Logitech Ue Ultimate Ears Boom 2

What Howdy-Fi? Verdict

The original Boom gets even amend, thanks to improved features and performance

Pros

+
Rhythmic, expressive audio
+
App functionality
+
Swell build and rugged pattern

Cons

-
Distortion at maximum book

Dear at starting time sight (and listen).

That's how we remember the original Ultimate Ears Blast – the first wireless speaker from Ultimate Ears to print united states of america, but non the last.

The Megaboom (the Boom only bigger), the Roll 2 (a current Accolade-winner) and Megablast (Megaboom with Alexa) have all hit the mark since, and the Ultimate Ears Blast two is by no means the runt of the litter.

It has at present been succeeded by the third-gen Boom 3, only 2015'south Smash 2 is still a great deal if you're looking for a fun and affordable portable speaker.

Read the Ultimate Ears Blast iii review

Features

"The strap loop and tabs covering the USB/3.5mm ports are in the recessed base of operations"

If its very literal proper noun isn't enough of a inkling, information technology's the updated version of the first Smash, which brings new internals, a tweaked exterior and a range of new colours. Ultimate Ears claims the speaker goes 25 per cent louder than the original Boom and has an improved wireless range of up to 30 metres.

But, similar a good motion picture sequel, the Smash 2 has a lot of the charm of the original, also. Bluetooth (with one-touch NFC compatibility) takes care of wireless connectivity, although a 3.5mm input – alongside a microUSB charging port on the bottom of the speaker, at present covered by flaps – provides an alternative for hardwiring your smartphone or tablet. Information technology's something worth keeping in mind as the Boom three does away with the three.5mm input.

There'south withal a claimed xv-hour battery life (from a ii.five hour charge), a born mic to allow it to be used as a speakerphone, 360-degree sound, and a waterproof (to IPX 7 standards), rugged exterior.

Get-go-class butterfingers will be pleased to know information technology's 'drop-proof' from upwards to 5 feet also, and designed to 'get moisture, dirty and shell upwards'. Though we didn't have the stamina to go 12 rounds with it, we purposely knocked information technology off the table and briefly ran information technology under the tap, and it survived to tell the tale.

Remaining its fun, colour-coordinating cocky, Ultimate Ears has dropped the original Nail'south seven colours for six new, and even flashier, ones: Cherrybomb (carmine), Yeti (white), Phantom (grey and blackness), GreenMachine (green and blue), Tropical (purple and orange) and BrainFreeze (blue).

Build quality

But unless y'all're well versed in which colours belong to which generation of speaker, telling the Boom ii from its predecessor requires a keen eye.

The wraparound woven fabric grille simply looks more tightly woven and slightly better attached to the rubberized command strip running down its middle.

The snazzy up-and-downward volume buttons return (concur them together and a voice lets you lot know the current battery level) and there's also a new tap control so you can pause, play and skip tracks by borer the top of the speaker once or twice.

Only brand sure the function is activated in the Ultimate Ears Boom app.

More: Best wireless speakers to buy 2018

Speaking of which… equally with the original model, the app lets you lot pair two Boom speakers to play in stereo mode, or together for a bigger, louder sound. Does that mean multi-room? To the extent that you can play the same song on multiple speakers, yes. You tin can't fix up unlike zones à la Sonos, though.

The app also lets you rename your Boom 2, check its battery percentage, ability it on and off, and gear up an alarm with your pick of song. A new feature for the app, 'Cake Party', lets iii devices connect to a unmarried Boom 2, Megaboom or Roll speaker and add songs to a shared playlist so yous and your friends tin can channel your inner DJ.

When it's standing upright, as it should be, the 360-degree sound is more than than big and open enough to fill every corner of the average room – impressive for a speaker that could fit inside a pint glass.

Operation

In Enya's Caribbean Blueish (opens in new tab) the ethereal waves of synths and layers of lush, cascading vocal harmonies ooze out of the Blast two effortlessly, with space and openness, never sounding strained or muddled.

That ease of commitment was a major pull of the original, just the successor moves things on with greater transparency.

Underneath, the nimble strings accept texture and rhythm and at that place's more going on dynamically than you'd expect.

While it tin can't chuck out the weight and power of the Megaboom, bass is ameliorate defined than on its predecessor.

Mids and treble take more insight too and while it'south nevertheless lively rhythmically, its fancy footwork is that scrap more than surefooted. In Nas' N.Y. State Of Listen (opens in new tab), in that location's tighter sync between the beat, piano loops and twinkly chimes.

Verdict

We can vouch for it beingness louder than the original (not that information technology needed to exist), though despite cramming in two larger drivers and passive radiators the Nail 2 still lets distortion pitter-patter in at the highest volume levels.

Withal, it will happily sprint along trouble-free at 80 per cent volume, which is still good for a party.

The Boom, but better: that's what it boils down to. Ultimate Ears has built on the success of its debut wireless speaker with added usability and improved performance, producing yet some other winner with its Blast two. The latest Boom 3 has newer and slicker features, sure, only even iii years on since its debut, the tidy Boom two delivers a well-rounded performance at a decent toll that's worth looking out for.

Boom indeed.

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