The UE Boom 3 is a great speaker for someone looking for a compact, portable speaker. It is the third iteration of the popular UE Boom Bluetooth speaker, and it’s just as great as its predecessors. It improves on its predecessor with a larger battery that is twice as powerful as the previous model and improved sound quality that can go louder than before.
If you consider investing in this speaker, then this is an excellent place for you. UE Boom Speakers Review is here to tell you on specs, benefits, and other essential things to decide whether it is worth a buy.
Contents
Ultimate Ears UE Boom 3 Review
- Rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery life for up to 15 hours
- Maximum Sound Level: 90dBC.
- Frequency Range: 90Hz – 20kHz.
- Drivers: Two 2” drivers and two 2” x 4” Passive Radiators.
- Diameter: 73 mm (2.8”).
- Height: 184 mm (7.2”).
- Weight: 608 g (1.34 lb)
- 2-year limited hardware warranty
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Certification and floats POSITIVESIP67, waterproof design
- Good build quality and rugged design
- The UE boom app allows you to connect with 150 other UE speakers
- Purchase of dock to receive wireless charging
- Loud
- Long battery life
- Cool feature
- Super durable
Cons:
- The sound quality is not excellent for the price
- Separate wireless charging dock
- The app is still helpful, but you should download it.
- No voice assistant supports
Design
The Ultimate Ears Boom review is 7.3 inches tall by 2.9 inches wide and has the same cylindrical shape as its predecessors. There are eight color options available, three exclusive to Best Buy and one exclusive to Target.
Except for a small strip of rubber that runs the length of the speaker, the round sides are fully covered with grille cloth. The rubber ends in a fabric loop.
The speaker’s front features major plus and minus symbols. They dominate the grille cloth and rubber strip at the back and act as volume controls.
On the top panel is a large circular multifunction button (what UE refers to as the Magic Button), a more miniature power switch, and an indicator LED. This is for physical controls.
The Ultimate Ears UE Boom 3 review has a rubber door at the back that allows for charging via micro USB. A cable is also included. A slight indentation at the bottom of the portable speaker allows for charging without the use of a line. The optional $39.99 PowerUp charging base is also available. There is no wired audio connection.
Waterproof Rating
The Ultimate Ears EU Boom 3’s IP67 rating means that it can be totally submerged in water while still functioning. It can also handle dirt and dust with ease. It is buoyant so that it can be thrown into a pool.
The Boom app for Android or iOS allows you to adjust the Boom 3’s audio quality. You can change the sound using a five-band EQ and several presets.
There are also a few other features. The app allows you to control the Magic Button at the top of your speaker to play your favorite playlists from Amazon Music or Spotify, Apple music.
You can also connect the Ultimate Ears UE Boom 3 review with multiple Boom 3, Megaboom 3, and Hyperboom speakers to play music in party mode.
According to UE, the portable speaker can be charged for up to 15 hours of battery life, but that depends on how loud you prefer to listen to.
The Ultimate Ears UE Boom 3 does not have a microphone and cannot be used as a speakerphone. It also hasn’t voice assistant support such as the UE Blast or the JBL Link Portable.
Connection
The Ultimate Ears UE BOOM 3 seems to be free from dropped connections and stutters. There is nothing to be concerned about as long as you keep within 50 feet.
The device can even work at 100 feet without walls. Bluetooth connectivity has not been an issue for many companies in recent years. At least, when it comes down to staying connected.
There’s also the app, which can be both good and terrible. I hate downloading apps for every purchase, but it’s good because it adds functionality and is functional.
It has a basic EQ that allows you to adjust the UE boom 3 sound test to your liking. You can also save up to four EQ presets. You can also have two EQ presets so you can listen to podcasts while you shower (that’s not just me, right?). One for when you’re with friends at the beach.
The app can also be used to connect to other UE speakers. It can be used to connect up to 150 other UE speakers. The app is also backward-compatible, so older UE BOOM 2s can still benefit from it.
This was impossible to test as we only had one speaker, but it is nice to have this option for friends with multiple UE speakers. If you are tired of hearing your phone every day, the app can turn the speaker into an alarm clock.
You can also switch between playlists by pressing a button without having to reach for your smartphone. You’ll need to configure this in the app.
However, you can skip between playlists by holding down the multifunction button for three seconds. Controlling your music is as easy as other future brands, just one tap will pave/play, and the second tap will skip to the next song.
Curiously, you cannot triple tap to go back to a piece from the previous song. This is a real bummer, as otherwise, the Ultimate Ears UE BOOM 3 would have everything.
Do you know how to connect a Bluetooth speaker to a TV? if not yet, let us help you:
Performance
The Ultimate UE Ears Boom 3 isn’t entirely living up to its name, especially when compared to the Megaboom 3 or the Hyperboom. Although it can fill a room with sound, it is not as party-oriented as its larger siblings.
At maximum volume, the kick drum hits from Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” sound powerful with a solid low-mid presence. However, they don’t penetrate the sub-bass range.
The app’s Bass Boost EQ preset gives the hits a little more power, but they don’t have much resonance. They don’t distort, which is a good thing, but this may be due to digital signal processing (DSP), which amplifies lower frequencies at higher volumes.
Listening to tracks with vital bass components at medium-high volumes is a good idea. The bass doesn’t rise beyond a certain level, which can cause it to sound weak at higher volumes.
Yes, “Roundabout” sounds complete and balanced on Ultimate UE Ears Boom 3, even though it is not particularly capable of going extremes. The opening acoustic guitarist plucks a lot of low-mid resonance as well as some higher-frequency strings texture.
The electric bass is plenty loud enough to be present in the mix, even without any low-end punch. The bass is prominently emphasized by vocals and drums, while the guitar strums fade into the background. This track has substantial range and balance but lacks treble finesse.
The Crystal Method’s “Born Too Slow,” which has an ominous backing beat, is strong enough to cut through the dense mix. However, the Ultimate UE Ears Boom 3 doesn’t go low enough in the sub-bass to make the track thump.
The track’s solid balance is maintained by the strong guitar riffs and the harsh vocals. This gives it a solid sound without going too far.
This track is best listened to at medium to moderately higher volumes. The mids and highs become louder, but the backbeat remains the same, causing the way to lose its balance.
Sound Quality
In the past, the UE BOOM 2 was not our favorite speaker. Although it still emphasizes loudness over sounding great, it might be the right speaker for you if you plan to spend time outdoors, at the beach, or in the park. We didn’t change the EQ of the app for all our listening and just left it as is.
When listening, the first thing you’ll notice is when the speaker puts the boom in UE BOOM 3 (I couldn’t resist). The low end is highlighted, but the drivers don’t have enough volume to reproduce the bass notes correctly.
The bass in Mark Ronson’s song Daffodils sounds more like midrange frequencies. This means it competes with vocals too often and ends up masking them.
The high end does not sound as if there is much to hold it back. This results in distortion at high volumes and harshness. This can be heard in Horchata by Vampire Weekend.
The bells and cymbals are too loud relative to the rest. It is worth noting that my most issues were at higher volumes than 80 percent.
There aren’t many issues with regular books. However, if you get the boom ultimate ears review, you will be pressing the volume up button quite a bit.
Battery Life
UE claims a battery life of 15 hours of battery life. However, in our testing, we only got 8.3 hours. It’s okay for an average day but not as powerful as other speakers playing music for 24 hours straight.
UE has made a small change that I find incredible. The BOOM 3 can be charged wirelessly using the Power Up dock. But there’s a caveat. It is sold separately.
Three pins are attached to the dock that charges the speaker through a small metal hole at the bottom. It would have been nice if it was included with the speaker. However, it’s only $40. However, keep in mind that you will need to return the charger if you take the speaker to the beach.
Another neat feature is the ability to power up the Ultimate Ears BOOM 3 review from anywhere via the UE BOOM app. The dock and speaker use micro-USB, which is disappointing.
Although UE seems to have some futuristic ideas for the portable Bluetooth speaker, it is being held back by an outdated port. This is not a big deal, but it does mean that UE BOOM 3 might be your only device that can charge via micro-USB within the next few years.
UE BOOM 3 Price and Availability
The UE Boom 3 can be purchased for $129.99 (PS129.99 / AU$199.95 / R2,999). This is about $30 more than the UE Boom 2.
The boom ultimate ears review is priced at an extra-expensive price. It’s more expensive than the Bose SoundLink Color II, with a lower IP rating and higher audio quality.
Recently, we have reviewed other popular speakers on the market in 2023, if you want to see other options, here is for you:
https://hookeaudio.com/elac-speakers-review/
Who Should Get the UE Boom 3?
The IP67 rating is an excellent benefit for beachgoers and people living in wet climates. I was a Pacific Northwest resident for one year, and they don’t lie when they say it rains every single day. It’s not a luxury to waterproof your belongings if you live in an area that constantly rains. It is a necessity.
The UE Boom 3 is a smaller version of the JBL Charge 4, but it will appeal to those who prefer the JBL Charge 4. The Charge 4 is an excellent price for a speaker.
It also has some fantastic features. It is also quite large. It isn’t as portable as the UE BOOM 3 because of its built-in stand, bulging shape, and large size.
How to Pair to the UE Boom 3
It is easy to pair with the UE BOOM 3. These steps will help you pair your smartphone or computer with the UE BOOM 3.
- To turn on your speaker, press the power button quickly at the top.
- To enter pairing mode, press and hold the Bluetooth pairing button.
- Next, go to the Bluetooth settings on your source device.
- Select “UE BOOM 3” in the available devices section.
If you are looking for a way to connect multiple Bluetooth speakers, let us show you step by step to do that:
https://hookeaudio.com/how-to-connect-multiple-bluetooth-speakers/
Ultimate Ears Boom 3 review: Conclusion
UE Boom wireless speakers are an excellent device for people who like to listen to music. The speaker is strong enough to be heard in a multi-room while also small enough to carry around with you.
The UE Boom 3 is beneficial for people who like to listen to music. We hope that our UE Boom review has been helpful for you. The Hookeaudio team appreciates your interest in our thoughts, and we hope you found this valuable information.
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