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Initially known for custom in-ear monitors after founders Mindy and Jerry Harvey (who was Van Halen's touring monitor engineer) created a model for drummer Alex Van Halen to help him hear the other band members over the stage noise, Ultimate Ears quickly became popular with musicians.
But it wasn’t until 2013, some five years after Logitech acquired the brand, that it launched its first Bluetooth speaker. The UE Boom certainly made waves in the market, as it was one of the first portable wireless speakers that was drop-proof, waterproof and offered 360-degree sound.
More than a decade later the UE Boom range is still going strong, and the latest design to join the ranks is squarely aimed at those that want great sound outdoors - it comes loaded with an ‘Outdoor Boost’ button, which Ultimate Ears claims “pumps up the sound to deliver big bass and optimizes sound outdoors”. But just how does it perform in the real world?
Sound quality
When it comes to audio quality, the UE Everboom offers a rich, warm presentation. The top end sounds crisp and bright, and the midrange tones are natural and clear - which creates a balanced experience, as perfectly demonstrated by a listen to Die with a Smile by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars.
Meanwhile, Don’t Lie by The Chainsmokers featuring Kim Petras sounds fresh, with the melodic vocal given as much gravitas as the electronic tones. However the bass is, well… a little disappointing. The low notes are clearly audible, but they don’t have the same warmth and prominence as when played through the original Sonos Move (my reference, but admittedly not very portable, wireless speaker).
It’s a similar story when listening to The Door by Teddy Swims. Even at high volume the UE Everboom makes sure the bass notes are controlled without becoming muddy or overshadowing the soulful vocals - but they sound a little hollow and insubstantial.
The ‘Outdoor Boost’ feature provides a little bit more depth to the bass, and a tiny increase in volume - but it doesn’t live up to UE’s bold claims of delivering big bass. And, again, it certainly can’t match the richness of the Sonos Move
The UE Everboom provides a fairly rich, warm sound when it comes to spoken word. An episode of The Therapy Crouch with Peter Crouch and Abi Clancey sounds clear, with the mid-range and low tones of the presenter’s voices perfectly replicated - I’m almost convinced I’m in the room as the conversation is happening.
Living with
The UE Everboom is certainly portable – it’s slightly larger than two cans of fizzy drink stacked on top of each other, and less than 1kg in weight. I can happily slip it in my bag and carry it around for the day.
UE speakers are known for their bright, bold colours - and the Everboom is no exception. It comes in two-tone blue or a black-and-yellow finish - it’s a little in-your-face for my tastes, I’ll admit, and I initially mistook the yellow flecks on the top and bottom edges as dust rather than the deliberate aesthetic.
It comes with some pretty rugged credentials – it can survive drops of up to one metre, has an IP67 waterproof rating, and the claim that it floats in the bath stacks up. There are basic controls on the speaker itself including play/pause, volume up and down, and ‘Outdoor Boost’.
For more granular control such as tweaking the bass, treble and midrange, as well as pairing the speaker with other UE models for an even louder sound, there’s the UE Boom app. I particularly like the ‘Magic Button’ feature which, when activated through the app, ensures a long press on the ‘play/pause’ button starts a specific playlist from Amazon Music or Apple Music - although not offering this feature for Spotify is a bit of a misstep.
Conclusion
The UE Everboom does a great job of extracting clear, bright sound from a device that’s rugged enough to be used outdoors. Like many other models on the market, it does compromise on well-rounded bass in favour of a physical size and shape that’s compact and portable - but with a long-lasting 20-hour battery life and some handy features (such as the ‘Magic Button’) and the ability to pair several UE speakers together for a louder sound, I think it’s a worthy choice.
Listening Notes
Soul II Soul Back to Life
This iconic 80s club classic sounds fresh, with the soulful vocals perfectly balanced alongside the rhythmic bassline and violins that pepper the track in a way that won’t fail to get your shoulders swaying in time.
Michael Bublé Don’t Blame It on Me
The UE Everboom makes this jive-inspired recording sound full of energy. The double bass and percussion instruments are perfectly balanced against Michael’s melodic vocals and, when the song reaches its crescendo, the speaker allows the trumpets to shine.
Sabrina Carpenter Taste
The rhythmic guitar and melodic vocals are the stars of the show in this modern slice of pop, which evokes memories of I Touch Myself by Divinyls. The track sounds crisp and bright, which makes for an extremely pleasurable listen.
The UE Everboom is the ideal buy if you want a portable Bluetooth speaker that’s rugged and offers a warm, yet lively, sound. It’s relatively lightweight, and those who want an outdoor speaker will appreciate its waterproof capability - although as is the case with many portable Bluetooth speakers, you do compromise when it comes to fullness in the bass. It’s not as pricey as the Sonos Move 2 (the current comparable Sonos offering), and it’s more portable too.
