Ultimate Ears has a legacy with in-ear monitors having custom build IEMs for some of the best musicians. After the take over of the brand by Logitech in 2008, who were strong in the personal computer and mobile accessories, the portable wireless speakers where introduced under the UE brand in 2013 and the UE Boom was launched. What I got here is the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom Freestyle, yet another compact bluetooth speaker offering the signature boom sound the UE Boom series offer. One of the first wireless speakers with waterproofing I have tried was the UE Boom 2 and I know how convenient it can be during outdoor listening or even when you take the speaker to shower. One can strongly assert that Logitech’s UE makes one of the best sounding waterproof speakers, period. UE Wonderboom Box contents:
- Speaker
- microUSB cable
Wonderboom Freestyle Design
The freestyle collection adds more spunk to the already existing Wonderboom speakers. Available in five funky clothing Concrete, Avocado, Patches, Raspberry and Unicorn is trendy and youthful.
Wonderboom has a petite design and can easily sit on the palm. It has a prominent on the face volume controls, which rather looks unique and cool. There is also a small loop.
The top and bottom has a rubberized finish. The top face has three buttons cleverly and neatly laid out. A Bluetooth indicator, a power on/off button and the logo in the middle also doubles the play/pause button which is not noticeable but work when pressed.
The rubberized material at the bottom also aids in the good, firm footing when placed on a smooth surface.
A flap covers the microUSB port. It also makes sure water doesn’t enter via the port.
The Wonderboom has a IPX7 rating which gives it an endurance under water for 30 minutes up to 1 meter. The company also claims it is rugged enough to withstand fall from 5 feet, so should be quiet a tough cookie for a speaker. I did put it down deliberately and it looks seemingly fine.
Wonderboom sound quality
The Wonderboom’s pint size could be misleading, when it comes to sound output. Simply put, its surprisingly quiet loud and in a pleasant way. Not harsh but well rounded audio chops. It is bass heavy but not overpowering other notes. I really liked the well balanced tuning and is one of the best or the best in the segment. Even when the volume cranked up, it tends to hold up well without much of distortions except when you hit to the max. It is so loud that it can even make for a small party speaker at home for your impromptu party.
Even the battery life is spot on, while the company claims 10 hours on 75 percent volume, I figured it does live up to 9 hours in my usage, which is pretty good.
key features of UE Wonderboom :
- You can pair up to 50 Wonderbooms togethert for one big hell of a party
- Waterproof with an IPX7 rating which means it can withstand 1 meter under water up to 30 minutes
- Shockproof with an endurance to cope up with fall from up to 5 feet
- 100 feet bluetooth range
Verdict:
If you want a booming, nice sound from a compact speaker, the UE WonderBoom is what you should be looking at. Yes, it is slightly on the pricier side, but the sheer good audio output makes it worth it.
What I like about the WonderBoom
- Amazing sound quality
- Neat pronounced bass
- waterproof
- shock proof
- good overall package
What is lacking on Wonderboom
- There is no mic, so can’t be used as speaker phone
- No extra features like aux input or SD card slots.
