Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. News

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Ultimate Ears’ waterproof Wonderboom speaker will buoy your spirits this spring

By

Ultimate Ears has unveiled its newest portable Bluetooth speaker, the Wonderboom. It joins the line of fellow Boom-branded speakers, the

UE Boom 2

, and

UE Megaboom,

 while boasting a $100 price tag that beats out both of its siblings, as well as a smaller design for better portability.

The portable speaker is designed to offer continuous sound in 360 degrees, which allows you to place the speaker in a room or outside without having to worry about what direction it’s facing. Ultimate Ears says the Wonderboom has a 10-hour battery life and a connection radius up to 100 feet. The speaker is charged via a USB micro port.

Recommended Videos

The physical design retains the tough, resilient construction and simple aesthetics consistent with the rest of the Ultimate Ears family of speakers. The Wonderboom is made with rubberized plastic surrounding the outside of the speaker, and is rated IPX 7 for its waterproof and dustproof qualities, meaning it can be submerged in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes without sustaining any damage. It can actually float in water, and is even equipped with a small bungee-like loop to hang the speaker with.

Related

The Wonderboom also uses a simple set of controls — just a power button, volume controls, and a “UE” button that functions as a play, pause, and skip button all in one. It functions similarly to the controls on Apple headphones. Interestingly, there is no other form of user interface featured on the Wonderboom — not even a battery life indicator. Instead, the UE button is used to check the battery life, with a tone relaying how much juice is left.

The UE button can also be held down to enable pairing mode, allowing you to connect your smartphone or other Bluetooth device for playback. It can also be used to sync with another Wonderboom for bigger and broader sound coverage.

The Wonderboom comes in a number of different colors, including Lilac, Cashmere, SubZero, FireBall, Phantom, and Stone.

First impressions

We had a bit of time with the new Wonderboom, and came away generally impressed. The speaker had some definite low register, especially compared to the almost nonexistent bass on Ultimate Ears’ similarly priced UE Roll 2. The Wonderboom was simple to set up, too, immediately pairing an Android smartphone to the speaker for playback.

We also like the overall design of the speaker and feel of the material, especially the continuous 360-degree output. That said, we did notice a bit of a learning curve when it came to the Wonderboom’s controls and interface (or lack thereof).

Keep an eye out for our full impressions on the Wonderboom soon.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Brendan Hesse
Brendan Hesse
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Brendan has written about a wide swath of topics, including music, fitness and nutrition, and pop culture, but tech was…
UE refreshes its Wonderboom waterproof speaker with longer battery life, new colors
Two UE Wonderboom 3 speakers held side-by-side.

Ultimate Ears (UE) has just dropped a new version of its popular Wonderboom Bluetooth speaker, and while not much has changed, you know the old saying: if it ain't broke ...

The Wonderboom 3 keeps the $100 price intact, along with= size, shape, and its iconic, oversized volume buttons. It also keeps all of the other features that havemade it such a handy companion for the pool, beach, or patio, like its 360-degree sound pattern, IP67 water and dust resistance, and its ability to bob like a cork if you chuck it in the water.

Read more
Sony expands its X-Series with 3 new go-anywhere speakers
Sony XG300 speaker held by by hand.

The Sony consumer audio lineup can feel like a bit of a complicated space — particularly when it comes to headphones — but the Bluetooth speaker lineup has never quite been the flagship of the range. Today, Sony is announcing three new X-Series speakers that fill out the existing X-Series models with even more options for more people.

The SRS-XG300 sits just under Sony’s existing SRS-XG500 as a cylindrical, boombox-style powerhouse meant to fill your backyard parties with tons of sound. This speaker is notably smaller than the XG500, and would be ideal for those who want something that’s loud and versatile, but doesn’t take up quite as much space in a backpack.

Read more
Edifier MP230 Hands-on Review: The pint-sized, retro Bluetooth speaker brings a vintage vibe
An Edifier MP230 Bluetooth speaker is sitting on a mantle next to a plant and some decorative letters.

If you look too quickly, you might think the Edifier MP230 Bluetooth Speaker is actually a bedside radio from the ‘60s. While visually, that’s by design on Edifier’s part, the performance of this handsome little Bluetooth speaker is more than its surface-level aesthetics.

In general, Edifier has carved out a nice little space for itself in the market -- developing high-design speakers that punch reasonably well above their price point in terms of audio performance. While the brand is known for unique designs going as far back as 2014’s e25 Luna speakers that look like something out of a Jetsons episode, the MP230 is taking a page out of the old and trying to do something reasonably new.

Read more