UE Megaboom review

The clue is in the name when it comes to describing the volume and sound signature of Ultimate Ears' latest Bluetooth speaker. If your music collection largely consists of loud, heavy tracks with plenty of bass, the Megaboom should definitely pique your interest.

It sounds warm and impactful, and is particularly loud near its maximum volume, making it perfect for an outdoor party but not necessarily for those looking for a more critical, flat sound. The Megaboom’s cylindrical design also helps it project sound in almost every direction, avoiding the directionality inherent to some portable Bluetooth speakers.

While it’s portable, it’s not the smallest speaker out there – Ultimate Ears' own UE Boom is a smaller alternative for those looking for something they can more easily throw in a bag. The Megaboom exists solely for those who want a punchier, louder sound.

We like the look of our black review sample, but the Megaboom is also available in more adventurous red, blue, black and plum shades. Regardless of your colour choice, every speaker is IPX7 water-resistant down to 1m for up to 30 minutes, making it great not only for using outdoors near swimming pools but also for more mundane tasks like as a shower speaker. There aren’t any exposed metallic screws to rust as we’ve seen on other supposedly water resistant speakers either. You just need to ensure the waterproof flaps on the base are firmly closed to keep any moisture out. It's here where you'll find the micro USB charging port, along with a 3.5mm auxiliary jack for connecting wired devices. You'll need to turn the speaker upside down to use it with anything plugged in.

The two large volume buttons along the edge are almost impossible to miss, and the NFC contact point below it is great for quick-pairing compatible smartphones. There's a much smaller Bluetooth pairing button for connecting iPhones and other handsets without NFC. The UE Megaboom has excellent Bluetooth range; we got more than 20m away from the speaker before music became interrupted. It’s just a shame there’s no Bluetooth aptX support.

If you have two Megaboom speakers, you can pair them together as a stereo system to double up on sound output using the UE Megaboom app. It's available on iOS and Android, and lets you configure the speaker as an alarm. It's most useful feature is turning the speaker on remotely using Bluetooth Smart on compatible devices. It’s a simple feature but one that is incredibly convenient. Not all handsets are supported, but a list can be found at www.bluetooth.com

Battery life was excellent, thanks in part to its large 3,600mAh battery. We managed more than 15 hours of playback at medium volume before needing a charge, putting the UE Megaboom up there with the Bowers & Wilkins T7 for longevity.

Aside from the puzzling design quirk placing connections on the base, there’s not a lot to dislike about the UE Megaboom provided you’re happy with a very warm, bassy sound and its large size. For slightly less money, we still prefer the smaller Best Buy-winning Fugoo coupled with its Sport jacket especially for outdoor use due to its rugged design, but the UE Megaboom is still a great choice overall.