Quality - Great Bass, Not So Great Highs
The Wonderboom gets ridiculously loud. Our unit was easily able to fill a very spacious living room with music, even at half volume. Turning up the volume to maximum gets uncomfortably loud indoors – in our battery life test, we had to stuff the Wonderboom in some soundproof material and chuck it in a cabinet to get it to bearable levels! Even though its incredibly loud output is overkill for indoor listening, it is fantastic for outdoor use – perfect for picnics, pool parties and the like.
The first thing you’ll notice about the Wonderboom’s sound signature is its bass – the speaker puts out very, very boomy, deep sound. It’s deeper and boomier than the sound produced by the Wonderboom’s predecessors and many of its competitors. This speaker is fantastic for users who love bassy music, such as Funk, EDM and Dub.
Unfortunately, the Wonderboom’s deep bass is also its weak point – it’s not ideal for users who listen to treble-heavy genres like classical or pop. The highs are really muffled and drowned out by the speaker’s bass output, and the mids, though present, can barely be heard.
We felt that our favourite tracks such as Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” felt a little off – with the basslines and drums overpowering the typically crisp guitar riffs and vocals. Even bass-heavy tracks such as “Lose Yourself to Dance” felt a little too muffled to bear at times.
Despite the Wonderboom’s extra boomy bass, we have to say that audio quality is quite decent for a speaker of this size. While the Wonderboom is not the best sounding speaker out there, its extreme volume is great for outdoor use.
Features
Waterproofing
The Wonderboom’s waterproofing is its main selling point – unlike most bluetooth speakers which are only weather and water resistant, the Wonderboom is rated IPX7 can be completely submerged in water at a depth of 1 Meter for 30 minutes. Although you can’t listen to music underwater (Bluetooth signals can’t penetrate water), the Wonderboom floats on its own just fine, unlike the UE Roll which needed to be placed on an inflatable float.
We’ve put the waterproofing through its paces in a pool, and it definitely works as advertised. We think that the Wonderboom is great for outdoor use – even in harsh muddy environments like biking trails. If the speaker ever gets dirty, users can just rinse it off with water and it looks good as new.
Pair Up Two Wonderbooms
You can also pair two Wonderbooms together for a louder listening experience, but this can’t be done in stereo – you’ll only get mono output. You also can’t pair the Wonderboom with other UE products which support the Party Up feature, which enables listeners to daisy chain up to 50 speakers wirelessly.
It’s a little disappointing to see that the new entry level speaker from UE doesn’t support Party-Up – let alone stereo pairing, when more affordable competitors such the X-Mini Click 2 have this feature. Still, we understand this UE’s design choices since these are usually more premium features are found in their flagship models.
Battery
The battery inside the Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM is another aspect that has not failed to excite me. The company claims a backup of nearly 10 hours and it performed better than the expectations. After charging the speaker once, I was easily able to let go of any concerns about charging it again for at least two days. Of course, I didn’t manage to pull off a 48-hour backup because I was playing the speaker at intervals with extensive fidgeting.
I did not have the courage put expose my ears to the ultimate sound test of draining the WONDERBOOM’s battery by listening continuously but it can easily last around 12 hours. This is also because the speaker is also quick to turn off when it is not connected to any device and while this may annoy certain users who cherish uninterrupted connectivity, it is actually great for the battery.
To charge the WONDERBOOM, I used the supplied Micro USB cable with a 2A/4.5V charging brick. It took me slightly less than three hours to completely charge the speaker. Moreover, while there are no recommended rating or instructions for charging, I avoided using a charging brick with high wattage (or Fast Charging support). Overall, the battery – just like other aspects of the speaker – has been blissful.
Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM: The Ultimate Powerhouse for Audiophiles?
I have been using the Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM for nearly a week and while I prefer listening to music via headphones or headsets, the wireless speaker has come as a delightful surprise, urging me to listen to much more music out loud. I enjoyed every bit of my exposure to the wonderful and boombastic Bluetooth speaker. However, there are a few things that have frayed my experience a bit and I’d like to talk about those set-offs in this section. But let me talk about the benefits of the Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM.
Pros
- Earth-rambling bass
- Connect with up to 2 devices at once
- Clear audio
- Stunning battery life
- Waterproof and drop-proof
Cons
- No AUX port
- No microphone
- A little heavy
Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM Bluetooth Speaker: A Hulk With a Roaring Sound
I can wholeheartedly testify in the favor of the Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM being among the most powerful and pleasantly surprising speakers.
The speaker has glass-shattering bass and is capable of being the ultimate party machine.
What’s better is that you can pair two speakers and make your setup even heftier. The weight of the device might hinder its portability but allows it to stay put and not roll even when resting on its round surface.
Price and Availability
The UE WONDERBOOM, in spite of its stunning sound, has a decent price tag attached to it. The Bluetooth speaker is available for a starting price of Rs. 5,993 via Amazon, although the prices may vary as per the colors.At this price, the WONDERBOOM is a tempting buy if you can overlook the lack of an AUX port or its ability to use it for wireless commands to your favorite voice assistant. Other options in this price range include JBL Flip 3 (Rs. 5,199) and ZB-Rocker-3 from Zoook (Rs. 3,750) but I would still choose the WONDERBOOM for its great audio deliverance and trembling bass.
Buy the Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM at Amazon (starting at Rs. 5,993)
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom Review: A Loud Sound With Deep Bass That Will Blow Your Mind
Reviewed by Utkarsh
on
August 13, 2018
Rating:
Reviewed by Utkarsh
on
August 13, 2018
Rating:
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