Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 - Joyous Brights (Grey)

Be a fan... that's what I am going to say. I've had Bluetooth speakers since I think speakers started featuring Bluetooth and I am always searching for the right one for the right scenario. I have the Wonderboom 2, so it was an easy decision to also have the Wonderboom 3 join the family. ESPECIALLY since you can pair the two by linking them (imagine surround sound but outside at a family gathering or watching a movie while camping and creating speaker system to wow your friends).Wonderboom 3 doesn't disappoint with it's very long lasting battery life, charging could take a bit longer, and boy do I wish they would upgrade the charging port to USB-C. Anyhow, it isn't a big issue and after a full-charge you have hours and hours of music, or sound.The features the ... MoreBe a fan... that's what I am going to say. I've had Bluetooth speakers since I think speakers started featuring Bluetooth and I am always searching for the right one for the right scenario. I have the Wonderboom 2, so it was an easy decision to also have the Wonderboom 3 join the family. ESPECIALLY since you can pair the two by linking them (imagine surround sound but outside at a family gathering or watching a movie while camping and creating speaker system to wow your friends).Wonderboom 3 doesn't disappoint with it's very long lasting battery life, charging could take a bit longer, and boy do I wish they would upgrade the charging port to USB-C. Anyhow, it isn't a big issue and after a full-charge you have hours and hours of music, or sound.The features the word boom and boy does it have bass for such a small speaker. I often use the Wonderboom for traveling. I have been to so many hotels and no matter how comfortable the bed sheets, or accommodations, the walls still seem pretty thin. I love playing white noise sounds to sleep and Wonderboom fills the rooms I stay in with the perfect pitch and sound that I need. I wish there was a way to record and allow you to hear what I hear because I am very pleased with my Wonderboom. I love their family of products and dream about the day I get to upgrade for the larger speaker in the their line of speakers.This is also an ideal speaker for the college student dorm-life or apartment life. It's easy to manage, very durable, and water proof.I have taken my Wonderboom on tubing trips on the river and I use a carabiner to secure it to my tube. By the end of the first hour I have a group of people near or around my group because the music coming from the Wonderboom is that crisp and full of sound.No matter the genre, the movie type, or sound... you'll be pleasantly satisfied with the Wonderboom 3. Oh and give that outdoor boost a try, I love waiting a bit to turn that feature on to get people talking, or to stop talking if they are too loud I tap the button and the sound becomes even fuller. Oh and I’m glad this one was built using recycled material, lots of companies are doing this and it feels good.

The Wonderboom 3 is an excellent compact, go anywhere Bluetooth speaker. With light weight and handy size it is easy to tote around the yard or on a trip to the beach. Is it a powerhouse for rocking that rave or house party? Probably not, but it is quite nice with a few friends or just for yourself around the house or yard.Very similar in overall look and feel to the previous gen model, the Wonderboom 3 has some small improvements to the build that seem like they were thought out rather than changes for the sake of changes. For example, the previous generation Wonderboom had a simple loop of cord to hang the speaker from something like a carabiner or a small hook/nail. The new model has a piece over the cord material to provide reinforcement and I can see how it ... MoreThe Wonderboom 3 is an excellent compact, go anywhere Bluetooth speaker. With light weight and handy size it is easy to tote around the yard or on a trip to the beach. Is it a powerhouse for rocking that rave or house party? Probably not, but it is quite nice with a few friends or just for yourself around the house or yard.Very similar in overall look and feel to the previous gen model, the Wonderboom 3 has some small improvements to the build that seem like they were thought out rather than changes for the sake of changes. For example, the previous generation Wonderboom had a simple loop of cord to hang the speaker from something like a carabiner or a small hook/nail. The new model has a piece over the cord material to provide reinforcement and I can see how it would prevent the loop from becoming easily frayed, especially if you frequently put the speaker on and off a hanger. Another nice change was the size and feel of the physical buttons, which are much more prominent and have a more natural push to them. The fabric wrap around the body of the speaker is a little more raised and tactile, and I personally found this made holding the speaker in one hand easier is it was less likely to slip.In terms of sound, I found it quite acceptable for such a small package. With the volume cranked up to max on my phone and the speaker it was capable of putting out an impressive amount of sound without distortion. I’m and no bass fanatic and prefer a good balance of lows and highs, but I personally thought that at very high volume the high end overwhelmed the bass a little bit, making the overall sound a bit thinner. At lower volumes, where I will almost always be using the speaker, the bass was enough to balance the sound just fine and the overall tone was much warmer. Clarity was never a problem at any volume. Sound projects fairly well around the speaker, but I would not go so far as to call it a true 360 degree projection. The sound seems to primarily emanate from the “back” of the speaker, the side opposite the plus/minus control buttons. This isn’t really too noticeable unless you are at a pretty low level and close to the speaker, but it will influence where I would place it in relation to other objects or structures. As of now I just have the one Wonderboom 3, but I am considering picking up a second that I can pair with the one I do have. When using two of these you can create a stereo pair rather than just linking multiple speakers playing both channels. Not always necessary, but still nice when you want it.Connecting the speaker to my phone was a snap, and operation is extremely simple. There is a nice little quick start guide included with the speaker and it covers all the basics of operation quite well. It would have been a plus if this speaker cam with a USB-C or fast charge option, but it comes with just a small micro USB, and it felt like it did take a while to reach full charge out of box. That said, battery life seems to be excellent, and I have been using it on and off for days and it still has significant life. I tend to run it at what I would say is about 50% volume so mileage may vary at higher or lower settings.This sucker FLOATS! To test the claim that this speaker is safe to use around or even in the water I went ahead and dropped it in the pool while playing. 30 minutes later it was still playing just fine. No water made it past the charging port cover, but a lot seemed to get trapped by the porous fabric cover. I would be concerned about the amount of water the cover seemed to hold causing damage if the speaker gets repeatedly or consistently wet. Still, if you place it on the edge of the pool to play music and someone knocks it in, it won’t be ruined as long as the charging port cover is secured in place.I rate this speaker as 5 stars in its category as protected from the elements and highly portable for music on the go.

I had up until fairly recently an early example of a UE miniboom portable speaker, and that thing lasted for over a decade. So I have few concerns about the potential longevity of this product with that history in mind. These have come quite a long ways in that 10+ years, but surprisingly in a few ways not so much. First off what people generally buy these for: sound. It sounds pretty good, but is sorely lacking in bass compared to both its ancestor and other contemporaries I have tried. Other than the bass however it is nice and clean, no distortion problems and everything is very clear. It produces a lot for its size as well. As is practically obligatory for small bluetooth speakers these days, it can be paired with another like it for stereo sound although I have ... MoreI had up until fairly recently an early example of a UE miniboom portable speaker, and that thing lasted for over a decade. So I have few concerns about the potential longevity of this product with that history in mind. These have come quite a long ways in that 10+ years, but surprisingly in a few ways not so much. First off what people generally buy these for: sound. It sounds pretty good, but is sorely lacking in bass compared to both its ancestor and other contemporaries I have tried. Other than the bass however it is nice and clean, no distortion problems and everything is very clear. It produces a lot for its size as well. As is practically obligatory for small bluetooth speakers these days, it can be paired with another like it for stereo sound although I have not tried that feature as I only have the one. Right out of the box it had a sticker on the top of it that indicated what the 3 buttons do but beyond my comprehension the device itself does not have any clear markings for what those buttons are. So if you don’t know already, good luck figuring it out which is frustrating. The top button is for Bluetooth, the middle one is play/pause, and the bottom one is power but again no way to know it from the device itself. As far as power goes it will last a good long time, I have yet to even charge it since I got it. And that’s another thing I find crazy, is that it charged with micro usb instead of usb-c. The decade old speaker used micro usb as well and here we are still going old school. So it sounds pretty good, but rocks an old charging solution and has no markings on the buttons. So I don’t know if I can say it’s the greatest but definitely not bad. Maybe wait for a sale on it.