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>The editors thank the Asbis-Ukraine company for kindly providing Bluetooth acoustics for review.
Ultimate Ears wireless speakers for the latestFor a couple of years they became the editors' favorites. And for good reason: they always delight with loud sound of excellent quality, stylish design, durable, moisture-resistant construction, long battery life and interesting functionality. We have already visited Megaboom, Boom and Boom 2, and today we will talk about the new model UE Megaboom 3. In fact, it is not entirely new (it was released towards the end of last year), but it is just getting ready for release on our market. And it was announced at IFA 2019 in Berlin along with the smaller Boom 3. The company apparently decided to omit the model with index 2 in the name in order not to confuse users and to combine the line under one index. The updated model received a number of changes compared to the UE Megaboom: something was added, something was decided to be removed. Towards the end of this text we will compare them in detail, but for now let’s take a closer look at Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3.
What is it?
Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 is a portable, dust-proof,shock- and moisture-proof acoustics, equipped with two speakers and two passive radiators that provide 360° sound. It connects via Bluetooth, is powered by a built-in battery for 20 hours of operation (as claimed by the manufacturer) and has proprietary software.
What is interesting portable speakers Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3?
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Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 - big, heavya speaker that uses two 2-inch drivers and two 55x86 mm passive radiators for low frequencies. Like its predecessors, the sound spreads over 360°, the reproduced frequency range is from 60 Hz – 20 kHz, and the maximum sound level – 90 dBA. The case is protected from dust, dirt and water according to the IP67 standard, is not afraid of falls from a height of up to 1.5 m and can withstand immersion in water to a depth of one meter for up to 30 minutes. Moreover, the column has learned to swim and can now only be drowned deliberately. The battery capacity is not specified, but they promise 20 hours of battery life. For control, there is a new multifunctional Magic Button and a proprietary application with a bunch of functions. One of the most interesting is Block Party: you and 2 other friends can simultaneously connect to UE Megaboom 3 and take turns playing music. And PartyUp, which allows you to connect up to 150 Megaboom 3, Megaboom, Boom 3, Boom 2 and Boom speakers into a single audio system. Bluetooth is used for connection; the maximum operating range is now 45 m.
What is in the box?
Like its predecessor, Megaboom 3 is packaged ina large box with a soft cardboard cover. There is a bunch of printing on it: an image of the speaker itself, technical characteristics and features. The inner box is also “colorful”, with interesting hand-drawn art:
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Under the lid of the box there is UE Megaboom 3 on a stand,and all the accessories are located under it. Included: UE Megaboom 3, power supply with two replaceable plugs for different sockets, a white MicroUSB-USB cable and brief instructions:
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What does Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 look like?
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The general style remained recognizable, but the design andsome design points have changed. It's still a large cylinder, but now a little more formally shaped. The main materials remain the same: the upper and lower ends and the strip along the body that connects them are made of rubberized material. The rest of the surface is made of nylon-like fabric. But the weaving has become smaller compared to the previous generation. According to the manufacturer, similar fabric is used in the production of motorcycle jackets and firefighting uniforms.
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Front - already familiar with the past two modelslarge buttons increase and decrease the volume, which for some reason, some are associated with religious symbols. Buttons and all rubberized inserts of color similar to the rest of the body. The blue version came to us for review, there are still red, black and purple:
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There are now three buttons on the top end instead of two.Two small ones - power supply and switching to Bluetooth connection mode, both with indicator LEDs. The longitudinal LED of the power button lights up red if the battery charge is almost exhausted. A new element is a large round button with an LED edge. This is the so-called “magic” button (Magic Button), with which you can switch tracks, pause or include your own playlists from online music services (more on this later). Previously, the Tap Control feature was used instead of a button. To pause/play, you had to take the gadget in your hand and touch the top of it with your palm. You could double tap to switch to the next track. The solution with a button is more obvious and convenient. Tap Control did not always work correctly.
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On the bottom there is a round metaldeepening This is a connector for the proprietary wireless charging dock. It’s not included in the kit, they want $40 for it, but I’m not sure that it will be sold here. Although this is a handy thing:
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At the top of the column there is a fabric loop, for which the UE Megaboom 3 can be hung, for example, on a backpack or a branch in the forest:
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There is only one connector, still microUSB,although I would like to have Type-C. It is closed with a fixed plug in the lower part of the body on the side. Next - a small LED indicator. The predecessor, he was on the bottom end under a removable cap. The location has become more convenient and logical. But, unfortunately, the 3.5 mm AUX input disappeared:
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We decided not to play football, but the basic tests of Megaboom 3 passed. The column fell onto the floor several times from 2 meters and survived it safely. She is not afraid of water and really swims:
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Dimensions and weight are comparable to the first generation Megaboom. The weight has increased quite a bit: 925 g versus 877 g. This difference is not felt in the hands.
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There aren't many design changes.And in this case, this is rather a plus. The predecessor looked great, but why change something good. Minor design changes mainly benefited Megaboom 3.
What about connectivity, functionality and proprietary software?
In terms of functionality and communication there issome changes. The connection still uses a Bluetooth module (version not specified) with support for A2DP profiles, the ability to connect up to 8 devices and support for Bluetooth Smart (Bluetooth LE), which is necessary to turn on the speaker remotely. The range is specified as 45 m. Of course, this is in ideal conditions with line of sight. Overall, the UE Megaboom did not have any connection problems. Megaboom 3 doesn’t have them either. The weather is not yet conducive to outdoor trips, so there were only indoor tests. 10-15 m with “obstacles” acoustics were not a problem. And now the fly in the ointment: the company removed the NFC and microphone for speakerphone that were present in its predecessor. The reasons may be different: the desire to reduce the cost or lack of demand. Or both.
Corporate application is universal for allThe current UE models are simply and concisely called BOOM. It allows you to remotely turn on and off the acoustics and adjust the volume on the main screen. When enabled, a list appears if there are other UE models. The upper part displays the battery charge, to the right - the transition to the settings. In the application, you can check and update the UE Megaboom firmware, view brief instructions for use, set up the equalizer and alarm clock.
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There are separate tabs for Block Party and PartyUpwith simple, clear and visual instructions on how to use it all. If you have two speakers, they can be used not only in “double” mode, but also in full stereo mode with the ability to adjust the balance. It is made very convenient and simple. The corresponding tab in the center shows the speaker that is currently controlled by the application, and below it shows the available UE speaker systems within range. Simply drag the one you need to the center of the screen. It will automatically turn on and the speakers will start working together. By reversing the movement, the second column automatically turns off:
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Another new feature is account linkingmusic services. Subsequently, you can turn on and switch your playlists directly from the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 without the need for additional manipulations on your smartphone. In practice, only Deezer and Apple Music are supported so far (in some regions, we didn’t have it either), so for now the function is not very interesting for our market. Perhaps this will change and the company will add support for Google Music and/or Spotify, then the benefits will be more real.
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How cool does it sound?
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Apparently, the acoustic configuration remainsthe same or close to the UE Megaboom: two 2-inch emitters and two passive radiators 55x86 mm inches, and the reproduced frequency range is from 60 Hz to 20 kHz (the predecessor was specified from 65 Hz). UE Megaboom 3 distributes sound 360° and has a very large volume reserve. Without any exaggeration, the speaker is very loud. In an average one-room apartment, it is not worth raising the sound level to more than 50%. In general, in this parameter with UE Megaboom, if there is a difference, it is minimal. The sound quality is also very cool, as always. But, subjectively, the new UE Megaboom 3 seemed to me even more “massive” and rich in sound. Best of all, of course, the speaker produces low and high frequencies. The mids are a little blurry and a little less detailed, as is the case in a lot of modern headphones aimed at electronics, pop music or hip-hop. But it’s not critical and instrumental music also sounds great, plus there is an equalizer and the sound can be adjusted.
How much does the battery hold?
In terms of battery and battery life,It looks like they decided not to change anything. UE Megaboom 3 lasts a very long time on a single charge. According to personal observations, even longer than 20 hours. Its predecessor demonstrated approximately the same result. UE Megaboom 3 is one of the longest-lasting speakers of its kind on the market. A full charge takes about 2.5 hours.
What are the differences between UE Megaboom 3 and UE Megaboom?
The models have a number of differences from each other, and quite significant ones. Let's try to figure out what was done better and what was cut in the new UE Megaboom 3. Among the pleasant innovations:
- in addition to dust, dirt and water resistance, the column learned to swim, which significantly reduces the risk of drowning it;
- Magic Button is more convenient and easier to use than Tap Control;
- MicroUSB connector is now on the side, in a more convenient place, and also the option of a charging wireless dock has appeared;
- subjectively, it sounds a little better than the UE Megaboom.
Of the minuses:
- the speaker has lost the microphone and, accordingly, the speakerphone function;
- no NFC and 3.5mm AUX input;
The launch price of UE Megaboom was $300, UE Megaboom3 were valued at $200. Of course, the predecessor can be found cheaper. But the lower starting price allows us to hope that over time it will become even more interesting.
In the dry residue
Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 is peculiarevolutionary development of the chic UE Megaboom, so the main advantages remain in place. UE Megaboom 3 sounds great and very loud, is protected according to the IP67 standard, can float and is not afraid of falls from a not too great height, and at the same time it looks very cool. The battery life of the UE Megaboom 3 is impressive, and in addition to the previously known interesting functions of Block Party and PartyUp, a very convenient Magic Button control button has been added. Unfortunately, the speaker has lost its microphone for speakerphone, 3.5 mm AUX input and NFC module. And if the latter is not at all critical, then the first two points were quite useful. All that remains is to wait for the local price tag; UE Megaboom 3 should go on sale in the near future. And if it really is lower than UE Megaboom was at the start, then such sacrifices are completely justified and forgivable. The competitors will be the same as before and there won’t be many of them. First of all, the current generation JBL Charge and Harman/Kardon, B&O models. Cheaper Chinese options are noticeably behind in both sound and functionality.
5Reasons to buy Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3:
- Excellent sound quality and large volume reserve;
- dust-, mud- and water-resistant and water-floating housing;
- stylish design and workmanship;
- convenient application and management;
- long battery life.
2Reasons not to buy Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3:
- Are you sure you need a microphone for speakerphone, 3.5mm AUX input;
- For you, low price is more important than quality and you are ready to buy something simple “Chinese”.
Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3
Speakers
two 2″ drivers and two passive low-frequency radiators 2x4″
Frequency range
60-20000 Hz
Maximum sound level
90 dBA
Moisture protection
IP67
Interfaces
Bluetooth with A2DP support, MicroUSB
Battery
Up to 20 hours
Dimensions, weight
225x87 mm, 925 g
For those that want to know more:
- Overview of Ultimate Ears Megaboom: 360 degrees of powerful sound in a secure case
- Overview of moisture-proof wireless speakers Logitech UE Boom
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