Ultimate Ears released the cylinder-shaped UE Boom portable speaker last year for $200 in a range of colors and designs. For 2015, the company upped the ante with a bigger, better sounding, more feature packed Bluetooth speaker called the UE Megaboom for $300. Is it worth the extra $100, absolutely!
The UE Megaboom is the most advanced portable Bluetooth speaker available from anyone. Not only is it completely waterproof, but its companion app enables EQ sound tweaks and alarm functionality. In addition, the app enables pairing of a second Megaboom speaker for stereo listening (up to six total). On top of that, the app can silently push software updates to the Megaboom wirelessly, which can add new features or fix bugs. It is the first speaker in its to class offer wireless upgrades.
Mega = Better
Besides the features, the main reason you’ll want the Megaboom is because it sounds better, a lot better. It offers deeper bass and richer sound than its smaller brother, and it can easily fill any size room with music. You can place it anywhere, thanks to its 360-degree sound. Stand it up or lay it down to suit your taste. You can even place it in the corner to maximize room reflections, and your friends will swear the sound is from a much larger speaker. The Megaboom is still easy to carry and is virtually shockproof, weather-proof, child-proof and drop-proof.
Differences
There are four main feature differences between the two speakers. The UE Megaboom is waterproof (3 feet), while the regular Boom is only splash resistant. Megaboom has an extra 5 hours of battery life (20 hours vs. 15 hours). Megaboom gets double the wireless range (100 feet vs 50 feet). As previously mentioned, Megaboom is automatically upgraded via over-the-air updates. The UE Boom can become upgradeable over-the-air, but the user must first manually install a one-time software update via USB cable to enable the feature.
Conclusion
The $299 UE Megaboom is the current, rugged, waterproof, portable Bluetooth speaker to beat. The $199 UE Boom is formidable and fun, and comes in 25 different color variations. However, for this comparison it is easy to pick the Megaboom. It’s the perfect speaker to take anywhere that you’ll also still want to use at home.
