![]() ![]() But we can certainly say that it’s in our list of the best portable Bluetooth speakers for its winning combination of sound, design, and usability. The Ultimate Ears (UE) BOOM 2 might not be designed for audiophiles, and we don’t expect it to perform like a stationary wireless speaker. ![]() If you want alternatives, see our list of the best wireless speakers. In this review, we break down the sound, design, accessories and packaging, specs and more of the UE BOOM 2 portable Bluetooth speaker. We’ve been compiling a list of the best portable Bluetooth speakers, and this little number has found itself near the very top. Whether it be hiking through rugged forests or a simple day at the beach, we want to be able to take our music everywhere we go. And we’ve spent months hunting down our favorite one. Just make sure to try it indoors and outdoors before you make your final decision.Here at TMS, we’re a unique blend of adventurer and nerd, making our lives the perfect test for portable Bluetooth speakers. ![]() Of course, if you have any doubts about the Logitech, buy it from a place that has a decent return policy and give it a test run yourself. It bests our recent outdoor Bluetooth favorite, the Grace Digital Ecoxgear Ecoxbt, on nearly every front - design, features, audio quality, and battery life - except for price. Yeah, it's a bit pricey at $200, but once you use it for a while, I don't think you'll regret buying it. If you trot it out at the next barbecue, you're sure to get a guest or two asking what company makes it and what it costs. It also happens to be water- and stain-resistant, making you more confident about taking it places - and perching it in spots - that might seem a little precarious for other speakers. But on a less nitpicky level, it's a well-designed compact speaker with sleek looks, good build quality, and long battery life. Judging it purely from an audiophile perspective, it has some shortcomings, particularly in the bass department. The UE Boom is one those products that grows on you the more you use it. The UE Boom app, which allows you to combine two speakers. It can also play louder than the JBL Flip and Charge and seems more durable than those models (no carrying case is included because UE says the speaker can hack it unprotected). It easily bests the Jawbone Jambox, which just isn't well suited for outdoor use - especially if it's windy. You're dealing with wind and ambient noise and what a lot of folks are looking for is a portable speaker that can play loud and sound decent doing it - and that's just what the Boom can do. Outdoor listening is a different ballgame. The speaker offers decent though not exceptional clarity and like most of these small speakers, it's strongest in the midrange, so it sounds best with acoustic tracks.Īs I hinted in the intro, I listened with a more critical ear indoors, where the speaker's limitations are more apparent. ![]() You'll also get some distortion with bass-heavy material, particularly at louder volumes, and while it's got a bit more dynamic range and fuller sound than speakers such as the JBL Flip and Charge, it's not a huge advantage. If it has a deficiency, it just doesn't deliver a ton of bass, though few if any of these small speakers put out great low end. I've listened to a lot of these compact Bluetooth speakers and the Boom plays very loud for its size. The Boom comes in packaging reminiscent of that of premium Scotch. It helps make pairing a device easier, but it really doesn't save any time. There's also NFC support - sometimes referred to as "tap-to-pair" - which works with certain smartphones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S3 and S4. (Certain smartphones, such as the Samsung's Galaxy S3 and S4, support aptX streaming, which allegedly offers better sound quality for Bluetooth transmission, though it matters less with smaller speakers such as the Boom.) And while there's currently no aptX support, company reps said that could be added at some point through a software upgrade. The speaker will remember up to eight devices it's been paired with, which makes it easier to make a connection once you've set up the initial pairing. I also tested it with a Samsung Galaxy S4 and achieved similar range. But outside 50 feet isn't as far as you think the connection with my iPhone 4S started to break up when I walked off into the yard with my phone (I looked back at the speaker on the patio and calculated that yes, indeed, I was at right around the 50-foot mark give or take a few feet). UE says the speaker has a range of about 50 feet, which is better than the usual 33 feet that your typical Bluetooth speaker is rated for. The Boom charges via USB and comes with a lime-green AC adapter. ![]()
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