The UE Megaboom impresses
Last week we went to Andrew “Boy” Charlton swimming pool in Sydney, not for a dip, but to check out the launch of Ultimate Ears’ latest portable wireless speaker, the UE Megaboom. The reason it was held at the pool was because there were some Olympic-standard synchronised swimmers to help launch the speaker in spectacular fashion.
While the swimming display was impressive and the haloumi burgers were yummy, the main attraction was undoubtedly the dramatically-monikered Megaboom, which is essentially the UE Boom‘s cooler big brother.
We’re always impressed with Ultimate Ears. Whenever we have been to their events or tested their products over the years, the thing that has always been obvious is that these people really put a huge amount of care and attention into making things sound amazing. They take great pride in creating products that will deliver an excellent aural experience while making sure that they stay in touch with the regular casual music fan. Their speakers and headphones are designed as much for use by luddites like you and me as they are for music nerds and bands. In the Ultimate Ears world, everyone has access to crisp, clear sound.
What’s so good about the Megaboom? Well, it has kept all of the cool features of the Boom, tweaked a few of them, added some more and made the sound even stronger and bassier (is bassier a word?).
So, while bigger, it’s still portable, it still has 360-degree sound, it still does that sick thing where if you hold down the volume buttons it tells you how much battery remains and it still has the alarm clock option. But now, its wireless reach is longer (up to 100 feet), the battery lasts for 20 hours and the thing is entirely waterproof. Like, totally. Seriously, at the launch they dropped one in a fishtank and left it there for 20 minutes. When they took it out, it worked like a charm. So you can take it in the shower with you or, if some moron accidentally knocks it into the pool at your pool party, it’s no big deal.
The accompanying phone app allows you to do more, like turn it on remotely, wirelessly double up with a second Megaboom or your old Boom and choose between Stereo or Double sound. You can also use the app to apply updates to the speaker as and when they become available.
Most importantly though, its sound is really great. It is loud, rich, clear and balanced. Whether you are using it at the beach, your backyard, your bedroom or the shower, at about 350 bucks, the UE Megaboom seems like an entirely worthwhile purchase to us.
The UE Megaboom will be on Australian shelves in mid-February from all the usual outlets and online. Check the Ultimate Ears website for more information. And you can keep up to date with UE on Facebook.
Review by Bobby Townsend.
