I recently reviewed the new JBL Flip 4 and fell in love with it.
But UE aka ultimate ears the makers of the Boom 2 also dropped their own compact speaker
not too long ago.
And although the UE Wonderboom is tiny compared to the JBL Flip 4, its still a solid contender.
But before we put the UE Wonderboom up against the JBL Flip 4, lets review it first.
For starters, the UE Wonderboom has some pretty playful color ways.
it comes in cashmere pink, fireball red, lilac, phantom black, stone grey, and sub zero blue.
personally i really like the stone grey color way over the one i got.
comment below and let me know which color way you like best.
The UE Wonderboom also currently retails for $99.99 but I'm certain amazon will put them
on sale from time to time.
If you want to pick this up, i’ll leave a link in the description below, and i’ll
keep it updated so you can get the best deals.
although UE is a smaller company, they did a really great job of creating a memorable
unboxing experience.
first you slide off the outer sleeve and then you lift the lid and you’re greeted by your
new wonder boom.
underneath the wonder boom you’ll find a micro usb cable for charging and in one of
the side compartments you’ll find the warranty information.
and thats pretty much it.
The UE Wonderboom itself is a small bluetooth speaker thats built like a tank.
it has a nylon weave outer with very durable plastic end caps to help it protect against
impacts and that give it grip so it stays in place while it on a table playing music.
interaction with the UE Wonderboom is also very minimal.
You’ll see volume buttons on the front, a power button, a play pause button, and a
blue tooth sync button.
If you double press the UE button you’ll also skip a track.
Unfortunately you cant go back a track or activate siri, and the tactile feed back from
these buttons is also non existent.
But pairing this speaker with your phone or computer is super simple, theres no need for
a smart phone app.
If you have another Wonderboom with you can also pair them up by pressing and holding
the UE logo for a few seconds.
The paired Wonderbooms will only play music simultaneously and they don't create a stereo
effect like other wireless speakers do.
Concerning specs, the UE wonder boom uses Bluetooth 4.2 and can be paired up to 2 devices
at the same time.
It also has a 100 foot range, and it has no problem going through a few walls in the house.
There was the occasional cut out from time to time, but only with my laptop. which is
like 5 years old.
Unfortunately, the wonder boom doesn't have an audio jack built in which means you can
only listen to music wirelessly.
The UE wonder boom also has around a 10 hour battery life, but i did find that playing
music off of it at higher volumes did significantly reduce the battery life down to like 4 hours.
What makes the Wonderboom a little special is that it is an omnidirectional speaker,
as in it shoots music all around.
And its IPX7 certified which means it can be submerged in water.
And it actually floats as well, which means if it falls into the pool itll be easier to
get.
One thing i did notice, and it happened with most speakers…
the connection will cut out if the speaker is submerged in water.
Now when it comes to sound quality…
I've heard better.
Like i mentioned earlier its omnidirectional, so you're going to get sound playing 360 degrees
and it has no problem filling a bed room or a bathroom.
and theres a lot of bass to it as well.
and the bass it self is very clean.
but everything else just sounds shallow, its like listening to music with your ears clogged
and it leave you wanting more.
and when you raise the volume the Mids and highs start to sound very raspy.
And since theres no auxiliary jack you cant get a wired connection going.
So if you pick this up, don't expect the best sound quality.
Although UE is known for making very easy to use speakers they did drop the ball when
it comes to gauging battery life.
On a lot of other products you can gauge the battery life thanks to a few LEDs on the front
or it'll just flat out tell you what battery percentage its at when you first turn it on.
Apparently UE didn't get the memo.
In order to get a battery percentage estimate on the wonder boom you have to press the plus
and minus buttons at the same time.
Then the wonder boom will play a tone, and the loudness of the tone will signify if the
battery is full, medium, or low.
This is not optimal, i understand wanting to cut costs by not putting LED’s in but
not having the speaker read out the battery percentage is just pure over sight.
With all that being said, you’re not going to pick up the wonder boom cause you’re
looking for something with great sound quality.
the UE Wonderboom might appeal to you if you’re looking for something small and is rugged
enough to stand up to almost anything.
since there are no moving parts exposed you don't have to worry about it being damaged
if its packed in a cramped bag or something.
The wonder boom is that dedicated speaker you take with you to the beach, the lake,
camping or on a boat.
But I wouldn't pick this up if this is going to be your bedroom speaker especially since
there are better sounding alternatives on the market at the same price point.
the wonder boom is a good second speaker that you beat up.
checkout my JBL Flip 4 review video so you can see
what I'm talking about.