1.3.2019

"In a nutshell, this is a rugged, waterproof, good looking, easy to use and great sounding portable 360° wireless speaker with good battery life. What more do I need to say?"That was my intro to my review of the BOOM 3's bigger brother, the MEGABOOM 3. And you know what? The exact same applies to the BOOM 3, albeit with everything reduced by ~25% (price, size and battery life included).To give you an idea of the BOOM 3's size, it's just a centimeter or so wider and taller than a 500ml drink can, and just a bit heavier (than a full can that is!) which gives it a sturdy and solid feel. That's reassuring given that it's designed to be used outside. Like its bigger brother,the claim that you can fully immerse it in water for 30 mins thanks to its IP67 rating (and that it floats!) is seriously impressive, but I've not been brave enough to put this to the test. But that certainly adds some assurance should you get caught in a rain shower during a typical British summer picnic.When setting it up there is an app to install (called 'BOOM'), which prompts you to install an initial firmware update and gives you access to some neat features. If you have more than one BOOM or MEGABOOM, or a combination of them, one of the best features is PartyUp which lets you play your music to all of the speakers simultaneously, apparently up to a maximum of 150+ speakers! There's also remote power off and volume control of the speaker, in addition to a sound equaliser offering either a choice of 4 presets (The Standard, Cramped Spaces, Voices and Bass Jump) or a custom setting. It also allows you to to create a 'Block Party' to "DJ the party with friends" (i.e. allow your friends to share control of the speaker) by each friend pairing with the speaker then taking turns streaming from their own devices. Add in a useful speaker battery % indicator (more on that further below) and a how-to guide for the entire Ultimate Ears range, plus the ability to easily check for firmware updates, and I really can't fault it. Pretty neat!On the device are five buttons in total; the usefully large and stylish + and - volume buttons on the front, and on the top the round 'magic' button (which functions as play/pause with a single press or skip track with a double press), the power button (with an LED built into it) and a bluetooth button (to pair the speaker, also with an LED built into it).Sound quality is a subjective thing, but I can say that for the price and functionality I have no complaints. Listening to the BOOM 3 on its own and it has a fairly balanced sound with a reasonable amount of bass, particularly for its size. The trebles could perhaps be a little crisper. It's only if you compare it directly to the larger and more expensive MEGABOOM that you hear the impact of the size reduction, with the MEGABOOM having better lows and a slightly clearer overall sound. But that's hardly a fair comparison though given the price difference. The BOOM 3 gets impressively loud without any hint of distortion, all the way up to max volume. Like the MEGABOOM, the 360° sound claim also lives up under scutiny; as I write I've got the speaker playing in front of me and if I turn my head away and continuously rotate it the sound stays remarkably even, with only a marginal level decrease being where the narrow rubber strip runs down the rear, which is also where you'll find a sturdy fabric carry hoop and the micro-USB charging socket hidden under a waterproof flap.Battery life is also subjective depending on how you use it, but the claimed 15 hours (vs. 20 hours for MEGABOOM 3) should be more than enough for most parties, picnics or BBQs. Charging is via the aforementioned micro-USB socket (you can keep listening whilst charging) and in the box comes both a stylish white flat charge lead. Unlike the MEGABOOM 3 however, there is no power adaptor included. You can also pay extra for the 'POWER UP' charging dock, which is a basically a mains power connected (via the micro-USB cable) plastic disc the same diameter as the speaker which it sits on to charge, a neat idea I'm still trying to resist purchasing.One of my favourite features of the BOOM 3 (which again it shares with the MEGABOOM 3) is a small thing that I didn't initially realise it could do, which is the ability to check the battery percentage at any time via verbal notification by pressing both the + and - volume buttons together. Very neat since it's one of my biggest bugbears with wireless devices having no idea how much battery charge is left until you suddenly get a low notification and it's about to die.Any negatives? Not really, but if I had to be picky I'd say that it would have been nice to have a 3.5mm jack for the ultimate flexibility. I said just the same about the MEGABOOM 3. But of course in this wireless age this seems to be an endangered species.Highly recommended.

29.11.2018

The UE Boom 3 speaker is basic in what it does but very nicely put together, with superb battery life and water resistance that make it a good choice for the shower or bath. The limited controls may have you reaching for your smartphone from time to time, and the sound quality isn't going to compete with an ordinary, non-waterproof speaker system, but in terms of letting you take your music anywhere I think it does a good job.The housing is an attractive cloth-clad cylinder about the size and weight of a large packet of digestive biscuits. It's confidently, robustly waterproof, and has been completely unaffected by a month in my shower. (It even floats just under the surface if you drop it in water,which will be handy for the pool.) There's a concealed USB port or a dock connector on the base for charging, and although the dock is sold separately you probably won't miss it. I listened for about half an hour to an hour a day for a month before I needed to recharge the speaker.The sound quality is very good, but not spectacular - you're paying for waterproofing after all, and it’s not a huge speaker. It's very clear and crisp, and excellent for podcasts, but there's not much bass and the audio is generally a bit flat compared to bigger speakers as a result. It comes through in stereo, on opposite sides of the speaker, but there's necessarily not much separation. On the up side, the speaker can get very loud. At half volume it's loud enough for solitary listening in a room, and at full volume it can be heard clearly around the house. There's a useful equaliser setting on the Boom smartphone app that balances the sound for smaller, echoing rooms like bathrooms, which I appreciated. (What certainly does have presence are the various sound effects for powering on, pairing and so on - I quickly turned these off via the app because they seem to come through at maximum volume regardless of what the speaker is set to.)The two huge volume buttons on the front of the speaker are very easy to use, but the top-panel controls are inconvenient. A chunky centre button lets you play, pause, or skip forwards with appropriate presses, but there's no ability to talk to your phone's voice assistant (as there was on the Boom 2). Instead, this "magic button" lets you use particular combinations of taps and holds to move between up to four playlists that you've previously saved on your phone in the Boom app. This isn't much of a substitute for holding a button and just telling Siri what you want, and it feels like this has been done to help improve sales of the Megaboom, which has built-in Alexa. Next to the magic button are tiny power and bluetooth buttons that are hard to press, with indicator lights built in to the middle so your finger covers them up. The Boom app can actually switch the speaker on, as well as off, and I've taken to using that instead.As a whole this is a good choice for anyone who needs a waterproof speaker, but isn't too fussed about extra features. If you're the kind of person who starts up a playlist or a podcast and just lets it play, the limited controls are unlikely to bother you. Otherwise you'll have to plan ahead, or accept drying off and going back to your phone to change album. The party features built in to the app are appealing, but if you want those then you might want to consider a non-waterproof speaker that sounds better. It's a good pick for an everyday bathroom speaker, though, and I look forward to trying it out at the beach next year.

3.3.2019

This is the baby-brother of the Megaboom3 which I also have. They look almost identical and have a lot of the same features. And they can be paired with each other and use the same app. So what's the difference between the two?1. Size: the Boom 3 is 4.1cm shorter and 1.4cm narrower2. Battery Life: the Boom3 has a 15 hour battery life versus 20 hours for the Megaboom33. Bass: the Megaboom3 has more bass - this gives a deeper sound which I prefer4. Frequency range: the Megaboom3 has a wider frequency range but I couldnt notice the difference in a side by side test.5. Price: at the time of writing this review the Boom3 (without power up) is 129 pounds, while the Megaboom3 (without power up)is 149-169 depending on colour.So for the price and performance I'd recommend the Megaboom3 as its only 20 quid more. Unless you are really tight for space and want something ultraportable.Main Review:Like the Megaboom3 it has excellent sound quality, is ridiculously loud, can be paired up with other speakers and has a guest dj feature so your friends can all connect to the speaker and play their tunes as well. The fact that it is drop, proof, water proof and can even float is amazing! In fact with spotify, itunes, internet radio and iplayer etc on your smartphone you really don't need any other sound system. So it's perfect for university students or teens who are on the move and need something robust, portable, with good sound quality and something that adds to the party.Whats inside the box:The speakerInstruction manualCharger cable (no adaptors included)Installation:Switch on, Pair with your smart device and your ready to start playing music.Tap the big + and - sign to control volume, tap the "magic button" once to play/pause and twice to skip to the next song.For more features download the app. This allows you to update the firmware, try different Equaliser settings or create your own, add extra speakers and enable Block party.Whats it like.In a word "Great"! The sound quality and volume is brilliant! Even at half volume it is very loud. The Block Party function is fantastic as no-one ever has all the best tunes on one phone. Your friends can connect to the speaker but you maintain control through the app. You can pause or stop your friends selections and choose who's songs to play. You can also delete any guest djs access. And you can stop block party at any time.Any downsides:Well it is pricey compared to other speakers but you get what you pay for.Small niggles - when your phone goes to sleep and you wake it up or when switching between guest djs there's often a slight pause/interruption in the music.Would have been nice to have a mixing/fade in and out effect for switching between djs.It's not a smart speaker but then it isn't meant to be. This is primarily a party machine rather than a static smart speaker.Doesn't come with a charger plug or a charging base included - for the price they could have thrown them in.All in all a great speaker that is top quality and great fun. I'd still recommend the Megaboom3 on overall sound quality and price but for such a small speaker the sound is awesome. Bring on the party!

24.10.2018

I don't say this lightly - in my opinion these are the best portable Bluetooth speakers. They're not without their issues but I hold out hopes that UE will fix these problems in software because they relate to the Android app.I own a pair of first generation UE Boom speakers. I got one when they first came out and immediately had to rush out and buy a second to make a stereo pair. Amazing volume levels for such a small enclosure, great stereo image. Great battery life, great pretty much everything. Years have passed, I still love them.These UE Boom 3 speakers are bigger than my old pair of first version speakers. It's just like looking at a current generation Ford Focus compared to a previous version - they keep getting bigger with each version.There are some advantages to the bigger size of the UE Boom 3 - I expect some of it is to do with making them dustproof and waterproof to IP67. Most importantly the bass is even better than my old first generation versions. The only downside is that they're just a tiny bit more cumbersome to carry around in your hands, a bit trickier to grip in your hand, particularly two at once.I have a stereo pair of UE Boom 3s. One in Sunset Red, the other in Ultraviolet Purple. It's handy having them different colours because when you try and pair them using the Android smartphone app you can tell which is which.The worst part of ownership is trying to make a stereo pair. You pair one speaker with your phone over Bluetooth, which generally happens automatically, usually successfully. Then using the app you wait for the Ultimate Ears logo to disappear, then tap the PARTYUP icon. All of your available extra speakers appear and you drag the one that you want to make your stereo pair with into the middle of the screen. Simple. Or it would be, but this frustrating pairing process has about a one in three chance of working. Most times you watch a refresh icon then it fails to pair and you have to try again. It's aggravating if you're in a rush and want to get on with your life. It makes you look like an idiot when you're trying to demonstrate it to a friend.Listening to the UE Boom 3 in mono or stereo is very satisfying. The sound emanates from all sides of the circular enclosure so you can get a good sound from a lot of listening positions in your room. There are some times I listen to them in stereo when the stereo image isn't particularly crisp and I put that down to the diffuse way that sound comes out of the enclosure. But this lack of crispness is made up for by a very well balanced engaging sound that can be tweaked using the graphic equalizer in the app.The only decision to my mind is whether to go for a pair of UE Boom 3 or a pair of the bigger UE Megaboom 3. The Megabooms have more bass and a higher potential top comfortable volume level, but they're not as good as the UE Boom 3 at playing at a quieter more tolerable volume. If you're playing music at your desk in a house where blasting your music at full volume won't make you any friends then the UE Boom 3 would be best. If you want to party like it's 1999 then you won't regret going for the Megaboom 3.

28.2.2019

Bluetooth speakers are a very crowded market, there are hundreds of them on here of various shapes sizes and hues, and to be honest the first thing that caught my eye about this one was the price. You can get similarly-sized Bluetooth speakers for well under half of the current asking price of this one. You can get full-sized TV soundbars with optical inputs for less, even. So would fantastic sound quality or some other killer features justify the high price?Well, it has to be said the sound quality is very good. The bass response is incredible considering the size of the speaker, it sounds really stunning on bass-and-kick-heavy club tunes. The high end is fairly crisp,but on classical music it’s maybe not quite as expansive and beautiful-sounding as others I’ve heard, but nevertheless it’s very very good.As for other features though, it’s not stacked. I can see that for some people the waterproof nature of it would be a big plus, but that strikes me as quite a niche set of circumstances under which that would be useful- and it’s hardly unique, since you can get far cheaper waterproof speakers, in fact around Christmas time there was a deodorant manufacturer beginning with L who were giving away a cheap Bluetooth shower speaker when you bought a pack of shower gel.The most annoying feature, and a genuine bugbear for me, is the ‘magic button’. It’s not magic. It’s irritating. A single click is the play/pause button, but if you press it twice, it will skip to the next track. Intuitively I expected three clicks to allow you to skip back, but seemingly that doesn’t work and instead it triggers an American-sounding spoken word message about how the app needs to be configured to support this. I appreciate that stylish design and waterproof design both lend themselves towards putting fewer buttons on a device, but seriously- just having one button is not ‘magic’. It’s inconvenience dressed up as a positive.Set-up is fairly straightforward. Bluetooth pairing is very easy- the device automatically tries to pair when first turned on- but updating the firmware of the speaker via the Android app (the first time I’ve ever had to do that for a Bluetooth speaker) took about three minutes. Thankfully there was no registration process, although the app did seem strangely interested in knowing my phone’s location, which I was unsure about. With only one speaker, and without wanting to use the Deezer playlist functionality (Rocket Player does a far better job), the only real function of the app is that it allows you to set the EQ, which is quite handy for finding your preferred sonic balance. Anything is possible, from “keeping your parents awake” bass absurdity through to lightweight “gentle late night Radio 4” and anything inbetween.It’s four stars from me, with the headlines being that in terms of sound quality it’s clearly a 5, but the ‘magic button’ and other features (or the lack thereof) knock that down a bit. I don’t think the current asking of well over a hundred quid is justified considering some of the other options available on this site.

11.2.2019

Ultimate Ears Boom 3 wireless bluetooth speaker is one of those speakers you can take anywhere, including the bath. It is waterproof, dust proof (so long as you remember to push in the dust cap) and drop proof. It is a tube shape and comes with a flat ribbon style Micro USB charging cable. I installed it on iOS.This particular speaker, in green has a sort of pearlescent orange tinge to it depending on what angle you look at it.The volume switches are on the front, the cross to increase the volume and the single perpendicular sign to reduce the volume. At first glance the volume switches look a bit like a religious symbol.There is one large button on the top, called a magic button in the quick start guide,which allows you to skip or replay a track. Two smaller buttons are the on/off switch and the other is for bluetooth pairing.When switching on there is a loud tone to let you know it’s ready to go, but to use the speaker you will need to download the Boom app. In the settings menu it appears that you can switch off the tones but it does not work. The tone sounds are loud and irritating when you switch on.The speaker comes with its own app complete with graphic equaliser and the ability to connect to150 speakers whether they are are yours or your friends. Of course, they would still be limited to bluetooth connection and the associated range limitations.Sound quality is decent for the size of the speaker and it benefits from being stood on a hard surface or upright in a corner. The option to adjust the sound output via the graphic equaliser app is also good. The equaliser is a simple five way slide but it is effective.Music output is balanced, clear and good quality highs and mids while the Bass doesn’t suffer from being dull and remains sharp. However at full volume I experienced significant distortion though it can be loud enough without having to take it to the maximum level.The fact that it is meant to be used as an outdoor go anywhere speaker means that it isn’t necessary to have the best quality sound, but it should be distortion free.Battery life is dependant on how loud you like playing your music but indoors it gave a good 8 hours of play without needing a recharge.It is not a perfect speaker by any means and you have to look at what it was designed for and it is not for music purists, instead it is for those outdoor types who want to party outdoors. So I can forgive some of the short comings, the main one being the distortion and the fact that you always have to use an app to connect it.I hope that a software update will allow it to connect purely by bluetooth and not the app and that the distortion can be cured with a reduction in volume. It is loud enough without being on full volume. A 4/5 but only just because of what it is designed for.

13.10.2018

The Boom 3 is certainly a good looking bluetooth speaker with several different bright colour options (mine came in a green, red and purple) and even the inner case is well designed with a colourful graffiti style, but can it match it for sound?The speaker is ready to go out of the box and is easy to lift out of the case with the only other item being a long micro USB for charging (as well as very small instruction booklet). Just hold power until you hear the drums then connect via bluetooth to your phone or tablet.It's waterproof and can even survive a pool dunking for 30 minutes, as well as being sand and dirt proof. The single button option and easy to access volume controls (via the + and - on the front)

15.10.2018

The Logitech Boom 3 is a portable, rechargeable Bluetooth speaker, part of the Ultimate Ears range, bigger than a Wonderboom, smaller than a Megaboom. It’s a cylinder 73 mm diameter and 184 mm high.Of course there are plenty of nice Bluetooth speakers out there but this one has a couple of notable features.First, it is waterproof to the IP67 standard and you can supposedly immerse it fully for up to 30 minutes (though I am not sure why you would want to). I think of it as weatherproof; it’s great not to worry about a splash of rain or a spilt drink when out and about.Second, you can connect up to 150 devices in the Boom range so they play simultaneously (“Party mode”).

16.10.2018

BOOM 3 is definitely built for the outdoors. As a completely sealed unit, it is designed to withstand water and dirt (especially good for sandy areas like beaches) as well as impacts. The main three control buttons are embedded into the top of the speaker, with two volume buttons at the front. A lift up flap at the back reveals a charging port, though you can also charge using a stand (sold separately, but you can also buy it as a dual pack with the speaker). The sound of the speaker also benefits for being outdoors, interestingly enough, but it does sound good inside too. A pleasant balance of bass and treble, and surprisingly rich for its size and shape. Want to hear some great tunes in the shower?

30.10.2018

This excels at what it does, and is, frankly, a delight to use, although the one-button-does-everything on the top does require a bit of getting used to.So, what is this. A bluetooth speaker, obviously, but one that packs some serious punch on its sound. Unlike a lot of bluetooth speakers I've tried, the bass on this comes across strong, and without distortion as well, which is exactly the one-two combo I want on a speaker. On the other end of the spectrum the treble range is excellent and, again, there's no distortion on playback, even on higher volume levels. And, as promised by the blurb, this speaker does throw sound out all around itself,

12.10.2018

This Boom 3 speaker from Ultimate Ears (made by Logitech) really looks good. A very attractive purple and pink braided cloth really catches the eye, and makes the speaker nice and tactile to hold.The sound is also excellent - and loud - and it's very easy to set up and use. It's about the size of a 440ml can of beer.However, in order to make the most of the speaker features, you have to download the app. This gives you control over the balance of the sound (this is great because a lot of speaker preset balances really aren't set up very well).When you open the app, you can set up the 'magic button' - this lets you play any playlist by holding the button on top of the speaker for two seconds,

5.6.2020

Being a previous owner of a Boom 2, which I donated to my parents. I decided to upgrade to the Boom 3.At first glance, I couldn’t decide whether I prefer the sound of the Boom 2 or 3, but the more analysis I did the more I noticed the clearness and bass is certainly better with this one but no matter which you’d pick they are both fantastic.I’m a big fun of the new location of the charging port as it makes more sense and it’s convenient (only shame is that it’s not USB C). I’m also a fan of the new charging dock (Although I recommend the 3rd party option as it’s nicer and a lot cheaper!)Build quality wise, I see and feel the speaker being even more robust (even though Boom 2 has been excellent).

14.2.2019

This doesn't have as full a sound as its big brother - the Mega-Boom - but the trade-off is for extra portability, the Boom being relatively light and easy to carry (though the MegaBoom does come with a bullet-proof carry case). About half the height, and a bit slimmer than a tube of Pringles, this speaker is easy to take anywhere - and is waterproof, which can be useful if you're near water ... or beer!The sound is bright and gives a good, balanced reproduction, though not as much bottom end as the Mega. It is very clear and not as 'muddy' as some cheaper speakers that can sometimes make speech indistinct. The app allows you to switch the speaker on remotely, adjust the volume and set levels via the graphic equalizer,

26.12.2018

Design is excellent and for a portable all round speaker it is good value for money. It's nowhere near the sound quality of a Bluesound Pulse Flex but then it's a third of the price. There's an Android and Apple app to control the unit and it includes some basic EQ controls. These are pretty rubbish though. Use the app if you're at a pool party and everyone has conveniently brought a Boom 3 along with them then you can connect them all together and hack off the neighbours with the combined volume.It's easy to set up once you realise that there are actually three buttons on the top of the unit even though to stupid people (i.e. me) it looks like there's only one big round one.

15.10.2018

This is the third different brand of Bluetooth wireless speaker that I've owned, and the technology just seems to be getting better and better, because this one is AMAZING!Easy to connect to your phone and charged ready to use straight out of the box, this speaker packs some serious volume, easy enough for a small party, with a clarity of sound that's a joy to hear. My only quibble with the sound is that I felt like at times it would benefit from having a little more bass, but then I checked and found listings for a more expensive version with extra bass, so that answers that question!I haven't installed the accompanying app yet (it plays well straight out of the box,

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