Ultimate Ears (UE) is now out in the light with its latest product – the Wonderboom. Since 2013, the brand has grown to become a huge name in the Bluetooth speaker segment, and it is only increasing. The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom has been touted to be the toughest Bluetooth speaker in the market right now in terms of build quality. The reviews of this gadget have only returned a single word answer which seems to be “indestructible”. The speaker has been out in the international market for a while now, and earlier this month, the Logitech-owned company has brought it to the Indian market in five different colours. Below we present a detailed review of this tank-like built Bluetooth speaker.
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom Review: Overview
The Wonderboom measures 103 x 92.5mm in dimensions, and it comes with a cylindrical design with a big yet minimalistic branding. The gadget comes in a rubber plus fabric built, giving it a premium feel. Also, it comes with 360-degree sound which ensures that no matter where and how you place it, it’s going to deliver impressive sound quality. There is also a small yet strong fabric loop on the top in-case you feel the need to hang the device somewhere. Ultimate Ears launched the speaker in five colour options- Concrete, Avocado, Patches, Unicorn and Raspberry.
Also in terms of performance, the Wonderboom doesn’t fail to disappoint. The speaker lives up to its rough and tough reputation since it is easily able to boast of 10 hours of battery life with a maximum of 8 devices paired at once. The range of this speaker extends to 33 metres, and it can also sustain water immersion till up to 1m for half an hour. The USB charging port remains hidden behind a rubber case which nicely blends with the rest of the body. This rubber case keeps the port protected from water and dust, and this is the place from where the Wonderboom can draw the charge. The device attains 100% battery in two and a half hours.
A total of five buttons are situated on the top of this device which can be used to accomplish various tasks like Power on/off, adjusting volume, playing, pausing or skipping tracks, seeing power/playing status and lastly double up two Booms. The exciting functionality of the Wonderboom is that it comes with the capability to pair up with another Wonderboom to play music with accurate sync. You will just need to hold the UE logo on both the speakers simultaneously after which they will start playing music from the same source.
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom Review: Build Quality
Build quality and durability is the Wonderboom’s forte. The device does not lag behind in any way when it comes to resilience and endurance. The Wonderboom truly shines in this regard and is even able to take up the most brutal environments involving physical impact. The only effect that you get to see on the speaker after all the testing is a little bit of dust. Keeping in mind that this Bluetooth speaker is also waterproof and shockproof, it won’t be an overstatement if we say that it is indeed a tank which plays music.
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom Review: Audio Quality
The Wonderboom besides being unbelievably strong is also a solid contender when it comes to sound quality. Owing to the dual 40mm drivers and Bluetooth smart wireless audio profile, the device can reach very loud levels which can even touch 86dB. Even in these high volumes, the audio quality does not waver and hold up above the benchmark. Speaking of equalisation, the treble and bass are nicely tuned to the liking of people, albeit the mid tones seem a little bit faded. However, the overall sound quality compensates for it. At Rs 6,995, the Wonderboom looks like the perfect buy for someone who wants a Bluetooth speaker for tough use but also wants quality out of it.
Another interesting thing to note is that the Wonderboom floats on the surface thus splashing water around it as soon as the bass hits behind the fabric. As you would expect, the sound is a little bit muffled below the surface. However, it keeps on performing even in the wet conditions.
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom Review: Verdict
The Wonderboom proves to be a very worthy buy especially considering its price of Rs 6,995, in which you get a full package of an indestructible, waterproof and shockproof speaker which also delivers impeccable sound quality. However, we do think that the addition of a mobile application would further help it in increasing the ease of usage. Even then, the Wonderboom is able to connect with Amazon Echo or other smart devices without a mobile app. Overall, the Wonderboom doesn’t fail to live up to its reputation and effortlessly and entirely justifies its price tag.
