Ultimate Ears Boom Wireless Bluetooth Speaker - Black

So first off this really would be a 4.5 star review but figured I'd give UE a 5 star on Amazon because they are really, really close with this. Like many I did some research on portable Bluetooth speakers and didn't stumble upon the UE Boom until late and I'm glad I did.I had originally bought a Soundfreaq and had it for an hour before returning it. While I'm not expecting much bass out of a small Bluetooth speaker, you need a little kick. I listen to mostly electronic, bass-heavy music so the Sounfreaq was out straight away. Yes it's half the price, but buy cheap, buy twice.If you're reading this and are considering a BT speaker in the $200 range, by now you've probably figured out it's really down to the Boom and the Soundlink Mini. If you haven't yet, you will soon.While I haven't listened to the Mini, I have an old Bose Sound Dock and listening to the Soundlink in the store, I'm sure the Mini delivers good sound, probably better than the Boom, at least bass-wise which is what I'm after.Now, I have the old Bose dock which sounds good, but it's 2013 and Bluetooth tech has made strides and let's face it I can't be having my phone docked in a Bose when I'm at a party, those things were made for iPods. Many of you are probably like me and in a similar boat. And like me you were used to the nice solid bass the dock produced.But whenever making a decision like this you have to figure out what your needs are and what you're willing to sacrifice.For me, the reason I was in the market was I'm going on a vacation and wanted something portable with a small footprint that could still deliver sound. I knew I'd have to sacrifice some low-end bass and that was that.I was planning on purchasing a Mini to compare, but honestly, the Boom is so good I don't even have to bother. Here's my list of pros:Form FactorVery small footprint. I almost thought the package was wrong when it arrived as I had listened to it at Best Buy (sorry you didn't have any in stock, guys; your loss is Bezos's gain!) and in my mind it was larger (I was probably just remembering the sound!). While I've only had this for the night, I'm sure I'll have no problem tucking it in a backpack or sticking in a water bottle holder and being on my way.One negative it's marketed as being able to stand vertical or horizontal, but laying flat it kind of rolls, not optimal.Big, Big SoundWhat the Boom lacks in true booming bass, it more than makes up for in sheer volume. I mean, this is LOUD. When I was listening at Best Buy, I had to have it only at 50% and even that felt way too loud. And as far as bass, certain songs sound better than others. If I'm listening to some super low end trap like RL Grime or crazy bass heavy stuff like James Blake or Jamie XX, yeah there is no way this thing can hit those frequencies. But listening some 4/4 techno or dance with standard dance music bass kick drum, it has enough that you know it's there.But man, it just fills out the room. You honestly have to hear this to believe the sound is coming out of this little tiny thing. It does sound a little harsh when it gets up past 70%, I can't imagine listening at that level unless there is a lot of background noise, but it will get a party started. I think I saw someone else here refer to it as a sound bomb or sound grenade, and that's an apt description. This thing is the thermal detonator of Bluetooth speakers.Simplicity but with Attention to DesignDead simple. Easy sync. Only two big volume buttons. Micro USB. A little hook if you need to hang it. Line in for non-BT devices. A battery meter shows up in your iPhone info bar at the top of the phone when you connect. It's the little things. No bloat here, but also nothing I find missing.PersonalityLooking at the color schemes and marketing photos, it's obvious the market UE is going after here, they want the mobile party crowd and they hit their mark. Just little details like pressing the buttons gives you a cool volume announcement. You get your choice of colors. The app lets you name the device, which while stupid is fun. And it makes neat little drum sounds when pairing. The USB is an easy-to-spot yellow and flat cord, again with portability and practicality in mind. Little things.RuggedWhile I haven't taken it on the road yet, I can already tell by the build that this will be a rugged piece of tech. You can get it wet, and it just has a solid feel that you won't worry about it knocking about in a bag or getting kicked over at a party or getting sand on it at the beach. That was a deciding factor against the Mini: it just looks too nice. I'd want it just sitting on my deck or in my office, I wouldn't want it on a boat or a on the beach or who knows where else.Battery LifeHaven't put this to the test yet but I'm going to charge fully in morning and go to work and leave my iPad at half volume (which is plenty loud!) and we'll see where it is at the end of the day. Everything I hear though is you can get near the 15 hours if you aren't cranked.Now as far as the cons:Limited Low EndThis has been addressed. But also, I find it does get harsh and shrilly at higher volumes but you'll probably only need to go that high at a party with competing noise. If you really need serious bass, you're just going to have to give up size and portability and go with a bigger player.Missed Opportunity with CaseThe case it comes in comes sooo close to doubling as a carrying case, but ultimately the cap doesn't fit right and it's too cheap looking. I'd gladly have paid an extra $10 if they made a slightly upgraded version that had a better case. As it is there is nothing on the market to carry it in, I'll probably have to get a bottle holder.Honestly, those are the only negatives I can think of. End of the day, this is the device for you if you're looking for a speaker that:-Is Portable and easy to fit somewhere-You might get it wet or bump it-You'll be taking it on the road or to parties-Delivers loud sound without booming base-Will allow you to listen to music all day when you're away from a chargeI'd look elsewhere if you:-Won't be taking a speaker on the road and just want something for the deck or office. Mini is probably for you.-Need bigger bass sound. You probably want a bigger speaker.Honestly, I had only thought I needed a speaker for the occasional trip or pool side party, but I have a feeling the Boom will be so easy to carry around I'll take it everywhere I might possibly use it. I used to debate if I was going somewhere if I was going to lug my Bose dock with me, but not anymore. Without a second thought I'll grab the Boom and that'll be that. I haven't been this happy with a tech purchase in a long, long time, and I buy a lot of stupid crap. :)

I'll start out by saying that I'm a 20-something male that enjoys traveling and I wanted something that I could bring with me to various places including friends' houses, the beach, the mountains, etc. Essentially, I wanted a bluetooth speaker that is rugged and can take a little moisture and a decent level of bruising (for accidents), but also sounds great at all sound levels with any genre. I've owned this for approximately 4 weeks now, so I'll address a few common concerns first among people in the same boat that I was:Battery Life:Absolutely this has the longevity that it claims. I haven't measured to exactly 15 hours at half volume because I'm not a tester. I do use it about 1 hour daily at half volume (the range is 0-15, so I used '7'), as well as about 5-6 hours/night when I sleep at a lower volume. Normally I will charge it about once every 10-14 days. Charging from < 10% takes approximately 2.5-3 hours.Volume:Half volume (7-8) is plenty, unless you plan to rig the sound system at Dallas Cowboy's stadium. This speaker produces a surprising volume. I use 7 when I'm by myself in my apartment and it pretty much fills the place (in all honesty, it's sometimes too loud, depending on what I'm listening to). In more open environments, even 8 is generally plenty, but it still performs well at louder sound levels.Sound:I split this up into volume/sound because they're different things. Let's transition this by discussing sound distortion at higher sound levels: to be honest, I only tried to max out the volume a handful of times, and during those times, no distortion was noticeable at very high volume. Otherwise, the sound seems to be very full and rich. It delivers great highs, mids, and lows. Its lower threshold is probably around 50Hz, if I had to take a guess. All-around great sound for any kind of music.Ruggedness:I've dropped it a few times on my carpeted floor and tossed it around a bit. It's been at a blazing hot worksite and at the beach twice and at the pool twice. It also was in my checked baggage on two connecting flights across the country (we all know how gentle the kind airline staff are with our luggage). Of course, I've only had it for about four weeks, but it still sounds great and there's nothing noticeably different than the first day I bought it (cosmetically, audibly, or otherwise). As much as I'd like to test the limits of this device for testing purposes, I'd still like to see this speaker last a while.Connectivity:This is something that really impressed me. First of all, it pairs in literally under 5 seconds (including the first time it paired to my phone). With a clear line-of-sight, I've walked approximately 80 feet away before the sound dropped (they claim 50 feet). I've also walked around my apartment with my phone (player) in my pocket and it still played while in another room and through walls. However, I did notice that if it goes through too many walls, it seems to drop sporadically or altogether. All-around great connectivity, though.App:The UE Boom app is basic, which is great. You have four pre-set EQ settings and that's it. I'd much rather be able to choose which frequencies to amplify; the app doesn't even show you what is changing from setting-to-setting, and I generally can't tell much of a difference between any of them. In the end, your pairing device has specific EQ settings, too, so it's probably to change it on there anyways. You can double up with another UE boom (never tried this), check your battery (more on this below), and a few other misc things like alarms, etc.Speakerphone:This is something that I actually use frequently. My apartment doesn't have the best reception for phone service except near the windows. When I'm on the phone, I will often set my phone near the window and bring my speakerphone around my apartment so that I can have conversations while I'm walking around. This is one feature I truly enjoy, because my signal will drop completely about 15 feet away from my windows. Sound quality during calls sounds better than the speaker on my phone. Logitech claims dual microphones, but I don't know where they are (this would influence where I hold the speaker).Misc:You can check the battery by pressing the + and - symbols simultaneously. Power button and bluetooth pairing button top. Charging port, audio input (cable not included), and tripod hookup on bottom. Price is a bit much, but I would truly say that it's worth the price, as long as it continues to last for a few more years.*****Conclusion:Has great volume, great sound, with a long-lasting battery, excellent build quality, and maintains connection with a reasonable distance from the paired device. In all honesty, I wasn't even considering this price range for bluetooth speakers, but I did a lot of research before purchasing this and chose this because of how well everyone had described the important factors listed above. While I haven't physically compared other devices, this speaker has met and exceeded my expectations in virtually all major areas. If you're in the market for a bluetooth speaker, and even if you've been thinking about buying a slightly less expensive one, I would definitely recommend this one. In the end, good luck with your shopping and decision!