Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST Portable Waterproof Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Speaker with Hands-Free Voice Control - Graphite

The media could not be loaded. The Good:-Great sound for its size (nice highs and lows)-Good bass-360 degree sound-Louder than the Megaboom-Dust proof and water proof-Long lasting battery-Can connect via Bluetooth or Wifi-Charging base makes it much more convenient to charge rather than having to plug directly into the speaker-Easy control options through phone and Alexa-Easy to use and set up-iOS app allows for updates and more specific controls of the speakerThe Bad:-Initial set up of Wifi can be a bit dodgy through the app but restarting the app solved the issue-No carrying caseThe Bottom Line:I’ve owned and tested a lot of Bluetooth speakers including a few Ultimate Ears. I have the Megaboom so I can directly compare the two. The Megaboom was easily one of my favorite speakers but now after using the Megablast, this is my favorite overall bluetooth speaker. It’s louder and sounds crisper than the Megaboom. The highs and lows of this speaker are great along with the bass. If you haven’t tried a 360 degree speaker it’s pretty amazing since you can listen to it from pretty much anywhere. I just used this at my kid’s school and people were amazed how loud this little speaker could get. The charging base makes it much more convenient to charge than having to take off the bottom to plug in every time. The battery life is long and at full blast it falls a little short of the stated battery life but that’s expected when at full blast. The iOS app allows for the speaker firmware to be updated and you can also control more specific sound preferences. Overall if you’re looking in the premium Bluetooth speaker range, I would recommend looking at the Ultimate Ears Megablast.

Update: Have used this for a long time now, and the software seems to have become a non-issue. This speaker works well and have changed it from 3-5 stars.I used to have a boom 3 and it was pretty great. It was a small portable speaker, no frills and worked well but was a LITTLE weak on the sound.I got the megablast 3 and it's been great from a sound perspective. The size is nice, and it came with a base charger, but it seems to not work with other chargers, so be sure to use the one that came in the box. The Anker that i was using didn't seem to deliver enough power.That being said, the mobile app feels pretty valueless especially since you can't turn the unit on and off like you were able to on the boom, and really just feels overly complicated for a speaker, but also necessary since you cant check battery life anywhere else.I also don't care to connect my unit to alexa, etc. So if you're into that, it might be good for you, but I still have complaints about the mobile app just not being that great mostly because you have to connect the unit to wifi to use it, which seems totally unnecessary for someone looking for just a speaker, not a smart speaker...My main criteria for a speaker:- Easy to use: 6/10- No Bloatware: 5/10- Sound: 10/10

The sound is crystal clear and it gets very loud without Distorting. The bass is rich and deep; especially for its relatively compact size. I wish it had a little more boom, but then you're looking at the UE Hyper Boom at almost twice the price of this model. But I will be buying the Hyper Boom once we redo our patio! Oh, and this thing has Alexa built in; if you're in to that sort of thing.We use it in the kitchen and on the patio. And sound is consistently great. the cylinder shape radiates the sound out so everyone has a good seat to hear the music. and the battery will last the entire party. Your phone will give out before the speaker. Also, the controls are intuitive and easy to use.Oh, and spend the extra $20 and get the charging stand. Totally worth it. Otherwise you have to turn this thing upside down and pry open part of the bottom to get to the charging port. First world problem; I know. But to just sit the speaker on the charging stand is a luxury that's worth it.